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--gestapo gestapo (guh-STAH-po) noun Nazi secret state police notorious for brutality. adjective Employing method similar to Gestapo; marked by brutal suppression. [From German Gestapo, an acronym from GEheime STAats-POlizei (Secret State Police).] "`We felt as a lobby group that we could not be party to these Gestapo proceedings ...' he (Ka Plaatjie) said." Business Day (Johannesburg, South Africa); Nov 8, 2002. "His (Stefan Widomski's) father was a member of the resistance, and the family fled German-occupied Warsaw when a Polish-German friend warned that the Gestapo was after his father." Unto Hämäläinen; Nokia's Man in Moscow; Helsingin Sanomat (Helsinki, Finland); Jun 3, 2003. This week's theme: abbreviations and acronyms. X-Bonus It is the greatest of all advantages to enjoy no advantage at all. -Henry David Thoreau, naturalist and author (1817-1862)

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 Sponsored by: 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