WORD OF THE DAY
kibitzer \ KIB-it-ser \ noun
Definition
1: one who looks on and often offers unwanted advice or comment; broadly
2: one who offers opinions
Examples
It wasn't long after they bought their house that Dana and Regan heard from kibitzers in the neighborhood offering tips on design and remodeling.
"'Bill [Clinton] can't help himself from giving advice. He loves the game. He's the great kibitzer."
— Roger Stone, quoted in The New York Times, 6 Nov. 2016
Did You Know?
The Yiddish language has given English some particularly piquant terms over the years, and kibitzer (or kibbitzer) is one such term. Kibitzer, from the Yiddish kibitser, came to that language from the German word kiebitzen, meaning "to look on (at cards)."
Kiebitzen may or may not be derived from a German word for "lapwing," a type of bird noted for its shrill and raucous cry. (We can speculate that the bird's cry reminded people of the shrill commentary of onlookers at card games.)
The word became more popular and widespread after the 1929 play The Kibitzer came out. Although kibitzer usually implies the imparting of unwanted advice, there is a respectable body of evidence for a kibitzer as a person simply making comments.
Tuesday, January 31, 2017
Monday, January 30, 2017
Fastidious
WORD OF THE DAY
fastidious \ fass-TID-ee-us \ adjective
Definition
1a : having high and often capricious standards
1b: difficult to please
1c: showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care
1d: reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude
2 : having complex nutritional requirements
Examples
"I may have thrown in a little thing here or there, but I'm pretty fastidious about sticking to the script if I like it…."
— Michael Shannon, Screen International, 21 Nov. 2016
"The luckiest house cats reside in homes where they can stalk tiny rodents, but that's not always the case for felines who cohabit with fastidious modern-day humans. The menu is more likely to be a can of Salmon Surprise, and food is always plentiful."
— Jessica Firger, Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
There's nothing offensive about fastidious workmanship, and yet the word fastidious traces to the Latin noun fastidium, meaning "aversion" or "disgust." Fastidium itself is probably a combination of the Latin words fastus, meaning "arrogance," and taedium, meaning "irksomeness" or "disgust." (Taedium also gave us our tedium.)
In keeping with its Latin roots, fastidious once meant "haughty," "disgusting," and "disagreeable," although those uses are now archaic or obsolete. Today, the word is most often applied to people who are very meticulous or overly difficult to please, or to work which reflects a demanding or precise attitude.
fastidious \ fass-TID-ee-us \ adjective
Definition
1a : having high and often capricious standards
1b: difficult to please
1c: showing or demanding excessive delicacy or care
1d: reflecting a meticulous, sensitive, or demanding attitude
2 : having complex nutritional requirements
Examples
"I may have thrown in a little thing here or there, but I'm pretty fastidious about sticking to the script if I like it…."
— Michael Shannon, Screen International, 21 Nov. 2016
"The luckiest house cats reside in homes where they can stalk tiny rodents, but that's not always the case for felines who cohabit with fastidious modern-day humans. The menu is more likely to be a can of Salmon Surprise, and food is always plentiful."
— Jessica Firger, Newsweek, 7 Oct. 2016
Did You Know?
There's nothing offensive about fastidious workmanship, and yet the word fastidious traces to the Latin noun fastidium, meaning "aversion" or "disgust." Fastidium itself is probably a combination of the Latin words fastus, meaning "arrogance," and taedium, meaning "irksomeness" or "disgust." (Taedium also gave us our tedium.)
In keeping with its Latin roots, fastidious once meant "haughty," "disgusting," and "disagreeable," although those uses are now archaic or obsolete. Today, the word is most often applied to people who are very meticulous or overly difficult to please, or to work which reflects a demanding or precise attitude.
Friday, January 27, 2017
Vanguard
WORD OF THE DAY
vanguard \ VAN-gahrd \ noun
Definition
1 : the troops moving at the head of an army
2 : the forefront of an action or movement
Examples
The general received a report from scouts in the vanguard that the swampy terrain was not passable.
"Students have long been at the vanguard of South Korea's robust history of protest, drawing on deep-rooted Confucian traditions that elevated scholars as guardians of morality."
— Susan Chira, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
Vanguard and avant-garde both derive from the Anglo-French word avantgarde, itself from avant, meaning "before," and garde, meaning "guard." In medieval times, avantgarde referred to the troops that marched at the head of the army.
English speakers retained that meaning when they adopted vanguard in the 15th century. Avant-garde, which is now used in English to refer to a group of people who develop new and often very surprising ideas in art, literature, etc., didn't make its own English debut until almost 400 years later.
vanguard \ VAN-gahrd \ noun
Definition
1 : the troops moving at the head of an army
2 : the forefront of an action or movement
Examples
The general received a report from scouts in the vanguard that the swampy terrain was not passable.
"Students have long been at the vanguard of South Korea's robust history of protest, drawing on deep-rooted Confucian traditions that elevated scholars as guardians of morality."
— Susan Chira, The New York Times, 10 Dec. 2016
Did You Know?
Vanguard and avant-garde both derive from the Anglo-French word avantgarde, itself from avant, meaning "before," and garde, meaning "guard." In medieval times, avantgarde referred to the troops that marched at the head of the army.
English speakers retained that meaning when they adopted vanguard in the 15th century. Avant-garde, which is now used in English to refer to a group of people who develop new and often very surprising ideas in art, literature, etc., didn't make its own English debut until almost 400 years later.
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