A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Fri Nov 1 00:01:03 EDT 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bumbledom 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) This week's theme: Eponyms bumbledom (BUHM-buhl-duhm) noun Behavior characteristic of a pompous and self-important petty official. [After Mr. Bumble in Charles Dickens's novel Oliver Twist. Bumble was a fussy, self-important beadle (a minor parish officer) of the workhouse where Oliver Twist was born. Earliest documented use: 1856.] Mr. Bumble https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bumbledom_large.jpg Art: Kyd (Joseph Clayton Clarke), 1889 "We regret to record the death of Albury-Wodonga with a hyphen. ... Bumbledom in the two councils has decreed the hyphen must go from stationery and signs." Howard Jones; Political Doublespeak is Sad Legacy for Border Folk; The Border Mail (Wodonga, Australia); Aug 23, 2007. -------- Date: Mon Nov 4 00:01:06 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bupkis X-Bonus: This country has come to feel the same when Congress is in session as when the baby gets hold of a hammer. -Will Rogers, humorist (1879-1935) If French can be considered the language of romance and Italian the language of music, Yiddish would be the language of complaint. And who can blame speakers of Yiddish? They have plenty to kvetch https://wordsmith.org/words/kvetch.html about. Yiddish (literally, Jewish) is a language without a country. (Israel's official languages are Hebrew and Arabic). It started out as the language of the Ashkenazi Jews (from Germany). The language has German as its base, includes a generous sprinkling of words from Hebrew and other languages, and is written in an alphabet based on Hebrew. While kvetching may seem like the favorite pastime of Yiddish speakers, they do much more than that as they go about their lives and their language reflects this. This week we'll see five Yiddish words that English has added to its word stock. bupkis (BUHP-kis) noun Absolutely nothing; worthless. [From Yiddish, short for kozebubkes (goat droppings), from bub/bob (bean). Earliest documented use: 1937.] NOTES: The word is also spelled as bobkes, bubkes, bopkes, bupkes, bupkus, bubkis, bubkes, etc. The English equivalent of the term is beans, as in: He doesn't know beans about computers. "Sorry, your stock options are worth bupkis." Nancy Davidson; The Secrets of Lost Cats; St. Martin's Press; 2013. -------- Date: Tue Nov 5 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--schnozzle X-Bonus: It came to me that reform should begin at home, and since that day I have not had time to remake the world. -Will Durant, historian (1885-1981) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish schnozzle (SHNOZ-ul) noun also schnoz or schnozz A nose, especially a large one. [From Yiddish shnoytsl, diminutive of shnoyts (snout), from German Schnauze (snout), which also gave us the name of the dog breed schnauzer. Earliest documented use: 1930.] Picasso: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/schnozzle_large.jpg Photo: Duddy S Lasmana http://www.flickr.com/photos/dusolas/531227059/ "I sneak one long sideways peek at Philip Roth's nose: the sort of schnozzle that put the rhino* in rhinoplasty." Scott Raab; Philip Roth Goes Home Again; Esquire (New York); Oct 7, 2010. * see https://wordsmith.org/words/rhinorrhea.html -------- Date: Wed Nov 6 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--schmo X-Bonus: As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US President (1809-1865) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish schmo or schmoe or shmo (shmo) noun A stupid, boring, or obnoxious person. [A truncated form of schmuck (an idiot), from Yiddish schmok (penis). Earliest documented use: 1948.] The word is also used in the phrase Joe Schmo, as a more colorful synonym for John Doe. "Just because I work at a bar does not mean I want to date every schmo that walks in here." Joey Guerra; Bartender Confessions: Jodi Minear; Houston Chronicle (Texas); Dec 9, 2010. -------- Date: Thu Nov 7 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pogrom X-Bonus: Humanity also needs dreamers, for whom the disinterested development of an enterprise is so captivating that it becomes impossible for them to devote their care to their own material profit. Without doubt, these dreamers do not deserve wealth, because they do not desire it. Even so, a well-organized society should assure to such workers the efficient means of accomplishing their task, in a life freed from material care and freely consecrated to research. -Marie Curie, scientist, Nobel laureate (1867-1934) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish pogrom (puh-GROM, POH-gruhm) noun An organized massacre, officially tolerated or encouraged, against a particular group. [From Yiddish pogrom, from Russian pogrom (destruction). Earliest documented use: 1891.] NOTES: The word is usually applied to the massacre of Jews in Russia and Eastern Europe in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. "Kyrgyz nationalists unleashed a ferocious pogrom against the Uzbekh minority." Misha Glenny; Life in Putin's Russia; The Irish Times (Dublin); Oct 29, 2011. -------- Date: Fri Nov 8 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dreck X-Bonus: Until you've lost your reputation, you never realize what a burden it was or what freedom really is. -Margaret Mitchell, novelist (1900-1949) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish dreck or drek (drek) noun Rubbish; trash. [From Yiddish drek (filth, dirt, dung). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sker- (excrement) that is also the source of scoria https://wordsmith.org/words/scoria.html and scatology https://wordsmith.org/words/scatology.html . Earliest documented use: 1922.] "Using boot-sale dreck and found rubbish, Michael Landy has created kinetic, three-dimensional versions of saints portrayed in the National Gallery's collection." Adrian Searle; The Best Art Exhibitions; The Guardian (London, UK); Mar 31, 2013. -------- Date: Mon Nov 11 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--josh X-Bonus: Who is more to be pitied, a writer bound and gagged by policemen or one living in perfect freedom who has nothing more to say? -Kurt Vonnegut, Jr., novelist (1922-2007) One's name is the sweetest sound. We can hear it even in a noisy room with many conversations going on (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cocktail_party_effect ). Back when I worked in the corporate world, my ears would perk up whenever someone mentioned "a new" (uh-noo) as in "We're buying a new server for this project." New parents go to great lengths to pick a name for their newborn. They consider what a name sounds like, what it means, which famous people have or had it, and so on. They pick names that mean something positive, but sometimes names take on another meaning. This week we've picked five words that are also names (though these words are not necessarily derived from names). josh (josh) verb tr., intr.: To make fun of or tease in a good-natured way. noun: A teasing or joking remark. [Of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1845.] "Dave and I quietly caught up with each other, and reminisced. We joked and joshed." Timothy Mangan; Once More, With Feeling; Orange County Register (Santa Ana, California); Apr 14, 2013. -------- Date: Tue Nov 12 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--biddy X-Bonus: Patience is also a form of action. -Auguste Rodin, sculptor (1840-1917) This week's theme: Words that are names biddy (BID-ee) noun 1. A young chicken. [Of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1616.] 2. A woman, especially an elderly one, who is talkative, interfering, or annoying. 3. A cleaning woman. [Short for the name Bridget. Sense 3 is from Irish maid-servants in the US. Earliest documented use: 1785.] "Les Dawson's most lasting legacy is probably Cissie and Ada, the gossiping old biddies whose innuendo-laden sketches graced his television shows for many years." Andrew White; Cissie & Ada: An Hysterical Rectomy; Northern Echo (Darlington, UK); Oct 4, 2013. -------- Date: Wed Nov 13 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--harry X-Bonus: The cruelest lies are often told in silence. -Robert Louis Stevenson, novelist, essayist, and poet (1850-1894) This week's theme: Words that are names harry (HAR-ee) verb tr., intr. 1. To harass, attack, or annoy, especially repeatedly. 2. To raid or pillage. [From Old English hergian. Ultimately from the Indo-European root koro- (war, host, army) which also gave us harbor, harbinger, herald, harness, hurry, and harangue. Earliest documented use: 1330.] "A campaign backed by the Polish government harries media outlets that carelessly say 'Polish death camps' (instead of 'Nazi German death camps in occupied Poland')." Spit and Polish; The Economist (London, UK); Jun 16, 2012. -------- Date: Thu Nov 14 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mulligan X-Bonus: Everyone discusses my art and pretends to understand, as if it were necessary to understand, when it is simply necessary to love. -Claude Monet, painter (1840-1926) This week's theme: Words that are names mulligan (MUHL-i-guhn) noun 1. A second chance, especially in golf where a player is sometimes given another shot to make up for a poor shot which is not counted. 2. A stew made from odds and ends, using whatever is available. [Both senses of the word are from the name Mulligan. It's not certain who these two Mulligans were -- maybe a golf player and a chef. Earliest documented use: 1936.] "It's the Do-Over Derby, in which the only candidates not asking for a mulligan are the ones demanding dozens of them." Frank Bruni; The Do-Over Derby; The New York Times; Feb 13, 2012. -------- Date: Fri Nov 15 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rube X-Bonus: Poetry is the art of creating imaginary gardens with real toads. -Marianne Moore, poet (1887-1972) This week's theme: Words that are names rube (roob) noun An unsophisticated person from a rural area. [Shortened form of name Reuben. Earliest documented use: 1891. Also see hey rube https://wordsmith.org/words/hey_rube.html .] "Is he simply some rube, an easy target for fast-talking telephone magazine salespeople?" Kevin Prokosh; Normal is Overrated; Winnipeg Free Press (Canada); Oct 18, 2013. -------- Date: Mon Nov 18 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lotus-eater X-Bonus: Little girls are cute and small only to adults. To one another they are not cute. They are life-sized. -Margaret Atwood, novelist and poet (b. 1939) Flowers have a language of their own. At one time, almost everyone knew that a red rose was a symbol of love, while a yellow rose was a symbol of friendship. A lily was a symbol of purity and innocence, while a chrysanthemum signified death. Symbolism varies by culture as well. Today, in the era of virtual communications, this symbolism has withered. Yet, flowers continue to bloom in the language. We talk about life not being a bed of roses (an easy situation); people are advised not to gild the lily (to add unnecessary improvements to something that's already satisfactory); wallflowers have difficulty attracting attention; finally, we end up pushing up daisies (when dead and buried). This week we'll look at five terms that have roots in flowers. lotus-eater (LO-tuhs-ee-tuhr) noun A person who indulges in idle daydreaming or leads a life of luxurious ease, instead of dealing with practical matters. [From the lotus-eaters, people in Homer's Odyssey, who ate the lotus fruit that supposedly induced a dreamy forgetfulness. Earliest documented use: 1832.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lotus-eater_large.jpg Image: Dan http://www.flickr.com/photos/35187642@N00/6162280155/ "James Hewitt finds himself in Devon with mum, sleeping in the spare bedroom ... Life as a lotus-eater in sunny climes appears to be well and truly over." Anna Pukas; The Major Moves Back With His Mum; Daily Express (London, UK); Nov 9, 2013. -------- Date: Tue Nov 19 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--primrose path X-Bonus: Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them? -Abraham Lincoln, 16th US president (1809-1865) This week's theme: Words coined after flowers primrose path (PRIM-rohz PATH) noun 1. An easy life, especially devoted to sensual pleasure. 2. A path of least resistance, especially one that ends in disaster. [From Latin prima rosa (first rose). Earliest documented use: 1604.] Notes: It's not clear why "primrose" was picked for naming this metaphorical path. Perhaps Shakespeare chose the word for alliteration -- the word is first attested in his Hamlet where Ophelia says to her brother Laertes: "Do not, as some ungracious pastors do, Show me the steep and thorny way to heaven, Whilst, like a puff'd and reckless libertine, Himself the primrose path of dalliance treads, And recks not his own rede." [Heeds not his own counsel.] https://wordsmith.org/words/primrose_path2.jpg Photo Ian A Kirk http://www.flickr.com/photos/76592037@N00/8599634319/ "Meanwhile, Katich clung on; the primrose path is not for him. The road is strewn with rocks." Peter Roebuck; Victory in Sight, But Punter's Job Far From Over; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Oct 5, 2010. -------- Date: Wed Nov 20 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lily-livered X-Bonus: Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in. -Alan Alda, actor and director (b. 1936) This week's theme: Words coined after flowers lily-livered (LIL-ee-LIV-uhrd) adjective Cowardly or timid. [In earlier times, the liver was considered to be the seat of courage. Hence, a white liver, lacking blood or bile, indicated lack of courage. Earliest documented use: 1616.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lily-livered_large.jpg Photo: Joe Shlabotnik http://www.flickr.com/photos/joeshlabotnik/3758931471/ "A story of twins -- one bold and the other a lily-livered cop." Malathi Rangarajan; Brothers and the Baddies; The Hindu (Chennai, India); Sep 25, 2012. -------- Date: Thu Nov 21 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sub rosa X-Bonus: He is a hard man who is only just, and a sad one who is only wise. -Voltaire, philosopher (1694-1778) This week's theme: Words coined after flowers sub rosa (sub RO-zuh) adverb Secretly, privately, or confidentially. [From Latin sub (under) rosa (rose). Earliest documented use: 1654. The English term "under the rose" is also used to refer to something in secret.] NOTES: In Roman mythology, Venus's son Cupid gave a rose to Harpocrates, the god of silence, to ensure his silence about Venus's many indiscretions. Thus the flower became a symbol of secrecy. Ceilings of Roman banquet halls were decorated with roses to indicate that what was said sub vino (under the influence of wine) was also sub rosa. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sub_rosa_large.jpg Photo: edlimphoto http://www.flickr.com/photos/edlimphoto/4014347598/ "'Much of this goes on sub rosa and never comes to public view,' said Wesley Wark." Peter Goodspeed; Vladimir Putin's Support of Spying; National Post (Canada); Jan 23, 2012. -------- Date: Fri Nov 22 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--amaranthine X-Bonus: Too often we enjoy the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought. -John F. Kennedy, 35th US president (1917-1963) This week's theme: Words coined after flowers amaranthine (am-uh-RAN-thin, -thyn) adjective 1. Unfading; everlasting. 2. Of deep purple-red color. 3. Of or related to the amaranth. [From amaranth (an imaginary, undying flower), from Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos (unfading), from a- (not) + marainein (to fade). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm), which is also the source of morse, mordant, amaranth, morbid, mortal, mortgage, nightmare, ambrosia, and premorse https://wordsmith.org/words/premorse.html . Earliest documented use: 1667.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/amaranthine_large.jpg Photo: Nomadic Lass http://www.flickr.com/photos/nomadic_lass/9468775886/ "Garda has retained its amaranthine appeal as one of the continent's most timeless getaways." Thomas Breathnach; Still Waters Run Deep at Lake Garda; Irish Independent (Dublin, Ireland); Oct 19, 2013. "The sky was now a deep dark amaranthine -- the color of blood -- and it was getting progressively harder to see through the gloom." Steve Feasey; Demon Games; Macmillan; 2012. -------- Date: Mon Nov 25 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--curate's egg X-Bonus: There is not such a cradle of democracy upon the earth as the Free Public Library, this republic of letters, where neither rank, office, nor wealth receives the slightest consideration. -Andrew Carnegie, industrialist (1835-1919) New words come from everywhere. From novels and poems. From science and technology. And beyond. For example, many words have entered the language from cartoons and comics. When you call a Master's in gastronomy program "a Mickey Mouse degree" https://wordsmith.org/words/mickey_mouse.html or when you say that Senate candidate "Booker is a superman", you are invoking characters from cartoons and comics to make your point. This week we're going to look at terms that have their origins in cartoons or were popularized by them. These terms come from both sides of the pond. (sources: http://www.edinburghnews.scotsman.com/news/education/university-offers-uk-s-first-masters-in-gastronomy-1-3100948 http://www.webcitation.org/6KIE0A3Aj http://www.nj.com/politics/index.ssf/2013/10/cory_bookers_legacy_in_newark_under_spotlight_as_he_looks_to_senate.html http://www.webcitation.org/6KIE2xXiW ) curate's egg (KYOOR-itz eg) noun Something having both good and bad parts. [From a cartoon in Punch magazine (London, UK) in which a timid curate (a junior clergy member), when served a stale egg at a bishop's table, tries to assure his host that parts of the egg are edible. Earliest documented use: 1905.] Curate's egg: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/curates_egg_large.jpg Cartoonist: George du Maurier "After another curate's egg of a performance, he, we, and probably Hodgson are none the wiser as to whether he will be in the team this time." Glenn Moore; Michael Carrick Gives Steven Gerrard the Freedom to Roam; The Independent (London, UK); Oct 16, 2013. -------- Date: Tue Nov 26 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gerrymander X-Bonus: Life is like a ten-speed bike. Most of us have gears we never use. -Charles Schulz, cartoonist (1922-2000) This week's theme: Words that arose from cartoons gerrymander (JER-i-MAN-duhr) verb tr. To repartition an area in order to create electoral districts that give an unfair advantage to a political party. noun 1. An instance of gerrymandering. 2. One or more electoral districts, widely differing in size or population, created as a result of gerrymandering. [A blend of Elbridge Gerry and salamander. Massachusetts Governor Gerry's party rearranged the electoral district boundaries and someone fancied the newly redistricted Essex County resembled a salamander. A cartoon showing the district in the shape of a salamander appeared in March 1812 issue of the Federalist newspaper. Earliest documented use: 1812.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gerrymander_large.png Cartoonist: Unknown Modern gerrymandering See these fascinating examples: http://google.com/search?q=gerrymander+districts&tbm=isch "Country members such as Katter enjoyed disproportionate influence thanks to the Queensland gerrymander that effectively made a rural vote worth more than a city vote." Tony Wright; Put Down That Blunderbuss; The Age (Melbourne, Australia); Aug 28, 2010. -------- Date: Wed Nov 27 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--McCarthyism X-Bonus: I have learnt silence from the talkative, toleration from the intolerant, and kindness from the unkind; yet strange, I am ungrateful to these teachers. -Kahlil Gibran, poet, and artist (1883-1931) This week's theme: Words that arose from cartoons McCarthyism (muh-KAHR-thee-iz-uhm) noun The practice of making unfounded accusations against someone. [After US senator Joseph McCarthy (1909-1957) known for making unsubstantiated claims accusing people of being Communists, spies, and disloyal. Earliest documented use: in 1950 in a cartoon by Herbert Block.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mccarthyism_large.jpg Cartoon: Herbert Block "This is the greatest case of rampant McCarthyism to ever hit organized sports. ... There was no hard evidence that three other first-timers on the ballot used steroids, but that didn't keep the Baseball Writers Association of America (BBWAA) voters from denying them entry to the Hall." Bob Keisser; Extreme Thinking Common for Hall Voters; Daily News (Los Angeles, California); Jan 10, 2013. -------- Date: Thu Nov 28 00:01:02 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Rube Goldberg X-Bonus: No bird soars too high if he soars with his own wings. -William Blake, poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827) This week's theme: Words that arose from cartoons Rube Goldberg (roob GOLD-buhrg) adjective Absurdly complex or impractical. [After cartoonist Rube Goldberg (1883-1970) who was known for his intricate drawings showing fantastically impractical contraptions to accomplish simple jobs. Earliest documented use: 1928.] NOTES: Take part in the Rube Goldberg contest: http://www.rubegoldberg.com/Contest The British equivalent of the term is Heath Robinson https://wordsmith.org/words/heath_robinson.html Self-Operating Napkin: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/rube_goldberg_large.jpg Art: Rube Goldberg Photo: Adam Gerard http://www.flickr.com/photos/91317579@N00/8320401346/ "A Rube Goldberg solution to a simple problem, Sea Swap has proved too unstable for long-term practice." Matthew Hipple; Sea Swap: It's a Trap; United States Naval Institute Proceedings; Jul 2013. -------- Date: Fri Nov 29 00:01:03 EST 2013 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--blimp X-Bonus: The great thing about getting older is that you don't lose all the other ages you've been. -Madeleine L'Engle, writer (1918-2007) This week's theme: Words that arose from cartoons Blimp (blimp) noun, also Colonel Blimp A pompous reactionary with out-of-date views. [After Colonel Blimp, a cartoon character created by David Low (1891-1963). Blimp was a satirical look at the self-important and ultra-nationalistic attitudes of officials in the British army and government. Earliest documented use: 1934.] Colonel Blimp: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/colonel_blimp_large.jpg Cartoon: David Low "Yet, far from being a blimp, Charles Napier was one of the most impressive and intelligent individuals the British armed forces have ever produced." Frank McLynn; The Road Not Taken; Random House; 2012.