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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 4, 2005 0:02:53 GMT -6
Word of the day for Tuesday, October 4, 2005, from Merriam-Webster email:
malapropism (MAL-uh-prah-pih-zuhm) noun
the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context
Example sentence: Paul, who was given to blurting out malapropisms, said the rambling lecturer had gone off on a "tandem." Did you know? Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Richard Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals, was known for her verbal blunders. "He is the very pine-apple of politeness," she exclaimed, complimenting a courteous young man. Thinking of the geography of contiguous countries, she spoke of the "geometry" of "contagious countries," and she hoped that her daughter might "reprehend" the true meaning of what she was saying. She regretted that her "affluence" over her niece was small. The word "malapropism" derives from this blundering character's name, which Sheridan took from the French term "malapropos," meaning "inappropriate."
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Post by Chicago Jake on Oct 6, 2005 14:37:50 GMT -6
The Word of the Day for Thursday, October 6, 2005, from Merriam-Webster WOTD Email:
palaver (puh-LAV-ur or puh-LAH-vur) noun
1 a: a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication *b: conference, discussion 2 a: idle talk b: misleading or beguiling speech
Example sentence: Almost every Saturday, Dad and the other men from our neighborhood would hold a palaver out by the mailbox on the corner. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
Did you know? During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese "palavra," a word for a conference or for misleading, idle talk. The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin "parabola," a noun meaning "speech, parable," which in turn comes from the Greek "parabole," meaning "juxtaposition, comparison."
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Post by Captain Gary on Oct 6, 2005 15:28:32 GMT -6
Isn't this a type of sweater they wear in Boston?
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Post by Lady Irie on Oct 6, 2005 21:26:48 GMT -6
Gary - very good! You must have actually been pronouncing that out loud syllable by syllable! LOL
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 7, 2005 5:16:19 GMT -6
Jake... good word!!
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Post by Captain Gary on Oct 23, 2005 6:58:30 GMT -6
I had to look this one up! Anyone else (besides Doc Bob) use this word?
detumescence (de·tu·mes·cence) noun
Reduction or lessening of a swelling, especially the restoration of a swollen organ or part to normal size.
Example sentence (as written in the book I was reading at the time):
Afterward, she remained in place, straddling him, trapping his detumescence.
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Post by Christinko on Oct 23, 2005 12:09:08 GMT -6
I've been using the opposite word--Tumescence--at Hedo for years...."got wood" was getting old. A gal such as myself has a vested interest in the opposite of your word of the day.
I saw the bumber sticker "Got Wood" on the back of a carpenter's truck the other day almost spit all over my steering wheel because I cackled so suddenly.
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Oct 23, 2005 15:39:56 GMT -6
I've been using the opposite word--Tumescence--at Hedo for years...."got wood" was getting old. Chris, I would have guessed that you used the fancy word simply because you are so classy!! Chris/tumescence, everyone else/got wood. ;D
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Post by Christinko on Oct 23, 2005 17:20:03 GMT -6
Classy? A broad like me? Shucks...oh wait, let me knock off the toilet paper dingleberries from my butt before I take my bow.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 7, 2005 1:41:32 GMT -6
Word of the Day for November 7, 2005, from Merriam-Webster Word-of-the-day email:
detritus (dih-TRYE-tus) noun
1 : loose material (as rock fragments or organic particles) that results directly from disintegration 2 a : a product of disintegration, destruction, or wearing away : debris *b : miscellaneous remnants : odds and ends
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence below.
Example sentence: "The blog originated ... as a catch basin for mental detritus, for the kind of stuff not good enough for print, but too good to waste on casual conversation." (Joel Achenbach, The Washington Post, August 21, 2005)
Did you know? In the late 18th century, Scottish geologist James Hutton borrowed the Latin word "detritus" (meaning "rubbing away") for the process of wearing away or wearing down rock. His use of the word, however, was short-lived: one of the last appearances of this usage is in an 1802 book on his geologic theory. In that book, "detritus" was also used to describe the loose material that results from disintegration. It is that use, unlike Hutton's original, which has withstood the test of time and is firmly established in geology. Not surprisingly, "detritus," with its erudite sound and figurative possibility, was also taken up by non-geologists, from other scientists to nonscientists.
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 7, 2005 1:45:16 GMT -6
BONUS Word of the day for Monday, November 7, 2005:
jejune (jih-JOON) adjective
1 : lacking nutritive value *2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull 3 : juvenile, puerile
*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence below.
Example sentence: Professor Jake's jejune lectures often left students dozing in the auditorium.
Did you know? If you are starved for excitement, you won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin "jejunus," which means "empty of food," "meager," or "hungry." Back in the 1600s, English speakers used "jejune" in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting "jejune appetites" and "jejune morsels." Something that is meager usually doesn't satisfy one's desires, and before long "jejune" was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but also for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its "juvenile" or "childish" sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word "jeune," which means "young."
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Post by Cherbunny on Nov 7, 2005 7:56:08 GMT -6
Eating a bowl of Sugar Frosted Flakes seems so appropriate today.
Munch, munch, munch
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 7, 2005 9:51:57 GMT -6
Classy? A broad like me? Shucks...oh wait, let me knock off the toilet paper dingleberries from my butt before I take my bow. How convenient that the Word of The Day immediately following this post was "detritus".
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Post by Christinko on Nov 7, 2005 10:56:26 GMT -6
Timing is everything in this world.
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 7, 2005 11:28:28 GMT -6
Truer words ain't never been spoke, Le Stink.
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Post by Christinko on Nov 7, 2005 12:30:19 GMT -6
Are we using the rhythm method?
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Post by Ardbeg... innit on Nov 7, 2005 12:36:39 GMT -6
Are we using the rhythm method? ah 1 and ah 2 and ah... (careful Chris, some guys have no sense of rythem AT ALL) ;D
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 7, 2005 12:37:03 GMT -6
And oh, what a fascinatin' rhythm it is ... You start the beat and I'll try to keep up.
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Post by Cherbunny on Nov 7, 2005 15:06:43 GMT -6
....or try to keep *it* up
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Post by Cherbunny on Nov 7, 2005 15:08:50 GMT -6
....as long as she keeps beating it
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 9, 2005 23:57:29 GMT -6
Words of the day for Thursday, November 10, 2005:
bloviate (BLOH-vee-ate) verb; To discourse at length in a pompous or boastful manner.
garrulous (GAIR-uh-lous) adjective; Given to excessive and often trivial or rambling talk; tiresomely talkative.
Both from Bill O'Reilly and The O'Reilly Factor.......Jake
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Nov 10, 2005 8:45:00 GMT -6
How appropriate, given the source.
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Post by jdmcowan on Nov 11, 2005 8:56:35 GMT -6
How appropriate, given the source. Appropriate for both the source there and the recipients here! Jeremy
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 13, 2005 0:49:35 GMT -6
Word of the day for Sunday, November 13, 2005, from Merriam-Webster WotD email:
desultory (DEH-sul-tor-ee) adjective
*1 : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose 2 : not connected with the main subject 3 : disappointing in progress, performance, or quality *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.
Example sentence: "His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors." (Arthur Conan Doyle, "A Study in Scarlet") Did you know? The Latin adjective "desultorius," the parent of "desultory," was used by the ancients to refer to a circus performer (called a "desultor") whose trick was to leap from horse to horse without stopping. It makes sense, therefore, that someone or something "desultory" jumps from one thing to another. ("Desultor" and "desultorius" are derived from the Latin verb "salire," which means "to leap.") A desultory conversation leaps from one topic to another, and doesn't have a distinct point or direction. A desultory student skips from one subject to another without applying serious effort to any one. A desultory comment is a digressive one that jumps away from the topic at hand. And a desultory performance is one resulting from an implied lack of steady, focused effort.
EDITOR'S NOTE: Sounds like a perfect description of the Thread Drift common at the TNMC Message Board!
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Post by Chicago Jake on Nov 13, 2005 1:20:55 GMT -6
Bonus Word of the day for Sunday, November 13, 2005, also from Merriam-Webster WotD email:
yahoo (YAH-hoo) noun
: a boorish, crass, or stupid person
Example sentence: The local teenagers' reputation as a bunch of yahoos was belied by their courteous treatment of the stranded motorists.
Did you know? We know exactly how old "yahoo" is because its debut in print also marked its entrance into the English language as a whole. "Yahoo" began life as a made-up word invented by Jonathan Swift in his book Gulliver's Travels, which was published in 1726. The Yahoos were a race of brutes, with the form and vices of humans, encountered by Gulliver in his fourth and final voyage. They represented Swift's view of mankind at its lowest. It is not surprising, then, that "yahoo" came to be applied to any actual human who was particularly unpleasant or unintelligent. Yahoos were controlled by the intelligent and virtuous Houyhnhnms, a word which apparently did not catch people's fancy as "yahoo" did.
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Post by Cherbunny on Nov 13, 2005 9:13:08 GMT -6
Such as:
The majority of the folks using Yahoo Instant messenger in chat rooms are Yahoos.
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Post by innit Geezer on Nov 13, 2005 10:14:30 GMT -6
The pronunciation has changed slightly also, it's; YAH-OOOoooOO
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Post by ♥ COVID-19♥ on Dec 9, 2005 12:01:09 GMT -6
An appropriate one for this group: VOLUPTUARY Stinko might be the most unabashed voluptuary we know.
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Post by Christinko on Dec 11, 2005 10:51:16 GMT -6
Why, thank you! I resemble that remark. I also use that word "Voluptuary" in my vocab quizzes to my Engl Comp students (along with Lascivious, Lewd, Carouse, Debauched, Hedonistic, Titillate, etc.)
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Post by Tex on Dec 11, 2005 11:07:35 GMT -6
Word of the day for Tuesday, October 4, 2005, from Merriam-Webster email: malapropism (MAL-uh-prah-pih-zuhm) noun the usually unintentionally humorous misuse or distortion of a word or phrase; especially : the use of a word sounding somewhat like the one intended but ludicrously wrong in the context Example sentence:Paul, who was given to blurting out malapropisms, said the rambling lecturer had gone off on a "tandem." Did you know?Mrs. Malaprop, a character in Richard Sheridan's 1775 play The Rivals, was known for her verbal blunders. "He is the very pine-apple of politeness," she exclaimed, complimenting a courteous young man. Thinking of the geography of contiguous countries, she spoke of the "geometry" of "contagious countries," and she hoped that her daughter might "reprehend" the true meaning of what she was saying. She regretted that her "affluence" over her niece was small. The word "malapropism" derives from this blundering character's name, which Sheridan took from the French term "malapropos," meaning "inappropriate." We saw The Rivals performed here last year. It was a good play, very entertaining, well worth the time, but not something you would want to see twice.
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