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A.Word.A.Day--circumspect What to give to the person who has everything? Give the gift of words. Pronunciation: WAV or RealAudio circumspect (SUR-kuhm-spekt) adjective Heedful of circumstances and potential consequences; prudent. [Middle English, from Latin circumspectus, past participle of circumspicere, to take heed : circum-, + specere, to look.] "A man's worth can be assessed in several ways, but for a truly candid appraisal, check with his creditors. At the usually circumspect World Bank, inquiries about Indian politician N.Chandrababu Naidu are likely to produce a string of superlatives." Maseeh Rahman, Asia: Beating Bangalore, Time International, 24 Aug 1998. This week's theme: words to describe people. X-Bonus critic, n. A person who boasts himself hard to please because nobody tries to please him. -Ambrose Bierce (1842-1914) [The Devil's Dictionary]

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