Stolid

Pronunciation: \ˈstä-ləd\

Definition:  having or expressing little or no sensibility

Etymology: Latin stolidus dull, stupid

First Known Use: circa 1600

In Doc by Marie Daria Russell, a Dutch priest is described as stolid. Not a compliment, I would say.

I found it used again in a cute little poem titled The Adventures of two Dutch Dolls and a "Golliwogg", by Florence K. Upton. Here is an excerpt with the usage:

Said Peggy--"After work so hard,

I think a rest we need;
Let's take a ride
Seated astride
Upon this gentle steed."
 Then simple Sarah Jane climbed up
Upon his wooden back;
With tim'rous heart
She felt him start
Upon the open track.

Ere long they knew that hidden there,
Beneath a stolid mien,
Dwelt a fierce will.
They could not still
They rode as if by steam!

Rapacity

Pronunciation: \rə-ˈpa-sə-tē\

Definition: excessively grasping or covetous

Etymology: Latin rapac-, rapax, from rapere to seize


First Known Use: 1651

I read this sentence, "The rapacity and corruption of Indian Agents." in the novel Doc by Marie Doria Russell, page 82. I had never heard heard this word before and now I have added a new item to my vocabulary!

Haiku in NYC!

Finally, haiku goes mainstream!

"Curbside Haiku,” a DOT safety education and public art campaign launched in November 2011, is a set of twelve bright, eye-catching designs by artist John Morse that mimic the style of traditional street safety signs. Each sign is accompanied by a haiku poem. The “Curbside Haiku” installation can be seen citywide on 144 signs to promote road safety. Each design and haiku delivers a safety message by focusing on a transportation mode.

Placed near eye level in high-crash locations near cultural institutions and schools, the colorful signs draw attention to the critical importance of shared responsibility among pedestrians, bicyclists and motorists in keeping New York City’s streets safe.

Mellifluous

Pronunciation:
\me-ˈli-flə-wəs, mə-\

Definition:
1: having a smooth rich flow
2: filled with something (as honey) that sweetens

Etymology:
Middle English mellyfluous, from Late Latin mellifluus, from Latin mell-, mel honey + fluere to flow; akin to Gothic milith honey, Greek melit-, meli


First Known Use: 15th century

My husband heard this word yesterday on NPR while listening to a story about a man's speech. Before I looked up the word, I thought it may be a negative term, but it is quite complimentary. Another very descriptive word for you to add to your vocabulary!

Insular

Pronunciation:
\ˈin(t)-su-lər, -syu-, ˈin-shə-lər\
 
Definition:
1a : of, relating to, or constituting an island b : dwelling or situated on an island

2: characteristic of an isolated people; especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint
3: of or relating to an island of cells or tissue

Etymology:
Late Latin insularis, from Latin insula island

First Known Use: 1611

The 2011 National Book Award winners were announced. The awards are long considered to be insular, and this year was no exception. In this case, I would prefer this definition: ; standing alone; isolated. While I don't think some mainstream books deserve an award, it would be nice for more popular authors and titles to be considered. It seems that they can't win unless they lack an audience.

Coffer

Pronunciation:
\ˈko-fər, ˈkä-\

Definition:
1: chest; especially : strongbox

2: treasury, funds —usually used in plural
3: a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit

Etymology:
Middle English coffre, from Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin cophinus basket, from Greek kophinos

First Known Use: 13th century

I heard this word this morning during our sermon. The preacher was talking about Catholics being able to purchase forgiveness of sins, or the security of a loved one's release from purgatory (the purchase of these is called indulgences). Preacher explained that as soon as the coins hit the bottom of the coffer, the loved one would be released into paradise. It's a word not widely used now, and I liked it!

Disentangle

Pronunciation:
/disenˈtaNGgəl/

Definition:
1.Free (something or someone) from an entanglement; extricate
2.Remove knots or tangles from (wool, rope, or hair).

Etymology:
None found

First known use: 1550

I ran across disentangle in a book I was reading and wondered why the author would use this word, as opposed to untangle.

To get to the bottom of it, you would have to go back to the root of the words: tangle. Entangled is almost always used when one thing becomes entwined with another, not when one thing becomes entwined or interwoven in itself, as with hair.

Does that straighten it out for you?

Stultify

Pronunciation:
\ˈstəl-tə-fī\

Definition:
1: archaic : to allege or prove to be of unsound mind and hence not responsible

2: to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical
3a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on

Etymology:
Late Latin stultificare to make foolish, from Latin stultus foolish; akin to Latin stolidus stolid

First Known Use: 1737

The government has been stultified by bureaucracy.

Charlatan

Pronunciation:
\ˈshär-lə-tən\

Definition:
1: quack
2: one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability

Etymology:
Italian ciarlatano, alteration of cerretano, literally, inhabitant of Cerreto, from Cerreto, Italy

First Known Use: 1618

I love this word! The very idea that someone would practice trickery for monetary gain...wait...isn't that what politicians do? HA!
 
Famous charlatans:

• John R. Brinkley, the "goat-gland doctor" who implanted goat glands as a means of curing male impotence, helped pioneer both American and Mexican radio broadcasting, and twice ran unsuccessfully for governor of Kansas.
• Albert Abrams, the advocate of radionics and other similar electrical quackery who was active in the early twentieth century.
• Italian Alessandro Cagliostro (real name Giuseppe Balsamo) who claimed to be a count.
• The mystical Count of St. Germain.
• Charles Ponzi, for whom the "Ponzi scheme" is named, a scam that relies on a "pyramid" of "investors" who contribute money to a fraudulent programme.
• Bernard Madoff, an American stockbroker who ran the worlds largest Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors out of $18 billion.

Don't be a charlatan!

Aficionado

Pronunciation:
\ə-fi-sh(ē-)ə-ˈnä-(ˌ)dō, -fē-, -sē-ə-\

Definition:
1: A person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity\
2: A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.

Etymology:
Spanish, from past participle of aficionar to inspire affection, from afición affection, from Latin affection-, affectio
First Known Use: 1802

My dad bought a bow tie this past weekend. Now he had to learn how to tie it. I remember a few weeks back, Strat, Jack and I were trying to watch videos on YouTube to learn how to tie a necktie. Jack finally just went upstairs, but Strat and I took it personally that it was not easy for us to master immediately and we tried and tried and tired to tie those stupid neckties. Finally, we stopped, furious, yelling and in terribly, caustic moods. It makes me laugh today.
 
Mother reported that Dad, too, went to YouTube to try to learn to tie a bow tie, with the same results that Strat and I experienced: anger and frustration resulting in a very cleansing yelling at the computer screen.
 
Here is a video of NFL linebacker Dhani Jones, a self-proclained aficionado of bow ties, showing how to tie one. There are even publications for aficionados: Doggie Aficionado, Cigar Aficionado, Toad Aficionado, Shoe Aficionado and Guitar Aficionado. There is a band, teliquia brand and book club that all bear the name.
 
This is a word to add to your vocab!

Venerate

Pronunciation:
\ˈve-nə-ˌrāt\

Definition:
1: to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference
2: to honor (as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion

Etymology:
Latin veneratus, past participle of venerari, from vener-, venus love, charm

First Known Use: circa 1623
This is a nice word to have in your vocabulary. When our school district was recently prevented from a student saying a prayer over the PA system before football games, a great many Friday night fans chose to say The Lord's Prayer during the moment of silence. I would say that we used that time to venerate the Lord with our corporate recitation.
 
When you see Catholics make the sign of the cross, they are venerating the death and resurrection of Jesus. Just as many protestants wear a cross as jewelry.
 
A listed synonym for this word is "deify". I have to disagree with this because I don't think the vast majority of wearers of a cross actually worship the item. They don't deify the object. It is merely an outward sign of the inward devotion. What do you think?

Invective

Pronunciation:
\in-ˈvek-tiv\

Definition:
1: Of, relating to, or characterized by insult or abuse
2: Insulting, abusive, or highly critical language.
 
Etymology:
Middle English invectif, from Middle French, from Latin invectivus, from invectus, past participle of invehere

First Known Use: 15th century

Isn't this a great picture? It shows perfectly what this word means. There's a harshness to the word that any other photo just didn't get across.

I came across this word while reading the forward in a book titled ne*gro*phi*li*a. He is a biracial man who has been criticized for his views of how racist blacks have become. The forward shows a few names he has been called, including 'race traitor', 'black white boy' and a few more that I won't type here.

Derive

Pronunciation:
\di-ˈrīv, dē-\

Definition:
1a : to take, receive, or obtain especially from a specified source
b : to obtain (a chemical substance) actually or theoretically from a parent substance

Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French deriver, from Latin derivare, literally, to draw off (water), from de- + rivus stream — more at run

First Known Use: 14th century

This word sprang up today from the "Ask the Editor" video on Merriam-Webster's website. The word was "gridiron" in honor of football season, and the editor used derivation, a form of derive: "The line of derivation isn't quite so straight."
 
She was talking about the origin of the word gridiron as derived from a 13th century torture device called a gridrion (where we derive the word "griddle" - you can imagine what the nature of this torture was). Sound appropriate? This is where the editor cautions that it's not quite as it seems, since the true reason for calling a football field a gridiron is not because it is a tortuous sport, but because the lines on the field resemble a cooking grate.
 
A slight deviation in the derivation. (tee hee)

Volition

Pronunciation:
\vō-ˈli-shən, və-\

Definition:
1: an act of making a choice or decision; also : a choice or decision made
2: the power of choosing or determining
 
Etymology:
French, from Medieval Latin volition-, volitio, from Latin vol- (stem of velle to will, wish) + -ition-, -itio (as in Latin position-, positio position)

First Known Use: 1615

I was not coerced into using this word. I did so of my own volition.
 
I'm not sure why this word popped into my head this morning. Only to say that I am doing a little Bible studay and the topic is predestination. That's all I will say about that!

Ornery

Pronunciation:
\ˈor-nə-rē, ˈär-; ˈȯrn-rē, ˈärn-\

Definition:
: having an irritable disposition : cantankerous

Etymology:
alteration of ordinary; 1816, Amer.Eng. dialectal contraction of ordinary. "Commonplace," hence "of poor quality, coarse, ugly." By c.1860 the sense had evolved to "mean, cantankerous."

First Known Use: 1816

Jim calls our cat, Lilly Belle, ornery. I must admit, she is a bit grumpy at all times, particularly since we introduce the kitten into the household. She hisses, growls, runs, and will even move to snap at anyone who touches her when she is in "a mood". She has yet to bite, but she is letting you know that she is thinking about it.
 
Yep. Ornery is a pretty good word for 'old Lilly Belle.

Soup to nuts

I was on a conference call this morning at work when someone used the phrase "soup to nuts". I had never heard such and was pretty sure he was making it up. Wrong!

"Soup to nuts" is an American English idiom conveying the meaning of "from beginning to end". It comes from the description of a full course dinner, in which courses progress from soup to a dessert of nuts. It is comparable to expressions in other languages, such as the Latin phrase ab ovo usque ad mala ("from the egg to the apples"), describing the typical Roman meal.

I guess I didn't recognize it because I NEVER eat nuts for dessert!

Acumen

Pronunciation
\ə-ˈkyü-mən, ˈa-kyə-mən\

Definition

1: Keenness and depth of perception, discernment, or discrimination especially in practical matters

2: The ability to make good judgments and quick decisions, typically in a particular domain

Etymology
Latin acumin-, acumen, literally, point, from acuere

First Known Use: circa 1579

I like this word. It is most often used when talking about business acumen. The cartoon with the moth sunglass business is a great illustration of this!

 

"Keenness and depth of perception" in a wonderful description of Albert Einstein, especially in this case: His father once showed him a pocket compass; Einstein realized that there must be something causing the needle to move, despite the apparent "empty space".

 

Show your vocab acumen today by making use of this word.

Overt

Pronunciation:
\ō-ˈvərt, ˈō-vərt\

Definition:
open to view : manifest
 
Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from past participle of ovrir to open, from Vulgar Latin *operire, alteration of Latin aperire

First Known Use: 14th century

I was talking to myself, as I am wont to do, and used the word overt in my monologue. "Good word!" I thought.
 
I think of this word as meaning obvious, which compliments the definition above. The opposite, or antonym, would be covert. A good example would be the types of operations used in war. Covert operations would be hidden or not obvious. Overt ops would be like the pic today, a soldier waving a flag and a flashing light on his head.

Bush's "shock and awe" campaign would be overt. The group who finally killed Bin Laden would be covert.

Fatuous

Pronunciation:
\ˈfa-chü-əs, -tyü-\

Definition:
complacently or inanely foolish : silly
 
Etymology:
Latin fatuus foolish

First Known Use: 1633

I ran across this word in a book, The Actor and the Housewife by Shannon Hale:
 
You are by far the most fatuous woman I've met today.
 
Whether or not you think the speaker is calling you fat (as in the pic today), you can be assured that this is NOT a compliment.

Wont

Pronunciation:
\ˈwont, ˈwōnt also ˈwənt, ˈwänt\

Definition:
1: accustomed, used
2: inclined, apt

Etymology:
Middle English woned, wont, from past participle of wonen to dwell, be used to, from Old English wunian; akin to Old High German wonēn to dwell, be used to, Sanskrit vanoti he strives for

This is an old word! Here is a great explanation from The Grammarist site:

Wont vs. want

The word wont can take several different meanings, but it is most often used as an adjective, usually followed by a to and meaning accustomed, given, or likely—for example:

“Stats are for losers,” as head coach John Fox is wont to say. [Panthers.com]

It made me introspective, as talks with Kris are wont to do. [Chiron Training]

Wont may also be a noun, its definition being habit or accustomed behavior—for example:

Kerry, as is his wont, offered a turbid synonym . . . [Emory Wheel]

And wonted has another adjectival use, meaning usual or habitual:

Sofiane Sylve lent the sugar plum fairy the wonted regality and line without completely dispensing a generosity of spirit. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Wont can be a verb, meaning to make accustomed to, but this usage is archaic.

I have seen this confused often with want and won't. Please don't do this.

Oevre

Pronunciation:
\ˈə(r)-vrə, ˈœvrə\

Definition:
a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

Etymology:
French œuvre, literally, work, from Old French ovre, Latin opera
 
The Nobel Prize in literature was awarded last week to Swedish poet, Tomas Transtromer. He is quite famous in Sweden and a constant favorite among those who speculate on the prize.
 
In an article in the paper, he was said to have a small oevre, a word with which I was unfamiliar. It means, of course, that he has a small body of work. His poetry is described as mystical. The Nobel Committee stated that Tranströmer's work received the prize “because, through his condensed, translucent images, he gives us fresh access to reality."
 
After a Death

by Tomas Tranströmer
translated by Robert Bly

Once there was a shock
that left behind a long, shimmering comet tail.
It keeps us inside. It makes the TV pictures snowy.
It settles in cold drops on the telephone wires.

One can still go slowly on skis in the winter sun
through brush where a few leaves hang on.
They resemble pages torn from old telephone directories.
Names swallowed by the cold.

It is still beautiful to hear the heart beat
but often the shadow seems more real than the body.
The samurai looks insignificant
beside his armor of black dragon scales.

Pundit

Pronunciation:
\ˈpən-dət\

Definition:
1: a learned man : teacher
 
2: a person who gives opinions in an authoritative manner usually through the mass media
 
Etymology:
Hindi pandit from Sanskrit pandita, from pandita learned
 
First Known Use: 1672
 
It's officially political season in the United States, as we prepare for a presidential election next year. The race is getting interesting with a wide variety of Republicans vying for their party's nomination. A growing trend in media is the widespread use of political pundits.
 
My favorite pundit of all time would have to be Tim Russert, who gained fame during the presidential election of 2000, where he used a whiteboard (now in the Smithsonian) to explain the very complicated process of the Electoral College.
 

Why is Russert my favorite? Because he didn't push his ideals, opinions or agenda on the viewers. He merely stated the facts, all of the facts, and let America reach their own conclusions. This is very unlike political pundits today, who resort to on-air yelling and derogatory remarks about anyone not siding with them.
 
As you gather information about all of the political candidates, please remember that all information is subject to being skewed by the writer and deliverer. Don't let a political pundit make up your mind for you.

Stoic

Pronunciation:
\ˈstō-ik\

Definition:
one apparently or professedly indifferent to pleasure or pain

Etymology:
Middle English, from Latin stoicus, from Greek stōïkos, literally, of the portico, from Stoa (Poikilē) the Painted Portico, portico at Athens where Zeno taught

First Known Use: 14th century

This is an interesting word. I would say that Data from Star Trek: The Next Generation was stoic, but that would be incorrect because he didn't possess emotions. Stoics instead thought that emotions clouded judgment, hindered good decision-making and led to bad behavior. As a matter of fact, they thought the measure of a man was not in what he said but rather how he acted.
 
The term stoic is often misused today to indicate an absence of emotion, as in my example above, but that is not what the early Stoics meant at all. They meant to experience emotions, but to control them; following instead a path of reason, thinking, and logic. Stoics channeled their emotions to produce wisdom and inner peace, as opposed to acting based on feeling. Sounds like a pretty good idea to me.

Cynic

Pronunciation:
\ˈsi-nik\

Definition:
a faultfinding captious critic; especially : one who believes that human conduct is motivated wholly by self-interest

Etymology:
Middle French or Latin, Middle French cynique, from Latin cynicus, from Greek kynikos, literally, like a dog, from kyn-, kyōn dog

First Known Use: 1542

An interesting and misunderstood word. This was a train of thought in ancient Greece, whereby you reached knowledge, peace, etc. through living a completely unmaterialistic lifestyle. They sought to be self-sufficient, living within the confines of nature. Many of the Cynics ideas and teachings were brought to early Christianity.
 
Although Cynics eschewed materialism, they still lived within society, completely indifferent to taunts, ridicule and pressure to conform. Think John the Baptist in his hair-cloak eating locusts and wild honey.
 
The modern meaning of cynicism is a distrust of another's motives. Quite a difference from the ancient movement. What caused this progression in meaing? Around the 19th century, as the Industrial Age was in full swing and materialism growing, the negative aspects of cynicism became the focus. That led to a general disposition to disbelieve in the sincerity or goodness of human motives and actions. Greed, deception and corruption reigned. Everything began to look like a wolf in sheep's clothing. Unfortunate really, because today, there is nothing positive in being called a cynic.

Origin of phrase

When I was in typing class in high school, we had to practice over and over (and over) the following sentence:

Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country.

Where did this phrase originate? Evidently, it began its life as "...to come to the aid of their party." Explanation:

From the typewriter it came, and to the typewriter it shall return: the phrase was proposed as a typing drill by a teacher named Charles E. Weller. Incidentally, many typing books now use the variant "Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of their country" instead, because it exactly fills out a 70-space line if you put a period at the end.

Now you know!

What's that Demic?

What is the difference in endemic, epidemic, and pandemic.


Endemic describes something belonging exclusively or confined to a particular place.

An epidemic is usually used in relation to a disease, and means affecting many persons at the same time, and spreading from person to person in a locality where the disease is not permanently prevalent.
A pandemic is also usually related to a disease; one which is prevalent throughout an entire country,

continent, or the whole world; epidemic over a large area.

When anything breaks in the healthcare area, the media seem to jump in with both feet to warn, inform, and advise. Take the Swine Flu, for example. It was no more dangerous than the regular flu, but it seemed that it was stronger, more deadly and more prevalent, much in thanks to the media. It was, by definition, as epidemic, but it would appear that so is ignorance. :)

Ilk

Pronunciation:
ilk

Definition:
family, class, or kind: he and all his ilk.

In modern use, ilk is used in phrases such as of his ilk, of that ilk, to mean ‘type’ or ‘sort.’ The use arose out of a misunderstanding of the earlier, Scottish use in the phrase of that ilk, where it means ‘of the same name or place.’ For this reason, some traditionalists regard the modern use as incorrect. It is, however, the only common current use and is now part of standard English.

Etymology:
before 900; Middle English ilke, Old English ilca  (pronoun) the same, equivalent to demonstrative i  (cognate with Gothic is  he, Latin is  that) + a reduced form of līc like
 
First Known Use of ILK: 1790

It's interesting to me that this word has been misused so much that it's misusage is now considered correct. I may have to actually stop using this word in opposition.

Enmity

Pronunciation:
\ˈen-mə-tē\

Definition:
positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

Etymology:
Middle English enmite, from Anglo-French enemité, enemisté, from enemi enemy

First Known Use: 13th century

Excellent word! This word came up today in Sunday School:
 
Romans 8:7-8 (KJV)
Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be. So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.
 
Basically, The Message:
Focusing on the self is the opposite of focusing on God. Anyone completely absorbed in self ignores God, ends up thinking more about self than God. That person ignores who God is and what he is doing. And God isn't pleased at being ignored.

Not just natural enemies, but enemies who are actively living out their hatred for one another.

Etymology

I use the term etymology in each post, and it occurs to me that the definition may not be clear to some.

Pronunciation:
ĕt"ə-mŏl'ə-jē

Definition:
1. The study of the historical development of languages, particularly as manifested in individual words.

2. An account of the origin and historical development of a word.

Not to be confused with entomology (“the study of insects”) or etiology (“the study of causes or origins”).

Etymology:
Middle English ethimologie, from Anglo-French, from Latin etymologia, from Greek, from etymon + -logia -logy

First Known Use: 14th century

Abhor

Pronunciation:
\əb-hor, ab-\

Definition:
to regard with extreme repugnance : loathe

Etymology:
Middle English abhorren, from Latin abhorrēre, from ab- + horrēre to shudder

First Known Use: 15th century

Isn't that a great etymology? From the Latin word meaning "to shudder." I like that because it paints a vivid word picture.

When Strat was in fifth grade, he had a friend (with whom he is still friends) named Christian. We happened to be taking Christian somewhere with us, and the conversation turned to a teacher at their junior high school. From the back seat, this eleven-year-old scholar said, "I abhor her." I almost laughed out loud! Of course, I had to ask him what he said to make sure that my ears did not play a trick on me. This is a great word that is horribly underused.

Malcontent

Pronunciation:
\mal-kən-ˈtent\

Definition:
1 : a discontented person
1a : one who bears a grudge from a sense of grievance or thwarted ambition
1b : one who is in active opposition to an established order or government : rebel

Etymology:
1580s, from Fr. malcontent, formed in Old French; see mal- + content (adj.). The adj. is attested from 1580s.

I ran across this comic from Natalie Dee and thought it was so funny. It is so true that some people seem to live a life a disliking everything. Nothing is ever quite good enough, or what they have could always be better. Now you have a word to go with the feeling.

Another word from the 16th century. Just saying.

Obsequious

Pronunciation:

\əb-ˈsē-kwē-əs, äb-\

Definition:
: marked by or exhibiting a fawning attentiveness

Etymology:
Middle English, compliant, from Latin obsequiosus, from obsequium compliance, from obsequi to comply, from ob- toward + sequi to follow

First Known Use: 15th century

Have you noticed how rich the 15th century was for language? I am seeing more and more "first known use" in the 15th and 16th centuries. Curious.

I quite liked this word, found in my reading yesterday. Time was, you'd just call someone a "brown-noser. However, obsequious is so much more descriptive and, well, just sounds better.

Ecumenical

Pronunciation:
\e-kyə-ˈme-ni-kəl, -kyü-\

Definition:
1 : worldwide or general in extent, influence, or application
2a : of, relating to, or representing the whole of a body of churches b : promoting or tending toward worldwide Christian unity or cooperation

Etymology:
Late Latin oecumenicus, from Late Greek oikoumenikos, from Greek oikoumenē the inhabited world, from feminine of oikoumenos, present passive participle of oikein to inhabit, from oikos house

First Known Use: circa 1587

I am currently reading a vocabulary-rich book, "The Widower's Tale" by Julia Glass. I am in the habit of keeping a small notebook nearby so I can write interesting sections, quotes, and unfamiliar words from my latest read. Yesterday, I copied the following:

I have always been an avid and fairly ecumenical reader of fiction: I relish the pretend, the invented, the convincingly contrived. p314

I had heard the word ecumenical used with regards to religion, but never in a case like this, and I thought it very appropriate.

Milieu

Pronunciation:
\mēl-ˈyə(r), -ˈyü, -ˈyœ; ˈmēl-yü\

Definition:
: the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops : environment

Etymology:

French, from Old French, midst, from mi middle (from Latin medius) + lieu place, from Latin locus

First Known Use: 1854

I am currently reading the very cleverly written "The Widower's Tale" by Julia Glass. While reading an online review of the book, I ran across today's word in the following sentence:
 
Julia Glass gets plenty of things right in her expansive fourth novel, but no feature is more successful than the book's artfully conjured milieu.In most cases, and especially in Glass's books, "milieu" means not just an environment but a prevailing mood. Here, that mood is giddy bewilderment.
 
Not only does the writer of the article explain the word, but also adds to it! You gotta love it!!

Recalcitrant

Pronunciation:
\ri-ˈkal-sə-trənt\

Definition:
1 : obstinately defiant of authority or restraint;
2 : Having an obstinately uncooperative attitude toward authority.
3a : difficult to manage or operate b : not responsive to treatment

Etymology:

Late Latin recalcitrant-, recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare to be stubbornly disobedient, from Latin, to kick back, from re- + calcitrare to kick, from calc-, calx heel

First Known Use: 1843

First of all, I find it very interesting that there is an exact year noted for the first known use. How do they know that?

Anyway, when I was at the library the other day, one of the librarians SHUSHED me! I, of course, posted this on facebook, where a friend of mine asked "Are you chastised or indignant?" She knows me so well!

I would say that I was recalcitrant. After all, I know that I am supposed to be quiet in the library, but I guess I was just obstinately talking too loudly. When I heard the "shhh", I turned to her (I think I was mid-sentence and I was talking to the other librarian, thank you very much) looked her in the eye and said, "Did you just shush me?" I was incredulous (that's a word for another day). So, while I did lower my voice, I remained uncooperative in my attitude toward her authority.

As a follow-up, I visited the library again yesterday evening and said library lady didn't even look at me. Indeed.

Bated vs Baited Breath

A copy from the website World Wide Words. This term is used often and misspelled enough so that the correct spelling is threatened.

The correct spelling is actually bated breath but it’s so common these days to see it written as baited breath that there’s every chance that it will soon become the usual form, to the disgust of conservative speakers and the confusion of dictionary writers. Examples in newspapers and magazines are legion; this one appeared in the Daily Mirror on 12 April 2003: “She hasn’t responded yet but Michael is waiting with baited breath”.

It’s easy to mock, but there’s a real problem here. Bated and baited sound the same and we no longer use bated (let alone the verb to bate), outside this one set phrase, which has become an idiom. Confusion is almost inevitable. Bated here is a contraction of abated through loss of the unstressed first vowel (a process called aphesis); it means “reduced, lessened, lowered in force”. So bated breath refers to a state in which you almost stop breathing as a result of some strong emotion, such as terror or awe.

Shakespeare is the first writer known to use it, in The Merchant of Venice, in which Shylock says to Antonio: “Shall I bend low and, in a bondman’s key, / With bated breath and whisp’ring humbleness, / Say this ...”. Nearly three centuries later, Mark Twain employed it in Tom Sawyer: “Every eye fixed itself upon him; with parted lips and bated breath the audience hung upon his words, taking no note of time, rapt in the ghastly fascinations of the tale”.

I found this hilarious explanation, too, complete with illustration:

Baited – lured to a trap with the promise of a reward, or the act of having placed that reward in the trap.


Bated – diminished, reduced, basically the same thing as “abated.”

So if we baited the trap with cheese, then everything about the rat is bated – its life is bated, our rat problem is bated, and its breath is definitely bated. Yes, folks, it’s “waiting with bated breath” not baited. (And not “weighting,” for that matter.) It means to hold your breath in excited anticipation, it doesn’t mean your breath smells like cheese. Though you still might consider a mint now and then, for reals.

Concupiscence

Pronunciation:
kän-ˈkyü-pə-sən(t)s, kən-\

Definition:
strong desire; ardent longing; eagerly desirous

Etymology:
Middle English, from Anglo-French, from Late Latin concupiscentia, from Latin concupiscent-, concupiscens, present participle of concupiscere to desire ardently, from com- + cupere to desire

First Known Use: 14th century

My Sunday School teacher gave us homework last week to read the next chapter (7) in the book of Romans. While I was studying, I came across this word in the 8th verse:

But sin, taking occasion by the commandment, wrought in me all manner of concupiscence. For without the law sin was dead.
 
When we were talking about the lesson today, I told the teacher that I had a question about a word with which I was unfamiliar, and she knew which one I was thinking of! It is a beautifully descriptive word meant to convey an intense longing for something. Of course, when I looked at several references for the word, it gave the definition in terms of sensual longing, but this is not the entire meaning at all.
 
Debbie (my teacher) used Candid Camera (remember that old show?) as an example where there is a sign reading "Do Not Touch - Wet Paint". Seven out of ten people had to touch the wall to see if the paint was wet! Here is a sign for your good, and it creates such a desire in the passersby that it becomes almost an insatiable need to do exactly what the sign warns against. Just like the Bible verse of sin and the law.
 
A beautiful word for a life lesson.

Erudite

Pronunciation:
\ˈer-ə-dīt, ˈer-yə-\

Definition:
having or showing knowledge that is gained by studying
 
Etymology:
Middle English erudit, from Latin eruditus, from past participle of erudire to instruct, from e- + rudis rude, ignorant

First Known Use: 15th century


Have you seen the iPad commercial that asks questions as they show the answer on the iPad? Like, "Do you want to learn a new language? Do you want to learn a new word?" The word that it shows for that question is erudite. How fitting!

Synecdoche

Here's a hard one for you today! Synecdoche

\sə-ˈnek-də-kē\

Definition:
A figure of speech by which a part is put for the whole (as fifty sail for fifty ships), the whole for a part (as society for high society), the species for the genus (as cutthroat for assassin), the genus for the species (as a creature for a man), or the name of the material for the thing made (as boards for stage)

Etymology:
Latin, from Greek synekdochē, from syn- + ekdochē sense, interpretation, from ekdechesthai to receive, understand, from ex from + dechesthai to receive; akin to Greek dokein to seem good
 
Now, this is more common that you may think. From the definition, it is still a little difficult to grasp the true meaning, and the wildly abundant usage of this linguistic term. For a plethora of examples of usage, I turned to Wikipedia.
 
A part referring to the whole

• Prominently used in slang and vulgar speech, where the entire person is referred to by their genitalia.
• Referring to people according to a single characteristic: "the gray beard" representing an older man or "the long hair" representing a hippie. This leads to bahuvrihi compounds.
• Describing a complete vehicle as "wheels"
• Calling workers "hands", e.g. Many hands make light work; All hands on deck!
• Before and during the Cold War, the Soviet Union was commonly referred to by its largest and most well-known member, Russia.
• Use of the names England (only one of the four constituent nations) or Great Britain (the geographical name of the main island) to mean the entire United Kingdom.
• Use of Holland, a region of the Netherlands, to refer to the entire country

The name for a whole when used to describe one part of it

• In the United States, terms like "United States", "(the Commonwealth of) Virginia" or "(the) People (of the State of California)" are used in court trials when the plaintiff, prosecutor or defendant is a government entity, such as in Loving v. Virginia.

A general class name used to denote a specific member of that or an associated class

• "the good book," or "The Book" for the Bible
• "truck" for any four-wheel drive vehicle (as well as long-haul trailers, etc.)
• "He's good people." [Here, the word "people" is used to denote a specific instance of people, i.e. a person. So the sentence would be interpreted as "He's a good person.")

A specific class name used to refer to a general set of associated things

• "John Hancock" for the signature of any person
• a genericized trademark, for example "Coke" for any variety of cola or "Band-Aid" for any variety of adhesive bandage
• "bug" for any kind of insect or arachnid, even if it is not a true bug

The material that a thing is (actually, historically, or supposedly) made of referring to that thing

• "glasses" for spectacles
• "steel" for a sword
• "tin" for a container made with tin plating
• "willow" for a cricket bat or "pigskin" for an American or Canadian football
• "wood" for a type of club used in the sport of golf
• "irons" for shackles placed around a prisoner's wrists or ankles to restrict their movement
• "plastic" for a credit card (asking a merchant) Do you take plastic?
• "lead" for bullets (e.g. They pumped him full of lead.)
• "silver" for flatware or other dishes that were once made of silver metal
• "rubber" for a condom
• "threads" for clothing Yo, check out my new threads!

A container is used to refer to its contents

• "barrel" for a barrel of oil
• "keg" for a keg of beer

See? You probably use this figure of speech several times a day. Now you know what it's called!

Glean

Glean \ˈglēn\

intransitive verb
1: to gather grain or other produce left by reapers
2: to gather information or material bit by bit

transitive verb

1a : to pick up after a reaper b : to strip (as a field) of the leavings of reapers

2a : to gather (as information) bit by bit b : to pick over in search of relevant material <gleaning old files for information>

During my Bible Study class last night, the teacher told the Greek word and meaning for a very common word in scripture (I believe it was favor), and I was surprised at the rich and meaningful definition of the Greek word, as opposed to the word used in my translation. I said, "Wow, I didn't glean that from my reading."

 

This made me think of the word glean. It's a word that is commonly known, but not commonly used. Why not? You hear often, "I didn't get that from the passage," or "I didn't understand that from the passage."

 

To use the word glean here is so much more encompassing and active than the above examples. It's use implies that the person was trying to understand the text, trying to lean, and trying to get more information. There is in innate feeling of difficulty in the word, as if there is a struggle or, at the very least, work done to get to this knowledge. Otherwise, the reader is passive, waiting for information to be handed or given to him.

 

The fact that glean originates from an extinct Celtic language is enticing enough for me to use it more often. It has certainly stood the test of time! Try to incorporate the word glean into your vocabulary and enrich your communication.

Pugnacious

Famed movie critic Roger Ebert has a new memoir coming out. In honor of him and his contribution (as in being the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize), we have our word for today: pugnacious.

\pəg-ˈnā-shəs\
Definition:
having a quarrelsome or combative nature
 
Etymology:
Latin pugnac-, pugnax, from pugnare to fight
 
Why is pugnacious associated with Ebert, you wonder? Ebert co-hosted a television show with Gene Siskel for over 20 years. I loved to watch the show, waiting for the final thumbs-up or thumbs-down from each of them. They disagreed a lot, which made their relationship seem pugnacious.
 
Specifically, I remember a review in 1994 of The Lion King, where Siskel loved the song Hakuna Matata, stating that he often sang it aloud. Ebert challenged him on it, saying that he had never heard him sing it and he was glad because he didn't like the song. Siskel shot it right back to him, stating that he didn't sing it in his hearing in deference to him.
 
Click here for a reel of outtakes from recording promos. You can clearly see that they were extremely pugnacious.

Non Sequitur

My kids like to read the comics in the daily newspaper. Recently, one of them asked me what the comic title "Non Sequitur" means.

The Non Sequitur comic features characters from the fictional town of Whatchacallit, Maine. Created by Wiley Miller, t is the only comic strip to win in its first year of syndication and the only title to ever win both the best comic strip and best comic panel categories. It is, by turns political, satirical and comedic.

\ˈnän-ˈse-kwə-tər also -tu̇r\

Definition:
an inference that does not follow from the premises; specifically : a fallacy resulting from a simple conversion of a universal affirmative proposition or from the transposition of a condition and its consequent result.

Example: We were talking about the new restaurant when she threw in some non sequitur about her dog.
 
Etymology: Literally, the expression is Latin for "it does not follow." It comes from the words "non" meaning not, and the deponent verb sequor, sequi, secutus sum, meaning to follow.

So, why would this latin term apply to this comic? Tell me what you think.

Is God a Bulwark?

Yesterday in church, we sang A Mighty Fortress is our God, with the following words:

A mighty fortress is our God,

a bulwark never failing

What on earth is a bulwark (pronounced ˈbul-wərk, -work)?

Definition: a solid wall-like structure raised for defense.

Well, that certainly makes sense, but can't we just say He is a ... well, a mighty fortress? Where does this word originate?

Bulwark is a noun that has its sources in Middle English and Middle Dutch from the 15th century. In Middle English it comes from the word "bulwerke." In Middle Dutch it comes from the word "bolwerk." The components of the Dutch origin are "bolle" (tree trunk) and "werc" (work).

It seems to be more a military term than anything, and with that in mind, I can certainly see why a songwriter would use it in a hymn. The word fortress is very descriptive, but I find the essence of bulwark to be much stronger when spoken. To pronounce fortress is to keep the sounds at the front and top of the mouth. Bulwark comes from the back and bottom of the mouth, with the throat fully engaged, ending in a gutteral hard "k" ending. It is much more fulfilling to speak and get the idea across of a fully-engaged, from the bottom-up kind of God-protection.

Is God a bulwark? Yes! He is!

Memories Never Die

A pair of 8' bronze hands holding a twisted steel I-beam salvaged from the North Tower of the World Trade Center.

Ennui

This is an unusual word to hear, and I ran into it TWICE this week!

Jim and I were watching "Yes Man", a movie starring Jim Carey, where they used this word. When I was surprised at the usage, Jim told me that the band Live uses it in the lyrics to the song "Rattlesnake".

Definition:  a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction; boredom

Example: the kind of ennui that comes from having too much time on one's hands and too little will to find something productive to do

Etymology: French, from Old French enui annoyance, from enuier to vex, from Late Latin inodiare to make loathsome

Intimate

Intimate is a word that I use quite often, but probably not how you imagine.

The first usage (which often means that it is the most common) is an adjective and describes close, personal relationships. It is pronounced [in-tuh-mit]. The following sentences give an array of meaning with this definition:

I have an intimate relationship with my husband.
The cafe offered an intimate atmosphere.
Handling my finances is an intimate affair.

Do you see how they all result in a "close to" meaning?

The way I use this word is the second and less common usage of hinting, implying or suggesting. In this case, it is a verb. It is pronounced [in-tuh-meyt]. A few sentences:

I didn't not mean to intimate that I don't like the color.
Are you intimating that you want to go?

For some reason, you will see this usage in written form much more often than hear it in conversation. I am not sure why, other than the fact that many people may simply not be comfortable using it. I am certainly not intimating that they are ignorant.

Luddite

While watching the Republican presidential debates on television last night, one of the commentators used the word Luddite when referring to a candidate's outlook on the economy. I believe he said, "His Luddite mentality with regard to the economy." I immediately ran to the dictionary!

When the Industrial Revolution was sweeping across England, skilled textile workers found themselves out of a job, and unable to find other, similar work. Textile workers, more specifically hosiery and lace weavers, began to meet secretly, planning the destruction of new mechanized looms. They signed their threatening letters and cases of industrial sabotage with the fictional name King Ludd.

Much like a Robin Hood-type figure, King Ludd was anonymous and stood for a principle rather than a real person. Some accounts even have King Ludd as living in Sherwood Forrest.

Often painted as technophobes, Luddites were more likely trying to save the essence of their industry. They considered themselves artisans and not merely weavers. They were creating items meant to be passed down from generation to generation. This did not include mass-produced, identical, cheaply made items. The only way they could have their voice heard was through the destruction of the machines that threatened, not only their livelihood, but also their art and the reputation of their trade.

Is it Fall or is it Autumn?

The word autumn comes from the Old French word autompne (automne in modern French), and was later normalised to the original Latin word autumnus.There are rare examples of its use as early as the 12th century, but it became common by the 16th century.

Before the 16th century, harvest was the term usually used to refer to the season, as it is common in other West Germanic languages to this day. However, as more people gradually moved from working the land to living in towns (especially those who could read and write, the only people whose use of language we now know), the word harvest lost its reference to the time of year and came to refer only to the actual activity of reaping, and autumn, as well as fall, began to replace it as a reference to the season.

The alternative word fall for the season traces its origins to old Germanic languages. The exact derivation is unclear, the Old English fiæll or feallan and the Old Norse fall all being possible candidates. However, these words all have the meaning "to fall from a height" and are clearly derived either from a common root or from each other. The term came to denote the season in 16th century England, a contraction of Middle English expressions like "fall of the leaf" and "fall of the year".

During the 17th century, English emigration to the British colonies in North America was at its peak, and the new settlers took the English language with them. While the term fall gradually became obsolete in Britain, it became the more common term in North America.

So, either one you choose to use, use it while holding a cup of tea and wearing your favorite sweater!

Okay, let's get this going again!

Now that Dana is married (YES!! MARRIED!!!) and I have no excuse whatsoever, I am going to get our site started again with a random post.

Guess what it's been doing since Sunday. Yep! Raining cats and dogs! Where on earth did that saying generate?

Here is a very good summary of several possible etymologies from the Ask Yahoo site:

As with many such questions, the jury is out on this one. World Wide Words offers several possible derivations for the saying, including an old sailor's myth that cats have sway over the weather. Feline meteorological magic, coupled with a symbolic association of storms with dogs, may be the genesis for the phrase. But we can't be sure.


The chatty etymology newsletter Take Our Word For It mentions another intriguing possibility. On account of the notorious inefficiency of 17th-century sewage and drainage systems, the streets of European cities were often littered with debris and dead animals after heavy rainstorms. They had to come from somewhere, right?

Animalplanet.com offers yet two more possibilities for this colorful expression. It could liken the racket made by a storm to the thunderous noise made by fighting cats and dogs. Or, it may arise from the era of thatched roofs when downpours would bring cats and dogs dozing atop houses down onto the occupants.

A general interest weather site run by Wheeling Jesuit University traces the history of raining wildlife. There are several accounts of frogs, fish, and grasshoppers falling from the sky, usually as a result of tornado-like whirlwinds. Cats and dogs, however, have yet to make the list.

The leading theory seems to be that animals have been associated with weather for centuries. Cats stand for rain, and dogs for wind.

There you have it! That is UNCANNY!