A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Jul 1 00:01:37 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--enow X-Bonus: The intellect of man is forced to choose / Perfection of the life, or of the work, / And if it take the second must refuse / A heavenly mansion, raging in the dark. -William Butler Yeats, writer, Nobel laureate (1865-1939) enow (i-NOU) adjective, adverb Enough. [From Middle English inow, from Old English genoge, plural of genog (enough). Ultimately from Indo-European root nek- (to reach, attain) that also gave us oncology (branch of medicine dealing with tumors), from Greek oncos (mass, bulk).] "If we are mark'd to die, we are enow To do our country loss; and if to live, The fewer men the greater share of honour." William Shakespeare (1564-1616); King Henry V. This week's theme: archaic words. -------- Date: Mon Jul 4 00:01:13 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lex talionis X-Bonus: None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, poet, dramatist, novelist, and philosopher (1749-1832) lex talionis (leks tal-ee-O-nis) noun The law of retaliation that the punishment should correspond to the crime, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Also called talion. [From Latin, lex (law) + talionis (retaliation).] "We are entreated to turn the other cheek and do unto others as we would have them do unto us, yet simultaneously understand lex talionis and the quotidian mayhem depicted on television, in fact and fiction." Shelley Neiderbach; Seeing Can Free Victims From Thirst for Revenge; Newsday (New York); May 10, 2001. Although Latin is a "dead" language, it remains alive through its extensive vocabulary used in medicine, science, law, and also via the numerous words that the English and other languages have borrowed and built upon. And it's still the official language of the Vatican city state. We use Latin expressions for many purposes, sometimes to sound more literary and at times for idioms that pack a concept in just a few words that would otherwise take a few sentences. This week we'll review Latin terms often used in the English language. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jul 5 00:01:11 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--flagrante delicto X-Bonus: If moral behavior were simply following rules, we could program a computer to be moral. -Samuel P. Ginder, US navy captain flagrante delicto (fluh-GRAN-tee di-LIK-to) adverb In the very act of committing the offense; red-handed. [From Medieval Latin, literally, while the crime is blazing.] "Mr. Big, the dung beetle, for instance, regularly patrols his tunnel to check on Mrs. Big, and if he catches her in flagrante delicto, he throws the interloper out." Richard Conniff; Close Encounters of the Sneaky Kind; Smithsonian (Washington, DC); Jul 2003. This week's theme: terms from Latin. -------- Date: Wed Jul 6 00:01:14 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vox populi X-Bonus: One day's exposure to mountains is better than cartloads of books. See how willingly Nature poses herself upon photographers' plates. No earthly chemicals are so sensitive as those of the human soul. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914) vox populi (VOKS POP-yuh-ly) noun Popular opinion; general sentiment. [From Latin, literally voice of the people.] A related expression is "Vox populi vox Dei" meaning the voice of the people is the voice of God. It refers to the idea that the king or the government ought to pay attention to the voice of the people. Vox populi vox Dei certainly works when it comes to the growth of a language. "Dedman's piece got barely a whisper from the vox populi. 'We received just one e-mail, but no one complained,' said Globe Ombudsman Christine Chinlund." Allan Wolper; The Credibility Gap; Editor & Publisher (New York); Aug 12, 2002. This week's theme: terms from Latin. -------- Date: Thu Jul 7 00:01:09 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nolens volens X-Bonus: Matters of religion should never be matters of controversy. We neither argue with a lover about his taste, nor condemn him, if we are just, for knowing so human a passion. -George Santayana, philosopher (1863-1952) nolens volens (NO-lens VO-lens) adverb Whether willingly or unwillingly (mostly the latter), willy-nilly. [From Latin, from nolens, present participle of nolle (to be unwilling) + volens, present participle of velle (to wish or to be willing).] "Prince Duong-Chaer, third son of King Norodom of Cambodia, was yesterday compelled nolens volens to leave Paris for Algeria." In Our Pages; International Herald Tribune (Paris, France); Aug 27, 1993. This week's theme: terms from Latin. -------- Date: Fri Jul 8 00:01:10 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stet X-Bonus: The most tyrannical of governments are those which make crimes of opinions, for everyone has an inalienable right to his thoughts. -Baruch Spinoza, philosopher (1632-1677) stet (stet) verb tr., intr. Let it stand. [From Latin stet (let it stand), from stare (to stand). Ultimately from Indo-European root sta- (to stand) that is also the source of stay, stage, stable, instant, establish, static, and system.] Stet is used as a direction on a printer's proof or manuscript to indicate that the alterations be undone and the original word or passage be restored. "I realize that I have silted myself into the debate as a typographical neoconservative and a novitiate Barzunite, having insulted both pop culture and the West, and implied an allegiance to elegance and the author. I don't really want to mean this. Nevertheless, pls stet." Janet Burroway; Language, Culture, And the Cop (sic) Editor; The Chronicle of Higher Education (Washington, DC); Nov 7, 1997. "The charges later were dismissed in Baltimore City and stetted in Howard County." Peter Geier; 'Patricide' Author Sues Sheppard Pratt; The Daily Record (Baltimore, Maryland); Feb 5, 2003. This week's theme: terms from Latin. -------- Date: Mon Jul 11 00:01:14 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gaslight X-Bonus: Thousands of tired, nerve-shaken, over-civilized people are beginning to find out that going to the mountains is going home; that wildness is a necessity; and that mountain parks and reservations are useful not only as fountains of timber and irrigating rivers, but as fountains of life. -John Muir, naturalist, explorer, and writer (1838-1914) gaslight (GAS-lyt) verb tr. To manipulate psychologically. [From the title of the classic movie Gaslight (1940 and its 1944 remake), based on author Patrick Hamilton's play. The title refers to a man's use of seemingly unexplained dimming of gaslights (among other tricks) in the house in an attempt to manipulate his wife into thinking she is going insane. See more about this movie at http://imdb.com/title/tt0036855/ ] "Cutting off another couple hours with a zoomy Concorde look-alike would be nice, if such a plane could be delivered at an affordable cost. Here, though, anyone might wonder if the media are being gaslighted along with Airbus." Holman W. Jenkins Jr.; Haven't Shareholders Had Enough Chicken? The Wall Street Journal (New York); Apr 4, 2001. The word gaslight is an excellent example of how a language grows. It shows how a word's meaning can take unexpected paths in its evolution. The noun gaslight has not only turned into a verb but also taken a sense entirely unrelated to its inherent meaning. It's a sign of cinema's hold on popular culture that this word from a movie title has entered the English lexicon in a new incarnation. This week we've collected five words from movie titles that have taken similar turns in the English language. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jul 12 00:01:11 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mondo X-Bonus: Nothing is so impenetrable as laughter in a language you don't understand. -William G. Golding, novelist (1911-1993) mondo (MON-do) adjective Huge; enormous; ultimate. adverb Extremely, very. [After 1966 movie Mondo Bizarro (literally "Bizarre World" but interpreted as "very bizarre"), where mondo is from the 1961 Italian movie Mondo Cane (A Dog's World) and reinterpreted as an intensifier. More on this movie at: http://imdb.com/title/tt0188909/ ] "As Asia's productivity shakes the world, and as `just in time' inventory management keeps rolling along, air cargo has become one mondo important gig." Ed Stephens Jr.; Cargo Tells a Story; Saipan Tribune (North Mariana Islands); Jun 3, 2005. This week's theme: words from movie titles. -------- Date: Wed Jul 13 00:01:13 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stepford X-Bonus: I love America more than any other country in this world, and, exactly for this reason, I insist on the right to criticize her perpetually. -James Baldwin, writer (1924-1987) Stepford (STEP-furd) adjective Robotic, compliant, submissive; lacking in individuality. [After the fictional suburb of Stepford, Connecticut in Ira Levin's 1972 novel, The Stepford Wives, later made into movies (in 1975 and 2004). In the story, men of this seemingly ideal town have replaced their wives with attractive robotic dolls devoid of emotion or thought. More details on the movie are at http://imdb.com/title/tt0327162/ ] "Eight months ago at the Olympics, Michael Phelps was the Stepford Swimmer. He won six gold medals. He smiled. He gave bland answers to questions. He returned home to Baltimore and rode in a parade. All very nice. But his personality never broke the surface." Mark Purdy; More Mature Phelps More Interesting, Too; The Mercury News (San Jose, California); May 20, 2005 This week's theme: words from movie titles. -------- Date: Thu Jul 14 00:01:11 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--zelig X-Bonus: It is a glorious thing to be indifferent to suffering, but only to one's own suffering. -Robert Lynd, writer (1879-1949) Zelig (ZEL-ig) noun A chameleon-like person who can change his or her persona to fit in any surrounding; one who appears to be present everywhere and unexpectedly associated with famous people or events. [After Leonard Zelig, hero of the 1983 movie Zelig by Woody Allen. In the movie, Zelig can blend in with people around him: if he is with doctors he can transform into a doctor; he can take characteristics of anyone: Hassidic rabbis, obese, Scottish, and so on. The name Zelig is from German selig (blessed, happy). Movie details: http://imdb.com/title/tt0086637/ ] "`Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey?' is written by Cyril Wecht and Charles Bosworth. Wecht is a forensic pathologist - the Zelig of medical detectives, apparently, as he seems to be involved in every high-profile case from Elvis Presley to O.J." Patti Thorn; JonBenet Books Speak Too Soon; Rocky Mountain News (Denver, Colorado); Aug 23, 1998. This week's theme: words from movie titles. -------- Date: Fri Jul 15 00:01:17 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mitty X-Bonus: The belief in the possibility of a short decisive war appears to be one of the most ancient and dangerous of human illusions. -Robert Lynd, writer (1879-1949) mitty (MIT-ee) noun An ordinary, timid person who indulges in daydreams involving great adventures and triumphs. [After the title character in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a short story (1939) by James Thurber, later made into a movie (1947) of the same name. More details on the movie are at http://imdb.com/title/tt0039808/ ] James Thurber's story appeared in the March 18, 1939 issue of the New Yorker. In the story, Walter Mitty is a meek husband, rather uxorious, who fantasizes of great exploits to escape the humdrum of daily life. One minute he is dreaming of being a heroic pilot ("Throw on the power lights! Rev her up to 8500!"), next minute he becomes a daring naval commander. In his next thought he transforms into a master surgeon, and even a cool killer. "The Mitty-ish George Jackson is a Peckham bank clerk who begins each day expecting a lottery win, and a man in whom hope -- despite its track record--springs eternal." Dan Cairns; The Difficult Unicorn; Sunday Times (London, UK); Dec 15, 2002. This week's theme: words from movie titles. -------- Date: Mon Jul 18 00:01:14 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pantheon X-Bonus: Literature encourages tolerance - bigots and fanatics seldom have any use for the arts, because they're so preoccupied with their beliefs and actions that they can't see them also as possibilities. -Northrop Frye, writer (1912-1991) pantheon (PAN-thee-on) noun 1. A collection of people highly respected in a particular field. 2. A temple dedicated to all the gods. 3. All the gods of a people or religion collectively. 4. A public building containing tombs of illustrious people. [After Pantheon, a domed circular temple in Rome, built c. 120 AD. From Greek pantheion (temple of all the gods), from pan- (all) + theos (gods).] See pictures of the Pantheon at: http://greatbuildings.com/cgi-bin/gbi.cgi/Pantheon.html/cid_1349932.gbi "In historic terms, [Lech Walesa] is held in the same pantheon as Nelson Mandela and Mikael Gorbachev for leading an oppressed nation bloodlessly to freedom." Finian Coghla; Former Polish President Visits Limerick Council; Limerick Post (Ireland); Apr 2, 2004. Pick up any rock in Rome and you'll find history dripping from it. At the Pantheon I ran my fingers across the gritty mortar connecting the thin bricks on the wall of this ancient temple and found myself connected to thousands of years of mankind. I'd touched the same bricks and mortar that were once held by the sweaty hands of the laborers who built the temple nearly two thousand years ago. Besides history, one thing you find in abundance in Italy is smoke. What else can you expect in a place where there's a big T sign of Tabacchi at every street corner? Before closing their doors for the night, tobacconists even thoughtfully put out a little vending machine at the storefronts. At the Colosseum I noticed a newly-wed couple with a photographer in tow. Clad in a gorgeous yellow gown, the bride smoked between shots and when the camera was ready for the next picture, she passed the glowing cigarette to a bridesmaid to hold. I greatly enjoyed a recent visit to Italy but walking miles and miles takes toll on the feet and ankles no matter how inspiring the art or the sculpture. Soon I found myself reciting, Rome, Rome, wherever you roam, There is no place like home. For this week in AWAD I've brought back five words derived from the names of landmarks in Rome and beyond. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jul 19 00:01:11 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--coliseum X-Bonus: In our every deliberation, we must consider the impact of our decisions on the next seven generations. -Iroquois Nation Maxim coliseum (KOL-i-SEE-uhm) noun, also colosseum A large stadium, theater, or similar building for sports, cinema, exhibitions, etc. [After Colosseum, name of the amphitheater in Rome, from Latin colosseus (gigantic).] The Roman Colosseum was completed c. 80 AD. This amphitheater's name is derived from the huge 130 foot colossus of Nero that once stood nearby. The Colosseum was the site of gory gladiatorial contests from which came the term Roman holiday: https://wordsmith.org/words/roman_holiday.html See pictures and learn more about the Colosseum at http://the-colosseum.net/ "The [Arena Football League] is talking to coliseum officials in Bloomington about a franchise there in 2006." Dave Eminian; Say Bye-bye, Bottom Line; Peoria Journal Star (Illinois); Jul 5, 2005. This week's theme: words derived from Italian landmarks. -------- Date: Wed Jul 20 00:01:16 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--palatine X-Bonus: True religion is the life we lead, not the creed we profess. -Louis Nizer, lawyer (1902-1994) palatine (PAL-uh-tyn) adjective Of or relating to a palace. [After Palatine, from Latin Palatium, the name of the centermost of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. Roman emperors built their palaces on this hill. The word palace also derives from the same source.] Of, relating to, or in the palate. [From French palatin, from Latin palatum palate (roof of the mouth).] Pictures of the Palatine Hill: http://harpy.uccs.edu/roman/html/palatine.html "The palatine city just outside the capital, symbol of the wealth and the secular aesthetics of the caliph and his entourage, was destroyed by Muslim armies." Maria Rosa Menocal; A Golden Reign of Tolerance; The New York Times; Mar 28, 2002. This week's theme: words derived from Italian landmarks. -------- Date: Thu Jul 21 00:01:56 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rialto X-Bonus: No society that feeds its children on tales of successful violence can expect them not to believe that violence in the end is rewarded. -Margaret Mead, anthropologist (1901-1978) rialto (re-AL-to) noun 1. A theatre district. 2. An exchange or marketplace. [After Rialto, an island of Venice which was the commercial center of the city. The Rialto bridge was the first bridge on the Grand Canal.] A picture of the Rialto Bridge: http://europeforvisitors.com/venice/articles/rialto_bridge.htm "It was this... that made it some forty or fifty years ago the rialto of the West Indian islands." Daily Chronicle; Sep 23, 1901. This week's theme: words derived from Italian landmarks. -------- Date: Fri Jul 22 00:01:18 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lido X-Bonus: Illness is in part what the world has done to a victim, but in a larger part it is what the victim has done with his world. -Karl A. Menninger, psychiatrist (1893-1990) lido (LEE-do) noun A fashionable beach resort or a public outdoor swimming pool. [After Lido, an island reef in northeastern Italy, between the Lagoon of Venice and the Adriatic Sea, site of a famous beach resort.] "Within seconds, a half-dozen over-eager denizens of Cartagena's lido were on us like flies, offering food and drink, massages, hair-braiding, necklaces." Frank Bajak; Cartagena Struggles to Recover Lost Tourists; The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel; Nov 22, 1998. -------- Date: Mon Jul 25 00:01:14 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--oneiromancy X-Bonus: Remember, we all stumble, every one of us. That's why it's a comfort to go hand in hand. -Emily Kimbrough, author and broadcaster (1899-1989) oneiromancy (o-NY-ruh-man-see) noun The practice of predicting the future by interpreting dreams. [From Greek oneiros (dream) + -mancy (divination).] "It's an axiom of fiction that the `dream sequence' is the cheapest, laziest way to tell or resolve a story. Waking Life's oneiromancy will send some viewers screaming." Mark Lepage; What Does It All Mean?; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Oct 26, 2001. Summer is here. School is out, and my eight-year-old daughter is home. All day she and her friends play their favorite pretend games: puppies, princesses, and more. Some afternoons they barge into my downstairs study looking for suggestions. "What should we play now?" the chorus chimes. I imagine myself as the court priest charged to divine the next game for my royal clients. But I do not have to look at the direction of wind (aeromancy) or the movements of mice (myomancy), nor employ any other esoteric divination techniques. Often it's simply a matter of asking each girl her favorite game and then picking one of the games at random. Since ancient times, humans have used various ways to divine their next course of action. From gazing at stars (astromancy) to the animal entrails (haruspicy) they have tried to find an omen that would point them in the right direction. Was there any meaning in those methods? Who knows? But one thing is certain: when we feel propelled by fate, whatever the direction, we devote ourselves fully toward it. And that may be the value of those predictors. And here is my forecast for this week in AWAD: words related to divination and prediction. -Anu Garg (garg AT wordsmith.org) -------- Date: Tue Jul 26 00:01:19 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--cassandra X-Bonus: A root is a flower that disdains fame. -Kahlil Gibran, mystic, poet, and artist (1883-1931) Cassandra (kuh-SAND-ruh) noun One who prophesies disaster and whose warnings are unheeded. [After Cassandra in Greek mythology who received the gift of prophecy but was later cursed never to be believed.] Cassandra was the daughter of the Trojan king Priam and Hecuba. Apollo, the god of light, who also controlled the fine arts, music and eloquence, granted her the ability to see the future. But when she didn't return his love, he condemned her never to be believed. Among other things, Cassandra warned about the Trojan horse that the Greeks left but her warning was ignored. "We are not sitting here gloating because it is the horrible mess we said it would be. We're in agony. There is nothing pleasurable about being a Cassandra." Molly Ivins; Downing Street Memos Are News; Tracy Press (California); Jun 22, 2005. This week's theme: words related to forecasting. -------- Date: Wed Jul 27 00:01:10 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--fatidic X-Bonus: Fatigue is the best pillow. -Benjamin Franklin, statesman, author, and inventor (1706-1790) fatidic (fay-TID-ik) adjective Of or relating to predicting fates; prophetic. [From Latin fatidicus, from fatum (fate) + dicere (to say). Ultimately from Indo-European root deik- (to show or to pronounce solemnly) that is also the source of other words such as judge, verdict, vendetta, revenge, indicate, dictate, and paradigm.] "As a consequence of that essay, I was awarded a scholarship at the East-West Center (a name that, at the time, had fatidic significance to the child of a man from the East and a woman from the West)." Paul Di Filippo; Textual Pleasures; The Washington Post; Jun 27, 1999. This week's theme: words related to forecasting. -------- Date: Thu Jul 28 00:01:19 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dowse X-Bonus: A diamond with a flaw is better than a common stone that is perfect. -Chinese proverb dowse (douz) verb tr., intr. To search for underground water or minerals with a divining rod. [Of obscure origin.] Dowsing is usually performed using a forked twig. With one end in each hand and the third end pointing out, a dowser walks forward and the pointer is supposed to lead towards water and vibrate when near water. There are even various societies of dowsers, for example, http://dowsers.org An argument refuting the claims of dowsing: http://randi.org/library/dowsing/ The word is also a variant spelling of the word douse. "[Edith Greene] found water for the town of Montgomery when a paid hydrologist couldn't. She is a person who spends a good part of her time dowsing, and not just for water." Elizabeth Bingham; Dowser, Esoteric Healer to Speak at Dowsing Meeting; County Courier (Enosburg, Vermont); Jul 21, 2005. This week's theme: words related to forecasting. -------- Date: Fri Jul 29 00:01:13 EDT 2005 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sortilege X-Bonus: Beauty, unaccompanied by virtue, is like a flower without fragrance. -French proverb sortilege (SOR-tl-ij) noun 1. Divination by drawing lots. 2. Sorcery; magic. [From Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin sortilegium, from Latin sortilegus, from sort-, from sors (lot) + legere (to read or gather).] "A 43-year-old citizen of Ghana was sentenced to one-month imprisonment by the Bandar Magistrate's Court yesterday after he pleaded guilty to using sortilege to deceive an owner of an Arabic food restaurant in Kiulap." 'Witch-Doctor' Jailed For Deceiving Restaurant Owner; The Borneo Bulletin (Brunei); Jun 30, 2005. This week's theme: words related to forecasting.