Word of the day strikes back

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Richard Frost
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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Sat Sep 25 2021 9:17am

Word of the Day : September 25, 2021

flehmen

noun FLAY-mun

What It Means
Flehmen is a mammalian behavior (as of horses or cats) in which the animal inhales with the mouth open and upper lip curled. This is done to expose the nose to a scent.

The vet explained that what appeared to be a display of anger in the cat was called flehmen.

Examples
"Flehmen, sometimes also called the Flehmen response or the Flehmen reaction, is actually a way of smelling or scenting the air. It's not peculiar to horses: other ungulates exhibit the response, as well as cats, elephants, and bats. Lifting the upper lip gives them access to the vomeronasal organ on the roof of their mouth, which contains chemoreceptors that help them find mates and investigate other smells in their environment." — The McClusky (North Dakota) Gazette, 10 Sept. 2020

Did You Know?
Flehmen comes from German, in which the word applies to animals and means "to curl the upper lip." The German source of the English word is a verb, and it is used, infrequently, as such, as in "the horse flehmened." More often, the English verb form is a gerund: "the horse's flehmening." Flehmen is sometimes capitalized in English because German nouns are capitalized; however, the English word tends to be lowercase.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/word-of ... 2021-09-21

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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Sun Sep 26 2021 8:31am

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2021

perfidy

[ pur-fi-dee ]
noun

deliberate breach of faith or trust; faithlessness; treachery.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF PERFIDY?
Perfidy “deliberate breach of faith or trust” derives from Latin perfidia “faithlessness,” from the adjective perfidus, literally meaning “through faith” but more accurately translated as “beyond the limits of faith.” The base of perfidus is fidēs “trust, honesty, faith,” which is related to the verb fīdere “to trust,” and both terms are the source of numerous trust-related words, such as confidence, defiance, fealty, and fidelity. Perfidy was first recorded in English in the late 1500s.

HOW IS PERFIDY USED?
He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat [sic] the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. THOMAS JEFFERSON, ET AL., THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, JULY, 4, 1776

Perhaps the only thing stranger than my circuitous locution in English is my sheepishness in ordering General Tso’s in Chinese in front of other Chinese people, uttering a name that is simultaneously so evidently Chinese and not-Chinese that its very pronunciation presents, at least to this neurotic immigrant, a paralyzing problem of cultural fidelity and perfidy. JIAYANG FAN, "SEARCHING FOR AMERICA WITH GENERAL TSO," THE NEW YORKER, MARCH 12, 2015

https://www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-day/

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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Thu Sep 30 2021 8:55am

Thursday September 30, 2021

filial


adjective FIL-ee-ul

What It Means
Filial means "of, relating to, or befitting a person's child."

Margaret's sense of filial responsibility is only part of her motivation for carrying on her parents' business; she also loves the work.

Examples
"The text purports to be Geppetto's captivity journal…. He recounts the story of Pinocchio's creation and truancy; he records [that] he continues to make art, painting portraits of lost loves and fashioning filial surrogates—lifeless, alas—out of old hard tack and shards of crockery." — Bruce Handy, The New York Times, 14 Feb. 2021

Did You Know?
Filial comes from Latin filius, meaning "son," and filia, "daughter"; in English, it applies to any gender. The word has long carried the dutiful sense "owed to a parent by a child," as found in such phrases as "filial respect" and "filial piety." These days it can also be used more generally for any emotion or behavior of a child to a parent.

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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Fri Oct 01 2021 9:53am

1st October 2021

Energy price cap kicks in today. How many more people are going to become more aware of this word?

scrimp
[ skrimp ]
verb (used without object)

to be sparing or frugal; economize.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF SCRIMP?
Scrimp “to be sparing or frugal” is likely a borrowing from a Scandinavian language such as Danish, Norwegian, or Swedish, all of which descend from Old Norse. Both English and Old Norse are Germanic languages, but despite their close relationship, they diverged about 2,000 years ago, and this time apart resulted in many sound changes. Two common changes were the shifts from k to ch and from sk to sh, which happened in English but not in Scandinavian languages. This means that, when the Vikings invaded Great Britain and many Old Norse words entered English, English terms had to compete with their Norse cognates, resulting in church and kirk, shirt and skirt, and sharp and scrape. Though it entered English centuries after the Viking invasion, the Scandinavian word scrimp was originally a cognate of the English word shrimp; both derived from a Germanic verb meaning “to contract, shrink,” and while shrimp continued to refer to physical size, scrimp shifted to refer to money. Scrimp was first recorded in English in the early 1700s.

HOW IS SCRIMP USED?
The bride should be caught up in a delightful whirl. A marriage should be royal and magical. … Dwell on Olympus for that one day at least. Be gods. Ah! … Don’t stint on nuptials, don’t clip their splendour, don’t scrimp on the day that you shine. A wedding isn’t housekeeping. Oh, if I had a free hand, it would be glorious! Violins would be heard playing among the trees. VICTOR HUGO (1802–1885), LES MISÉRABLES, TRANSLATED BY CHRISTINE DONOUGHER, 2013

Though Thanksgiving falls on the more relaxed end of the sartorial spectrum in terms of American holidays, it’s no excuse to scrimp on style completely. Chic, timeless, and surprisingly versatile, an elevated slipper shoe is a simple yet effective way to keep your look from veering in too casual a direction.OLIVIA GOODMAN, "THIS THANKSGIVING, WE’RE WEARING EVENING SLIPPERS TO DINNER: THE 9 BEST," VOGUE, NOVEMBER 23, 2015

https://www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-day/

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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Sat Oct 02 2021 9:05am

Saturday October 2nd 2021

cozen


verb KUZ-un

What It Means
Cozen means "to deceive, win over, or influence with pleasing words or actions or by trickery."

Under the guise of a made-up charity, the scammers cozened people into giving them their credit card information.

Five-year-old Mimi managed to cozen her grandmother into buying her the stuffed bear.

Examples
"In the histories, indeed, we may be amazed and grieved to read how (seemingly) Melkor deceived and cozened others, and how … Melkor knew well the error of his ways…." — J.R.R. Tolkien, "Ósanwe-Kenta," ca. 1960

Did You Know?
Cozen is believed to come from the Italian word for a horse trader, cozzone. Horse-trading, as in the actual swapping of horses, usually involved bargaining and compromise—and, in fact, the term horse-trading has come to suggest any shrewd negotiation. It seems safe to assume that not all of these negotiations were entirely on the up-and-up. Given its association with horse traders, it's not too surprising that cozen suggests deception and fraud.

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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Sun Oct 03 2021 9:32am

Sunday October 3, 2021

adroit


adjective uh-DROYT

What It Means
Adroit means "having or showing skill, cleverness, or resourcefulness in handling situations."

The CEO has been praised for his adroit management of the company's financial recovery.

Examples

"Boris Johnson will be adroit at fogging the issues at the Conservative Party Conference this year" - Richard Frost, imutual 3/10/21

"[Dominic Raab] has proved adroit in the past at defusing potentially difficult select committee sessions, notably over overseas aid cuts." — Patrick Wintour, The Guardian (UK), 31 Aug. 2021

Did You Know?
Adroit goes back to an Old French word meaning "handsome or elegant" as well as "skilled in combat." The adjective is still used to imply skillfulness, but usually not of the physical kind. Adroit most often describes cleverness that achieves one's purpose in spite of difficulties.

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Re: Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Tue Oct 05 2021 11:26am

Tuesday 5th October 2021

inculcate


[ in-kuhl-keyt, in-kuhl-keyt ]
verb (used with object)

to implant by repeated statement or admonition; teach persistently and earnestly.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF INCULCATE?
Inculcate “to implant by repeated statement or admonition” derives from the Latin verb inculcāre “to trample, impress, stuff in,” a combination of the preposition in “in” and the noun calx (stem calc-) “heel,” which is also the source of calcaneus, the bone found in the heel. Calx is easily confused with its unrelated homonym calx “limestone,” though descendants of both words are often found today in educational settings: while inculcate, from calx “heel,” can refer to a teaching style, derivatives of calx “limestone” include chalk and, through a diminutive form meaning “small stone,” calculus. Inculcate was first recorded in English in the mid-1500s.

HOW IS INCULCATE USED?
At an early age, when grammar school teachers were struggling to inculcate the lesson that effort was the main key to success in school, these future scribblers gave the obvious lie to this assertion. Where others read haltingly, they were ploughing two grades ahead in the reading workbooks. MEGAN MCARDLE, “WHY WRITERS ARE THE WORST PROCRASTINATORS,” THE ATLANTIC, FEBRUARY 12, 2014

Jericho Brown considers how poets traverse the often long and chilly days, weeks, or months between poems. He begins by thinking about how the ideas of happiness (a short lived sensation) and joy (longer, deeper, and irrational) were inculcated in him through the church where he grew up. HARRIET STAFF, “JERICHO BROWN COVERING DISTANCE AT BOSTON REVIEW,” POETRY FOUNDATION, MAY 2016

https://www.dictionary.com/e/word-of-the-day/

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Re: Word of the day strikes back

Post by macliam » Tue Oct 05 2021 5:25pm

Tuesday 5th October 2021

blatherskite


[ blaðəskʌɪt]
Noun
A person who talks at great length without making much sense.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF BLATHERSKITE?
Mainly North American (just like Boris) - From blather +‎ skite (“shit, shite”) but of Scottish origin, with blather/blether + skate referring to someone who is "contemptible". First use of the term dates to the mid-17th century.

HOW IS BLATHERSKITE USED?

"Boris was a totol blatherskite on today's Radio interview"
Last edited by macliam on Tue Oct 05 2021 9:53pm, edited 1 time in total.
Just because I'm paranoid, it doesn't mean they're not out to get me

Richard Frost
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Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Wed Oct 06 2021 10:37am

WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 06, 2021

gramarye


[ gram-uh-ree ]
noun

occult learning; magic.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF GRAMARYE?
Gramarye “occult learning” is a doublet of grammar, and both derive via Old French gramaire and Latin gramatica from Ancient Greek grammatikḕ (téchnē) “grammatical (art),” from grammatikós “knowing one’s letters” and earlier grámma “letter, something drawn; small weight.” The story of how an ancient word for “letter” evolved into gramarye, grammar, and even glamour (via Scots) is full of semantic twists and turns. The sense “knowledge of letters” shifted to the broader definition of “the study of how a language’s sentences are constructed,” and this is the definition of grammar today. In the Middle Ages, because grammar was taught only among the upper classes, grammar became a symbol of general “higher” learning, which also included subjects such as astrology, magic, and the occult at the time. Glamour and gramarye are simply variants of grammar that kept this connection to magic, though glamour later shifted again to refer to enchantingly good looks. Gramarye was first recorded in English in the early 1300s.

HOW IS GRAMARYE USED?
[W]ater turned to fire and fire to water. He levitated without a … harness. He seemed aflame, he walked through fire unscathed. He performed feats of gramarye that left his audience gawping. In short, he was astounding. A bell tolled eleven. On the eleventh stroke, the wizard vanished for the last time, leaving a rain of gold, silver, and scarlet sparks to descend slowly into the foggy Hall. CECILIA DART-THORNTON, THE ILL-MADE MUTE, 2001

“Know’st thou what thou look’st like, Sir Conrade, at this moment? Not like the politic and valiant Marquis of Montserrat—not like him who would direct the Council of Princes, and determine the fate of empires—but like a novice, who, stumbling upon a conjuration in his master’s book of gramarye, has raised the devil when he least thought of it, and now stands terrified at the spirit which appears before him.” SIR WALTER SCOTT, “THE TALISMAN,” WAVERLY NOVELS, VOL. 39, 1827

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Re: Word of the day strikes back

Post by Richard Frost » Thu Oct 07 2021 11:49am

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 07, 2021
pariah


[ puh-rahy-uh ]
noun

any person or animal that is generally despised or avoided.

WHAT IS THE ORIGIN OF PARIAH?
Pariah “a social outcast” is at its core a term for a member of a low caste in the traditional cultures of the southern Indian subcontinent. The word was adapted from Tamil paṟaiyan, literally meaning “drummer” because of that low caste’s hereditary duty. Paṟaiyan, in turn, derives from paṟai “drum.” While the majority of people from India speak an Indo-European language, such as Hindi and Bengali, the Dravidian family is predominant in southern India. Dravidian languages include Tamil, Telugu, and Kannada—each spoken by tens of millions of people. Pariah was first recorded in English in the early 1600s.

HOW IS PARIAH USED?
In February 1956, a Montgomery County grand jury indicted King and dozens of other boycott leaders for unlawful conspiracy. Gilmore was among those who testified at King’s trial .… The testimony made Gilmore a hero to local Blacks, [John T.] Edge says. But “in the white world she became a pariah.” MARIA GODOY, “MEET THE FEARLESS COOK WHO SECRETLY FED—AND FUNDED—THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT,” NPR, JANUARY 15, 2018

Before his death, [D. H.] Lawrence was a pariah, living outside the herd and throwing bombs into it. After his death, he was reborn as a Byronic hero: W. H. Auden described the carloads of women who, having lurched across the Taos desert and up the Rocky Mountains, stood in reverence before a memorial chapel to Lawrence[.] FRANCES WILSON, "THE D. H. LAWRENCE WE FORGOT," THE NEW YORKER, OCTOBER 8, 2020

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