A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Sat Apr 1 00:17:59 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--uxorious X-Bonus: The empires of the future are the empires of the mind. -Winston Churchill uxo.ri.ous \.*k-'so_-r-e_--*s, .*g-'zo_-r-\ adj : excessively devoted or submissive to a wife -------- Date: Sun Apr 2 00:18:23 EST 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--smithereens X-Bonus: Confucius say too much. -Recent Chinese proverb smith.er.eens \.smit_eh_e-*-'re_-nz\ n, pl : FRAGMENTS, BITS -------- Date: Mon Apr 3 00:21:19 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--atavism X-Bonus: My opinions might have changed, but not the fact that I am right. at.a.vism \'at-*-.viz-*m\ n : appearance in an individual of a remotely ancestral character; also : such an individual or character -- at.a.vis.tic \.at-*-'vis-tik\ adj -------- Date: Tue Apr 4 00:18:33 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lapidary X-Bonus: God gave us memories so that we might have roses in December. -James M. Barrie 1 lap.i.dary \'lap-*-.der-e_-\ n : one who cuts, polishes, and engraves precious stones 2 lapidary adj 1: of or relating to precious stones or the art of cutting them 2: of, relating to, or suitable for engraved inscriptions -------- Date: Wed Apr 5 00:19:15 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--palliate X-Bonus: I disclaim my disclaimer! pal.li.ate \'pal-e_--.a_-t\ vb 1: to ease without curing 2: to cover by excuses : EXTENUATE -- pal.li.a.tion \.pal-e_--'a_--sh*n\ n -- pal.li.a.tive \'pal-e_--.a_-t-iv\ adj or n -------- Date: Thu Apr 6 00:19:15 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--billingsgate X-Bonus: If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful after all. -Michelangelo Buonarroti, sculptor, painter, architect, and poet (1475-1564) bil.lings.gate \'bil-in_ez-.ga_-t\ n [fr. Billingsgate, old gate and fish market in London] : coarsely abusive language -- The registered subscribership of AWAD has touched five figures. Welcome 10,000th linguaphile Jason Buesing of cmu.edu. Thanks also to the earlier 9,999 who joined and made the list what it is. -------- Date: Fri Apr 7 00:19:59 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--truckle X-Bonus: Good news. Ten weeks from Friday will be a good day. 1 truck.le \'tr*k-*l\ n : a small wheel : PULLEY, CASTER 2 truckle vb : to yield slavishly to the will of another : SUBMIT SYN: fawn, toady, cringe, cower -------- Date: Sat Apr 8 00:18:20 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--captious X-Bonus: We are only figments of God's imagination. cap.tious \'kap-sh*s\ adj : marked by an inclination to find fault : CRITICAL -- cap.tious.ly adv -- cap.tious.ness n -------- Date: Sun Apr 9 00:18:51 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--eviscerate X-Bonus: Life is not so much a matter of position as of disposition. evis.cer.ate \i-'vis-*-.ra_-t\ vb 1: to remove the entrails of 2: to deprive of vital content or force -------- Date: Mon Apr 10 00:18:56 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--intumesce X-Bonus: If you can't be replaced, you can't be promoted. in.tu.mesce \.int-t(y)u_.-'mes\ vb : ENLARGE, SWELL -- in.tu.mes.cence n -- in.tu.mes.cent adj -------- Date: Tue Apr 11 00:20:00 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--titivate X-Bonus: A great secret of success is to go through life as a man who never gets used up. -Albert Schweitzer tit.i.vate or tit.ti.vate \'tit-*-.va_-t\ vb : to dress up : spruce up -------- Date: Wed Apr 12 00:20:01 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cephalic X-Bonus: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has. -Margaret Mead ce.phal.ic \s*-'fal-ik\ adj 1: of or relating to the head 2: directed toward or situated on or in or near the head -------- Date: Thu Apr 13 00:19:01 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--labile X-Bonus: Hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength. la.bile \'la_--.bi_-l, -b*l\ adj 1: ADAPTABLE 2: UNSTABLE -------- Date: Fri Apr 14 00:19:02 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--asseverate X-Bonus: Death has been proven to be 99 per cent fatal in laboratory rats. as.sev.er.ate \*-'sev-*-.ra_-t\ vb : to assert earnestly -- as.sev.er.a.tion \-.sev-*-'ra_--sh*n\ n -------- Date: Sat Apr 15 00:18:41 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bravura X-Bonus: Self-esteem is the reputation we acquire within ourselves. -Nathaniel Branden bra.vu.ra \br*-'v(y)u_.r-*\ n 1: a florid brilliant musical style 2: self-assured brilliant performance -------- Date: Sun Apr 16 00:19:26 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--conniption X-Bonus: Living on Earth includes an annual free trip around the Sun. con.nip.tion \k*-'nip-sh*n\ n : a fit of rage, hysteria, or alarm -------- Date: Mon Apr 17 00:21:33 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--indite X-Bonus: To remain caught up in ideas and words about Zen is, as the old masters say, to "stink of Zen." -Alan Watts in.dite \in-'di_-t\ vb : COMPOSE -- "Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man," wrote Francis Bacon nearly four centuries ago. If he were saying that today, more likely he'd have chosen the words "exact person." Regardless, his message is still true. For this week, I have selected words that pertain to writing in one way or the other. -Anu -------- Date: Tue Apr 18 00:20:10 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--perspicuous X-Bonus: Instead of loving your enemies, treat your friends a little better. -Edgar W. Howe per.spic.u.ous \p*r-'spik-y*-w*s\ adj : plain to the understanding : CLEAR -- per.spi.cu.i.ty \.p*r-sp*-'kyu_:-*t-e_-\ n -------- Date: Wed Apr 19 00:18:33 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--scrivener X-Bonus: Minds are like parachutes - they function only when open. scriv.en.er \'skriv-(*-)n*r\ n : SCRIBE, WRITER, AUTHOR -------- Date: Thu Apr 20 00:18:40 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apocrypha X-Bonus: To avoid criticism do nothing, say nothing, be nothing. -Elbert Hubbard Apoc.ry.pha \*-'pa_:k-r*-f*\ n 1 not cap: writings of dubious authenticity 2: books included in the Septuagint and Vulgate but excluded from the Jewish and Protestant canons of the Old Testament 3: early Christian writings not included in the New Testament -------- Date: Fri Apr 21 00:18:51 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chirography X-Bonus: There is a luxury in self-reproach. When we blame ourselves we feel that no one else has the right to blame us. -Oscar Wilde chi.rog.ra.phy \ki_--'ra_:g-r*-fe_-\ n : HANDWRITING, PENMANSHIP -- chi.rog.ra.pher n -- chi.ro.graph.ic \.ki_--r*-'graf-ik\ adj -------- Date: Sat Apr 22 00:19:19 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--literatim X-Bonus: Miracles are great, but they are so damned unpredictable. lit.er.a.tim \.lit-*-'ra_-t-*m\ adv (or adj) : letter for letter -------- Date: Sun Apr 23 00:19:17 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amanuensis X-Bonus: The progress of the world is the history of men who would not permit defeat to speak the final word. aman.u.en.sis \*-.man-y*-'wen-s*s\ n, pl -en.ses \-.se_-z\ : one employed to write from dictation or to copy what another has written : SECRETARY -------- Date: Mon Apr 24 00:19:05 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bailiwick X-Bonus: The mind of man is capable of anything - because everything is in it, all the past as well as all the future. -Joseph Conrad (Heart of Darkness) bai.li.wick \'ba_--li-.wik\ n : one's special province or domain SYN: territory, field, sphere -------- Date: Tue Apr 25 00:19:54 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--inveigh X-Bonus: Humor is just another defense against the universe. -Mel Brooks in.veigh \in-'va_-\ vb : to protest or complain bitterly or vehemently : RAIL -------- Date: Wed Apr 26 00:20:21 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rapine X-Bonus: Patriotism is your conviction that this country is superior to all others because you were born in it. -George Bernard Shaw rap.ine \'rap-*n\ n : PILLAGE, PLUNDER -------- Date: Thu Apr 27 00:19:46 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--conterminous X-Bonus: Men govern nothing with more difficulty than their tongues, and can moderate their desires more than their words. -Spinoza con.ter.mi.nous \k*n-'t*r-m*-n*s, ka_:n-\ adj : having the same or a common boundary -- con.ter.mi.nous.ly adv -- Though it was only a coincidence that "inveigh" went out last Tuesday, some linguaphiles could relate the word to current events. Wolfgang Buechler (pcb.com) coined: macveigh \mak-'va_-\ vb : to protest explosively while Anupa Bajwa (psu.edu) asked, "What's in a name?" For those not in the US, Tim McVeigh is a prime suspect in Oklahoma City bombing case. He was apprehended recently. -------- Date: Fri Apr 28 00:20:24 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--indwell X-Bonus: How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives. -Annie Dillard in.dwell \(')in-'dwel\ vb : to exist within as an activating spirit, force, or principle -------- Date: Sat Apr 29 00:19:18 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--personate X-Bonus: Money is better than poverty, if only for financial reasons. per.son.ate \'p*rs- *n-.a_-t\ vb : IMPERSONATE, REPRESENT -------- Date: Sun Apr 30 00:19:14 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--internecine X-Bonus: What did the Floating Point say to the Integer? "Get Real!" in.ter.nec.ine \.int-*r-'nes-.e_-n, -'ne_--.si_-n\ adj 1: DEADLY; esp : mutually destructive 2: of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group