A.Word.A.Day		About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us

Home Today's Word Yesterday's Word Archives FAQ

A.Word.A.Day--blighty Blighty (BLY-tee) noun, also blighty 1. England as one's home. 2. Military leave. 3. Wounds that secure a soldier return to home. [From Hindi vilayati (foreign, European), from vilayet (foreign country), from Arabic wilaya (province).] "The irony of his (Mick Jagger's) knighthood is that it suggests the strutting, posturing rock rebel is, after all, just another product of the post-war bourgeoisie who secretly craves the respect of the Establishment - respect that a title, in status-conscious Blighty, guarantees. Membership of one of London's famously stuffy old gentleman's clubs can be expected to follow." The Satisfaction of a Title; The Evening Post (Wellington, New Zealand); Jun, 17, 2002. "Parents in Blighty have complained a TV ad showing electric eels slithering out of taps and toilets is making their kids afraid to go to the bathroom." First Light; The Edmonton Sun (Canada); Jun 13, 2002. This week's theme: words derived from many different languages. X-Bonus This is the devilish thing about foreign affairs: they are foreign and will not always conform to our whim. -James Reston, journalist (1909-1995)

The Book: A Word A Day is now a book. Find it in your local bookstore or at Amazon.com. "A delightful, quirky collection." -The New York Times Join Us: Subscribe to A.Word.A.Day to receive it in your mailbox every day. Interact: Bulletin board AWADtalk Moderated Chat AWADchat Readers' Voice AWADmail