DarkRavie Posted March 11 Author Report Share Posted March 11 What's the Word: KLUDGE pronunciation: [kloodj] Part of speech: verb Origin: Invented word, 1960s Meaning: 1. Use ill-assorted parts to make (something). Examples: "The campers kludged a rickety lever and pulley system to carry buckets of water up from the river." "The computer that ran the house lights was on the fritz, but Svend managed to kludge a repair, despite his minimal tech skills." About Kludge The root of “kludge” is unclear, but the word may be related to the German word “klug,” meaning “clever,” or the Danish term “kludder,” meaning “disorder.” Did you Know? The word “kludge” was popularized in the 1962 article “How to Design a Kludge,” published in the computing magazine “Datamation,” but that was not the birth of the term. The Oxford English Dictionary considers “kludge” an invented word based on the existing words “bodge” and “fudge,” but there are some potential etymological ties to German and Danish terms. “Kludge” is related to — but distinct from — the U.S. military slang word “kluge,” meaning “something that shouldn’t work but does.” Because “kludge” was associated with computing quite early on, that has become the most commonly used context for the term. Though “kludge” began life as a noun describing a solution cobbled together out of unlikely parts, today it is also used as a verb to describe the process of implementing a crude but functional solution. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 12 Author Report Share Posted March 12 What's the Word: MARMOREAL pronunciation: [mar-MOR-ee-əl] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 18th century Meaning: 1. Made of or likened to marble. Examples: "As the artists drew him, the model stood so still, he was practically marmoreal." "Sarah doubted the contractor’s claim that his new application process would give her driveway asphalt a marmoreal appearance." About Marmoreal “Marmoreal” is based on the Latin “marmoreus,” meaning “like marble.” Did you Know? In recent years, the vogue for marble countertops and bathroom tiles has given rise to an industry of marmoreal building materials. These products are not real marble, but many buyers are just looking for a marmoreal appearance without the cost (and weight) of authentic marble. Some of these replacements might be other stones, such as quartz or granite, but the cheapest means of achieving a marmoreal aesthetic is the least durable: Peel-and-stick paper can give any flat surface a marble pattern. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 13 Author Report Share Posted March 13 What's the Word: MULIEBRITY pronunciation: [myoo-lee-EB-ri-tee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Latin, 16th century Meaning: 1. Womanly qualities; womanhood. Examples: "Women express muliebrity in many different ways, ranging from motherhood to paths at home, in the workplace, and in the public sphere." "Eileen felt most at home in her muliebrity when she became a grandmother." About Muliebrity “Muliebrity” is based on the Latin “muliebritās,” meaning “womanliness.” Did you Know? “Muliebrity” is a way of describing womanhood, with roots stretching back to Latin, so it records a history of the way the Romans, and later English-speaking civilizations, thought of women. The Latin root “mulier” can mean either “woman” or “wife.” Such similarities exist in modern languages as well: The French word “femme” can mean both “woman” and “wife.” However, today, womanhood and womanly qualities are expressed across a spectrum of characteristics and experiences that span beyond matrimony. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 14 Author Report Share Posted March 14 What's the Word: SATURNINE pronunciation: [SAT-ər-nahyn] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Old French, 15th century Meaning: 1. (Of a person or their manner) Slow and gloomy. Examples: "While most characters in “Winnie-the-Pooh” are cheerful, Eeyore is saturnine." "Poor weather at the beginning of my vacation put me in a saturnine mood." About Saturnine “Saturnine” is based on the Old French “Saturnin,” from the Latin “Saturninus,” meaning “of Saturn.” Did you Know? Saturn was the Roman god of time, wealth, and periodic renewal, among other things. From his name we get the December festival Saturnalia — a season of feasting, fun, and gift-giving. How is it, then, that a “saturnine” personality is gloomy and melancholic? In the Middle Ages, Saturn was believed to be the farthest planet from the sun, and therefore cold and desolate. Rather than the god Saturn, remembered with joyous celebrations of plenty, the planet Saturn was associated with gloom and darkness — the characteristic features of a saturnine personality. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 15 Author Report Share Posted March 15 What's the Word: FANTOCCINI pronunciation: [fan-tə-CHEE-nee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Italian, 18th century Meaning: 1. Puppets used to enact dramatic scenes by means of machinery. 2. The puppet shows in which they are used. Examples: "Fantoccini and other styles of puppet shows were once an extremely popular form of entertainment for children and adults alike." "With this new choreography and music, the dancers move across the stage like fantoccini." About Fantoccini “Fantoccini” is based on “fantoccino,” a diminutive Italian word for “puppet,” which is itself based on the root “fante” (meaning “child”). Did you Know? For about a century before the arrival of the term “marionette” in the 19th century, “fantoccini” was the term used to describe puppets operated from above with sticks or cables. “Fantoccini” is related to the Italian root “fante” (meaning “child”) because of the small size of the puppets: Puppet shows were often advertised as bringing miniatures to life. Though the term “fantoccini” was originally associated with Italian puppeteer Carlo Perico, who brought his show to England in 1770, the term was quickly applied to all puppetry performances in which puppeteers operated from above. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 16 Author Report Share Posted March 16 What's the Word: HIDEBOUND pronunciation: [HAHYD-bownd] Part of speech: adjective Origin: English, 17th century Meaning: 1. Unwilling or unable to change because of tradition or convention. Examples: "With the exception of a few hidebound urban traditionalists, the whole city council voted to absorb the suburbs into the city limits." "Despite several decades of advances in camping equipment, my hidebound uncle insists his 1970s mountaineering tools are still superior." About Hidebound “Hidebound” was formed out of two words in English: “hide,” meaning “animal skin,” and “bound,” meaning “tied.” Did you Know? The term “hidebound” once referred simply to animals — an animal was hidebound when it was emaciated, with skin so tight against its body that it restricted motion. Today, the term refers to anyone or anything held in place by the tension of some tradition or convention and a fixation on doing things as they’ve always been done. For example, hidebound music companies that have not embraced the rise of TikTok and other social media are at risk of losing out in the new landscape of streaming and musical discovery. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 17 Author Report Share Posted March 17 What's the Word: PIFFLING pronunciation: [PIF-ling] Part of speech: adjective Origin: English, 19th century Meaning: 1. Trivial; unimportant. Examples: "Dora felt disappointed to have worked so hard for such a piffling amount of pay." "I’m hesitant to call professionals for piffling repairs, so I always try to fix things myself first." About Piffling “Piffling” is based on the English word “piffle,” meaning “nonsense.” Did you Know? “Piffling” is an adjective formed in English to describe unimportant things, based on the noun “piffle.” “Piffle” can also be a verb: “To piffle” means to speak in a useless or meaningless way. Thus, a “piffling” matter is that associated with meaningless things, and the kind of speech that promotes meaninglessness. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 18 Author Report Share Posted March 18 What's the Word: FANTOD pronunciation: [FAN-tod] Part of speech: noun Origin: Unknown, 19th century Meaning: 1. A state or attack of uneasiness or unreasonableness. Examples: "The innkeeper was nice enough, but the B&B gave me the fantods, so we left after just one night." "The uneasiness ahead of a workweek is called “the Sunday scaries,” but that feeling can be called “the fantods” on any day." About Fantod The origin of “fantod” is unclear, but it may be related to “fantastic” or “fatigue,” with the Welsh ending “-od,” indicating plurality in animals. Did you Know? “Fantod” usually appears in the plural — in part because its “-od” ending may be a Welsh plural. So rather than hear of a singular “fantod,” we’re likelier to hear of “the fantods.” This expression — describing a feeling of vague uneasiness — is very similar in meaning to “the willies” or “the heebie-jeebies,” though having been first noted in the mid-19th century, “the fantods” predates both of those terms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 19 Author Report Share Posted March 19 What's the Word: PIRANDELLIAN pronunciation: [pir-ən-DEL-ee-ən] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Proper name, 20th century Meaning: 1. Describing drama in which actors become inseparable and indistinct from the characters that they play. 2. Of, pertaining to, or characteristic of the works of Luigi Pirandello (1867–1936), Italian dramatist and poet. Examples: "The experimental play mixed fiction and reality in a truly Pirandellian manner." "Not all audiences respond favorably to the Pirandellian move of merging characters with the real-life identities of the actors who play them." About Pirandellian “Pirandellian” is based on the proper name of Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello, plus the suffix “–ian.” Did you Know? “Pirandellian” is a word based on Italian playwright and author Luigi Pirandello (1867-1936), best known for writing challenging plays that were the foundation for a movement called the Theater of the Absurd. Plays by Pirandello (who won the 1934 Nobel Prize in literature) drew attention to the relationship between the characters and the actors who played them. In these plays, actors often portrayed characters that partly included the identities of the actors themselves. As a result, “Pirandellian” became a term to describe the dramatic merging of actors and their characters, such as when actor and writer Larry David plays a fictional character named “Larry David” on the hit show “Curb Your Enthusiasm.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 20 Author Report Share Posted March 20 What's the Word: VERISIMILAR pronunciation: [ver-ə-SIM-ə-lər] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. Appearing to be true or real; probable; likely. 2. (Fiction) Faithful to its own rules; internally consistent. Examples: "The bartender told us a far-fetched story, but with enough confirmable details to make it seem verisimilar." "I need a book to be verisimilar; if the details start to conflict, I quickly lose interest." About Verisimilar “Verisimilar” is based on the Latin “vērisimilis,” meaning “having the appearance of truth.” This root combines “vērus” (meaning “true”) and “similis” (meaning “like” or “similar”). Did you Know? To describe something as “verisimilar” is not to say that it is necessarily true — only that it has the appearance of truth. In many cases, without evidence proving something is true beyond doubt, confirming it is verisimilar may be the closest available verification to truth. For example, in a court case based on the testimony of eyewitnesses rather than on a wealth of physical evidence, the outcome of the case will depend on how verisimilar the judge and jury find the eyewitnesses to be. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 21 Author Report Share Posted March 21 What's the Word: AMPHIBOLOGY pronunciation: [am-fə-BOL-ə-jee] Part of speech: noun Origin: Old French, 14th century Meaning: 1. A phrase or sentence that is grammatically ambiguous, such as “She sees more of her children than her husband.” Examples: "Avoid accidental amphibology by using an Oxford comma, such as in the list of actions ‘eats, shoots, and leaves,’ instead of the ambiguous list ‘eats, shoots and leaves.’" "I was alarmed by an amphibology in my adviser’s letter of recommendation, because an ambiguous statement could be misread." About Amphibology “Amphibology” is based on the Old French “amphibologie,” from the late Latin “amphibologia,” meaning “ambiguous.” Did you Know? An amphibology (to be distinguished from “amphibiology,” the study of amphibians) is a statement that can be misread because it contains ambiguous language or words with multiple definitions. For example, in “Jury sentences defendant to six months in stolen trophy case,” it’s clear that there is a legal case regarding a stolen trophy, yet “trophy case” is a common term in an entirely different context, so it turns the statement into an amphibology. The same is true of “Last night I was surprised by a guest in my bathrobe.” This amphibology could be interpreted to mean that the guest was wearing the bathrobe — surprising indeed. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 22 Author Report Share Posted March 22 What's the Word: PARAMNESIA pronunciation: [par-am-NEE-zhə] Part of speech: noun Origin: English, 19th century Meaning: 1. A condition or phenomenon involving distorted memory or confusions of fact and fantasy, such as confabulation or déjà vu. Examples: "Because of her paramnesia, Cherie has difficulty telling the difference between her dreams and yesterday’s events." "One of the most common forms of paramnesia is the experience of déjà vu." About Paramnesia “Paramnesia” is formed by combining the prefix “para-,” meaning “beside,” with “amnesia,” meaning “loss of memory.” Did you Know? “Paramnesia” was an idea introduced by German psychiatrist Emil Kraepelin in 1886 as a term describing errors of remembering. Kraepelin saw “paramnesia” as referring to a number of conditions affected by faulty memory, key among them confusing reality with fantasy or dreams, experiencing déjà vu, and reduplicative paramnesia. In this last state, a person believes a physical location exists in multiple places simultaneously. Sometimes people suffering paramnesia also engage in confabulation, a remembering error that causes a person to generate false or distorted memories. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 23 Author Report Share Posted March 23 What's the Word: DIABLERIE pronunciation: [di-AH-blə-ree] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 17th century Meaning: 1. Reckless mischief; charismatic wildness. 2. (Archaic) Sorcery supposedly assisted by the devil. Examples: "Hair metal bands of the 1980s, such as Mötley Crüe, were known as much for their diablerie as for their hit records." "The director only wants serious professionals for this project and will accept no diablerie on set." About Diablerie “Diablerie” is taken from the French “diablerie,” meaning “devilry” or “the behavior of the devil” (“diable” in French). Did you Know? “Diablerie” is the French translation of “devilry,” and as such, it describes reckless mischief above all. However, one specific characteristic of “diablerie” is that it reflects a charismatic sort of wildness. Diablerie is often harder to dismiss than simple misbehavior because the charm of the mischievous person makes it difficult to be angry at them. Fans of many reckless artists — musicians, painters, actors, and writers alike — have often interpreted their diablerie as intimately connected with the brilliance of their art. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 24 Author Report Share Posted March 24 What's the Word: COLPORTEUR pronunciation: [KOL-pohr-tər] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 18th century Meaning: 1. A person who sells books, newspapers, and similar literature. 2. Someone employed by a religious society to distribute Bibles and other religious tracts. Examples: "All along the Seine, Parisian colporteurs line up to sell books out of wagons." "Outside the bus station, colporteurs were offering newspapers, magazines, and flyers." About Colporteur “Colporteur” is a loanword from French, where it was created by combining “col,” meaning “neck,” and “porteur,” meaning “carrier” or “porter.” Did you Know? In its original French, the word “colporteur” refers to a hawker or peddler of any kind — it’s still in use today as a synonym for “door-to-door salesperson” and is seen on door stickers reading “Pas de Colporteurs,” which is equivalent to the English “No Solicitors.” In English, the loanword “colporteur” is associated specifically with peddlers of published materials, and historically, religious books in particular. Thus, anyone who hawks tracts for sale in public places is a colporteur. (Famed American composer Cole Porter has no association with the word.) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 25 Author Report Share Posted March 25 What's the Word: QUIESCENT pronunciation: [kwahy-ESS-ənt] Part of speech: adjective Origin: Latin, 17th century Meaning: 1. In a state or period of inactivity or dormancy. Examples: "My favorite band never broke up, but they’ve been quiescent for over a decade." "After suffering a few quiescent seasons, the local baseball team roared to a powerful victory on opening day." About Quiescent “Quiescent” is based on the Latin “quiēscere,” meaning “being still.” Did you Know? Some of today’s most popular music is the product of quiescent or dormant periods. In 2015, One Direction entered a quiescent period, during which Harry Styles began focusing on his solo music; he released his massively popular self-titled debut two years later. Also in 2015, Taylor Swift — already a massive star — blasted back into the spotlight after two quiescent years and released the album “Reputation.” 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 26 Author Report Share Posted March 26 What's the Word: GLOAMING pronunciation: [GLOH-ming] Part of speech: noun Origin: Old English, 11th century Meaning: 1. Twilight, as at early morning (dawn) or (especially) early evening; dusk. 2. Sullenness; melancholy. Examples: "My husband likes to describe our evening walks as ‘roaming in the gloaming.’" "If the cat doesn’t come inside before the gloaming, she’ll likely stay out all night." About Gloaming “Gloaming” is an Old English word based on the root “glōm,” meaning “twilight.” Did you Know? “Gloaming” is a very old word based on the Old English root “glōm,” meaning “twilight.” Over the course of its long history, “gloaming” has been pronounced differently — at one time, the term was pronounced “glooming.” (The word “gloom” is also based on the Old English “glōm.”) “Gloaming” — describing light dying out — is also related to the word “glow,” with nearly the opposite meaning. Both words share the root “glō,” which is the basis of “glow” and suggests “gloaming” should be specifically defined as the time when lights still glow as dusk descends. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 27 Author Report Share Posted March 27 What's the Word: EUCATASTROPHE pronunciation: [yoo-kə-TAS-trə-fee] Part of speech: noun Origin: British English, 1940s Meaning: 1. A sudden and favorable resolution of events in a story. Examples: "The destruction of the Death Star is one of the most universally recognizable eucatastrophes in cinematic history." "The traffic jam provided a eucatastrophe for our team, as it gave us 20 minutes to finish the presentation before the clients arrived." About Eucatastrophe “Eucatastrophe” was coined by J.R.R. Tolkien in 1944 by adding the Greek prefix “eu-” (meaning “good” or “well”) to the existing English word “catastrophe.” Did you Know? “The Lord of the Rings” author J.R.R. Tolkien coined the term “eucatastrophe” as a counterpoint to the sudden resolution of a catastrophe. In traditional literary terms, “catastrophe” does not necessarily refer to an unexpected disaster (as we use the word today); rather, it's a final resolution to the story. It often involves a formal ceremony, such as in “Hamlet,” when a king is killed and another ascends to the throne, or in “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” in which three couples are married. Tolkien wanted a term to describe a sudden shift toward a happy fate in a story that seemed destined for doom, so he coined “eucatastrophe” to describe those abrupt moments that shift a plot toward a pleasant conclusion. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 28 Author Report Share Posted March 28 What's the Word: HIPPODROME pronunciation: [HIP-ə-drohm] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 16th century Meaning: 1. A theater or other performance venue. 2. (In ancient Greece or Rome) A course for chariot or horse races. Examples: "When we heard who was playing at the hippodrome this weekend, we got tickets for the whole family." "The historic Hippodrome Theater is used more for conventions than stage shows now, but it still welcomes thousands of people a year." About Hippodrome “Hippodrome” is a French loanword related to the ancient Greek “ἱππόδρομος” (“hippódromos”), formed by combining “ἵππος” (“híppos,” or “horse”) with “δρόμος” (“drómos,” or “course”). Did you Know? In ancient Greece and Rome, “hippodrome” was originally a term for a horse or chariot race. In French-speaking countries, the term is still in use to describe racetracks for horses, as well as for bicycle racing. The French-speaking world has not given up on the prefix “hippos-,” meaning “horse.” However, in English-speaking countries, “hippodromes” are theaters. Most of the time, these venues have no connection to horse or bicycle racing. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 29 Author Report Share Posted March 29 What's the Word: GLYPH pronunciation: [glif] Part of speech: noun Origin: French, 18th century Meaning: 1. A small graphic symbol. 2. Strictly, a sculptured symbol (e.g., as forming the ancient Mayan writing system). Examples: "Each page of the manuscript was marked by a glyph in lieu of numbering." "For a few years in the 1990s, Prince changed his name to an unpronounceable glyph, and he was referred to as “the Artist Formerly Known as Prince.”" About Glyph “Glyph” entered English from the French word “glyphe,” which was based on the Greek “γλυφή” (“gluphḗ,” meaning “carving”). Did you Know? The glyphs most people are familiar with are hieroglyphs, systems of pictorial writing associated with ancient civilizations, such as the Maya and the Egyptians. However, in the modern world, “glyph” can describe any pictorial symbol used to communicate. For example, corporate logos are glyphs, as are many public signs to indicate the locations of restrooms, restaurants, gas stations, and hospitals. Glyphs can be used in a variety of ways, such as during the earliest days of Wi-Fi technology, when some users would chalk glyphs on the sidewalk near Wi-Fi hot spots to help other users identify locations where they could access the internet. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkRavie Posted March 30 Author Report Share Posted March 30 What's the Word: COOMB pronunciation: [koom] Part of speech: noun Origin: Old English, eighth century Meaning: 1. A short valley or hollow on a hillside or coastline. Examples: "Though the cliffs surrounding the village were rocky, a small coomb provided space to grow crops." "The backpackers discovered a coomb between the hills that was far easier to hike through than steep slopes." About Coomb “Coomb” is based on the Old English “cumb,” meaning “a vessel,” and the Scots “coom,” meaning “tub” or “cistern.” Did you Know? “Coomb” is among the oldest words in the English language, dating back to the 700s. Describing either a short valley along a hillside or coastline, or a deep, narrow valley bordered by steep hills, “coomb” is closely related to the variant “combe,” a common British place name. (From Addiscombe to Yarnscombe, there are more than 100 places in England with “combe” in their name.) “Coomb” is also related to the Old English “cumb,” meaning “vessel”; the Scots “coom” and “cumb,” meaning “tub”; and the German “Kumpf,” meaning “bowl.” In all cases, the words point toward a basin shape, whether located in a landscape or in the kitchen. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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