A.Word.A.Day Archives from https://wordsmith.org/awad -------- Date: Wed Oct 1 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pseudonymuncle X-Bonus: A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It is a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. -Jimmy Carter, 39th US President, Nobel laureate (b. 1 Oct 1924) This week's theme: There is a word for it pseudonymuncle (soo-duh-NIM-uhnk-uhl) noun An insignificant person writing under a pseudonym. [From pseudonym, from Greek pseudo- (false) + -nym (name) + -uncle (diminutive suffix), from -culus (diminutive suffix). Earliest documented use: 1875.] NOTES: This word is on the opposite side of a grand literary pseudonym like Mark Twain or George Orwell. This is an insult for the relative unknown whose opinions are of zero consequence. The word uncle is a literal diminutive, from Latin avunculus (mother's brother). When you call someone a pseudonymuncle, you are essentially saying their false name is as insignificant as they are. Think of all the anonymous internet commenters out there, spouting off while their opinions are just as consequential as a distant relative’s bad advice. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pseudonymuncle_large.jpg Illustration: Anu Garg + AI "The novelist became angry, called his critic a pseudonymuncle, and defended himself." Anthony Trollope; Chronicles of Barsetshire; Chapman & Hall; 1878. -------- Date: Thu Oct 2 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--whoness X-Bonus: When I despair, I remember that all through history, the way of truth and love has always won. There have been murderers and tyrants, and for a time they can seem invincible. But in the end they always fall. Think of it, always. -Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi (2 Oct 1869-1948) This week's theme: There is a word for it whoness (HOO-nis) noun The essence of a person. [From who, from Old English hwa + -ness (quality). Earliest documented use: 1922.] NOTES: It's that ineffable quality that makes you you and me me. Not your résumé, not your driver's license photo, but the sparkle (or snarkle) that can't be faked. It's the part of you that survives a bad hair day. The metaphysical equivalent of caller ID. See also, whatness https://wordsmith.org/words/whatness.html "The Two Fridas", 1939 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/whoness_large.jpg Art: Frida Kahlo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Two_Fridas "Don't confuse your whoness with your whatness, [Monique Greenwood] warns. 'You can't let what you do define who you are. In other words, your job and material things should not be the definition of who you are.'" Lateefah Fleming; Hosting From a Haven in the Hood; Black Issues Book Review (Fairfax, Virginia); Nov/Dec 2001. -------- Date: Fri Oct 3 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--pennyweighter X-Bonus: Once a country is habituated to liars, it takes generations to bring the truth back. -Gore Vidal, writer (3 Oct 1925-2012) This week's theme: There is a word for it pennyweighter (PEN-ee-way-tuhr) noun One who steals jewelry, especially by substituting a fake for the real one. [From pennyweight jewelry, from pennyweight, the weight of a silver penny (1⁄240 of a pound). Earliest documented use: 1886.] NOTES: The pennyweighter's motto: All that glitters is not yours anymore. Read details of pennyweighters stealing jewelry at a home https://www.nbcmiami.com/news/local/trio-accused-of-distracting-elderly-people-to-steal-their-jewelry-hialeah-police/3151091/ and at a store. https://abc7ny.com/post/video-brazen-thieves-switch-out-jewelry-/2173087/ A Civil War era 2 pennyweight token https://wordsmith.org/words/images/pennyweighter_large.jpg Image: eBay https://www.ebay.com/itm/126805089787 "And he'd look at the dime store ring the pennyweighter had managed to substitute for a diamond one." Fredric Brown; Mostly Murder; EP Dutton; 1953. -------- Date: Mon Oct 6 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gardyloo X-Bonus: It's said that "power corrupts", but actually it's more true that power attracts the corruptible. The sane are usually attracted by other things than power. When they do act, they think of it as service, which has limits. The tyrant, though, seeks mastery, for which he is insatiable, implacable. -David Brin, scientist and science fiction author (b. 6 Oct 1950) What would you think was going on if you heard these commands being given: Sit! Fetch! Heel! Perhaps you would think someone was showing off their dog's obedience training. But maybe not. Maybe a dizzy soul is being told to sit down before they topple over. Then, a friend is being dispatched to fetch Oral Roberts. And when he shows up, well, he gives the order to heal. Welcome to the world of imperatives! An imperative is just a fancy grammatical label for a command. A related word is imperious. https://wordsmith.org/words/imperious.html This week we're doing imperatives, but we are not bossing you around. It's just that imperatives are hidden in the etymology of these words. These are terms we have borrowed from French, Latin, Hebrew, and Hindi. As it often happens when we borrow a word, the meaning changes. Sometimes a little, sometimes a lot. The part of speech often changes too, and all of this week's selections were imperatives that later became nouns in English. So sit, fetch yourself a cup of tea, and heel to curiosity. gardyloo (gar-dee-LOO) noun A warning cry. [Phonetic respelling of French imperative gardez l'eau (mind the water). Earliest documented use: 1771.] NOTES: If you lived in old Edinburgh some 250 years ago and heard someone shout "Gardyloo!" from an upper floor, your best bet was to run for cover or risk getting baptized in _eau de toilette_ of a very different kind. The city was overcrowded. Tenements rose up to 14 stories. No electricity, no running water, no indoor plumbing. The simplest disposal method was to simply toss your waste out the window. The thrower, at least, had the decency to offer a verbal umbrella. The so-called Nastiness Act of 1749 regulated when the airborne deposits could fly, between 10 pm and 7 am. In modern times, MV Gardyloo https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Gardyloo was the cheery name of a sewage dumping ship (1978-1998) that ferried Edinburgh's waste out to the North Sea. Over time, gardyloo broadened into a general warning. Next time someone shouts it, you may still want to duck, just in case. "The Flowers of Edinburgh", 1781 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/gardyloo_large.jpg Image: British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/P_J-1-138 "Now here's the warning, the gardyloo you must not ignore." Harlan Ellison; October Country; Los Angeles Times; Oct 7, 2001. "Derrick heard a faint gardyloo but couldn't even bring himself to look up and see if it might affect him. He wasn't at all surprised to find it had. He looked down to see sewage dripping down his left arm, but he was past caring." Lynn Kurland; Roses in Moonlight; Jove; 2013. -------- Date: Tue Oct 7 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--hallelujah X-Bonus: If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor. If an elephant has its foot on the tail of a mouse and you say that you are neutral, the mouse will not appreciate your neutrality. -Desmond Tutu, clergyman (7 Oct 1931-2021) This week's theme: Words with a bossy past hallelujah (hal-uh-LOO-yuh) interjection: Praise the Lord. noun: An expression of joy, relief, praise, etc. [From Hebrew halaluyah (praise God), from halelu (praise, you all), second person plural imperative of hallel (to praise) + yah (God), shortening of Yahweh (God). Earliest documented use: 1535.] NOTES: Think of it as the linguistic Swiss Army knife of joy: whether your sports team finally wins, you find parking after circling around downtown, or the plumber finally shows up, you can raise a hearty hallelujah. See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/hallelujah https://wordsmith.org/words/images/hallelujah_large.jpg "The serum is a one-and-done night treatment (hallelujah) ... just apply after cleansing and head to bed." Sali Hughes; Anti-Ageing Products That Actually Work; The Guardian (London, UK); Apr 5, 2025. -------- Date: Wed Oct 8 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--dekko X-Bonus: We must learn to honor excellence in every socially accepted human activity, however humble the activity, and to scorn shoddiness, however exalted the activity. An excellent plumber is infinitely more admirable than an incompetent philosopher. The society that scorns excellence in plumbing because plumbing is a humble activity and tolerates shoddiness in philosophy because it is an exalted activity will have neither good plumbing nor good philosophy. Neither its pipes nor its theories will hold water. -John W. Gardner, author and leader (8 Oct 1912-2002) This week's theme: Words with a bossy past dekko (DEK-oh) noun A look. [From Hindi dekho (look), imperative of dekhna (to look). Earliest documented use: 1855.] NOTES: The word dekko slipped into English during the days of British colonial India, when officers and merchants picked up bits of Hindi. Someone would say "Dekho!" (look), and soon the word was anglicized into dekko, proof that languages are always eyeing each other. Another imperative from Hindi that has turned into a noun in English is toco. https://wordsmith.org/words/toco.html See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/dekko "Girl with a Pearl Earring", c. 1665 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/dekko_large.jpg Art: Johannes Vermeer "Just take a dekko at his snazzy exterior." Gary Smith; "The Master Plan" Makes for Masterful Theatre at Aquarius; The Spectator (Hamilton, Canada); Nov 2, 2024. -------- Date: Thu Oct 9 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--noli me tangere X-Bonus: Imagine there's no countries, / It isn't hard to do. / Nothing to kill or die for, / And no religion, too. / Imagine all the people / Living life in peace. -John Lennon, musician (9 Oct 1940-1980) This week's theme: Words with a bossy past noli me tangere (NO-lee mee/may TAN-juh-ree) noun: 1. Someone or something that must not be touched or interfered with. 2. A warning against touching or meddling. 3. Any of various plants whose seed capsules burst open when touched. adjective: Relating to prohibition or fear of being touched. [From Latin noli me tangere (do not touch me), from noli (do not), imperative of nolle (to be unwilling) + me (me) + tangere (to touch). Earliest documented use: 1398.] NOTES: In John 20:17, the resurrected Jesus says to Mary Magdalene: "Noli me tangere" or "Touch me not" (also translated as: Do not cling to me.) Since then the term has been applied to things that are best left alone. You could say noli me tangere is Latin for: "This isn't a touch screen." Himalayan Balsam aka Touch-Me-Not https://wordsmith.org/words/images/noli_me_tangere_large.gif Gif: MakeAGif https://makeagif.com/i/67kakn "[Tarquin Winot's] fascination with his own text, like all things narcissistic, is half-alluring, half-repellent; a come-on to the reader and a noli me tangere." James Lasdun; Suddenly Last Supper; The Village Voice (New York); May 28, 1996. "And then there's what you're missing by skipping the office: the trafficky commute, the petroleum-based slacks by Theory or Banana Republic, the noli-me-tangere demeanor that women were supposed to cultivate to ensure boardroom authority. All of these duties vanish when workplace and homeplace become one." Virginia Heffernan; Home Tool; The New York Times Magazine; Jan 10, 2010. -------- Date: Fri Oct 10 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lampoon X-Bonus: When small men begin to cast big shadows, it means that the sun is about to set. -Lin Yutang, writer and translator (10 Oct 1895-1976) This week's theme: Words with a bossy past lampoon (lam-POON) noun: A biting satire directed against a person or institution. verb tr.: To ridicule or satirize. [From French lampon, from lampons (let us drink), imperative of slang lamper (to gulp down), from laper (to lap up). Earliest documented use: 1645.] NOTES: The word lampoon originated in 17th-century France. Imagine revelers raising their cups to the chants of "Lampons!" (Let us drink!). And then unleashing barbs against politicians, clergy, or anyone unlucky enough to be the subject of their satire. See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lampoon https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lampoon_large.jpg Cover: "National Lampoon", Jan 1977 "Others have felt free enough to vilify Putin and ridicule and lampoon him in a way that almost nobody would have dared to a few months ago." Matthew Fisher; Putin's Fall from Grace; The Ottawa Citizen (Canada); Mar 2, 2012. -------- Date: Mon Oct 13 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lace-curtain X-Bonus: Keep going. Tyranny is eroded by a sea of small acts. Everything matters. -Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, US Congress member (b. 13 Oct 1989) Language is an attic crammed with memories. What you find there are not just literal objects. Much of what's stored away has meaning layered upon meaning. A shell, for instance, may not just be a shell. It might recall that wistful afternoon on the beach when you met someone, shared a smile, and hesitated to ask for their number. (And now it is your regret-shell.) Words, too, gather significance over time. This week, we'll explore words that work double shifts. They mean what they mean, and then some. Use them any way you like: literally or figuratively (but figurative is more fun). lace-curtain (LAYS-kuhr-tuhn) adjective Aspiring to or pretentiously displaying middle-class respectability. [From the lace curtains once fashionable in middle-class homes. Earliest documented use: 1824.] NOTES: The expression arose in 19th-century America, often among Irish immigrants themselves, to draw a class line between the lace-curtain Irish -- those striving for middle-class refinement -- and the shanty Irish, who were poorer and lived in simple one-room cabins. The term has traces of both classism and ethnic prejudice from that era. Today, the term survives as a light jab at anyone decorating their life a bit too finely while hoping no one peeks behind the curtain. Also see iron curtain https://wordsmith.org/words/iron_curtain.html "The Irish in St. Louis: From Shanty to Lace Curtain" https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lace-curtain_large.jpg Cover: Reedy Press https://www.amazon.com/Irish-St-Louis-Patrick-Murphy/dp/1681063603/ "[Bill] Cunningham begins his story at his middle-class Catholic home in 'a lace-curtain suburb of Boston'." Lucy Scholes; Style of His Own; The Independent (London, UK); Oct 14, 2018. -------- Date: Tue Oct 14 00:01:03 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--stile X-Bonus: I would rather try to persuade a man to go along, because once I have persuaded him he will stick. If I scare him, he will stay just as long as he is scared, and then he is gone. -Dwight D. Eisenhower, US general and 34th president (14 Oct 1890-1969) This week's theme: Idioms & metaphors stile (styl) noun 1. A set of steps or rungs allowing a person to go across a fence or wall while denying animals access. 2. A turnstile: a revolving gate that controls access to an area. 3. A support for overcoming an obstacle. [From Old English stigel (stile). Earliest documented use: before 1150.] "On the Stile", 1878 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/stile_large.jpg Art: Winslow Homer https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Winslow_Homer_-_On_the_Stile.jpg See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/stile "We climbed over a fence stile and into a field that a neighboring farmer's herd of Jersey cattle frequently visited." Mark Singer; Stringer's Way; The New Yorker; Jun 5, 2006. "The prose sometimes gets too heavy. Some publishers employ editors to help the tired writer over a stile." From Danzig to Nagasaki via Yalta; The Economist (London, UK); Apr 2, 1994. -------- Date: Wed Oct 15 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--millstone X-Bonus: He who has a why can endure any how. -Friedrich Nietzsche, philosopher (15 Oct 1844-1900) This week's theme: Idioms & metaphors millstone (MIL-stohn) noun 1. One of a pair of round stones used for grinding grain. 2. A heavy burden or source of distress, especially one that's hard to get rid of. [From Old English mylenstan (millstone), from Latin mola (mill, grindstone), from molere (to grind). Earliest documented use: before 1150.] NOTES: What's common between a millstone and your molars? They both love a good grind. Both words come from Latin molere (to grind). The idiom millstone around one's neck comes from Matthew 18:6. "Samson and the Philistines", 1863 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/millstone_large.jpg Art: Carl Bloch https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Millstone#/media/File:Carl_Bloch_-_Samson_and_the_Philistines_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/millstone "[Pierre Poilievre] ... has always been significantly less popular than his party, which makes him less of a saviour and more of a millstone going forward." Dan Lett; Carney Easing Into the Job; Winnipeg Free Press (Canada); Jun 10, 2025. -------- Date: Thu Oct 16 00:01:02 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--lightning rod X-Bonus: Truth, in matters of religion, is simply the opinion that has survived. -Oscar Wilde, writer (16 Oct 1854-1900) This week's theme: Idioms & metaphors lightning rod (LYT-ning rod) noun 1. A grounded metal rod placed at the top of a structure to protect it from lightning. 2. A person or thing that frequently attracts criticism. 3. Someone who diverts criticism from another. [From lightning (a flash of light) and rod (a stick or pole), from Old English leoht and rodd. Earliest documented use: 1770.] NOTES: Benjamin Franklin's https://wordsmith.org/words/benjamin.html invention of the lightning rod saved buildings and monuments, but also sparked new ideas in fashion and conducted them far and wide. The 18th century soon turned safety into style. People began adding tiny lightning rods to their hats and umbrellas, complete with a dainty metal chain trailing along the ground. You could call this lightning rod fashion https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lightning_rod_fashion an early (and slightly shocking) instance of wearable tech. "Benjamin Franklin Drawing Electricity from the Sky" c. 1816 https://wordsmith.org/words/images/lightning_rod_large.jpg Art: Benjamin West https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Benjamin_West,_English_(born_America)_-_Benjamin_Franklin_Drawing_Electricity_from_the_Sky_-_Google_Art_Project.jpg See usage examples in Vocabulary.com's dictionary: https://www.vocabulary.com/dictionary/lightning%20rod "[Theron Randolph had] become a lightning rod for criticism from peers, who accused him of relying too heavily on patient testimonials and unconventional testing methods." Lexi Pandell; The Chemical Cassandra; Wired (San Francisco, California); Sep/Oct 2025. -------- Date: Fri Oct 17 00:01:06 EDT 2025 Subject: A.Word.A.Day--moral compass X-Bonus: Don't be seduced into thinking that that which does not make a profit is without value. -Arthur Miller, playwright and essayist (17 Oct 1915-2005) This week's theme: Idioms & metaphors moral compass (MOR-uhl kuhm-puhs) noun One's inner sense of right and wrong. [From moral, from Latin mos (custom) + compass (an instrument for determining directions), from Old French compasser (to measure), from Latin com- (with) + passus (pace). Earliest documented use: 1817.] NOTES: Everyone but psychopaths has a moral compass. It's just that some people keep theirs in airplane mode. Ideally, it helps us navigate through ethical fog, pointing true north even when convenience or temptation tries to pull the needle. It's the instrument that lets you find your way between "just this once" and "I really shouldn't." Sometimes I feel that my moral compass is not driven by an internal sense of right and wrong, but by what others will think of me. https://wordsmith.org/words/images/moral_compass_large.jpg Meme: http://www.quickmeme.com/meme/3sims6 "What [Jared] Kushner's book really is, however, is a portrait of a man whose moral compass has been demagnetized." Elizabeth Spiers; Jared Kushner's Memoir Is Only Inadvertently Revealing; The Washington Post; Aug 29, 2022.