A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon Apr 2 00:11:02 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--droog X-Bonus: One forges one's style on the terrible anvil of daily deadlines. -Emile Zola, writer (2 Apr 1840-1902) The constitution of Wisconsin (the cheesiest state in the US) prohibits the governor from coining a new word: "... the governor may not create a new word by rejecting individual letters in the words of the enrolled bill ..." http://docs.legis.wisconsin.gov/constitution/wi_unannotated You can't make this up! Well, if you had any ambitions to be the governor of the state, now you know what you may have to give up for that post. Fortunately, the rest of us are not so constrained. Coining new words is one of the ways a language grows. That's how its vocabulary blooms. That's how we get words to describe new ideas, inventions, and concepts. This week we'll feature five coined words. As you can imagine, none of the coiners of these words were governors of Wisconsin. Note that all words in a language are coined words -- someone spoke or wrote them for the first time. But for this week's words, we know the coiners. On a different note, on April 5, I'll be speaking at the Texas Library Association's conference in Dallas. If you're in the area, stop by and say hello. droog (droog) noun A member of a gang; a henchman. [Coined by Anthony Burgess in "A Clockwork Orange", from Russian drug (friend). Earliest documented use: 1962.] Dust jacket from the first edition of "A Clockwork Orange" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/droog.jpg "It was as if a gang of droogs had commandeered Hannibal's elephants and had them each step on that nail, one at a time." Dwight Garner; My Big Foot; Esquire (New York); Mar 2017. -------- Date: Tue Apr 3 00:11:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--blatant X-Bonus: Nature teaches more than she preaches. There are no sermons in stones. It is easier to get a spark out of a stone than a moral. -John Burroughs, naturalist and writer (3 Apr 1837-1921) This week's theme: Coined words blatant (BLAY-tuhnt) adjective Conspicuously obvious or offensive. [Coined by the poet Edmund Spenser (1552/1553-1599) in his epic poem "The Faerie Queene", perhaps from Latin blatire (to chatter). Earliest documented use: 1596.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/blatant Title page of The Faerie Queene https://wordsmith.org/words/images/blatant_large.jpg Image: Wikimedia Commons "Corruption takes many forms; in some countries it is blatant, in others it is barely visible." Murk Meter; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 28, 2010. -------- Date: Wed Apr 4 00:11:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hotsy-totsy X-Bonus: We all should know that diversity makes for a rich tapestry, and we must understand that all the threads of the tapestry are equal in value no matter what their color. -Maya Angelou, poet (4 Apr 1928-2014) This week's theme: Coined words hotsy-totsy or hotsie-totsie (HOT-see TOT-see) adjective 1. Just right; perfect. 2. Haughty; pretentious. [Coined by the cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1892-1942), famed for his comic strip "Barney Google and Snuffy Smith". Earliest documented use: early 1920s. Another of his coinages that has found a place in English language dictionaries is heebie-jeebies https://wordsmith.org/words/heebie-jeebies.html .] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hotsy-totsy_large.jpg Image: https://www.hipcomic.com/listing/barney-google-and-snuffy-smith-2-1951-fred-lasswell-g/2668944 "You have to pursue her. Go after her, let her know you think she's hotsy-totsy, ask her out." Constance C. Greene; The Love Letters of J. Timothy Owen; HarperCollins; 1986. -------- Date: Thu Apr 5 00:11:02 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--frumious X-Bonus: I shall allow no man to belittle my soul by making me hate him. -Booker T. Washington, reformer, educator, and author (5 Apr 1856-1915) This week's theme: Coined words frumious (FROO-mi-uhs) adjective Very angry. [Coined by Lewis Carroll as a blend of fuming and furious in the poem Jabberwocky in the book "Through the Looking-Glass". Earliest documented use: 1871.] NOTES: The word occurs in this stanza from the poem Jabberwocky: "Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch! Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun The frumious Bandersnatch!" The word Bandersnatch has also become a part of the English language. https://wordsmith.org/words/bandersnatch.html https://wordsmith.org/words/images/frumious_large.jpg Photo: Gabriel Garcia Marengo https://www.flickr.com/photos/gabrielgm/5406823647/ "As the weeks passed, the frumious language that his supporters used all sounded more and more like the outcry of people sure that they would be cheated of their due." Mark Wahlgren Summers; The Ordeal of the Reunion; UNC Press; 2014. -------- Date: Fri Apr 6 00:08:04 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--boondoggle X-Bonus: Conscience is a dog that does not stop us from passing but that we cannot prevent from barking. -Nicolas de Chamfort, writer (6 Apr 1741-1794) This week's theme: Coined words boondoggle (BOON-dog-uhl) noun: 1. A pointless project funded as a political favor. 2. A holiday trip to an exotic location, disguised as a business trip. 3. Braided cord, made of plastic strips, fabric, etc. verb intr.: 1. To do useless or trivial work. 2. To go on a business trip in which the real purpose is relaxation or fun. 3. To braid plastic strips, fabric, etc. [Coined by scoutmaster Robert H. Link. Earliest documented use: 1929.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/boondoggle NOTES: The original boondoggle was a braided cord made by Boy Scouts. In 1935, a New York Times article quoted someone criticizing a New Deal program to train jobless to make handicrafts as a boondoggle. Since then this sense of the word has become more common. Boondoggle 1: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/boondoggle1_large.jpg Photo: http://atom.smasher.org/construction/?l1=Caution&l2=Tax+Money&l3=Boondoggle&l4=Ahead Boondoggle 3: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/boondoggle2_large.jpg Photo: saxarocks https://www.flickr.com/photos/saxarocks/9518388852/ "Officials thoroughly understood Seattleites' concerns that the new arena was a boondoggle benefiting mainly sports franchise owners." Bill Mullins; Becoming Big League; University of Washington Press; 2013. "Jeffrey Neely, the General Services Administration employee pictured in a hot tub sipping wine on taxpayer money, retired with full benefits after the lavish 2010 Las Vegas boondoggle he planned was uncovered in the media." Betsy McCaughey; Liberty Belle; Creators Publishing; 2015. -------- Date: Mon Apr 9 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ceilidh X-Bonus: Bad weather always looks worse through a window. -Tom Lehrer, singer-songwriter and mathematician (b. 9 Apr 1928) I used to think that French pronunciation was tricky, what with silent letters, rounded lips, nasal sounds, and so on. That was until I heard a native speaker of French complain about English pronunciation. So let's agree that languages have their own pronunciation systems. One is not necessarily any more or less logical than the other. They are just different. Also, one is not any easier or harder than the other. You think Chinese tones are hard to master? They can't be all that hard: more than a billion people handle them with ease, some even as young as two years old. Same with languages with clicks, whistles, and other features. So this week we'll look at (and hear) some words with odd pronunciations. I should use scare quotes here https://wordsmith.org/words/scare_quote.html : these are words with "odd" pronunciations because the words follow the rules of the languages they are borrowed from. It looks odd to us only because we aren't familiar with those rules. We'll see words borrowed from Scottish Gaelic/Irish, Greek, Italian, and French. Finally, we'll throw in a word native to English -- centuries of tumbling in the river of humanity has polished its edges and smoothened its pronunciation. ceilidh (KAY-lee) noun A social gathering, typically involving folk music, dancing, and storytelling. [From Scottish Gaelic ceilidh and Irish célidhe (visit), from Old Irish céile (companion). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kei- (to lie, bed, dear), which also gave us city, cemetery, Sanskrit shiva, and incunabulum https://wordsmith.org/words/incunabulum.html . Earliest documented use: 1875.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ceilidh https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ceilidh_large.jpg Image: Dun.can https://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanh1/8116901925/ "'I hear you were at the ceilidh last night,' said Priscilla. ... 'That's right. It was fun. I had a good time.'" Katriena Knights; Where There's a Will; eXtasy Books; 2018. -------- Date: Tue Apr 10 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sophrosyne X-Bonus: You can safely assume that you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all the same people you do. -Anne Lamott, writer (b. 10 Apr 1954) This week's theme: Words with odd pronunciations sophrosyne (suh-FROZ-uh-nee, -FROS-) noun Soundness of mind, as expressed in moderation, self-control, and prudence. [From Greek sophrosyne, from sophron (of sound mind, prudent). Earliest documented use: 1889.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sophrosyne_large.jpg Tattoo: Steve, Photo: Elyse Rethlake, Source: http://www.neithersnow.com/blog/2016/1/3/collaboration-with-natalie-steve-elyse "In this sense, sophrosyne seems to be the key to the solution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not only to break the vicious cycle of violence that holds the two sides captive but also to support the idea of nonviolent resistance." Carlos Fraenkel; Teaching Plato in Palestine; Dissent (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania); Spring 2007. -------- Date: Wed Apr 11 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--segue X-Bonus: A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead. -Leo Rosten, author (11 Apr 1908-1997) This week's theme: Words with odd pronunciations segue (SEG-way, SAY-gway) verb intr.: To make a smooth transition from one section or topic to another, in conversation, music, film. etc. noun: A smooth transition from one section or topic to another. [From Italian segue (there follows), third-person singular present of seguire (to follow), from Latin sequi (to follow). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sekw- (to follow), which also gave us sect, sequel, sue, suit, suite, execute, and society. Earliest documented use: 1740.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/segue https://wordsmith.org/words/images/segue_large.jpg Image: https://www.someecards.com/usercards/viewcard/MjAxMi1iYThlNmNlMWFiODVhYTVj/ "Mum had this remarkable ability to segue from handball to Mark Twain." Robyn Doreian; What I Know About Women; Sun Herald (Sydney, Australia); Mar 11, 2018. -------- Date: Thu Apr 12 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hors d'oeuvre X-Bonus: All religions united with government are more or less inimical to liberty. All, separated from government, are compatible with liberty. -Henry Clay, statesman and orator (12 Apr 1777-1852) This week's theme: Words with odd pronunciations hors d'oeuvre (ohr DERV) noun An extra little dish outside of and smaller than the main course, usually served first. [From French hors (outside of), oeuvre (job or work). Earliest documented use: 1715.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hors%20d'oeuvre https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hors_d_oeuvre_large.jpg Photo: Richard Munckton https://www.flickr.com/photos/richardmunckton/5281026924/ "An aunt sued her nephew for jumping into her arms, causing her to fall and break her wrist. She said her busy life in Manhattan had been ruined and she found it hard to hold a plate of hors d'oeuvres. The jury didn't embrace her arguments and took just 15 minutes to decide that the boy was not negligent." Politics This Week; The Economist (London, UK); Oct 15, 2015. -------- Date: Fri Apr 13 00:01:04 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--halfpenny X-Bonus: Gullibility and credulity are considered undesirable qualities in every department of human life -- except religion. -Christopher Hitchens, author and journalist (13 Apr 1949-2011) This week's theme: Words with odd pronunciations halfpenny (HAY-puh-nee, HAP-nee), plural halfpence (HAY-puhns) noun: 1. A British coin representing half a penny. 2. A sum of half a penny. adjective: 1. Worth half a penny. 2. Worth very little. [From Middle English halfpeny, from Old English h(e)alf + penig, penning. Earliest documented use: 1330.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/halfpenny https://wordsmith.org/words/images/halfpenny.png Image: Wikimedia Commons "The Iraqis, by contrast, were led by a halfpenny Hitler." Gerald Parshall; The Diplomatists: Powell & Schwarzkopf; US News & World Report (Washington, DC); Mar 16, 1998. -------- Date: Mon Apr 16 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--monophobia X-Bonus: Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (16 Apr 1844-1924) The author James Thurber once said, "All men should strive to learn before they die what they are running from, and to, and why." This summarizes most stories about humankind. This also summarizes this week's words in A.Word.A.Day -- words about fear and desire, phobias and manias. monophobia (mon-uh-FOH-bee-uh) noun A fear of being alone. [From Greek mono- (one) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1880.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/monophobia_large.jpg Photo: Lettuce https://www.flickr.com/photos/53314395@N00/1386199454 "Some nights, Wally would lose sleep trying to figure out a means to combat his monophobia through exposure. How do you expose yourself to solitude gradually? Start in a room of ten people then slowly have them leave until it's only you remaining?" Jeff Spanke; Second Hand Out; Boom Shadow Books; 2008. -------- Date: Tue Apr 17 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sitomania X-Bonus: If only I could so live and so serve the world that after me there should never again be birds in cages. -Isak Dinesen (pen name of Karen Blixen), author (17 Apr 1885-1962) This week's theme: Phobias & Manias sitomania (sy-tuh-MAY-nee-uh) noun An abnormal craving for food. [From Greek sito- (grain, food) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze). Earliest documented use: 1882. The opposite is sitophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/sitophobia.html .] "Although Chipley found sitomania in patients from a broad range of social and age groups, he identified a special form of the disease that afflicted adolescent girls." Kenneth F. Kiple; The Cambridge World History of Human Disease; Cambridge University Press; 1993. -------- Date: Wed Apr 18 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ailurophobia X-Bonus: When I was a boy I was told that anybody could become President. I'm beginning to believe it. -Clarence Darrow, lawyer and author (18 Apr 1857-1938) This week's theme: Phobias & Manias ailurophobia (ai-loor-uh-FOH-bee-uh, ay-) noun A fear of cats. [From Greek ailuro- (cat) + phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1905.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/ailurophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ailurophobia_large.jpg Photo: http://i.imgur.com/OX1XjpB.jpg "He didn't mention that some people are downright scared to death of cats. But that's OK because most people don't understand ailurophobia anyway. That's why we lie and say we're allergic when we turn down dinner invitations to a cat lover's home." Dahleen Glanton; Chicago's Rat Problem Gnaws at Feline Fears; Chicago Tribune (Illinois); Nov 2, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Apr 19 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pyromania X-Bonus: Adding manpower to a late software project makes it later. -Fred Brooks, computer scientist (b. 19 Apr 1931) This week's theme: Phobias & Manias pyromania (py-roh-MAY-nee-uh, -MAYN-yuh) noun An obsessive impulse to start fires. [From Greek pyro- (fire) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze). Earliest documented use: 1840.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pyromania https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pyromania_large.jpg Image: Binary Koala https://www.flickr.com/photos/binary_koala/115391110/ "'To play with fire is a lovely thing,' the Argentine native Norberto Piattoni, the executive chef at this airy South American eatery, told a patron recently. Rarely has a restaurant been so transparent with its pyromania." Jiayang Fan; Metta; The New Yorker; Sep 11, 2017. -------- Date: Fri Apr 20 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--claustrophobia X-Bonus: I love you, and because I love you, I would sooner have you hate me for telling you the truth than adore me for telling you lies. -Pietro Aretino, satirist and dramatist (20 Apr 1492-1556) This week's theme: Phobias & Manias claustrophobia (klo-struh-FO-bee-uh) noun A fear of being in a confined place or a restrictive situation. [From Latin claustrum (lock, bolt, confined place) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1879. The opposite is agoraphobia https://wordsmith.org/words/agoraphobia.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/claustrophobia https://wordsmith.org/words/images/claustrophobia_large.jpg Photo: Laura Lewis https://www.flickr.com/photos/lauralewis23/7515253900 "Part of the opera's strength is the way it conveys the claustrophobia of life on a ship, says Sir Andrew. The stage is crowded with sweaty men shoved together in grim circumstances." High Notes; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 10, 2013. -------- Date: Mon Apr 23 00:01:04 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sillage X-Bonus: This above all: to thine own self be true, / And it must follow, as the night the day, / Thou canst not then be false to any man. -William Shakespeare, poet and dramatist (23 Apr 1564-1616) If there is something out there, chances are there's a name for it. This could be a thing or a place or an idea. Sure, one could do without a name and describe something or someone in another way -- that tall man in a blue shirt -- but having a name makes it easier. This week's five words describe things, ideas, or persons you may have known earlier, but not known that there's a word for them. sillage (see-AHZH) noun The trail of scent that lingers behind from a perfume; also, the degree to which it lingers. [From French sillage (wake, trail). Earliest documented use: early 1800s.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sillage_large.jpg Photo: chiaralily https://www.flickr.com/photos/chiaralily/4364159645/ "Phlur's Siano fragrance intends to be a celebration of nightlife and 'for those who want to own the room,' ... Its sillage is 'far'." Ellen Byron; When Words and Pictures Sell a Fragrance; The Wall Street Journal (New York); Jun 22, 2016. -------- Date: Tue Apr 24 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--androcracy X-Bonus: I hold that gentleman to be the best-dressed whose dress no one observes. -Anthony Trollope, novelist (24 Apr 1815-1882) This week's theme: There's a word for it androcracy (an-DROK-ruh-see) noun A system ruled by men. [From Latin andro- (male), from Greek + -cracy (rule). Earliest documented use: 1903.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/androcracy.jpg Over 20 People Were at the Table When Trump Met the Saudis. None Were Women. https://www.nytimes.com/2018/03/21/us/politics/trump-saudi-arabia-delegation.html "Some think the system's androcracy simply perpetuates itself, as powerful men promote other men to positions of power." Promotion and Self-Promotion; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 31, 2013. -------- Date: Wed Apr 25 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pinetum X-Bonus: I don't mind that you think slowly but I do mind that you are publishing faster than you think. -Wolfgang Pauli, physicist, Nobel laureate (25 Apr 1900-1958) This week's theme: There's a word for it pinetum (py-NEE-tuhm) noun, plural pineta An arboretum of coniferous trees such as pines. [From Latin pinetum (pine grove), from pinus (pine). Earliest documented use: 1828.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/pinetum https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pinetum_large.jpg Photo: Ty Korte https://www.flickr.com/photos/kortephotography/12096501444/ "At RHS Garden Wisley, conifers were traditionally sent to the pinetum, where they were expected to reach towering proportions." Matthew Pottage; Conifers That Came in from the Cold; The Daily Telegraph (London, UK); Dec 9, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Apr 26 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--arctophile X-Bonus: There never was night that had no morn. -Dinah Maria Mulock Craik, poet and novelist (20 Apr 1826-1887) This week's theme: There's a word for it arctophile (ARK-tuh-fyl) noun Someone who is very fond of teddy bears or collects them. [From Greek arctos (bear) + -phile (lover). Earliest documented use: 1970.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/arctophile_large.jpg Photo: Michael Coghlan https://www.flickr.com/photos/mikecogh/8216882282/ "I am a past president of the American Society of Teddy Bear Collectors and have contributed dozens of articles to Teddy Bear Review and other arctophile journals." Clifford Chase; Winkie; Grove Press; 2006. -------- Date: Fri Apr 27 00:01:04 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--make-work X-Bonus: Taught from infancy that beauty is woman's sceptre, the mind shapes itself to the body, and roaming round its gilt cage, only seeks to adorn its prison. -Mary Wollstonecraft, reformer and writer (27 Apr 1759-1797) This week's theme: There's a word for it make-work (MAYK-wuhrk) noun Work of little value, devised mainly to keep someone busy. [From make, from Old English macian (to make) + work, from Old English worc (work). Earliest documented use: 1911.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/make-work "Use of the land wasn't contemplated. Only clearing it. Much work done in the world is like this -- virtually meaningless. Make-work." Richard Ford; Make-Work; The New Yorker; Jun 5, 2017. -------- Date: Mon Apr 30 00:01:03 EDT 2018 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--adhocracy X-Bonus: I learn that ten percent of all the world's species are parasitic insects. It is hard to believe. What if you were an inventor, and you made ten percent of your inventions in such a way that they could only work by harnessing, disfiguring, or totally destroying the other ninety percent? -Annie Dillard, author (b. 30 Apr 1945) Reader Lara Baker wrote: I live in a sub-division of duplexes. At a Homeowners' Board meeting, I heard a new word: roofmate. It refers to the residents of the other half of a duplex from one's own. The derivation is obvious, and I think that it is an excellent coinage. The word roofmate is self-descriptive and indeed an excellent coinage. Anything that fills gaps in the language is good. Coining new words is one of the ways a language grows. May your word live long and prosper! From a word's point of view, to live long and prosper is to get into a dictionary. This week we'll feature five coined words that have found a place in dictionaries. adhocracy (ad-HAWK-ruh-see) noun 1. A flexible, adaptable organization that lacks a formal structure. 2. An organization characterized by lack of planning, responding to problems as they emerge rather than anticipating and avoiding them. [Coined by Warren Bennis and Philip Slater in their book "The Temporary Society". From Latin ad hoc (for this, i.e. for a particular purpose only) + -cracy (rule). Earliest documented use: 1966.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/adhocracy https://wordsmith.org/words/images/adhocracy1_large.jpg Photo: Dave Rosenblum https://www.flickr.com/photos/daverose215/9707586378/ https://wordsmith.org/words/images/adhocracy2_large.jpg Photo: Brian Neumann https://www.flickr.com/photos/neumann_brian/5838677365/ "Readers will get a sharp sense of its folkways; its unwritten rules, and adhocracies." Jennifer Senior; Refugee Limbo; The New York Times; Jan 2, 2016. "The shambolic* adhocracy of his White House is a perfect reflection of Trump's own chaotic, disordered thought process and lack of mental discipline." Rick Wilson; The Problem in Trump White House?; The Daily Beast (New York); Apr 10, 2017. * https://wordsmith.org/words/shambolic.html