WORD OF THE DAY
tousle \ TOW-zul \ verb
Definition
: to make untidy : dishevel, rumple
Examples
The cats got into a loud scuffle, tousling the clean sheets that Hugh had just put on the bed.
"In person, removed from the dank interiors he typically haunts on 'Game of Thrones,' Mr. Rheon's face is more cherubic than demonic, with a rakish scruff and artfully tousled hair that gets more so as he runs his hands through it in conversation."
— Jeremy Egner, The New York Times, 20 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
Tousle is a word that has been through what linguists call a "functional shift." That's a fancy way of saying it was originally one part of speech, then gradually came to have an additional function. Tousle started out as a verb back in the 15th century. By the late 19th century, it was also being used as a noun meaning "a tangled mass (as of hair)."
Etymologists connect the word to an Old High German word meaning "to pull to pieces."
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Monday, May 30, 2016
Cavalier
WORD OF THE DAY
cavalier \ kav-uh-LEER \ adjective
Definition
1 : debonair
2 : marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters
Examples
Miranda has a cavalier attitude when it comes to spending money.
"At a certain point, however, he opened up,… though under the condition that there be no recorders or notepads. For a guy who was so careful and deliberate and micro-managed everything about his career, he became surprisingly cavalier about being quoted directly—or accurately."
— Gary Graff, Billboard.com, 21 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
According to a dictionary prepared by Thomas Blount in 1656, a cavalier was "a knight or gentleman, serving on horseback, a man of arms." That meaning is true to the history of the noun, which traces back to the Late Latin word caballarius, meaning "horseman."
By around 1600, it had also come to denote "a roistering, swaggering fellow." In the 1640s, English Puritans applied it disdainfully to their adversaries, the swashbuckling Royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords.
Although some thought those cavaliers "several sorts of Malignant Men,… ready to commit all manner of Outrage and Violence," others saw them as quite suave—which may explain why cavalier can be either complimentary or a bit insulting.
cavalier \ kav-uh-LEER \ adjective
Definition
1 : debonair
2 : marked by or given to offhand and often disdainful dismissal of important matters
Examples
Miranda has a cavalier attitude when it comes to spending money.
"At a certain point, however, he opened up,… though under the condition that there be no recorders or notepads. For a guy who was so careful and deliberate and micro-managed everything about his career, he became surprisingly cavalier about being quoted directly—or accurately."
— Gary Graff, Billboard.com, 21 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
According to a dictionary prepared by Thomas Blount in 1656, a cavalier was "a knight or gentleman, serving on horseback, a man of arms." That meaning is true to the history of the noun, which traces back to the Late Latin word caballarius, meaning "horseman."
By around 1600, it had also come to denote "a roistering, swaggering fellow." In the 1640s, English Puritans applied it disdainfully to their adversaries, the swashbuckling Royalist followers of Charles I, who sported longish hair and swords.
Although some thought those cavaliers "several sorts of Malignant Men,… ready to commit all manner of Outrage and Violence," others saw them as quite suave—which may explain why cavalier can be either complimentary or a bit insulting.
Friday, May 27, 2016
Aureate
WORD OF THE DAY
aureate \ OR-ee-ut \ adjective
Definition
1 : of a golden color or brilliance
2 : marked by grandiloquent and rhetorical style
Examples
The poems display the writer's mastery of both colloquial and aureate diction.
"… the sunlight burned upon his medal, giving him an aureate, convincing—but false—appearance."
— David Ebershoff, Pasadena, 2003
Did You Know?
Aureate is among several adjectives in English pertaining to gold that derive from the Latin name for the metal, aurum. While its relatives auriferous and auric are more likely to appear in scientific contexts to describe substances containing or made from gold (or Au, to use its chemical symbol), aureate has tended to have a more literary allure since it was first used in English in the early 15th century. Over time, the word's use was extended from "golden" to "resplendent," and it finally lost some of its luster as it came to mean "grandiloquent."
aureate \ OR-ee-ut \ adjective
Definition
1 : of a golden color or brilliance
2 : marked by grandiloquent and rhetorical style
Examples
The poems display the writer's mastery of both colloquial and aureate diction.
"… the sunlight burned upon his medal, giving him an aureate, convincing—but false—appearance."
— David Ebershoff, Pasadena, 2003
Did You Know?
Aureate is among several adjectives in English pertaining to gold that derive from the Latin name for the metal, aurum. While its relatives auriferous and auric are more likely to appear in scientific contexts to describe substances containing or made from gold (or Au, to use its chemical symbol), aureate has tended to have a more literary allure since it was first used in English in the early 15th century. Over time, the word's use was extended from "golden" to "resplendent," and it finally lost some of its luster as it came to mean "grandiloquent."
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Milquetoast
WORD OF THE DAY
milquetoast \ MILK-tohst \ noun
Definition
: a timid, meek, or unassertive person
Examples
Brian was such a milquetoast that he agreed to work extra hours on Sunday even though he had already told his boss that he needed that day off.
"Aristotle said that virtue is the mean between the extremes of deficiency and excess. When someone steals your parking spot, you're virtuous if you're neither a milquetoast nor a madman, but something in between...."
— Ruth Chang, The San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Caspar Milquetoast was a comic strip character created in 1924 by the American cartoonist Harold T. Webster. The strip, called "The Timid Soul," ran every Sunday in the New York Herald Tribune for many years. Webster, who claimed that Milquetoast was a self-portrait, summed up the character as "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick."
The earliest examples for Milquetoast used as a generic synonym for "timid person" date from the mid-1930s. Caspar's last name might remind you of "milk toast," a bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.
milquetoast \ MILK-tohst \ noun
Definition
: a timid, meek, or unassertive person
Examples
Brian was such a milquetoast that he agreed to work extra hours on Sunday even though he had already told his boss that he needed that day off.
"Aristotle said that virtue is the mean between the extremes of deficiency and excess. When someone steals your parking spot, you're virtuous if you're neither a milquetoast nor a madman, but something in between...."
— Ruth Chang, The San Francisco Chronicle, 22 Nov. 2015
Did You Know?
Caspar Milquetoast was a comic strip character created in 1924 by the American cartoonist Harold T. Webster. The strip, called "The Timid Soul," ran every Sunday in the New York Herald Tribune for many years. Webster, who claimed that Milquetoast was a self-portrait, summed up the character as "the man who speaks softly and gets hit with a big stick."
The earliest examples for Milquetoast used as a generic synonym for "timid person" date from the mid-1930s. Caspar's last name might remind you of "milk toast," a bland concoction of buttered toast served in a dish of warm milk.
Wednesday, May 25, 2016
Jeopardize
WORD OF THE DAY
jeopardize \ JEP-er-dyze \ verb
Definition
: to expose to danger or risk : imperil
Examples
Jerry was warned that a continued decrease in his sales performance could jeopardize his chances for a promotion.
"The bill grew out of a problem that has developed in north central Connecticut, where cracking foundations have jeopardized the stability of more than 150 homes, according to homeowners who have filed complaints with state officials."
— Kathleen McWilliams, The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant, 8 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
It may be hard to believe that jeopardize was once controversial, but in 1870 a grammarian called it "a foolish and intolerable word," a view shared by many 19th-century critics. The preferred word was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. (The upstart jeopardize turned up in 1582.)
In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be "a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with 'jeopard,' and therefore useless." Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, jeopardize is now much more popular.
jeopardize \ JEP-er-dyze \ verb
Definition
: to expose to danger or risk : imperil
Examples
Jerry was warned that a continued decrease in his sales performance could jeopardize his chances for a promotion.
"The bill grew out of a problem that has developed in north central Connecticut, where cracking foundations have jeopardized the stability of more than 150 homes, according to homeowners who have filed complaints with state officials."
— Kathleen McWilliams, The Hartford (Connecticut) Courant, 8 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
It may be hard to believe that jeopardize was once controversial, but in 1870 a grammarian called it "a foolish and intolerable word," a view shared by many 19th-century critics. The preferred word was jeopard, which first appeared in print in the 14th century. (The upstart jeopardize turned up in 1582.)
In 1828, Noah Webster himself declared jeopardize to be "a modern word, used by respectable writers in America, but synonymous with 'jeopard,' and therefore useless." Unfortunately for the champions of jeopard, jeopardize is now much more popular.
Tuesday, May 24, 2016
Stolid
WORD OF THE DAY
stolid \ STAH-lid \ adjective
Definition
1: having or expressing little or no sensibility
2: unemotional
Examples
The stolid detective spoke to the witness in a precise, unequivocal manner.
"A modest woman of great heart and spirit, Deirdre, perhaps more than any other member of the family, has weathered the storms she and her husband have endured with a stolid equanimity…."
— Charles Isherwood, The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2016
Did You Know?
Stolid derives from stolidus, a word that means "dull" or "stupid" in Latin. It is also distantly related to the word stultify, meaning "to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical." The earliest examples of usage for stolid, dating back to the early 17th century, indicate that it too was originally associated with a lack of smarts; it was used to describe people who were considered dull or stupid because they didn't wear their emotions on their sleeves. By the 1800s, however, stolid was frequently appearing without the connotation of foolishness, and it continues to be free of such overtones today.
stolid \ STAH-lid \ adjective
Definition
1: having or expressing little or no sensibility
2: unemotional
Examples
The stolid detective spoke to the witness in a precise, unequivocal manner.
"A modest woman of great heart and spirit, Deirdre, perhaps more than any other member of the family, has weathered the storms she and her husband have endured with a stolid equanimity…."
— Charles Isherwood, The New York Times, 19 Feb. 2016
Did You Know?
Stolid derives from stolidus, a word that means "dull" or "stupid" in Latin. It is also distantly related to the word stultify, meaning "to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical." The earliest examples of usage for stolid, dating back to the early 17th century, indicate that it too was originally associated with a lack of smarts; it was used to describe people who were considered dull or stupid because they didn't wear their emotions on their sleeves. By the 1800s, however, stolid was frequently appearing without the connotation of foolishness, and it continues to be free of such overtones today.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Litotes
WORD OF THE DAY
litotes \ LYE-tuh-teez \ noun
Definition
: understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary
Examples
"Vacationing in the Caribbean wasn't a total drag," said Sheila with her characteristic flair for litotes.
"Analysts and experts reached for metaphors, similes, allusions, litotes and anything else lying about to express their wonderment."
— Wesley Pruden, The Washington Times, 31 Oct. 2003
Did You Know?
Even if you've never heard the word litotes, chances are you've encountered this figure of speech. If you've ever approved of a job well done by exclaiming "Not bad!" or told someone that you are "not unhappy" when you are ecstatic, you've even used it yourself. In fact, you might say that it would be "no mean feat" to avoid this common feature of our language!
And litotes isn't only common; it's also simple—etymologically speaking, that is. Litotes evolved from a Greek word meaning "simple," and perhaps ultimately from another Greek word meaning "linen cloth."
litotes \ LYE-tuh-teez \ noun
Definition
: understatement in which an affirmative is expressed by the negative of the contrary
Examples
"Vacationing in the Caribbean wasn't a total drag," said Sheila with her characteristic flair for litotes.
"Analysts and experts reached for metaphors, similes, allusions, litotes and anything else lying about to express their wonderment."
— Wesley Pruden, The Washington Times, 31 Oct. 2003
Did You Know?
Even if you've never heard the word litotes, chances are you've encountered this figure of speech. If you've ever approved of a job well done by exclaiming "Not bad!" or told someone that you are "not unhappy" when you are ecstatic, you've even used it yourself. In fact, you might say that it would be "no mean feat" to avoid this common feature of our language!
And litotes isn't only common; it's also simple—etymologically speaking, that is. Litotes evolved from a Greek word meaning "simple," and perhaps ultimately from another Greek word meaning "linen cloth."
Friday, May 20, 2016
Dally
WORD OF THE DAY
dally \ DAL-ee \ verb
Definition
1a : to act playfully
1b : to play amorously
1c : to deal lightly
1d : toy
2a : to waste time
2b : linger, dawdle
Examples
He dithered and dallied, avoiding his work for as long as possible.
"Voters don't elect leaders to dally, stall, drag their feet and excel at the art of delay."
—The Daily Chronicle (DeKalb, Illinois), 31 Dec. 2015
Did You Know?
English speakers have been playing with different uses of dally since the 14th century. They first started using the word with the meaning "to chat," which was also the meaning of the Anglo-French word from which it was derived, but that meaning fell into disuse by the end of the 15th century.
Next, dalliers were amusing themselves by acting playfully with each other especially in amorous and flirtatious ways. Apparently, some dalliers were also a bit derisive, leading dally to mean "to deal with lightly or in a way that is not serious." It didn't take long for the fuddy-duddies to criticize all this play as a waste of time.
By the mid-16th century, dally was weighted down with its "to waste time" and "dawdle" meanings, which, in time, gave way to the word dillydally, a humorous reduplication of dally.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Ramshackle
WORD OF THE DAY
ramshackle \ RAM-shak-ul \ adjective
Definition
1a : appearing ready to collapse
1b: rickety
2 : carelessly or loosely constructed
Examples
The yard was sectioned off by a ramshackle wooden fence that was just barely held together with chicken wire.
"He's also made the bold move of purchasing the ramshackle building behind his market, envisioning an Internet cafe."
— Sarah Netter, The Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
Ramshackle has nothing to do with rams, nor the act of being rammed, nor shackles. The word is an alteration of ransackled, an obsolete form of the verb ransack, meaning "to search through or plunder." (Ransack in turn derives, via Middle English, from Old Norse words meaning "house" and "seek.")
A home that has been ransacked has had its contents thrown into disarray, and that image may be what caused us to start using ramshackle in the first half of the 19th century to describe something that is poorly constructed or in a state of near collapse. These days, ramshackle can also be used figuratively, as in "He could only devise a ramshackle excuse for his absence."
ramshackle \ RAM-shak-ul \ adjective
Definition
1a : appearing ready to collapse
1b: rickety
2 : carelessly or loosely constructed
Examples
The yard was sectioned off by a ramshackle wooden fence that was just barely held together with chicken wire.
"He's also made the bold move of purchasing the ramshackle building behind his market, envisioning an Internet cafe."
— Sarah Netter, The Washington Post, 7 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
Ramshackle has nothing to do with rams, nor the act of being rammed, nor shackles. The word is an alteration of ransackled, an obsolete form of the verb ransack, meaning "to search through or plunder." (Ransack in turn derives, via Middle English, from Old Norse words meaning "house" and "seek.")
A home that has been ransacked has had its contents thrown into disarray, and that image may be what caused us to start using ramshackle in the first half of the 19th century to describe something that is poorly constructed or in a state of near collapse. These days, ramshackle can also be used figuratively, as in "He could only devise a ramshackle excuse for his absence."
Wednesday, May 18, 2016
Nomenclature
WORD OF THE DAY
nomenclature \ NOH-mun-klay-cher \ noun
Definition
1 : name, designation
2 : the act or process or an instance of naming
3a : a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art
3b : an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants
Examples
"Most Americans are aware of differences in nomenclature between British and American English, e.g. flat versus apartment, lift versus elevator, petrol versus gasoline."
— Sara Boyett, The Silver City (New Mexico) Daily Press & Independent, 31 Mar. 2016
"And although the nomenclature of Greenhouse Bistro and Samovar Tea Room suggests a quieter, intimate restaurant, the two actually take up a massive 14,000-square-foot location that seats 580 between the tearoom, the Greenhouse interior and a 2,000-square-foot patio out front."
— Rebecca Cooper, The Washington (D.C.) Business Journal, 6 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
In his 1926 Dictionary of Modern English Usage, grammarian H. W. Fowler asserted that it was wrong to use nomenclature as a synonym for name; he declared that nomenclature could only mean "a system of naming or of names."
It is true that nomenclature comes from the Latin nomenclatura, meaning "the assigning of names," but the name sense was the first to appear in English (it is documented as long ago as 1610), and it has been considered perfectly standard for centuries.
nomenclature \ NOH-mun-klay-cher \ noun
Definition
1 : name, designation
2 : the act or process or an instance of naming
3a : a system or set of terms or symbols especially in a particular science, discipline, or art
3b : an international system of standardized New Latin names used in biology for kinds and groups of kinds of animals and plants
Examples
"Most Americans are aware of differences in nomenclature between British and American English, e.g. flat versus apartment, lift versus elevator, petrol versus gasoline."
— Sara Boyett, The Silver City (New Mexico) Daily Press & Independent, 31 Mar. 2016
"And although the nomenclature of Greenhouse Bistro and Samovar Tea Room suggests a quieter, intimate restaurant, the two actually take up a massive 14,000-square-foot location that seats 580 between the tearoom, the Greenhouse interior and a 2,000-square-foot patio out front."
— Rebecca Cooper, The Washington (D.C.) Business Journal, 6 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
In his 1926 Dictionary of Modern English Usage, grammarian H. W. Fowler asserted that it was wrong to use nomenclature as a synonym for name; he declared that nomenclature could only mean "a system of naming or of names."
It is true that nomenclature comes from the Latin nomenclatura, meaning "the assigning of names," but the name sense was the first to appear in English (it is documented as long ago as 1610), and it has been considered perfectly standard for centuries.
Tuesday, May 17, 2016
Hector
WORD OF THE DAY
hector \ HEK-ter \ verb
Definition
1 : to play the bully : swagger
2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure
Examples
The judge sternly ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.
"For several years now he has been making life easier for every journalist who follows the Affordable Care Act by heroically compiling health insurance enrollments under the law, explaining developments, debunking myths, and hectoring the nearly infinite sources of mis- and disinformation … into getting things right."
— Michael Hiltzik, The Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
Hector wasn't always a bully. In Homer's Iliad, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles.
How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a generic synonym of bully? That pejorative English use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors."
They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were merely swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, hector was being used as a noun for the sort of blustering braggarts who populated those gangs, and as a verb as well.
hector \ HEK-ter \ verb
Definition
1 : to play the bully : swagger
2 : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure
Examples
The judge sternly ordered the attorney to stop hectoring the witness.
"For several years now he has been making life easier for every journalist who follows the Affordable Care Act by heroically compiling health insurance enrollments under the law, explaining developments, debunking myths, and hectoring the nearly infinite sources of mis- and disinformation … into getting things right."
— Michael Hiltzik, The Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
Hector wasn't always a bully. In Homer's Iliad, the eldest son of King Priam of Troy was a model soldier, son, father, and friend, the champion of the Trojan army until he was killed by the Greek hero Achilles.
How did the name of a Trojan paragon become a generic synonym of bully? That pejorative English use was likely influenced by gangs of rowdy street toughs who roamed London in the 17th century and called themselves "Hectors."
They may have thought themselves gallant young blades, but to the general populace they were merely swaggering bullies who intimidated passersby and vandalized property. By 1660, hector was being used as a noun for the sort of blustering braggarts who populated those gangs, and as a verb as well.
Monday, May 16, 2016
Quincunx
WORD OF THE DAY
quincunx \ KWIN-kunks \ noun
Definition
: an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle
Examples
The sculptures in the square were arranged in a quincunx with the outer ones marking the perimeter and the middle one serving as the centerpiece.
"The towers of Angkor Wat—shaped in a quincunx, five points in a cross—were named after Mount Meru, the home of the gods believed in Indian myth to lie at the center of the world."
— William Dalrymple, The New York Review of Books, 21 May 2015
Did You Know?
In ancient Rome, a quincunx was a coin with a weight equal to five twelfths of a libra, a unit of weight similar to our pound. The coin's name comes from the Latin roots quinque, meaning "five," and uncia, meaning "one twelfth."
The ancients used a pattern of five dots arranged like the pips on a die as a symbol for the coin, and English speakers applied the word to arrangements similar to that distinctive five-dot mark.
quincunx \ KWIN-kunks \ noun
Definition
: an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle
Examples
The sculptures in the square were arranged in a quincunx with the outer ones marking the perimeter and the middle one serving as the centerpiece.
"The towers of Angkor Wat—shaped in a quincunx, five points in a cross—were named after Mount Meru, the home of the gods believed in Indian myth to lie at the center of the world."
— William Dalrymple, The New York Review of Books, 21 May 2015
Did You Know?
In ancient Rome, a quincunx was a coin with a weight equal to five twelfths of a libra, a unit of weight similar to our pound. The coin's name comes from the Latin roots quinque, meaning "five," and uncia, meaning "one twelfth."
The ancients used a pattern of five dots arranged like the pips on a die as a symbol for the coin, and English speakers applied the word to arrangements similar to that distinctive five-dot mark.
Friday, May 13, 2016
Venerate
WORD OF THE DAY
venerate \ VEN-uh-rayt \ verb
Definition
1 : to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference
2 : to honor (something, such as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion
Examples
"In William Shakespeare's classic, the Romans venerate their leader, but Brutus sees that Julius Caesar may be too powerful for the good of the nation."
— Chris Kocher, The Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), 10 Mar. 2016
"Robert Mickens, a longtime Vatican analyst, said venerating saints or praying at the tombs of martyrs is a time-honored Catholic practice, but he questioned the decision to display the remains of the two saints."
— Jim Yardley, The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2016
Did You Know?
Venerate, revere, reverence, worship, and adore all mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully. Venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age. Revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling ("a professor revered by students"). Reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring ("she reverenced the academy's code of honor").
Worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony ("he worships their memory"). Adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment ("we adored our doctor"). Venerate, incidentally, traces back to the Latin verb venerari, from vener-, meaning "love" or "charm."
venerate \ VEN-uh-rayt \ verb
Definition
1 : to regard with reverential respect or with admiring deference
2 : to honor (something, such as an icon or a relic) with a ritual act of devotion
Examples
"In William Shakespeare's classic, the Romans venerate their leader, but Brutus sees that Julius Caesar may be too powerful for the good of the nation."
— Chris Kocher, The Star-Gazette (Elmira, New York), 10 Mar. 2016
"Robert Mickens, a longtime Vatican analyst, said venerating saints or praying at the tombs of martyrs is a time-honored Catholic practice, but he questioned the decision to display the remains of the two saints."
— Jim Yardley, The New York Times, 5 Feb. 2016
Did You Know?
Venerate, revere, reverence, worship, and adore all mean to honor and admire profoundly and respectfully. Venerate implies a holding as holy or sacrosanct because of character, association, or age. Revere stresses deference and tenderness of feeling ("a professor revered by students"). Reverence presupposes an intrinsic merit and inviolability in the one honored and a similar depth of feeling in the one honoring ("she reverenced the academy's code of honor").
Worship implies homage usually expressed in words or ceremony ("he worships their memory"). Adore implies love and stresses the notion of an individual and personal attachment ("we adored our doctor"). Venerate, incidentally, traces back to the Latin verb venerari, from vener-, meaning "love" or "charm."
Thursday, May 12, 2016
Fauve
WORD OF THE DAY
fauve \ FOHV \ adjective
Definition
1 : of or relating to painters practicing fauvism
2 : vivid in color
Examples
"Fauve colors brought sizzle back to tableware, but could you really eat off a Rorschach of orange, black and pink?"
— Julie V. Iovine, The New York Times Magazine, 14 Mar. 1993
"Three were landscapes…. The other was a later painting of Adele, pale and strained, standing in a big hat with her arms loose amid fauve colours of red, mauve and green."
— The Economist, 19 Feb. 2011
Did You Know?
When French art critic Louis Vauxcelles spotted a statue reminiscent of 15th-century Italian art in the midst of works by an avant-garde group of painters—principal among them Henri Matisse—at an exhibit in Paris in 1905, he verbalized his shock with the words "Donatello au milieu des fauves!" ("Donatello among the wild animals!").
His reaction was to the painters' unconventional use of intensely vivid color and free treatment of form, and apparently his words weren't far off the mark in describing their art: Matisse and company's art movement became known as "Fauvism" and the artists flourishing in it, the "Fauves."
In 1967, the intense impact of their colors was still vibrant, inspiring one writer for Vogue to use fauve as an adjective to describe the colors of a "striking" flowered coat—and that use can still be found today vivifying colors.
fauve \ FOHV \ adjective
Definition
1 : of or relating to painters practicing fauvism
2 : vivid in color
Examples
"Fauve colors brought sizzle back to tableware, but could you really eat off a Rorschach of orange, black and pink?"
— Julie V. Iovine, The New York Times Magazine, 14 Mar. 1993
"Three were landscapes…. The other was a later painting of Adele, pale and strained, standing in a big hat with her arms loose amid fauve colours of red, mauve and green."
— The Economist, 19 Feb. 2011
Did You Know?
When French art critic Louis Vauxcelles spotted a statue reminiscent of 15th-century Italian art in the midst of works by an avant-garde group of painters—principal among them Henri Matisse—at an exhibit in Paris in 1905, he verbalized his shock with the words "Donatello au milieu des fauves!" ("Donatello among the wild animals!").
His reaction was to the painters' unconventional use of intensely vivid color and free treatment of form, and apparently his words weren't far off the mark in describing their art: Matisse and company's art movement became known as "Fauvism" and the artists flourishing in it, the "Fauves."
In 1967, the intense impact of their colors was still vibrant, inspiring one writer for Vogue to use fauve as an adjective to describe the colors of a "striking" flowered coat—and that use can still be found today vivifying colors.
Wednesday, May 11, 2016
Omniscient
WORD OF THE DAY
omniscient \ahm-NISH-unt \ adjective
Definition
1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge
Examples
The novel opens with an omniscient narrator recalling memories of her twelfth birthday.
"Digital advertisers … are increasingly omniscient: no longer do advertisers know just general things about you—a worldly professional, say, with superb taste in journalism—but they target you, specifically."
— The Economist, 26 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient, which has been part of English since at least the beginning of the 17th century, brings together two Latin roots: the prefix omni-, meaning "all," and the verb scire, meaning "to know."
You will (or should) recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous ("eating all" or, more precisely, "eating both meat and vegetables") and omnipotent ("all-powerful"). Scire likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning "foreknowledge").
omniscient \ahm-NISH-unt \ adjective
Definition
1 : having infinite awareness, understanding, and insight
2 : possessed of universal or complete knowledge
Examples
The novel opens with an omniscient narrator recalling memories of her twelfth birthday.
"Digital advertisers … are increasingly omniscient: no longer do advertisers know just general things about you—a worldly professional, say, with superb taste in journalism—but they target you, specifically."
— The Economist, 26 Mar. 2016
Did You Know?
One who is omniscient literally knows all. The word omniscient, which has been part of English since at least the beginning of the 17th century, brings together two Latin roots: the prefix omni-, meaning "all," and the verb scire, meaning "to know."
You will (or should) recognize omni- as the prefix that tells all in such words as omnivorous ("eating all" or, more precisely, "eating both meat and vegetables") and omnipotent ("all-powerful"). Scire likewise has a number of other knowledge-related descendants in English, including conscience, science, and prescience (meaning "foreknowledge").
Tuesday, May 10, 2016
Urbane
WORD OF THE DAY
urbane \ er-BAYN \ adjective
Definition
: notably polite or polished in manner
Examples
Deirdre was an urbane and sociable party guest who could seamlessly transition from one conversation to the next.
"In its heyday among the mod generation, the writing essentially peddled the fantasy of being a more sedentary James Bond: a sophisticated and urbane man about town, drowning in lady friends."
— Megan McArdle, Bloomberg View (bloombergview.com), 13 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. The word traces back to Latin urbs, meaning "city," and in its earliest English uses urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city").
Urbane developed its modern sense of savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.
urbane \ er-BAYN \ adjective
Definition
: notably polite or polished in manner
Examples
Deirdre was an urbane and sociable party guest who could seamlessly transition from one conversation to the next.
"In its heyday among the mod generation, the writing essentially peddled the fantasy of being a more sedentary James Bond: a sophisticated and urbane man about town, drowning in lady friends."
— Megan McArdle, Bloomberg View (bloombergview.com), 13 Oct. 2015
Did You Know?
City slickers and country folk have long debated whether life is better in town or in the wide open spaces, and urbane is a term that springs from the throes of that debate. The word traces back to Latin urbs, meaning "city," and in its earliest English uses urbane was synonymous with its close relative urban ("of, relating to, characteristic of, or constituting a city").
Urbane developed its modern sense of savoir faire from the belief (no doubt fostered by city dwellers) that living in the city made one more suave and polished than did leading a rural life.
Monday, May 9, 2016
Hubris
WORD OF THE DAY
hubris \ HYOO-bris \ noun
Definition
: exaggerated pride or self-confidence
Examples
The company's failure was ultimately brought on by the hubris of its founder.
"I think confidence is one of the most important qualities that you need in a leader—self-assurance. But at times confidence can shade over into arrogance and even hubris."
— Doris Kearns Goodwin, speaking on The Charlie Rose Show, 12 Jan. 2016
Did You Know?
English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods.
In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of his or her mortality.
hubris \ HYOO-bris \ noun
Definition
: exaggerated pride or self-confidence
Examples
The company's failure was ultimately brought on by the hubris of its founder.
"I think confidence is one of the most important qualities that you need in a leader—self-assurance. But at times confidence can shade over into arrogance and even hubris."
— Doris Kearns Goodwin, speaking on The Charlie Rose Show, 12 Jan. 2016
Did You Know?
English picked up both the concept of hubris and the term for that particular brand of cockiness from the ancient Greeks, who considered hubris a dangerous character flaw capable of provoking the wrath of the gods.
In classical Greek tragedy, hubris was often a fatal shortcoming that brought about the fall of the tragic hero. Typically, overconfidence led the hero to attempt to overstep the boundaries of human limitations and assume a godlike status, and the gods inevitably humbled the offender with a sharp reminder of his or her mortality.
Friday, May 6, 2016
Tranche
WORD OF THE DAY
tranche \ TRAHNSH \ noun
Definition
: a division or portion of a pool or whole
Examples
"JPMorgan Chase must retain 5% of each tranche, or class, of notes to be issued by the trust…. The bank must also comply with disclosure and reporting requirements introduced for securitization…."
— Allison Bisbey, The American Banker, 17 Mar. 2016
"The sale of a first tranche of shares to private investors via an initial public offering (IPO) … could start as soon as next year, with the eventual aim of being big enough to potentially buy some of the world's largest companies…."
— Terry Macalister, The Guardian, 1 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
In French, tranche means "slice." Cutting deeper into the word's etymology, we find the Old French word trancer, meaning "to cut." Tranche emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to describe financial appropriations.
Today, it is often used specifically of an issue of bonds that is differentiated from other issues by such factors as maturity or rate of return. Another use of the French word tranche is in the French phrase une tranche de vie, meaning "a cross section of life." That phrase was coined by the dramatist Jean Jullien (1854-1919), who advocated naturalism in the theater.
tranche \ TRAHNSH \ noun
Definition
: a division or portion of a pool or whole
Examples
"JPMorgan Chase must retain 5% of each tranche, or class, of notes to be issued by the trust…. The bank must also comply with disclosure and reporting requirements introduced for securitization…."
— Allison Bisbey, The American Banker, 17 Mar. 2016
"The sale of a first tranche of shares to private investors via an initial public offering (IPO) … could start as soon as next year, with the eventual aim of being big enough to potentially buy some of the world's largest companies…."
— Terry Macalister, The Guardian, 1 Apr. 2016
Did You Know?
In French, tranche means "slice." Cutting deeper into the word's etymology, we find the Old French word trancer, meaning "to cut." Tranche emerged in the English language in the late 19th century to describe financial appropriations.
Today, it is often used specifically of an issue of bonds that is differentiated from other issues by such factors as maturity or rate of return. Another use of the French word tranche is in the French phrase une tranche de vie, meaning "a cross section of life." That phrase was coined by the dramatist Jean Jullien (1854-1919), who advocated naturalism in the theater.
Thursday, May 5, 2016
Gormandize
WORD OF THE DAY
gormandize \ GOR-mun-dyze \ verb
Definition
: to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously
Examples
"People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night."
— Philippe Sagant, The Dozing Shaman, 1996
"While my ability to gormandize has slackened over the years, my enthusiasm for cooking big has only grown."
— Henry Miller, The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), 19 Dec. 2013
Did You Know?
Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym of glutton. The meaning of gourmand softened over time, developing in the mid-18th century a sense referring to one who is "heartily interested in good food and drink."
It wasn't until the early 19th century that the wholly positive gourmet became established. Whether that now-common word encouraged the adoption of or was influenced by the softer meaning of gourmand is unknown. Gormandize, too, has softened over time, but only slightly: it can now also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.
gormandize \ GOR-mun-dyze \ verb
Definition
: to eat greedily, gluttonously, or ravenously
Examples
"People stuff themselves, they gorge, they gormandize; their fingers are greasy from morning to night."
— Philippe Sagant, The Dozing Shaman, 1996
"While my ability to gormandize has slackened over the years, my enthusiasm for cooking big has only grown."
— Henry Miller, The Statesman Journal (Salem, Oregon), 19 Dec. 2013
Did You Know?
Gormandize entered English in the mid-1500s as a modification of gourmand, a term borrowed from the French that served as a synonym of glutton. The meaning of gourmand softened over time, developing in the mid-18th century a sense referring to one who is "heartily interested in good food and drink."
It wasn't until the early 19th century that the wholly positive gourmet became established. Whether that now-common word encouraged the adoption of or was influenced by the softer meaning of gourmand is unknown. Gormandize, too, has softened over time, but only slightly: it can now also imply that a big eater has a discriminating palate as well as a generous appetite.
Wednesday, May 4, 2016
Wisenheimer
WORD OF THE DAY
wisenheimer \ WYE-zun-hye-mer \ noun
Definition
: smart aleck
Examples
Leslie delivered a flawless presentation even in spite of interruptions from the wisenheimers in the back of the classroom.
"… we both come from incredibly saucy families who love to sling it every which way, so it just seemed natural for us to cross our fingers that any children we had would be little wisenheimers."
— Lisa Sugarman, The Daily Ardmoreite (Ardmore, Oklahoma), 20 Dec. 2015
Did You Know?
We wouldn't joke around about the origin of this witty word. In the early 20th century, someone had the smart idea to combine the adjective wise (one sense of which means "insolent, smart-alecky, or fresh") with -enheimer, playing on the pattern of family names such as Oppenheimer and Guggenheimer.
Of course, wisenheimer isn't the only "wise-" word for someone who jokes around. There's also wiseacre, wisecracker, and wise guy. All of these jokesters are fond of making wisecracks.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Callow
WORD OF THE DAY
callow \ KAL-oh \ adjective
Definition
1a: lacking adult sophistication
1b: immature
Examples
"So callow was Williams that there was a clause in his first contract, which he signed at the age of 18, that stipulated the team would pay for his mother to be with him at least one week of every month."
— Steve Hummer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Dec. 2012
"At 5-10, 145 pounds, Justin Thomas, 22, seems too slight and callow to be a good example … of the foundational act on which modern professional golf is built. At least until he springs into his downswing with a driver."
— Golf Digest, February 2016
T.S. Quint: [Reading the break-up letter that Renee gave Brodie] Woah, she calls you "callow" in here.
Brodie: You say that like it's bad.
T.S. Quint: It means frightened and weak-willed.
Brodie: Really? That was the only part of the letter I thought was complimentary.
-Mallrats, 1995
Did You Know?
You might not expect a relationship between the word callow and baldness, but that connection does in fact exist. Callow comes from calu, a word that meant "bald" in Middle English and Old English.
By the 17th century, callow had come to mean "without feathers" and was applied to young birds not yet ready for flight. The term was also used for those who hadn't yet spread their wings in a figurative sense. Callow continues to mean "inexperienced" or "unsophisticated" today.
callow \ KAL-oh \ adjective
Definition
1a: lacking adult sophistication
1b: immature
Examples
"So callow was Williams that there was a clause in his first contract, which he signed at the age of 18, that stipulated the team would pay for his mother to be with him at least one week of every month."
— Steve Hummer, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 9 Dec. 2012
"At 5-10, 145 pounds, Justin Thomas, 22, seems too slight and callow to be a good example … of the foundational act on which modern professional golf is built. At least until he springs into his downswing with a driver."
— Golf Digest, February 2016
T.S. Quint: [Reading the break-up letter that Renee gave Brodie] Woah, she calls you "callow" in here.
Brodie: You say that like it's bad.
T.S. Quint: It means frightened and weak-willed.
Brodie: Really? That was the only part of the letter I thought was complimentary.
-Mallrats, 1995
Did You Know?
You might not expect a relationship between the word callow and baldness, but that connection does in fact exist. Callow comes from calu, a word that meant "bald" in Middle English and Old English.
By the 17th century, callow had come to mean "without feathers" and was applied to young birds not yet ready for flight. The term was also used for those who hadn't yet spread their wings in a figurative sense. Callow continues to mean "inexperienced" or "unsophisticated" today.
Monday, May 2, 2016
Moil
WORD OF THE DAY
moil \ MOYL \ verb
Definition
1a : to work hard
1b: drudge
2a: to be in continuous agitation
2b: churn, swirl
Examples
Revelations that the popular motivational speaker was born into a wealthy family cast further doubts on his claims that he holds the secret to finding wealth without the need to toil and moil.
"Playwright Eugene O'Neill moiled over several works, including 'Strange Interlude,' in a summer rental cottage you'll pass if you're on the historical walking tour."
— Susan Bayer Ward, The Chicago Daily Herald, 15 May 2005
Did You Know?
Moil may mean "to work hard" but its origins are the opposite of hard; it ultimately derives from Latin mollis, meaning "soft." (Other English derivatives of mollis are emollient, mollify, and mollusk.) A more immediate ancestor of moil is the Anglo-French verb moiller, meaning "to make wet, dampen," and one of the early meanings of moil in English was "to become wet and muddy."
The "work hard" sense of moil appears most frequently in the pairing "toil and moil." Both moil and toil can also be nouns meaning "work." Moil implies work that is drudgery and toil suggests prolonged and fatiguing labor.
moil \ MOYL \ verb
Definition
1a : to work hard
1b: drudge
2a: to be in continuous agitation
2b: churn, swirl
Examples
Revelations that the popular motivational speaker was born into a wealthy family cast further doubts on his claims that he holds the secret to finding wealth without the need to toil and moil.
"Playwright Eugene O'Neill moiled over several works, including 'Strange Interlude,' in a summer rental cottage you'll pass if you're on the historical walking tour."
— Susan Bayer Ward, The Chicago Daily Herald, 15 May 2005
Did You Know?
Moil may mean "to work hard" but its origins are the opposite of hard; it ultimately derives from Latin mollis, meaning "soft." (Other English derivatives of mollis are emollient, mollify, and mollusk.) A more immediate ancestor of moil is the Anglo-French verb moiller, meaning "to make wet, dampen," and one of the early meanings of moil in English was "to become wet and muddy."
The "work hard" sense of moil appears most frequently in the pairing "toil and moil." Both moil and toil can also be nouns meaning "work." Moil implies work that is drudgery and toil suggests prolonged and fatiguing labor.
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