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Today's Word:
Zeugma (Noun)

Pronunciation: ['zug-mê ]

Definition 1: The Greek correlate of the Latinate word, "syllepsis" [si-'lep-sis], a syntactic construction in which a single word governs at least two other words or phrases even though its sense applies to them in different ways, e.g. "He flew off the handle and straight to Rio."

Usage 1: Zeugma (syllepsis) usually indicates that one of the words or phrases involved is used normally while the other is in an idiom. "To lose one's temper" is idiomatic (nothing is actually lost) while the meaning of "to lose his hat" is straightforward. However, if you combine them, i.e. "He lost his hat and his temper," the result is a mildly amusing zeugmatic expression which is syntactically good but semantically not so. (Some people argue that zeugma and syllepsis are not the same but there is no general agreement as to what the difference is.)

Suggested usage: Let's begin with an example of zeugma from 'Dombey and Son' by Charles Dickens, "Miss Nipper shook her head and a tin canister, and began, unasked, to make the tea." Get the idea? Now let's see if we can do it: "Councilwoman Rankin would rather press flesh than clothes." You have probably already heard something similar to this, "He drove his car recklessly and his wife crazy." All these sentences suffer from inoperable zeugma.

Etymology: From Greek zeugma "a bond," which devolved from earlier *yeug-, also the origin of English "yoke." Latin jugum "yoke" ([j] was pronounce [y]) is another descendent, one responsible for English "jugular," "conjugate," and "subjugate." The same root became Sanskrit yugam "yoke" and yoga "union." English "jostle" is a former diminutive of "joust," borrowed from Latin iuxtare "to be next to" from iuxta "nearby," another relative. The nasalized variant gave us English "join," "joint," "junction" and Spanish "junta," all originating in Latin iungere "to join." (Now let's take the bull by the horns and the time to thank Mary Jane Stoneburg of Lewisburg, Pennsylvania for yoking us up with today's word.)


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It's tommorow now

Word of the Day for Monday December 16, 2002
callow \KAL-oh\, adjective:
Immature; lacking adult perception, experience, or judgment.

Those who in later years did me harm I describe as I knew them then, and I beg any reader to remember that, although I was hardly callow, I was not yet wise in the ways of the world.
--Iain Pears, An Instance of the Fingerpost

George Black Jr was grateful that during his protracted courtship of Betty, his future father-in-law 'bore my callow unsophistication with benign indulgence'.
--Richard Siklos, Shades of Black

They watched in awe as Revere, at first a callow and unambitious youth, began to develop into a serious young man dedicated to books and devoted to his father.
--Sherwin B. Nuland, "The Saint," New Republic, December 13, 1999

Word of the day for Wednesday, December 18, 2002

Hammer - A device that hamms.

[edit] Ram, how about a real dictionary defenition? [/edit]

This message has been edited by ______.

Wednesday, December 17, 2002.

Word of the Day: obfuscate

Obfuscate

(tr. v.)
- To make so confused or opaque as to be difficult to perceive or understand, "A great effort was made . . . to obscure or obfuscate the truth."
- To render indistinct or dim; darken. "The fog obfuscated the shore."

Usage
Can be used almost interchangeably with obscure, however, obfuscate would more likely be used in a mental sense. " . . . clouds of confusion obfuscate the mind."

Etymology
From the Latin obfuscatus, obfuscare: to darken

Word of the Day for Tuesday December 17, 2002
succinct \suhk-SINGKT\, adjective:
Characterized by compressed precise expression with no wasted words; brief; concise.

Susan was many things, and almost all of them wondrous, but she was not succinct. I minded this less than I might have, because I loved to listen to her talk.
--Robert B. Parker, Sudden Mischief

Then Colin Powell stepped forward and gave the president the most succinct national security briefing of Ronald Reagan's entire presidency. "The world is quiet today, Mr. President," said Powell.
--Michael Reagan with Jim Denney, The City on a Hill

Sorry, gentlemen... but "zeugmatic" takes all your other words, puts them in a burlap bag, and beats them with a shovel.

Word of the Day for Wednesday December 18, 2002:

lugubrious \lu-GOO-bree-uhs; -GYOO-\, adjective:
Mournful, often exaggeratedly or affectedly; woeful; gloomy.

Today's Word:
Turdiform (Adjective)

Pronunciation: ['têr-dê-form]

Definition 1: Having the shape of a thrush.

Usage 1: If you find today's word too suspicious to use in discussions of thrushes, there are alternatives: turdoid and turdine "belonging to the family turdus," e.g. song-thrush (Turdus musicus), the ever so seasonal mistletoe thrush (Turdus viscivorus), among others. If you are a genuine thrush-fancier, you will want to keep your thrushes in a specially constructed turdarium "a place where thrushes are kept."

Suggested usage: Here, at last, is the word that wakes up that dozing audience in the middle of your bird-watching slideshow, "I'm not sure of the name of this turdiform little flyer is but I'm sure you will agree that it is a delight to the eye." Of course, there are many birds similar to thrushes that call for today's word: "Marvin, do you know the name of the pretty little turdoid bird sitting on the birdfeeder right now?

Etymology: Latin turdus thrush + forma "form." Today's word seems unrelated to any other word in English with the possible exception of "thrush" itself.


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Word of the Day for Thursday December 26, 2002

doff \DOF\, transitive verb:

1. To take off, as an article of clothing.
2. To tip or remove (one's hat).
3. To put aside; to rid oneself of.


Cell 816~teamEarth~Asylum Quotes

word of the day: Friday, (Dec.27/2002)
HAUGHTY=arrogant, proud

Ars Longa Vita Brevis!

Today's Word:
Toboggan (Noun)

Pronunciation: [tê-'bah-gên]

Definition 1: A long, flat-bottomed sled without runners made of slats curled up in front.

Usage 1: Today's word may also be used as a verb signifying the use of a toboggan, as to toboggan down a snowy hill. However, if you are in the Southeastern US where snow is a rarity, be careful using today's word. In the US South it more usually refers to the knitted, stretchable hat that you might pull over your head to toboggan. You are a tobogganer if you toboggan.

Suggested usage: Be sure you know who you are talking to if you say anything like, "Hey, put a toboggan on your head and let's toboggan." Northerners will think you are going to carry your sled on top of your head but Southerners will think you should pull on a knitted cap. Tobogganing is a headlong plunge downhill, so we could also say, "With the economy tobogganing heaven knows where, it is better to keep your money in a sock under your mattress."

Etymology: Borrowed by French Canadians from an Algonquian language. It was originally spelled tabaganne (Le Clercq 'Nouvelle Relation de la Gaspesie,' 1691, p. 70). The word was probably borrowed from Micmac (Lower Canada, Nova Scotia) "tobâkun," a word related to Abnaki (Quebec and Maine) "udãbãgan," Montaignais "utapan," Cree "otâbânâsk," and Ojibwe "odaban-ak." (Today we thank Phyllis Rich for spotting an interesting story in today's seasonal word.)


?Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

The word for today is...

salubrious: (adj) good for the health: beneficial to or promoting health or well-being (formal)

[Mid-16th century. Formed from Latin salubris , from salus ?health? (source of English salutary and salute).]

synonims: healthy, wholesome, respectable, decent, hygienic, clean
antonym: insalubrious

For example, "These beets are certainly salubrius."

SOLI DEO GLORIA

Welcome aboard Josh. Hope you enjoy your stay.

You've used the word I'm sure... but the singular ?? =)

Today's Word:
Smithereens (Noun)

Pronunciation: [smi-dhêr-'eenz]

Definition 1: A multitude of bits and pieces.

Usage 1: Today's word is used almost exclusively in the idiomatic phrase "to smithereens" as in to smash to smithereens. It seems to be a plural noun, since the singular is all but never used. However, D. H. Lawrence proved it still performs creatively when he wrote, "The sun went bang, with smithereens of birds bursting in all directions," in 'Mornings in Mexico.'

Suggested usage: The fragments referred to by today’s word may be abstract as well as concrete: "His life was reduced to smithereens when his wife refused to surrender the remote control of the TV." However, the full potential of today’s word is currently not being exploited. Why not use the singular? "Who shattered my Ming vase! You clean up the mess and pick up every single smithereen!"

Etymology: From Irish smidirín "bit", diminutive of smiodar "small fragment." The suffix is the Irish diminutive suffix found also in colleen "young Irish girl," girleen "young girl," poteen "small pot." We find the same sound in Kathleen, the English rendition of "Caitlin," the Irish realization of "Katherine." (Today's word was suggested by Michelle, the Vamp of the Agora. Shouldn't you find out what's going on there today?)


—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

For today:

apotheosis

1. Exaltation to divine rank or stature; deification.
2. Elevation to a preeminent or transcendent position; glorification: ?Many observers have tried to attribute Warhol's current apotheosis to the subversive power of artistic vision? (Michiko Kakutani).
3. An exalted or glorified example: Their leader was the apotheosis of courage.

Word of the Day for Tuesday January 21, 2003
itinerant \eye-TIN-uhr-uhnt\, adjective:
Passing or traveling from place to place; wandering.


--


Heh, I've actually used a couple of these words in some school papers, thanks to the Asylum.

Word of the Day for Wednesday January 22, 2003

Main Entry: ex·ig·u·ous
Pronunciation: ig-'zi-gy&-w&s
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin exiguus, from exigere
Date: 1651
: excessively scanty : INADEQUATE <wrest an exiguous existence from the land> <exiguous evidence>
- ex·ig·u·ous·ly adverb
- ex·ig·u·ous·ness noun

Word of the Day for Friday January 24, 2003

scuttlebutt \SKUHT-l-buht\, noun:
1. (Nautical)
a. A drinking fountain on a ship.
b. A cask on a ship that contains the day's supply of drinking water.
2. Gossip; rumor.

Scuttlebutt comes from scuttle, "a small opening" + butt, "a large cask" -- that is, a small hole cut into a cask or barrel to allow individual cups of water to be drawn out. The modern equivalent is the office water cooler, also a source of refreshment and gossip.

Synonyms: gossip, hearsay, rumor, buzz.

usage...."when I left her, she had Zeugma all over her chin..."

I would have lost money betting on who we 'borrowed' this from... and who knew about the pluralis tantum. :d

Today's Word:
Boondocks (Noun)

Pronunciation: ['bun-dahks]

Definition 1: A remote, wild, unexplored region; rural, isolated area.

Usage 1: Today's word is a pluralis tantum noun (used exclusively in the plural) like "pliers" and "oats," e.g. living in the boondocks. "Boondockers" are tough shoes appropriate for trekking over rugged terrain, while "Dockers®," are suitable only for extremely civilized regions. Today's word is unrelated to "boondoggle," even though selling someone land in the boondocks might be just that.

Suggested usage: The first meaning of today's word is a synonym of 'the wilds,' "William Akit left five years ago to explore the boondocks of the Amazon and never returned." However, its most recent usage refers to a remote area far removed from the city, "You should move to the city; you will never find yourself a husband living out there in the boondocks."

Etymology: Borrowed from Tagalog (the national language of the Philippines) bundok "mountain." American GIs returning from the Philippines at the end of World War II brought with them not only victory, but a new word referring to a wild, untamed, remote region. In the Philippines it was the mountains but in the US the word refers to any remote area away from the civilization. The doors of the English language, as we have said before, are as wide open to immigrant vocabulary as the English-speaking nations are open to immigration. (Our gratitude to Lyn Laboriel of Tarzana, California for bringing today's word out of the boondocks and before our eyes.)


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