A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Dec 1 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tmesis X-Bonus: Public opinion rarely considers the needs of the next generation or the history of the last. It is frequently hampered by myths and misinformation, by stereotypes and shibboleths, and by an innate resistance to innovation. -Theodore C. Sorensen, presidential advisor, lawyer, and writer (1928-2010) This week's theme: Words with unusual initial consonants tmesis (tuh-MEE-sis, TMEE-sis) noun Stuffing a word into the middle of another word. Examples: a-whole-nother, abso-bloody-lutely. [From Greek tmesis (a cutting), from temnein (to cut). Ultimately from the Indo-European root tem- (to cut), which is also the source of tonsure, temple, contemplate, epitome, tome, anatomy, and atomy https://wordsmith.org/words/atomy.html . First recorded use: 1586.] "I don't like tmesis; it's abso-bloody-lutely ri-flipping-diculous." Gazza's Decline is a Sad Waste of Talent; Daily Star (London, UK); Oct 25, 2010. -------- Date: Thu Dec 2 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--svelte X-Bonus: Some people become so expert at reading between the lines they don't read the lines. -Margaret Millar, novelist (1915-1994) This week's theme: Words with unusual initial consonants svelte (svelt) adjective 1. Slender; lithe. 2. Graceful; suave. [From French svelte (slender), from Italian svelto (slender), past participle of svellere (to pull out or stretch), from Latin exvellere, from ex- (out) vellere (to pull). First recorded use: 1817.] "Five years ago, Kareena Kapoor, a top young actress in Bollywood, was a typical Punjabi girl, buxom and shapely, luscious like sweet kulfi ice-cream. Today, I imagine, kulfi would make her heave and biryani is never on her plate. For, you see, Kareena saw the light, and today she is svelte and sinewy enough to jog on the streets of LA and wear the tightest of designer jeans." Yasmin Alibhai-Brown; Why Are Asian Women Aspiring to Western Ideals of Beauty?; The Independent (London, UK); Nov 20, 2010. -------- Date: Fri Dec 3 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--llano X-Bonus: A teacher is one who makes himself progressively unnecessary. -Thomas Jefferson Caruthers, educator and author (1885-1971) This week's theme: Words with unusual initial consonants llano (LAH-noh, YAH-no) noun An open grassy, almost treeless plain. [From Spanish llano (plain), from Latin planus (plain), from planus (level). First recorded use: 1613.] "I decided to prepare this year by reading some Westerns to get in the mood. Generally, that is a type of literature I have avoided, but once you get to where you recognize the names of places and know a llano from a plateau, they are kind of fun." Jan Glidewell; Hippies, Cowboys Good for the Heart; St. Petersburg Times (Florida); Jun 8, 2009. -------- Date: Mon Dec 6 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pleonasm X-Bonus: It is easy in the world to live after the world's opinion, it is easy in solitude to live after your own; but the great man is he who, in the midst of the world, keeps with perfect sweetness the independence of solitude. -Ralph Waldo Emerson, writer and philosopher (1803-1882) The French author and aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry once said, "A designer knows he has achieved perfection not when there is nothing left to add, but when there is nothing left to take away." The same could be said of a writer. The category of "writer" is not limited to those who write books. You are a writer if you write an office memo, a research report, a term paper, or a love letter. And when it comes to writing, you don't need a long list of dos and don'ts. If you follow only one rule, it would be: Don't write what you wouldn't want to read yourself. In this week's A.Word.A.Day we'll feature five words that describe things you may want to avoid when you put your hands on a keyboard or a quill. CONTEST: Have you come across a pleonasm somewhere? How about making up your own examples of pleonasm? Send us your pleonasms, whether homegrown or captured in the wild (include a picture, if possible). The best entry will receive a copy of the word game WildWords (courtesy WildWords Game Co. http://wildwords.us) and a runner-up will receive a copy of the word game One Up! (courtesy Uppityshirts http://uppityshirts.com/). Email your entries to (contest at wordsmith.org) no later than Friday, Dec 10, 2010. Please include your location. Results will be announced this weekend. And while you are writing, send us any comments or suggestions you might have about AWAD. pleonasm (PLEE-uh-naz-uhm) noun The use of more words than those necessary to express an idea; redundancy. For example: free gift. [From Latin pleonasmus, from Greek pleonasmos, from pleonazein (to be in excess), from pleon (more). First recorded use: 1610.] Notes: Pleonasm is often used for emphasis, as in free gift, true fact, or revert back. While such repetition is discouraged, sometimes it becomes part of the language and is used idiomatically, as in a hot water heater. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pleonasm_large.jpg [Photo: William Clifford http://www.flickr.com/photos/williac/3508335755/ ] "Why some people walk around with a little dark cloud over their heads all the time, while others ceaselessly view the world through rose-colored glasses, to use a tired cliche ('tired cliche' is also a cliche, as well as a pleonasm, but what the heck)." Otto Penzler; What a Wonderful Year!; The New York Sun; Dec 28, 2005. -------- Date: Tue Dec 7 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--apophasis X-Bonus: Would the boy you were be proud of the man you are? -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (1919-1990) This week's theme: What to avoid when using words apophasis (uh-POF-uh-sis) noun Allusion to something by denying it will be said. [Via Latin from Greek apophanai (to say no), from apo- (away from) + phanai (to say). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bha- (to speak) that is also the source of fable, phone, fame, boon, and infant. First recorded use: 1657.] "There is almost no complaint that Ralph Nader and Dear Abby won't listen to, but I don't remember either of them ever tried to do anything about a dangling participle or a badly mixed metaphor, not to mention damnable apophasis." Jack Smith; Hey, Watch That Language!; Milwaukee Journal (Wisconsin); Nov 11, 1974. "It's an Afghan apophasis. By claiming he does not want to participate in a political process that is hopelessly overrun with corruption, Abdullah is acknowledging just the opposite -- that he very much wants power and influence in the Afghan political realm." Teddy Minch; Well Now What?; The Tufts Daily (Medford, Massachusetts); Nov 4, 2009. -------- Date: Wed Dec 8 00:01:08 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sesquipedality X-Bonus: In a free country there is much clamor, with little suffering: in a despotic state there is little complaint but much suffering. -Lazare Nicolas Marguerite Carnot, statesman and engineer (1753-1823) This week's theme: What to avoid when using words sesquipedality (ses-kwi-pi-DAL-i-tee) noun The practice of using long words. [From Latin sesqui- (one and a half) + ped- (foot). First recorded use: 1759.] Notes: Literally speaking, sesquipedality is using words that are one and a half feet long. A related word is sesquicentennial (150th anniversary). Nothing wrong with using a sesquipedalian word once in a while, if it fits, but it's best to avoid too many long, polysyllabic words. This dictum doesn't apply to German speakers though, as Mark Twain once observed, "Some German words are so long that they have a perspective." There's a bean subspecies commonly known as a yardlong bean. It's really misnamed as it's "only" half a yard long. Its scientific name, Vigna unguiculata subsp. sesquipedalis, is more precise. Sesquipedalian beans: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sesquipedality_large.jpg [Photo: Xiaolu Hou http://www.flickr.com/photos/36648582@N06/3934227617/] "The stories in Oblivion comprise relatively straightforward prose, with textual play and sesquipedality trimmed to the bone." Tim Feeney; Oblivion; Review of Contemporary Fiction; Jul 2004. -------- Date: Thu Dec 9 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--periphrasis X-Bonus: I have known a vast quantity of nonsense talked about bad men not looking you in the face. Don't trust that conventional idea. Dishonesty will stare honesty out of countenance, any day in the week, if there is anything to be got by it. -Charles Dickens, novelist (1812-1870) This week's theme: What to avoid when using words periphrasis (puh-RIF-ruh-sis) noun, plural periphrases A roundabout way of saying something, using more words than necessary. [Via Latin, from Greek periphrasis, from periphrazein (to explain around), from peri- (around) + phrazein (to speak, say). First recorded use: 1533.] "Why the lawsuit? Pfizer said it had 'sought the assistance of the Philippine legal system' (an elegant periphrasis, that)." High Blood; Philippine Daily Inquirer (Manila, Philippines); Nov 19, 2006. -------- Date: Fri Dec 10 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--paralipsis X-Bonus: When one has been threatened with a great injustice, one accepts a smaller as a favour. -Jane Welsh Carlyle, letter writer (1801-1866) This week's theme: What to avoid when using words paralipsis (par-uh-LIP-sis) noun, plural paralipses (-seez) Drawing attention to something while claiming to be passing over it. [From Latin paralipsis, from Greek paraleipsis (an omission), from paraleipein (to leave on one side), from para- (side) + leipein (to leave). First recorded use: 1550.] Paralipsis is especially handy in politics to point out an opponent's faults. It typically involves these phrases: "not to mention" "to say nothing of" "I won't speak of" "leaving aside" An example from Moby Dick: "We will not speak of all Queequeg's peculiarities here; how he eschewed coffee and hot rolls, and applied his undivided attention to beefsteaks, done rare." "Political correctness has breathed new life into the paralepsis, the rhetorical device whereby we make a statement by first announcing that we are not going to make it. When pundits write 'No one is suggesting...' the American eye reads 'I'm suggesting.'" Florence King; If 'Words Mean Things', Then All is Lost; Times-Dispatch (Richmond, Virginia); Feb 19, 1995. -------- Date: Mon Dec 13 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--exogamy X-Bonus: Every man's work, whether it be literature, or music or pictures or architecture or anything else, is always a portrait of himself. -Samuel Butler, writer (1835-1902) One of the joys of walking a dog is the company they attract. On my morning walk with Flower (https://wordsmith.org/words/running_dog1.html and https://wordsmith.org/words/bird-dog.html), I meet many people. While solitary walkers pass by with a nod, those with dogs are pulled together by their canine friends wanting to say hello to each other. The result is I know most of the dog people in the neighborhood. The other day I met an elderly woman walking her mutt. I don't remember her name now, but I'll never forget her dog's: Theo. I thought it was an unusual name for a dog (from Greek theo- : god, the combining form that appears in theophany https://wordsmith.org/words/theophany.html, theogony https://wordsmith.org/words/theogony.html, and theomania https://wordsmith.org/words/theomania.html). When I asked her if there was a story behind the name, she said, "Well, I'm dyslexic." I had to laugh. Well, you don't have to be dyslexic to name your dog Theo, but if you do want to have an excuse to choose a name, some of the combining forms that make this week's words may help: exo- (outside), venti- (wind), tauto- (same), lepto- (thin), and onto- (being). [What are combining forms? You can think of them as the Legos of language. As the name indicates, a combining form is a linguistic atom that occurs only in combination with some other form which could be a word, another combining form, or an affix (unlike a combining form, an affix can't attach to another affix).] exogamy (ek-SOG-uh-mee) noun Marriage outside one's tribe or a similar social unit. [From Greek exo- (outside) + -gamy (marriage). First recorded use: 1865. The opposite is endogamy https://wordsmith.org/words/endogamy.html .] "Human beings from very early on came to appreciate the importance of exogamy as a way to avoid the ill-effects of inbreeding." James W. Ceaser; My Goodness, Your Badness; Weekly Standard (Washington, DC); Jun 2, 2008. -------- Date: Tue Dec 14 00:01:13 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ventifact X-Bonus: Nationalist pride, like other variants of pride, can be a substitute for self-respect. -Eric Hoffer, philosopher and author (1902-1983) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms ventifact (VEN-tuh-fact) noun A stone shaped, polished, or faceted by windblown sand. [From Latin venti- (wind), from ventus (wind) + factum (something made), from facere (to make or do). First recorded use: 1911. Also see yardang https://wordsmith.org/words/yardang.html .] A ventifact from Huizen, the Netherlands: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/ventifact_large.jpg [Photo: Marco Langbroek] "On that last trip, I knelt by the river and took a stone from the deep pockets of my wind pants. It was a black ventifact, an igneous rock. During eons of exposure to the wind, its surface had become smooth and polished." Bill Green; Adventure in Antarctica; The Plain Dealer (Cleveland, Ohio); Oct 1, 1995. -------- Date: Wed Dec 15 00:17:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tautology X-Bonus: You can't shame or humiliate modern celebrities. What used to be called shame and humiliation is now called publicity. -P.J. O'Rourke, writer (b. 1947) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms tautology (taw-TOL-uh-jee) noun 1. Unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in different words, for example, a good-looking beautiful woman. 2. In logic, a compound statement that is always true, irrespective of the value of its components, for example: Tomorrow either it will rain or not rain. [From Greek tauto- (same), contraction of "to auto" (the same) + -logy (word). First recorded use: 1587.] A tautological tag line: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tautology_large.jpg [Photo: Bastiaan Brak http://www.flickr.com/photos/tico_bassie/138590613/ ] Notes: A tautology is, to define it in a tautological manner, to repeat the same thing twice in different words. For the second sense of the word, we can say that a sentence is either a tautology or it's not. The word is sometimes used for satire or insult, for example, see the second usage example below. Pleonasm https://wordsmith.org/words/pleonasm.html is using more words than necessary ("free gift"), but for most practical purposes pleonasm and tautology can be considered synonyms. "Whoever came up with the term action sports should get some kind of award trophy gong prize from the International Global World Tautology Foundation Institute Association." Roger Cox; Four Seasons; The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland); Aug 7, 2010. "One would hope the average Australian is far too smart to be influenced by a disgruntled bully masquerading as a journalist on Channel Nine (is that a tautology?)." Julie Hosking; Lame Circus Act Leaves Us Walking a Tightrope; The West Australian (Perth); Aug 24, 2010. -------- Date: Thu Dec 16 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--leptorrhine X-Bonus: Power always has to be kept in check; power exercised in secret, especially under the cloak of national security, is doubly dangerous. -William Proxmire, US senator, reformer (1915-2005) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms leptorrhine (LEP-tuh-ryn) adjective Having a long narrow nose. [From Greek lepto- (thin) + rhin (nose). Also see rhinorrhea (a runny nose) https://wordsmith.org/words/rhinorrhea.html . First recorded use: 1880.] "Like a horny sightless woman on a blind date, she begins to knead her heavy friendship-ring-laden fingers into my face. 'Leptorrhine nose ... kumquat-headed ...'" Paul Beatty; Slumberland; Bloomsbury; 2008. -------- Date: Fri Dec 17 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--ontology X-Bonus: To want to meet an author because you like his books is as ridiculous as wanting to meet the goose because you like pate de foie gras. -Arthur Koestler, author (1905-1983) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms ontology (on-TOL-uh-jee) noun The philosophical study of existence and the nature of being. [From Greek onto- (being) + -logy (study). First recorded use: 1663.] Notes: In the context of computer and information sciences, ontology is the formal representation of knowledge in a domain, for example, by defining classes, their attributes, and relationships. "But there's still that pesky problem of ontology. 'He does exist and he doesn't really exist. What does that mean?'" Christy Corp-Minamiji; Interview: Wandering Through Time with Award Winning Author Charles Yu; Seattle Post-Intelligencer; Nov 15, 2010. -------- Date: Mon Dec 20 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--katzenjammer X-Bonus: No fathers or mothers think their own children ugly; and this self-deceit is yet stronger with respect to the offspring of the mind. -Miguel de Cervantes, novelist (1547-1616) What word comes to mind when you hear the word Christmas? For children it's gifts, for some it may be stress, and for marketers it's definitely dollars! For us, it's No el. This week's five words use all the letters of the English alphabet, except one. L is out of a job this week. Why? It's the time of year when we celebrate No el. The word Noel comes to us via French from Latin natalis dies, meaning birthday, here implying the birth of Jesus. Joyeux Noel! katzenjammer (KAT-sen-jam-uhr) noun 1. Hangover 2. Distress; depression. 3. Confusion; clamor; uproar. [From German, from Katzen, plural of Katze (cat) + Jammer (distress, wailing). Earliest documented use: 1849.] The Katzenjammer Kids, the longest-running comic strip, debuted on Dec 12, 1897. It features the adventures of twins Hans and Fritz: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/katzenjammer_large.jpg "What we're feeling are the aftereffects -- be they of the blissful or katzenjammer variety -- of what has become one of the best parties on the planet." Pete Bland; Party at @CTION!; Columbia Daily Tribune (Missouri); Feb 25, 2010. -------- Date: Tue Dec 21 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quixotic X-Bonus: The average man, who does not know what to do with his life, wants another one which will last forever. -Anatole France, novelist, essayist, Nobel laureate (1844-1924) This week's theme: No el quixotic (qwik-SOT-ik) adjective 1. Absurdly chivalrous, idealistic, or impractical. 2. Impulsive, unpredictable. [After Don Quixote, hero of the eponymous novel by Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616). Earliest documented use: 1718.] Notes: Cervantes's novel has given us another idiom, tilting at windmills: fighting with imaginary or invincible opponents. In the novel, Don Quixote perceives windmills in the distance as giants and proceeds to attack them. The word tilt here is a synonym for joust.] Monument to Miguel de Cervantes, Madrid, Spain. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/quixotic_large.jpg In the foreground are sculptures of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza [Photo: MarioM] "Mr. Light is a gift to his community, a Robin Hood of an electrician who fiddles the meters for customers too poor to pay, and a quixotic visionary with a homemade windmill in his backyard." Kate Taylor; The Light Thief (movie review); The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Nov 18, 2010. -------- Date: Wed Dec 22 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--divagate X-Bonus: I'm sure that someday children in schools will study the history of the men who made war as you study an absurdity. They'll be shocked, just as today we're shocked with cannibalism. -Golda Meir, Israeli Prime Minister (1898-1978) This week's theme: No el divagate (DY-vuh-gayt) verb intr. To wander or digress. [From Latin divagatus, past participle of divagari (to wander off), from dis- (away) + vagari (to wander). Earliest documented use: 1599.] "Unfortunately, John Armstrong leaves the 'big point' dangling and undeveloped while he divagates about economic efficiency." Felipe Fernández-Armesto; In Search of Civilization (book review); The Times (London, UK); Jun 18, 2009. -------- Date: Thu Dec 23 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--nyctophobia X-Bonus: It ought to be plain / how little you gain / by getting excited / and vexed. / You'll always be late / for the previous train, / and always in time / for the next. -Piet Hein, poet and scientist (1905-1996) This week's theme: No el nyctophobia (nik-tuh-FOH-bee-uh) noun An abnormal fear of night or darkness. [From Greek nycto (night) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1892. A related word is nyctalopia (night blindness) https://wordsmith.org/words/nyctalopia.html] Nyctophobia: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/nyctophobia_large.jpg [Photo: Tiago Ribeiro http://seegno.com/] "Even if you have nyctophobia you should be able to comfortably sit in a darkened movie theater. Just think of the movie screen as a huge night light." Duane Dudek; Be Very Afraid; Journal Sentinel (Milwaukee, Wisconsin); Jul 30, 1999 -------- Date: Fri Dec 24 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--frowsty X-Bonus: Though familiarity may not breed contempt, it takes off the edge of admiration. -William Hazlitt, essayist (1778-1830) This week's theme: No el frowsty (FROU-stee) adjective Musty: having a stale smell. [Of uncertain origin, perhaps a variant of frowzy (stuffy). Earliest documented use: 1865.] "The big doors close behind us and we're underground, enveloped in cool, moist air. The smell is overwhelming: heady, frowsty and thick." Johanna Hegerty; Quality in Every Whiff; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Nov 13, 2008. -------- Date: Mon Dec 27 00:01:04 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--supercilious X-Bonus: Knowledge is of two kinds. We know a subject ourselves, or we know where we can find information upon it. -Samuel Johnson, lexicographer (1709-1784) There are body parts strewn all over A.Word.A.Day this week. Don't be alarmed, no violence has taken place. No crime scene here. Instead, these body parts appear as part of the word origins. Each word featured this week owes its birth to some part of the body. In particular, you'll find eyebrow, fist, hand, testicle, and head lurking beneath the layers of the histories of this week's words. supercilious (soo-puhr-SIL-ee-uhs) adjective Showing haughty disdain. [The word alludes to someone being disdainful by raising an eyebrow. It's derived from Latin supercilium (eyebrow, pride), from super (above) + cilium (eyelid). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kel- (to cover, conceal, or save) that is also the source of hollow, hole, holster, hell, apocalypse, and eucalyptus. Earliest documented use: 1528.] "I'm all for 'moving on' from the two world wars, obviously. But I'm not quite so keen to 'move on' from the cocky, supercilious, haughty, and dismissive view of our great nation." Piers Morgan: Achtung, Franz!; The Daily Mail (London, UK); Jun 27, 2010. -------- Date: Tue Dec 28 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--impugn X-Bonus: The Net interprets censorship as damage and routes around it. -John Gilmore, software engineer and activist (b. 1957) This week's theme: Words derived from body parts impugn (im-PYOON) verb tr. To call in question or cast doubt upon. [Via French from Latin impugnare (to attack), from im- (towards) + pugnare (to fight), from pugnus (fist). Ultimately from the Indo-European root peuk- (to prick) which is also the source of point, puncture, pungent, punctual, poignant, pounce, and poniard. Earliest documented use: 1384.] "'You can't impugn somebody's integrity without having proper evidence,' David Collier, chief executive of board, said earlier." Huw Richards; Troubled Tour Ends for Pakistan; The New York Times; Sep 23, 2010. -------- Date: Wed Dec 29 00:01:06 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sinister X-Bonus: Inquiry is fatal to certainty. -Will Durant, historian (1885-1981) This week's theme: Words derived from body parts sinister (SIN-uh-stuhr) adjective 1. Threatening or foreshadowing evil or harm. 2. On the left side. [Via French from Latin sinister (left, left hand, unlucky). Earliest documented use: 1411.] "We are concerned as there are reports that sinister moves are under way to create clashes among the Security Forces." Mahinda Rajapaksa; Lanka on Verge of Prosperous Era; Sunday Observer (Sri Lanka); Dec 12, 2010. -------- Date: Thu Dec 30 00:01:04 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--orchidaceous X-Bonus: Every creature is better alive than dead, men and moose and pine trees, and he who understands it aright will rather preserve its life than destroy it. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862) This week's theme: Words derived from body parts orchidaceous (or-ki-DAY-shuhs) adjective 1. Of or relating to orchids. 2. Showy. [From New Latin Orchidaceae (orchid family name), from Latin orchis (orchid), from Greek orkhis (testicle, orchid, from the shape of its tubers). Earliest documented use: 1838.] Orchid tubers: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/orchidaceous_large.jpg [Photo: Laura Morelli] "Arlene Dahl was and remains a real doll. The orchidaceous leading lady was one of the most beautiful women to ever grace MGM musicals." Jim Bawden; Dear Jim; The Toronto Star (Canada); Jun 6, 1998. -------- Date: Fri Dec 31 00:01:05 EST 2010 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--charivari X-Bonus: What we think, or what we know, or what we believe, is in the end, of little consequence. The only thing of consequence is what we do. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (1819-1900) This week's theme: Words derived from body parts charivari (shiv-uh-REE, SHIV-uh-ree, shuh-riv-uh-REE) noun 1. A noisy, mock serenade to a newly married couple, involving the banging of kettles, pots, and pans. 2. A confused, noisy spectacle. Also spelled as chivaree, chivari, and shivaree. [From French charivari (hullabaloo), perhaps from Latin caribaria (headache), from Greek karebaria, from kare/kara (head) + barys (heavy). Earliest documented use: 1735.] A charivari: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/charivari_large.jpg [Art: Dan Junot http://grandislelaart.com/] "To the people, the charivari of Westminster politics didn't much matter." Polly Toynbee and David Walker; Dear New Leader; The Guardian (London, UK); Sep 27, 2010. "Vivid performances abound in Bartholomew fair, making it essentially an extended charivari of colourful characters, with several thin threads of plot." Pat Donnelly; Fair is Anything But Pastoral; Montreal Gazette (Canada); Jul 4, 2009.