A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Feb 1 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--potch X-Bonus: I tire so of hearing people say, / Let things take their course. / Tomorrow is another day. / I do not need my freedom when I'm dead. / I cannot live on tomorrow's bread. -Langston Hughes, poet and novelist (1 Feb 1902-1967) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish potch (poch) verb tr.: To slap or spank. noun: A slap or spanking. [From Yiddish patshn (to slap), of imitative origin. Earliest documented use: 1892.] "There are two schools of thought on the subject of potching. The first is that parents should never potch, no matter what was done and regardless of the circumstances." Dovid Kaplan; Polishing Diamonds: Bringing Out the Sparkle in Our Children; Hamodia; 2005. -------- Date: Thu Feb 2 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--futz X-Bonus: We have come to a point where it is loyalty to resist, and treason to submit. -Carl Schurz, revolutionary, statesman, and reformer (1829-1906) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish futz (fuhts) verb intr. 1. To waste time or to idle. 2. To meddle or fiddle with something. [Perhaps from Yiddish arumfartsn (to fart around), from arum- (around) + fartsn (to fart). Earliest documented use: 1932.] "'We don't go down there to futz around,' he added. 'We go down there to showcase our skills.'" Jane M. Von Bergen; Labor Peace at the Convention; Philadelphia Inquirer; Jul 29, 2016. "Her mother just wants to watch her show. She should stop futzing with her environment." Lolly Winston; Happiness Sold Separately; Warner Books; 2006. -------- Date: Fri Feb 3 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--schmatte X-Bonus: The limits of tyrants are prescribed by the endurance of those whom they oppress. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) This week's theme: Words borrowed from Yiddish schmatte or shmatte (SHMAH-tuh) noun 1. A rag. 2. An old, ragged article of clothing. 3. Any garment. [From Yiddish schmatte, from Polish szmata (rag). Earliest documented use: 1970.] "Erica quickly retorts, 'She's Diane Sawyer. She goes into caves in Afghanistan with a shmatte on her head.'" Kelli Marshall; Something's Gotta Give; Journal of Popular Film & Television (Washington, DC); Spring 2009. "Sidney Kimmel made his fortune in the schmatte business, building Jones Apparel, owner of such sensible clothing brands as Jones New York, Anne Klein, and Nine West." Dorothy Pomerantz; Rags to Riches (Not Exactly); Forbes (New York); Oct 11, 2010. -------- Date: Mon Feb 6 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gnathonic X-Bonus: The tragedy in the lives of most of us is that we go through life walking down a high-walled lane with people of our own kind, the same economic situation, the same national background and education and religious outlook. And beyond those walls, all humanity lies, unknown and unseen, and untouched by our restricted and impoverished lives. -Florence Luscomb, architect and suffragist (6 Feb 1887-1985) Once in a while you read a book, the book is finished, the story has ended, but a character from the story stays with you. Have you come across such a character? While you're thinking about it, I want you to meet five characters from fiction who have become words in the English language. Such words, coined after someone, are known as eponyms, from Greek ep- (after) + -onym (name). gnathonic (na-THON-ik) adjective Sycophantic. [From Gnatho, a sycophant in the comedy Eunuchus (The Eunuch) by the Roman playwright Terence, written in 161 BCE. The name is coined from the Greek word gnathos (jaw). The subject of Gnatho's flattery, Thraso, has also given a word to the English language: thrasonical https://wordsmith.org/words/thrasonical.html . Earliest documented use: 1637.] A portrait of Terrence https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terence#/media/File:Portrait_of_Terence_from_Vaticana,_Vat._lat.jpg "'Both your parties' candidates are gnathonic toward big business,' he said." John Worsley Simpson; Election Enhances Word Power of All Political Parties; National Post (Canada); Jul 3, 2004. -------- Date: Tue Feb 7 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bovarism X-Bonus: The President is merely the most important among a large number of public servants. He should be supported or opposed exactly to the degree which is warranted by his good conduct or bad conduct, his efficiency or inefficiency in rendering loyal, able, and disinterested service to the Nation as a whole. Therefore it is absolutely necessary that there should be full liberty to tell the truth about his acts, and this means that it is exactly necessary to blame him when he does wrong as to praise him when he does right. Any other attitude in an American citizen is both base and servile. To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public. Nothing but the truth should be spoken about him or any one else. But it is even more important to tell the truth, pleasant or unpleasant, about him than about any one else. -Theodore Roosevelt, 26th US President (1858-1919) This week's theme: Eponyms bovarism (BO-vuh-riz-em) noun A romanticized, unrealistic view of oneself. [From Emma Bovary, the title character in Gustave Flaubert's 1857 novel Madame Bovary. Earliest documented use: 1902.] Gustave Flaubert: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bovarism_large.jpg Art: Eugène Giraud (1806-1881) "My own introduction to bovarism came courtesy of a boy called Bob Miller, two years above me at college, who enjoyed pretending that he was a horny-handed scion of the Tyneside proletariat and justified views on any social question with the refrain: 'Ah'm more wukkin' class than thee' (his cover was eventually blown by an admissions tutor who pointed out that under 'father's profession' on his UCAS form were the fatal words 'company director')." D.J. Taylor; Picking at the Carrion; The Independent on Sunday (London, UK); Jul 5, 2009. -------- Date: Wed Feb 8 00:01:05 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Mrs. Grundy X-Bonus: When a man is wrapped up in himself he makes a pretty small package. -John Ruskin, author, art critic, and social reformer (8 Feb 1819-1900) This week's theme: Eponyms Mrs. Grundy (MIS-iz GRUND-ee) noun An extremely conventional or priggish person. [After Mrs. Grundy, a character in the 1798 play "Speed the Plough" by Thomas Morton. Mrs. Grundy never appears on the stage, but her neighbor Dame Ashfield constantly worries about "What will Mrs. Grundy say?" Earliest documented use: 1813.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mrs_grundy_large.jpg Mrs. Grundy, a teacher in Archie Comics, is inspired by the original Mrs. Grundy Illustration: Bob Montana/Jackpot Comics, 1941 "The government cannot become a Mrs. Grundy, advising people how many kids they should have, what moral values they should adhere to, or what they should read or watch." Yusuf Kanli; Is the State a Mrs Grundy?; Turkish Daily News (Ankara); Sep 29, 2008. -------- Date: Thu Feb 9 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--struwwelpeter X-Bonus: My country, right or wrong; if right, to be kept right; and if wrong, to be set right. -Carl Schurz, revolutionary, statesman, and reformer (1829-1906) This week's theme: Eponyms Struwwelpeter (STROO-uhl-pee-tuhr) noun A person with long, thick, disheveled hair. [From Struwwelpeter, the title character of the 1845 children's book Der Struwwelpeter (Shockheaded Peter) by Heinrich Hoffman. Earliest documented use: 1909.] Struwwelpeter https://wordsmith.org/words/images/struwwelpeter_large.jpg Illustration: Heinrich Hoffman "Einstein ... presented as a Struwwelpeter character, smiling from an aureole of almost electrified hair." Ronald Clark; Einstein: The Life and Times; Bloomsbury; 2011. -------- Date: Fri Feb 10 00:18:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gargantua X-Bonus: What for centuries raised man above the beast is not the cudgel but the irresistible power of unarmed truth. -Boris Pasternak, poet, novelist, Nobel laureate (10 Feb 1890-1960) This week's theme: Eponyms gargantua (gar-GAN-choo-uh) noun A giant in size, feats, stature, or (physical or intellectual) appetites. [After Gargantua, a voracious giant, the father of Pantagruel, in a series of novels by François Rabelais (c. 1490-1553). The son also has given a word to the English language https://wordsmith.org/words/pantagruelian.html . Earliest documented use: 1571.] Gargantua as a child (detail) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gargantua_large.jpg Illustration: Gustave Doré, 1873 "In Io's sky, Jupiter crawls like a gargantua, a bright, vast, streaked disk eating the blackness of space, so huge it seems intent on crushing everything under it." Dana Wilde; Io Roars and Shakes Its Fires in Empty Space; Bangor Daily News (Maine); Apr 23, 2007. -------- Date: Mon Feb 13 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bork X-Bonus: The crucial disadvantage of aggression, competitiveness, and skepticism as national characteristics is that these qualities cannot be turned off at five o'clock. -Margaret Halsey, novelist (13 Feb 1910-1997) Mark Twain once said, "The King's English is not the King's. It's a joint stock company, and Americans own most of the shares." That, and from time to time we issue our own stock as well. I'm talking about words of American origin that we add to the language. Native American languages have given numerous words to the English (chipmunk, raccoon, sachem, etc. https://wordsmith.org/words/sachem.html ). There are fanciful American coinages (bloviate https://wordsmith.org/words/bloviate.html ). But our most popular export, as far as words are concerned, is OK (an abbreviation of oll korrect, jocular respelling of "all correct"). Then there are words coined after American people. This week we'll see five such words. bork (bork) verb tr. To systematically attack a nominee or candidate for public office. [After Robert Bork (1927-2012), whose nomination for the US Supreme Court was rejected in 1987 after extensive publicity by various groups exposed his extreme views (such as, his support for a poll tax). Earliest documented use: 1987.] Robert Bork: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bork_large.jpg Photo: USDOJ/Wikimedia "The borking of Clarence Thomas that followed nearly kept him from being confirmed." SCOTUS, Lies, and Videotape; The Examiner (Washington, DC); Feb 24, 2016. -------- Date: Tue Feb 14 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--John Hancock X-Bonus: Bad officials are elected by good citizens who do not vote. -George Jean Nathan, author and editor (14 Feb 1882-1958) This week's theme: American eponyms John Hancock (jon HAN-kok) noun A person's signature. [After John Hancock (1737-1793), American politician and revolutionary leader. He was president of the Continental Congress (1775-1777) and the first to sign the Declaration of Independence. His large flamboyant signature on the document made his name synonymous with one's signature. Earliest documented use: 1834.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/John%20Hancock John Hancock's John Hancock on the Declaration of Independence https://wordsmith.org/words/images/john_hancock.jpg "The Bill was smuggled through the House of Assembly before being bulldozed through the Senate until it landed on President Mugabe for his John Hancock." Cyril Zenda; Will Mugabe Come to Rescue?; The Financial Gazette (Harare, Zimbabwe); Oct 27, 2016. -------- Date: Wed Feb 15 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--Benedict Arnold X-Bonus: Hofstadter's Law: It always takes longer than you expect, even when you take into account Hofstadter's Law. -Douglas Hofstadter, professor of cognitive science (b. 15 Feb 1945) This week's theme: American eponyms Benedict Arnold (BEN-i-dikt AR-nuhld) noun A traitor. [After Benedict Arnold (1741-1801), American general in the Revolutionary War, who in 1780 planned to surrender West Point to the British for 20,000 pounds. Earliest documented use: 1806.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/Benedict%20Arnold One man's traitor is another's patriot: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/benedict_arnold_large.jpg A plaque outside Benedict Arnold's house in London Photo: Maggie Jones http://www.flickr.com/photos/24329363@N00/9247255466/ "What a traitorous concoction. Sounds like Eggs Benedict Arnold." Brad Wheeler; Calories and Charisma; The Globe and Mail (Toronto, Canada); Feb 16, 2013. -------- Date: Thu Feb 16 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--McCarthyism X-Bonus: Those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation, are men who want crops without plowing the ground. -Frederick Douglass, abolitionist, editor, and orator (1817-1895) This week's theme: American eponyms 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, or disloyal. Earliest documented use: in 1950 in a cartoon by Herbert Block.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/McCarthyism https://wordsmith.org/words/images/mccarthyism_large.jpg Cartoon: Herbert Block "There is a general intolerance of those in positions of power of views contrary to their own. Pakistan today needs, more than ever, to guard against McCarthyism." Pakistan Needs to Guard Against McCarthyism; The Statesman (Peshawar, Pakistan); Dec 11, 2016. -------- Date: Fri Feb 17 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gerrymander X-Bonus: In recognizing the humanity of our fellow beings, we pay ourselves the highest tribute. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) This week's theme: American eponyms 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: An instance 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 See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/gerrymander "The Italian people treated [Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's] attempt to gerrymander the political system with the respect it deserved -- forcing Renzi's resignation." Ross Clark; Italy's Referendum Is Proof that Anti-EU Sentiment Is Not Confined to the UK; Express (London, UK); Dec 6, 2016. -------- Date: Mon Feb 20 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--kibosh X-Bonus: A man who lies to himself, and believes his own lies, becomes unable to recognize truth, either in himself or in anyone else, and he ends up losing respect for himself and for others. -Fyodor Dostoevsky, novelist (1821-1881) Etymologists are linguistic Sherlock Holmeses. They track down a word's history to find out its travel through time. A word might take a circuitous path, winding through many languages before reaching its current stop. An example is the word mandarin, https://wordsmith.org/words/mandarin.html , which started from Sanskrit with layovers in Hindi, Malay, and Portuguese before reaching English. But there are many words for which we've come empty-handed in our search for their origins. We know what these words mean, we have usage examples from the past, but where these words came from, how they were coined, who coined them, it's all a big mystery. But that doesn't prevent us from enjoying (and employing) them. kibosh (KY-bosh, ky-BOSH) noun Check; stop (used in the phrase "to put the kibosh on"). [Origin unknown. Various origins (Yiddish, Hebrew, and Irish) have been proposed, but supporting evidence is lacking in each case. Earliest documented use: 1836.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/kibosh "Not content with taking a bulldozer to the European Union, Mrs May seems hell-bent on putting the kibosh on an agreement that is crucial to protecting our national and international commitment to human rights." Garry Scott; May's Move Would Threaten Human Rights Across Globe; The Herald (Glasgow, Scotland); Jan 6, 2017. -------- Date: Tue Feb 21 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--copacetic X-Bonus: And the day came when the risk to remain closed in a bud became more painful than the risk it took to blossom. -Elizabeth Appell, writer This week's theme: Origin unknown copacetic or copasetic (ko-puh-SE-tik) adjective Excellent; satisfactory; OK. [Of obscure origin. Competing theories attribute its origin to Black English, Louisiana French, Italian, Yiddish, and Hebrew, but evidence is lacking. Earliest documented use: 1919.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/copacetic "Some players were copacetic with losing all the time, she says, while others grew frustrated." Losing at Sports Can Be Good for Children; The Daily News (Durban, South Africa); Nov 4, 2016. -------- Date: Wed Feb 22 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rambunctious X-Bonus: Roads endure longer than pyramids. -Karol Bunsch, novelist (22 Feb 1898-1987) This week's theme: Origin unknown rambunctious (ram-BUNGK-shus) adjective Uncontrollably boisterous. [Of uncertain origin. Perhaps an alteration of its synonym rumbustious https://wordsmith.org/words/rumbustious.html . Earliest documented use: 1830.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/rambunctious "And those who have been in perennial thrall to Sean Cronin's rambunctious spirit may have thought nothing could have ever stopped him in his tracks." David Kelly; Lions Aim Spurs on Cronin; Irish Independent (Dublin); Jan 18, 2017. -------- Date: Thu Feb 23 00:04:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--codswallop X-Bonus: History teaches that grave threats to liberty often come in times of urgency, when constitutional rights seem too extravagant to endure. -Thurgood Marshall, US Supreme Court Justice (1908-1993) This week's theme: Origin unknown codswallop (KODZ-wol-uhp) noun Nonsense. [Of unknown origin. According to a popular story, a fellow named Hiram Codd came up with the design of a soft-drink bottle with a marble in its neck to keep the fizz. Wallop was slang for beer and those who preferred alcoholic drinks dismissively referred to the soft-drink as Codd's Wallop. This story is unproven. Earliest documented use: 1959.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/codswallop "And to think that there are people out there -- including some I used to vaguely respect -- who actually buy into and believe that kind of codswallop." Jesus, St John, and Mahatma Gandhi need YOU; Malta Today (San Gwann); Jan 19, 2017. -------- Date: Fri Feb 24 00:01:04 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lollygag X-Bonus: We're here to put a dent in the universe. -Steve Jobs, entrepreneur and inventor (24 Feb 1955-2011) This week's theme: Origin unknown lollygag (LOL-ee-gag) verb intr.; also lallygag To fool around, waste time, or spend time lazily. [Origin unknown. Earliest documented use: 1880.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lollygag https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lollygag_large.jpg Image: Matt https://www.flickr.com/photos/mattspeller/12027564535/ "[Photographer Nathan] Benn didn't lollygag. Between June and October, he exposed 286 rolls of film." Mark Feeney; A Vivid Time Capsule of the North Shore; The Boston Globe (Massachusetts); Jan 12, 2017. -------- Date: Mon Feb 27 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--offing X-Bonus: The universe is like a safe to which there is a combination. But the combination is locked up in the safe. -Peter De Vries, editor, novelist (27 Feb 1910-1993) We all were born in the ocean, in a manner of speaking, given our evolutionary path. But have you ever thought about how many words we use today were born in the ocean? I'm talking about words with nautical origins. When you welcome someone "aboard" a project, when they are learning the "ropes", when they get at the "helm" of a company (or a country, and are "overwhelmed"), in all instances you're evoking a time gone by, when ships were essential. You may be a landlubber, but fear not. We'll show you the ropes with a week of words from nautical lingo, now used metaphorically. If you smell the salty air as you open your email, now you know where it's coming from. offing (AW-fing, AWF-ing) noun Near future (used in the phrase "in the offing"). [In nautical use, offing is the part of sea visible from the shore, but beyond anchoring ground. From off (away), from of. Earliest documented use: 1600.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/offing Ships in the offing https://wordsmith.org/words/images/offing_large.jpg Photo: Richard Holland https://www.flickr.com/photos/chris-and-rich/11476316643/ "A Cabinet reshuffle is in the offing but the date will depend on the President." Zahrah Imtiaz; Cabinet Reshuffle in the Offing; Daily News (Colombo, Sri Lanka); Feb 4, 2017. -------- Date: Tue Feb 28 00:01:03 EST 2017 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jury-rig X-Bonus: We have abundant reason to rejoice, that, in this land, the light of truth and reason has triumphed over the power of bigotry and superstition, and that every person may here worship God according to the dictates of his own heart. In this enlightened age, and in this land of equal liberty, it is our boast, that a man's religious tenets will not forfeit the protection of the laws, nor deprive him of the right of attaining and holding the highest offices that are known in the United States. -George Washington, 1st US president, general (1732-1799) This week's theme: Words having nautical origins jury-rig (JOOR-ee rig) verb tr. To assemble or fix temporarily using whatever is at hand. [On a sailing ship, a jury-mast is a temporary mast, rigged when the original is damaged or lost. From jury (makeshift or temporary), perhaps from Old French ajurie (help). Earliest documented use: 1840.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: http://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/jury-rigged https://wordsmith.org/words/images/jury-rig_large.jpg Photo: Nat Quintos Uhing https://www.flickr.com/photos/book_wallah/1024371993/ "The city does not run power to Bushkoppies, so most residents jury-rig their homes with illegal connections from power lines. But the Segelbergs refuse to wire an illegal connection to their creche, both out of a concern for safety and to teach the children a respect for the law." Cecilia Johnson; Raising South Africa; Times Live (Johannesburg, South Africa); Jan 13, 2017.