A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Mon May 1 00:19:01 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--divagate X-Bonus: HELP! MY TYPEWRITER IS BROKEN! -E. E. CUMMINGS di.va.gate \'di_--v*-.ga_-t\ vb 1: to wander about 2: DIVERGE -- di.va.ga.tion \.di_--v*-'ga_--sh*n\ n -------- Date: Tue May 2 00:19:55 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--appurtenance X-Bonus: Life is too important to be taken seriously. -Oscar Wilde ap.pur.te.nance \*-'p*rt-( *-)n*ns\ n : something that belongs to or goes with another thing SYN: accessory, adjunct, appendage -- ap.pur.te.nant adj -------- Date: Wed May 3 00:19:44 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--wassail X-Bonus: You become a champion by fighting one more round. When things are tough, you fight one more round. -James Corbett (Boxer) 1 was.sail \'wa_:s-*l, wa_:-'sa_-l\ n [ME waes haeil, a salutation used in toasting, fr. ON ves heill be in good health] 1: an early English toast to someone's health 2: a liquor formerly drunk in England on festive occasions 3: riotous drinking : REVELRY 2 wassail vb 1: CAROUSE 2: to drink to the health or thriving of -- was.sail.er n -------- Date: Thu May 4 00:19:24 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vulpine X-Bonus: History does not repeat itself; historians merely repeat each other. vul.pine \'v*l-.pi_-n\ adj : of, relating to, or resembling a fox esp. in cunning -------- Date: Fri May 5 00:19:33 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--manege X-Bonus: Whatever happens, behave like you meant it to happen. ma.nege \ma-'nezh\ n : the art of horsemanship or of training horses -------- Date: Sat May 6 00:21:18 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--passim X-Bonus: Help stamp out, remove and abolish redundancy. pas.sim \'pas-*m\ adv : here and there : THROUGHOUT -------- Date: Sun May 7 00:21:51 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--mimetic X-Bonus: Confusion is a word we have invented for an order which is not understood. -Henry Miller mi.met.ic \m*-'met-ik, mi_--\ adj 1: IMITATIVE 2: relating to, characterized by, or exhibiting mimicry -- mi.me.sis \-'me_--s*s\ n -------- Date: Mon May 8 00:19:31 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--quisling X-Bonus: Every man is guilty of all the good he didn't do. -Voltaire quis.ling \'kwiz-lin_e\ n : a traitor who collaborates with the invaders of his country esp. by serving in a puppet government -------- Date: Tue May 9 00:20:01 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--consanguinity X-Bonus: Either that wallpaper goes, or I do. -Last words of Oscar Wilde con.san.guin.i.ty \.ka_:n-.san-'gwin-*t-e_-, -.san_e-\ n : blood relationship -- con.san.guin.e.ous \-'gwin-e_--*s\ adj -------- Date: Wed May 10 00:20:18 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--footling X-Bonus: Smile, it takes only 13 muscles; A frown takes 64. foot.ling \-lin_e\ adj 1: INEPT 2: TRIVIAL -------- Date: Thu May 11 00:22:02 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--argot X-Bonus: Real generosity toward the future lies in giving all to the present. -Albert Camus ar.got \'a_:r-g*t, -.go_-\ n : the language of a particular group or class esp. of the underworld -------- Date: Fri May 12 00:19:27 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--groundling X-Bonus: I may not always be right, but I'm never wrong. ground.ling \'grau_.nd-lin_e\ n 1: a spectator in the cheaper part of a theater 2: a person of inferior judgment or taste -------- Date: Sat May 13 00:38:05 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--uvula X-Bonus: Heredity is what sets the parents of a teen-ager wondering about each other. -Laurence J. Peter uvu.la \'yu_:-vy*-l*\ n, pl -las or -lae \-.le_-\ : the fleshy lobe hanging at the back of the palate -- uvu.lar \-l*r\ adj -------- Date: Sun May 14 00:19:41 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--generalissimo X-Bonus: To be without some of the things you want is an indispensable part of happiness. -Bertrand Russell gen.er.a.lis.si.mo \.jen-(*-)r*-'lis-*-.mo_-\ n : the chief commander of an army : COMMANDER IN CHIEF -------- Date: Mon May 15 02:18:47 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pooh-bah X-Bonus: All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -Edmund Burke pooh-bah also poo-bah n, often cap P&B [Pooh-Bah, character in Gilbert and Sullivan's opera The Mikado (1885) bearing the title Lord-High-Everything-Else] (1888) 1: a person holding many public or private offices 2: a person in high position or of great influence -------- Date: Tue May 16 00:21:57 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--roorback X-Bonus: You can lead a computer to the Superhighway but you can't make it think. -Des Waller roor.back n [fr. an attack on James K. Polk in 1844 purporting to quote from an invented book by a Baron von Roorback] (1855): a defamatory falsehood published for political effect -------- Date: Wed May 17 00:19:45 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rodomontade X-Bonus: In nothing do men approach so nearly to the gods as in doing good to men. -Marcus Cicero ro.do.mon.tade n [MF, fr. It Rodomonte, character in Orlando Innamorato by Matteo M. Boiardo] (1612) 1: a bragging speech 2: vain boasting or bluster: rant -- rodomontade adj -------- Date: Thu May 18 00:19:12 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--jackanapes X-Bonus: From what we get, we can make a living; what we give, however, makes a life. -Arthur Ashe jack.a.napes n [ME Jack Napis, nickname for William de la Pole d. 1450 duke of Suffolk] (1526) 1: monkey, ape 2 a: an impudent or conceited fellow b: a saucy or mischievous child -------- Date: Fri May 19 00:19:28 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--digitalis X-Bonus: All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own. -Edwin Markham dig.i.tal.is n [NL, genus name, fr. L, of a finger, fr. digitus; fr. its finger-shaped corolla] (1664) 1: foxglove 2: the dried powdered leaf of the common foxglove containing important glycosides and serving as a powerful cardiac stimulant and a diuretic -- All those who thought it had something to do with computers, raise your hands. (-: -------- Date: Sat May 20 00:19:25 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--persnickety X-Bonus: The best labor saving device is doing it tomorrow. per.snick.e.ty adj [alter. of pernickety] (ca. 1905) 1 a: fussy about small details: fastidious b: having the characteristics of a snob 2: requiring great precision -- per.snick.e.ti.ness n -------- Date: Sun May 21 00:20:45 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gallivant X-Bonus: Violence is the last resort of the incompetent. gal.li.vant vi [perh. alter. of gallant] (1823) 1: to go about usu. ostentatiously or indiscreetly with members of the opposite sex 2: to travel, roam, or move about for pleasure -------- Date: Mon May 22 00:19:27 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliopole X-Bonus: Consider the postage stamp: its usefulness consists in the ability to stick to one thing till it gets there. -Josh Billings bib.li.o.pole or bib.li.op.o.list n [L bibliopola bookseller, fr. Gk bibliopoles, fr. bibli- + polein to sell] (1775): a dealer esp. in rare or curious books -- If you ask me to name the greatest inventions in history, on the top of my list would be printing press. Imagine a world devoid of books -- what a desolate place that would be! For this week, I have selected words about books, those fascinating worlds of words. -Anu PS: OK, OK, computers would place a close second. -------- Date: Tue May 23 00:19:38 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--vademecum X-Bonus: This sentence no verb. va.de me.cum n, pl vade mecums [L, go with me] (1629) 1: a book for ready reference: manual 2: something regularly carried about by a person -------- Date: Wed May 24 00:19:21 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--athenaeum X-Bonus: One hundred percent of the shots you don't take don't go in. -Wayne Gretzky ath.e.nae.um or ath.e.ne.um n [L Athenaeum, a school in ancient Rome for the study of arts, fr. Gk Athenaion, a temple of Athena, fr. Athene] (1799) 1: a building or room in which books, periodicals, and newspapers are kept for use 2: a literary or scientific association -------- Date: Thu May 25 00:19:48 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliotheca X-Bonus: You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus. -Mark Twain bib.lio.the.ca n, pl -cas or -cae [L, fr. Gk bibliotheke, fr. bibli- + theke case; akin to Gk tithenai to put, place--more at do] (ca. 1824) 1: a collection of books 2: a list of books -- bib.lio.the.cal adj -------- Date: Fri May 26 00:21:41 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--codex X-Bonus: Make a firm decision now... you can always change it later. co.dex n, pl co.di.ces [L] (1670): a manuscript book esp. of Scripture, classics, or ancient annals -------- Date: Sat May 27 00:19:29 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliolater X-Bonus: Generosity is giving more than you can, and pride is taking less than you need. -Kahlil Gibran bib.li.ol.a.ter n (1847) 1: one having excessive reverence for the letter of the Bible 2: one overly devoted to books -- bib.li.ol.a.trous adj -- bib.li.ol.a.try n -------- Date: Sun May 28 00:19:34 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliomania X-Bonus: One must not be mean with the affections; what is spent of the fund is renewed in the spending itself. -Sigmund Freud bib.lio.ma.nia n [F bibliomanie, fr. bibli- + manie mania, fr. LL mania] (1734): extreme preoccupation with collecting books -- bib.lio.ma.ni.ac n or adj -- bib.lio.ma.ni.a.cal adj -------- Date: Mon May 29 00:20:07 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bibliopegy X-Bonus: I have abandoned the follies of youth for those of old age. -Depew bib.li.op.e.gy n [ultim. fr. Gk bibli- + pegnynai to fasten together --more at pact] (ca. 1859): the art of binding books -- bib.li.o.pe.gic adj -- bib.li.op.e.gist n -------- Date: Tue May 30 00:21:05 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--omphaloskepsis X-Bonus: All wood and no ply makes Jack a dull board. om.pha.lo.skep.sis n [NL, fr. Gk omphalos + skepsis examination--more at spy] (1925): contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation; also: inertia 2 -- When a biblio- word managed to spill onto this week, it seems we have had too many bookish words in a row. Some Linguaphiles complained, "Enough of these, before I turn into a bibliophobe!" For this week, I have selected some woirds (-: But before we go any further: caveat lector (let the reader beware) or simply said: don't try these words at home. -Anu -------- Date: Wed May 31 00:21:50 EDT 1995 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--abiogenesis X-Bonus: Lots of people know a good thing the minute the other fellow sees it first. -Job E. Hedges abio.gen.e.sis n [NL, fr. a- + bio- + L genesis] (1870): the supposed spontaneous origination of living organisms directly from lifeless matter -- abi.og.e.nist n