Phantasm

WORD OF THE DAY

phantasm / noun / FAN-taz-um

Definition
1: a product of fantasy, such as:
a: delusive appearance
b: illusion
c: ghost, specter
d: a figment of the imagination

2 : a mental representation of a real object

Examples
"In each maze, you will follow in the footsteps of the Ghostbusters—Peter, Ray, Egon and Winston—as they venture through recreated scenes from the film, including the firehouse, New York Public Library and the Temple of Gozer, as an army of ghoulish spirits, specters and phantasms attack."
— Devoun Cetoute, The Miami Herald, 17 July 2019

"Finally I had to admit defeat: I was never going to turn around my faltering musical career. So at 31 I gave up, abandoning my musical aspirations entirely, to pursue a doctorate in public policy. … After finishing my studies, I became a university professor, a job I enjoyed. But I still thought every day about my beloved first vocation. Even now, I regularly dream that I am onstage, and wake to remember that my childhood aspirations are now only phantasms."
— Arthur C. Brooks, The Atlantic, July 2019

Did You Know?
Phantasm is from Middle English fantasme, a borrowing from Anglo-French fantasme, which itself is a derivative of Latin and Greek words—and ultimately the Greek verb phantazein, meaning "to present to the mind."
The Greek verb took shape from phainein, meaning "to show," and this root appears in several English words that have to do with the way things seem or appear rather than the way they really are.
Phantasmagoria and diaphanous are examples. Also from this root are words such as fanciful and fantasy, in which the imagination plays an important part.

Respite

WORD OF THE DAY

respite / noun / ESS-pit

Definition
1: a period of temporary delay
2: an interval of rest or relief

Examples
The station's meteorologist had predicted that the bad weather would continue throughout the week without respite.

"Such small, shady public spaces provide a welcome respite from busy street life and enhance the livability of the city."
— David Ross Scheer, The Salt Lake Tribune, 8 Sept. 2019.

Did You Know?
Respite is first known to have been used at the turn of the 14th century to refer to a delay or extension asked for or granted for a specific reason—to give someone time to deliberate on a proposal, for example. Such a respite offered an opportunity for the kind of consideration inherent in the word's etymology.
Respite traces from the Latin term respectus (also the source of English's respect), which comes from respicere, a verb with both concrete and abstract meanings: "to turn around to look at" or "to regard."
Within a few decades of its earliest known use, English speakers had granted respite the sense we use most often today—"a welcome break."

Lackadaisical

WORD OF THE DAY

lackadaisical / adjective / ak-uh-DAY-zih-kul

Definition
1: lacking life, spirit, or zest
2: languid

Examples
"What used to be a bar with barely passable food, boring décor and lackadaisical service has a new incarnation. Everything has been improved, starting with its transformation into a lively tavern with a menu of popular comfort foods, as well as choices for more adventurous eaters."
— Marc Bona, Cleveland.com, 6 Apr. 2017

"But it was not that they lost— … but how they lost, mired in lackadaisical play. Jose Iglesias was thrown out at third base trying to advance in a ball on the dirt for an easy out. Blaine Hardy forgot to cover first base. And then … J.D. Martinez caught a fly ball in rightfield and assumed Jason Kipnis would hold at third base."
— Anthony French, The Detroit Free Press, 8 July 2017

Did You Know?
Alas, alack, there are times when life seems to be one unfortunate occurrence after another. We've all had days when nothing seemed to go right. When folks had one of those days back in the 17th century, they'd cry "Lackaday" to express their sorrow and disappointment.
Lackaday was a shortened form of the expression "alack the day." By the mid-1700s, lackadaisical was being used (coined through the addition of the suffix -ical).
The word lackadaisy also was used around that time as an interjection similar to lackaday, and this word, though never as prevalent as lackaday, might have influenced the coinage of lackadaisical.