A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Thu Sep 1 00:01:05 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--chicken feed X-Bonus: Genius is the gold in the mine, talent is the miner who works and brings it out. -Marguerite Gardiner, writer (1 Sep 1789-1849) This week's theme: Metaphors & idioms chicken feed (CHIK-en feed) noun A small amount of something, especially money. [From chicken, from Old English cicen + feed, from Old English fedan. Earliest documented use: 1834.] NOTES: Why chicken feed, as opposed to, say, cattle feed. The term alludes to a chicken's relatively small size and hence their needing a small amount of feed. Also, they scratch at the soil in search of insects, seeds, etc. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/chicken_feed_large.jpg Photo: MTSOfan https://flickr.com/photos/mtsofan/41917342032/ See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/chicken%20feed "It wasn't a fortune, but it wasn't chicken feed, either." Linda Reilly; Escape Claws; Lyrical Press; 2017. -------- Date: Fri Sep 2 00:01:04 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--third rail X-Bonus: There are conditions of blindness so voluntary that they become complicity. -Paul Bourget, novelist (2 Sep 1852-1935) This week's theme: Metaphors & idioms third rail (thurd rayl) noun 1. A topic believed to be too controversial or charged to discuss. 2. A rail that runs near a railroad track to supply high-voltage power to an electric train. [From third, from transposition of Old English thridda + rail, from Old French raille. Earliest documented use: 1903 (figurative), 1867 (literal).] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/third%20rail Third rail (under a white cover) Finhaut, Switzerland https://wordsmith.org/words/images/third_rail_large.jpg Photo: NAC / Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:TMR_BDeh_4-8_22_Finhaut_120512.jpg Bay Area Rapid Transit, California: https://wordsmith.org/words/images/third_rail_danger_sign_large.jpg Photo: Richard Masoner https://flickr.com/photos/bike/5212936307/ NOTES: The federal social safety net in the US is called Social Security. People contribute to the program via payroll taxes. Then, when they need help, for example, at retirement, unemployment, disability, etc., they receive monthly payments. It's an insurance fund that people have contributed to and they justifiably expect it to pay when needed. From time to time some foolhardy politician contemplates cutting the benefits only to realize that Social Security is the third rail of American politics. You just don't touch it, unless you yourself want to be retired from your political career. Below are the examples of third rails of politics in some other countries. But this may just be one opinion. What, in your opinion, are the third rails in your country's politics? Beyond politics, what are some third rails in your personal life or of those around you? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/third_rail.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. Include your location (city, state). "For more than 20 years borders have been the third rail of Australian politics, and on Thursday -- Anthony Albanese -- unwittingly, he says -- tripped over it." The Daily Telegraph (Australia); 2022. "The abortion issue was already a third rail of Canadian politics before the latest US developments." Toronto Star (Canada); 2022. "Mr. Macron took on the third rail of French politics -- reforming the country's byzantine pension system." The Wall Street Journal (New York); 2022. "German politicians are also openly considering nuclear energy, a third rail of German politics for decades." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (Pennsylvania); 2022. "Labour reform was the infamous third rail of Indian politics, to be touched by foolhardy politicians." The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); 2020. "[Shinzo Abe] mused publicly about whether Japan should host US nuclear weapons, touching the third rail of Japanese politics." The Australian (Canberra); 2022. "The fate of that [oligarchs'] wealth is the third rail of Russian politics." The Christian Science Monitor (Boston, Massachusetts); 2003. "[Rent control is] the third rail of Swedish politics." The New York Times; 2019. "Gender equality, however, will remain the third rail of Saudi politics." The American Prospect (Princeton, New Jersey); 2007. "And [Elizabeth Ames] said the NHS was a sacred cow. 'It's the third rail of UK politics.'" https://wordsmith.org/words/sacred_cow.html The Advertiser (Adelaide, Australia); 2019. Meanwhile in Florida... "They call Disney the third rail of politics in Florida." The Washington Post; 2022. -------- Date: Mon Sep 5 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--roseate X-Bonus: The more original a discovery, the more obvious it seems afterward. -Arthur Koestler, novelist and journalist (5 Sep 1905-1983) At one time any self-respecting Jane Austenite would be expected to know the language of flowers by heart. Whole dictionaries were published about what flower symbolized what. They call it floriography: coded communication through the use of flowers. If you knew your floriography, you could probably skip over half of any Victorian romance novel. In those days a "well-bred"* person was expected to know that a red rose meant love and a yellow rose friendship. A lily was a symbol of purity and innocence while mimosa, aka touch-me-not,** was of chastity. Well, F all that prudish obsession with chastity! To me, each flower comes with the message that there's hope for humanity. This week we'll see five flower-related terms that are used figuratively. Do you feel partial to some particular flower? Have a story related to flowers? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/roseate.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. *Not sure what today's well-bred person is supposed to know. Perhaps the language of emojis? **"Mimosa pudica", to be more precise roseate (ROH-zee-uht/ayt) adjective 1. Like a rose, especially in color: pink, red, etc. 2. Bright; favorable; promising. 3. Unreasonably optimistic. [From Latin roseus (rosy), from rosa (rose), from Greek rhodon (rose). Earliest documented use: 1449. Also see rose-colored https://wordsmith.org/words/rose-colored.html .] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/roseate Roseate Spoonbill https://wordsmith.org/words/images/roseate_large.jpg Photo: Jgocfoto / Wikimedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roseate_spoonbill#/media/File:RoseateSpoonbillCatazaja.jpg "This roseate future isn't pending, which causes one to despair." Randy Boyagoda, Magic and Greed: Ngugi wa Thiong'o's New Novel; Harper's Magazine (New York); Sep 2006. -------- Date: Tue Sep 6 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--daisy-chain X-Bonus: The only Zen you find on the tops of mountains is the Zen you bring up there. -Robert M. Pirsig, author and philosopher (6 Sep 1928-2017) This week's theme: Flowers daisy-chain (DAY-zee chayn) verb tr., intr.: To connect in a sequence, especially in a way such that one element latches on to the next (instead of being connected by another medium, such as a piece of thread). daisy chain noun: An interlinked sequence of things, events, people, etc. [From allusion to a string of daisies tied together in a garland. From daisy, from Old English dæges éage (day's eye, referring to the flower closing at night) + chain, from Old French chaine, from Latin catena. Earliest documented use: 1841.] How to Make a Daisy Chain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0v2ZvWWHbQA See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/daisy-chain "In the somber scene orderlies guide British Tommies blinded by mustard gas ... Daisy-chained like young schoolboys, the helpless soldiers shuffle along a duckboard through a tangle of similarly wounded men as planes dogfight overhead and oblivious footballers hold a match in the far distance." Museum Showcases Sargent's Iconic WWI Painting Gassed; Military History (Herndon, Virginia); Jul 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gassed_(painting) "Life is one long daisy chain of surprises, isn't it?" Michael J.A. Speyer; The Chronicles of Samuel Sassodoro, Book Two; Lulu; 2007. -------- Date: Wed Sep 7 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--orchidacity X-Bonus: I am patient with stupidity but not with those who are proud of it. -Edith Sitwell, poet (7 Sep 1887-1964) This week's theme: Flowers orchidacity (or-ki-DAS-i-tee) noun Showiness. [From the large and showy flowers in the orchid family. From Latin orchis (orchid), from Greek orkhis (testicle, orchid, from the shape of its tubers). Earliest documented use: 1897. A related word is orchidaceous https://wordsmith.org/words/orchidaceous.html .] Ballerina Orchid https://wordsmith.org/words/images/orchidacity_large.jpg Photo: Areafin tawfiq / Wikimedia https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:D61ug9uc1lk11.jpg See monkey face orchid, angel orchid, white egret orchid, and more https://www.designswan.com/archives/17-weird-looking-orchids.html "Where orchidacity is the fashion homespun leaves one unsatisfied." James Agate; Ego 9; Harrap; 1948. -------- Date: Thu Sep 8 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--tall poppy X-Bonus: If more politicians in this country were thinking about the next generation instead of the next election, it might be better for the United States and the world. -Claude Pepper, senator and representative (8 Sep 1900-1989) This week's theme: Flowers tall poppy (TAWL pop-ee) noun Someone conspicuously successful, especially one likely to attract hostility. [From tall, from Old English getæl (quick, prompt) + poppy, from Old English popæg/popig. Earliest documented use: 1858.] NOTES: The word poppy has been used for a prominent person for a long time. The earliest example in the OED is from a 1641, a use by John Milton. Making it "tall poppy" is just a little inflation (or elongation). The story goes that Sextus, the son of the Roman king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus (6th c. BCE) https://wordsmith.org/words/superbious.html , sent a messenger to ask his father for advice on how to control the city of Gabii. Superbus didn't say anything but chopped off the heads of the tallest poppies in his garden. The messenger told what he saw and the son got the message. He killed the most prominent people in Gabii and overpowered the city. Tall poppy syndrome is the tendency to cut someone down to size, someone who is successful, rich, or prominent. The expression is popular in Australia and New Zealand. A similar expression is that the nail that sticks out gets hammered down. What do you call a person who is too big for their boots in your language or culture? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/tall_poppy.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/tall_poppy_large.jpg "Tarquinius Superbus" 1867, The king chopping off the tallest poppies Art: Lawrence Alma-Tadema "It remains a national pastime to scan the landscape for tall poppies, ensuring none of us get above ourselves." Scanning for Poppies; Toronto Star (Canada); Jul 28, 2017. -------- Date: Fri Sep 9 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--wallflower X-Bonus: The epitaph that I would write for history would say: I conceal nothing. It is not enough not to lie. One should strive not to lie in a negative sense by remaining silent. -Leo Tolstoy, novelist and philosopher (9 Sep 1828-1910) This week's theme: Flowers wallflower (WAL-flou-uhr) noun 1. Someone who does not mingle at a social event, such as a party, dance, etc. 2. A person or an organization that is forced to stay at the sidelines of some activity. [From wall, from Old English weall, from Latin vallum (rampart), from vallus (stake) + flower, from Old French flor (flower, flour, the best of anything). Earliest documented use: 1578.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/wallflower https://wordsmith.org/words/images/wallflower_large.jpg Art: Nancy Meyers http://nancydrewit.com/ "Virgin has been like a wallflower at a wedding reception, watching everyone else pair off." Always the Bridesmaid: Virgin Atlantic; The Economist (London, UK); Sep 15, 2012. -------- Date: Mon Sep 12 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--coruscate X-Bonus: Whenever 'A' attempts by law to impose his moral standards upon 'B', 'A' is most likely a scoundrel. -H.L. Mencken, writer, editor, and critic (12 Sep 1880-1956) What's a word? That may sound like a straightforward question, but it can have many answers. For example, when I featured a week of movie titles that have become words, https://wordsmith.org/words/groundhog_day.html a reader wrote to the effect of: Groundhog day is not a word, it's a phrase. Yes, it's a phrase, but we are not doing legal contracts here. We believe we can still feature it without having to rename ourselves A.Word.Or.Phrase.A.Day. Another reader wrote that groundhog day is not a word, it's a movie. Yes, it's a movie _and_ a useful term in the English language. It's just that the movie is relatively recent and we still have it flickering just below the surface of the word. Another word, gaslight, https://wordsmith.org/words/gaslight.html also came to us from a film, but with the passage of time we don't think twice about it. And so on. That said, I'm aware that some readers subscribe to our newsletter for vocabulary words, that is, words one is more likely to encounter in a standardized test, in a literary publication, etc. That's what we give you this week. No movies for you! coruscate (KOR-uh-skayt) verb intr. 1. To sparkle, flash, or gleam. 2. To display great style or technique. [From Latin coruscare (to flash). Earliest documented use: 1705.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/coruscate "Her face was wrinkled and old like the pages of a well-loved book, her eyes shone, and her silvery hair coruscated in the moonlight." Aoife O’Connell; Cafe Terrace at Night; Stone Soup (Santa Cruz, California); Dec 2019. "A coruscating memoir by Fan Yusu, a domestic worker living in Beijing, was a national sensation when it was published online in 2017." Production-Line Poets; The Economist (London, UK); Aug 14, 2021. -------- Date: Tue Sep 13 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--plenitude X-Bonus: We are so vain that we even care for the opinion of those we don't care for. -Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach, writer (13 Sep 1830-1916) This week's theme: Misc words plenitude (PLEN-i-tood/tyood) noun 1. The state of being full. 2. Abundance. [From Latin plenus (full). Earliest documented use: 1425.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/plenitude "Your stomachs are round with the plenitude of eating." Jack London; The Iron Heel; Macmillan; 1907. -------- Date: Wed Sep 14 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--rufescent X-Bonus: Most people are mirrors, reflecting the moods and emotions of the times; few are windows, bringing light to bear on the dark corners where troubles fester. The whole purpose of education is to turn mirrors into windows. -Sydney J. Harris, journalist and author (14 Sep 1917-1986) This week's theme: Misc words rufescent (ru-FES-uhnt) adjective Reddish. [From Latin rufus (red, reddish). Ultimately from the Indo-European root reudh- (red), which also gave us red, rouge, ruby, ruddy, rubella, robust, corroborate https://wordsmith.org/words/corroborate.html , raddle https://wordsmith.org/words/raddle.html , roborant https://wordsmith.org/words/roborant.html , robustious https://wordsmith.org/words/robustious.html , rambunctious https://wordsmith.org/words/rambunctious.html, and russet https://wordsmith.org/words/russet.html . Earliest documented use: 1802.] "[The] rufescent flames of autumn are soon to pass." Brianna R. Burton; Poetry: A Literary Diaries Collection; Burton Media Group; 2012. -------- Date: Thu Sep 15 00:01:04 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--brume X-Bonus: Before we set our hearts too much on anything, let us examine how happy are those who already possess it. -Francois, duc de La Rochefoucauld, moralist (15 Sep 1613-1680) This week's theme: Misc words brume (broom) noun Fog or mist. [From French brume (mist), from Latin bruma (winter), from brevima dies (shortest day or winter solstice), from brevis (short). Earliest documented use: 1500.] "The asphalt gave way to a dirt road through a rain forest, its canopy wreathed in brume." Damon Tabor; The Greater The Sinner; The New Yorker; Mar 14, 2016. -------- Date: Fri Sep 16 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--altiloquent X-Bonus: The man who is always waving the flag usually waives what it stands for. -Laurence J. Peter, educator and author (16 Sep 1919-1990) This week's theme: Misc words altiloquent (al-TIL-uh-kwuhnt) adjective Pompous or pretentious. [From Latin altus (high) + loquentem (speaking), from loqui (to speak). Earliest documented use: 1656.] "He reasons that most of us have a high opinion of ourselves and we feel validated when we hear others volunteering their own similar perceptions of our grandeur -- so long as those words come across as sincere rather than altiloquent." James Adonis; Sucking Up: Does It Work?; The Sydney Morning Herald (Australia); Feb 21, 2014. -------- Date: Mon Sep 19 00:01:05 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--bridezilla X-Bonus: We all have our time machines. Some take us back, they're called memories. Some take us forward, they're called dreams. -Jeremy Irons, actor (b. 19 Sep 1948) Godzilla, the fictional monster from the eponymous film not only entertained us, but also gave a picturesque word to the English language. Even more, he has given us a handy combining form -zilla. Need to turn anything into a monster? Just add -zilla. Bridezilla may be the best-known derivation from -zilla, but all kinds of inventive terms have been found in the wild: bosszilla, momzilla, and even groomzilla. This week we'll see five terms that are made by similar combining forms. What are combining forms? Think of them as Lego bricks of language. As the term indicates, a combining form is a linguistic atom that occurs only in combination with some other form which could be a word, another combining form, a prefix, or a suffix. Unlike a combining form, an affix can’t attach to another affix. Here are the rest of the combining forms we are going to be using this week, though not necessarily in this order: oro- (mountain) auto- (self) zoo- (animal) allotrio- (foreign) -phagy (eating) -anthropy (human) -graphy (writing, study) -latry (worship) bridezilla (bryd-ZIL-uh) noun A woman who is overbearing and obnoxious in planning her wedding. [A blend of bride + Godzilla, a fictional monster https://wordsmith.org/words/godzilla.html . Earliest documented use: 1995.] https://wordsmith.org/words/images/bridezilla_large.jpg Illustration: Karen Folsom https://kgfolsart.com/ "She was a bit of a bridezilla herself. At her wedding, Katie changed the bridesmaid dresses at the last minute and put us in ones that we all hated." Georgina Lawton; You Be the Judge; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 22, 2022. -------- Date: Tue Sep 20 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--autolatry X-Bonus: Mistakes are part of the dues that one pays for a full life. -Sophia Loren, actor and singer (b. 20 Sep 1934) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms autolatry (aw-TOL-uh-tree) noun Self-worship. [From Greek auto- (self) + -latry (worship). Earliest documented use: 1861.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/autolatry "It was not, she dreaded to surmise, the shadow of men merely drunk on vanity ... only as a result of deranged and maniac autolatry could such a construct have been born." Chase A Folmar; Frolic on the Amaranthyn; Sable Star Press; 2022. -------- Date: Wed Sep 21 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--allotriophagy X-Bonus: Monsters are real, and ghosts are real too. They live inside us, and sometimes, they win. -Stephen King, novelist (b. 21 Sep 1947) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms allotriophagy (uh-lah-tree-AH-fuh-jee) noun An abnormal desire to eat things not usually eaten, such as chalk or clay. Also known as pica https://wordsmith.org/words/pica.html . [From Greek allotrio- (foreign) -phagy (eating). Earliest documented use: 1845.] "A taste for blood may very well be a form of allotriophagy." Tatsuaki Ishiguro; Biogenesis; Kodansha; 2015. -------- Date: Thu Sep 22 00:01:02 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--zoanthropy X-Bonus: Wrongs are often forgiven, but contempt never is. Our pride remembers it forever. -Lord Chesterfield, statesman and writer (22 Sep 1694-1773) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms zoanthropy (zo-AN-thruh-pee) noun The delusion that one is a beast. [From Greek zoo- (animal) + -anthropy (human). Earliest documented use: 1856.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/zoanthropy NOTES: If you want to be more specific in your zoanthropy, here are some terms for what individual animal you believe yourself to be: boanthropy: bovine cervanthropy: deer cynanthropy: dog hippanthropy: horse lycanthropy: wolf philanthropy is NOT the delusional belief that one is named Phil. "Symptoms of zoanthropy typically range from one hour to several decades. The delusions are said to be more prevalent in rural and non-industrial areas." Daniel Boffey; Case of Belgian Woman Who Thought She Was a Chicken Linked to Depression; The Guardian (London, UK); Jul 28, 2020. -------- Date: Fri Sep 23 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--orography X-Bonus: Blind faith in your leaders, or in anything, will get you killed. -Bruce Springsteen, musician (b. 23 Sep 1949) This week's theme: Words made with combining forms orography (o-ROG-ruh-free) noun The study of the physical geography of mountains, such as features, topographic relief, etc. [From Latin oro- (mountain) + -graphy (writing, study). Earliest documented use: 1792.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/orography "Cloudbursts ... occur because of rapid lifting of the monsoon clouds by the steep orography of the region." Steep Rise in Cases of Extreme Monsoon Rain; The Economic Times (New Delhi, India); Sep 18, 2012. "Harald to her was a great continent or an exotic wild beast. The abrupt orography of his torso became irresistibly attractive to her." Al Bas; Harald and the Holy Cross; Eloquent Books; 2008. -------- Date: Mon Sep 26 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--timeserver X-Bonus: Half of the harm that is done in this world is due to people who want to feel important. They don't mean to do harm but the harm does not interest them. -T.S. Eliot, poet (26 Sep 1888-1965) In a few weeks the world population is going to hit eight billion. In some countries they are worried about negative population growth. In others how to grow sustainably. Around here we have a much bigger worry. What words would one use to call all those people? Little by little the ocean is filled and a word at a time we fill our wordstock. This week we dipped our pail in the dictionary and brought out five colorful words to describe people. What words do you use to call people in your life or people in public life? Share on our website https://wordsmith.org/words/timeserver.html or email us at words@wordsmith.org. Please include your location (city, state). Thank you. timeserver (TYM-suhr-vuhr) noun 1. One who makes little effort at work, such as while waiting to retire or find another job. 2. One who changes views to conform to prevailing circumstances. 3. A computer that transmits precise time information on a network. [From time, from Old English tima (time) + server, from Latin servire (to serve), from servus (slave). Earliest documented use: 1566.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/timeserver NOTES: Imagine a time when a human did the job of giving correct time (what a computer does now). In this job, instead of being a conscientious worker, this person was lackadaisical. What would you call them? A timeserver in more ways than one. A timeserver timeserver. I made an NTP joke once. The timing was perfect (NTP = Network Time Protocol) https://wordsmith.org/words/images/timeserver_large.jpg Image: https://me.me/i/i-made-an-ntp-joke-once-wan-servers-swth-proxy-daf03d516e2546c69f05b2d25627705c "He was a timeserver, awaiting the oncoming pension with all the anticipation of a hitchhiker at a truck stop." Ian Rankin; A Question of Blood; Orion; 2003. "You believe in nothing firm or fixed. You are a timeserver." Alasdair Gray; Poor Things; Bloomsbury; 1992. -------- Date: Tue Sep 27 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--sandboy X-Bonus: You desire to know the art of living, my friend? It is contained in one phrase: make use of suffering. -Henri Frederic Amiel, philosopher and writer (27 Sep 1821-1881) This week's theme: Words to describe people sandboy (SAND-boi) noun 1. A very happy person. 2. One who deals in sand. [From Old English sand + boy. Earliest documented use: 1796.] See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/sandboy NOTES: The term is typically used in the construction "happy as a sandboy". Who was this sandboy and why was he so happy? If you have ever seen a child building sandcastles or digging canals on a beach, it would seem obvious. The reality is more grim. In Dickensian England, a child was more likely to be toiling in a factory or on the streets than playing on the beach: Consider these lines from a 1804 poem "The Rider and Sand-Boy: A Tale" A poor shoeless urchin, half-starved and sun-tanned, Went by the inn-window crying, "Buy my fine sand!" Originally, a sandboy was someone, not necessarily a child, who delivered sand to a pub, for example, where it could be used to soak up spilled drinks. Sandboys were paid for their labor in drinks. After a hard day's labor, finally sitting down with a drink in hand and you can see why they'd be very happy. There's also the term sand-happy, meaning very drunk. Did you hear about the sandboy's career change when he became an adult? He now deals in sleep. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/sandboy_large.jpg Photo: Jay Hsu https://flickr.com/photos/ajay13/24000870349/ "'Did Cyril seem worried?' 'Hardly. Happy as a little sandboy.'" R.A. Bennett; Silence of Guilt; Robert Hale; 1982. "And the carefree Costa Ricans, 12th in the contentment league, are not alone. Arabs and ex-pats in the United Arab Emirates (17th) are happy as sandboys. The UK rates only 18th, below Luxembourg (a made-up country), Belgium (ditto), Israel (all right if you're not an Arab), the USA (ditto if not black), and Austria (the dull country)." Paul Routledge; Stuff Your "Happy" Nations. GB's Best; The Daily Mirror (London, UK); Apr 6, 2012. -------- Date: Wed Sep 28 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--musicaster X-Bonus: It is by character and not by intellect the world is won. -Evelyn Beatrice Hall, biographer (28 Sep 1868-1956) This week's theme: Words to describe people musicaster (MYOO-zi-kas-tuhr) noun A mediocre musician. [From music + -aster (a pejorative suffix). Earliest documented use: 1838.] NOTES: The pejorative suffix -aster (meaning something that is inferior, small, or shallow) gives us some delightful words when it comes to name-calling. A reviewer brands a poet a poetaster https://wordsmith.org/words/poetaster.html (an inferior poet) and the poet might call the reviewer a criticaster. There are also the terms mathematicaster and philosophaster, but let's remember that a grandmaster is not an inferior grandma. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/musicaster_large.jpg Image: Karoui https://www.guitargathering.com/community/index.php?/topic/459-new-issue-of-mediocre-guitar-player-just-hit-the-newsstands/ "It was no longer a sanctuary, but a howling place. ... indigent musicasters ... chanted unfortunately." J.K. Huysmans; En Route; Dutton; 1895. -------- Date: Thu Sep 29 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--grumbletonian X-Bonus: Too much sanity may be madness. And maddest of all, to see life as it is and not as it should be! -Miguel de Cervantes, writer (29 Sep 1547-1616) This week's theme: Words to describe people grumbletonian (gruhm-buhl-TOH-nee-uhn) noun A habitual complainer. [From grumble, perhaps from French or Dutch. Earliest documented use: 1690.] NOTES: In the 17th century words were sometimes coined by adding the suffix -tonian in a contemptuous manner. Other examples are sillytonian and simpletonian. The trend appears to have started after Muggletonian and Grindletonian, religious sects in 17th century England. Muggletonianism, for example, was started by two tailors one of whom was named Muggleton. According to Wiki https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Muggletonianism , "Muggletonians avoided all forms of worship or preaching, and met only for discussion and socializing. The movement was egalitarian, apolitical, and pacifist, and resolutely avoided evangelism." Finally, I have found a religion I can get behind. Besides, such a cool name! Life is like a box of chocolates. I can't eat chocolate. https://www.thisdogslife.co/the-10-best-memes-of-grumpy-dog/ Image: https://www.thisdogslife.co/the-10-best-memes-of-grumpy-dog/ "Don't fill your conversation with complaints and criticisms. No one wants to hang out with a grumbletonian." Brett McKay & Kate McKay; The Art of Manliness; How Books; 2009. -------- Date: Fri Sep 30 00:01:03 EDT 2022 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--logodaedalist X-Bonus: There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest. -Elie Wiesel, writer, Nobel laureate (30 Sep 1928-2016) This week's theme: Words to describe people logodaedalist (log-uh-DEE-duh-list) noun One skilled in using or coining words. [From Latin logodaedalia, from Greek logodaidalia, from logodaidalos, from logos (word) + daedalus (skillful). Earliest documented use: 1727.] "She also solicited the aid of other Russian scholars, especially the chess master and logodaedalist Gennady Barabtarlo, who helped solve the riddles Vladimir posed for Vera." Brian Boyd; Letters; The New York Times Book Review; Nov 29, 2015.