A.Word.A.Day --fribble

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Aug 31, 2015

This week’s theme
Verbs

This week’s words
fribble
belie
descry
cosset
beleaguer

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

Verbs are special words. They describe action. Nothing would ever get done if it were not for verbs. Look at a sentence on your screen or on paper -- it just lies there listless, a mere collection of random words until a verb comes to infuse life into it. This week we’ll feature five unusual verbs -- words for a few things you most likely don’t do every day.

fribble

PRONUNCIATION:

(FRIB-uhl)

MEANING:

verb intr.: To act in a wasteful or frivolous manner.
verb tr.: To fritter away.
noun: A wasteful or frivolous person or thing.

ETYMOLOGY:

Of uncertain origin. Perhaps an alteration of frivol (to behave frivolously), from Latin frivolus (worthless). Earliest documented use: 1610.

USAGE:

“The Apple Watch will sell like ghost cakes during Halloween, but a year or so from now, I think sales will fizzle and fribble just like Google’s silly glasses.”
Malcolm Berko; Watching Apple’s Stock; Creators Syndicate (Los Angeles); May 27, 2015.

“I skipped the diamonds, the couture ‘Minou’ sunglasses by Nour and various other fribbles including uninteresting check shirts by Riflessi.”
Richard Edmonds; DVD Reviews; Birmingham Post (UK); Jul 12, 2004.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

The greatest sign of success for a teacher is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist." -Maria Montessori, educator (31 Aug 1870-1952)

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