Topic awaiting preservation: Word of the day

Quite timely I thought.

Today's Word:
Moab (Noun)

Pronunciation: ['mo-æb]

Definition 1: A wash pot, sink, tub, or washing place; (MOAB) the largest conventional bomb in the US arsenal (21,000 pounds), an acronym for Massive Ordnance Air Blast (or the nickname Mother Of All Bombs).

Usage 1: Clearly the British and US are at odds in the use of today's word. The British see it as a place for cleaning up while the US sees it as something for 'cleaning up' a place. The MOAB is part of the US military's 'shock and awe' strategy of causing extreme fright with the sheer power of our ordnance.

Suggested usage: In writing about the British public schools in 1867, W. L. Collins commented, "It was not pleasant to have to wash at the old Moab?an open conduit in the quadrangle, where it was necessary, on a severe winter morning, for a junior to melt the ice on the stop-cock with a lighted faggot before any water could be got to flow at all." Speaking of external heat, according to USA Today, "MOAB might not be the largest conventional weapon in the arsenal for long. A 30,000-pound weapon called Big BLU (Bomb Live Unit) is being developed and might be available for use in Iraq."

Etymology: Moab originally was a small kingdom to the east of the Dead Sea (currently southwest Jordan) with roots in the 13th century BCE. According to the Bible, the Moabites were descendants of Lot. In the King James Version of Psalms 60:8 David claims, "Moab is my wash pot," referring to his subjugation of Moab. From this reference, the British humorously applied the word to their washing vessels and places. One can only wonder whether irony was the intent in selecting "MOAB" as the acronym of the new level of US ordnance to be introduced in the Middle East.


?Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Main Entry: at·trit·ed
Pronunciation: &-'trI-t&d
Function: adjective
Date: 1760
: worn by attrition

I think this is also quite timely. Besides, this word has found its way into everyday conversations since it's been used in military-speak on all the war coverage lately. I'm hearing just about every talk show host and their guests I listen to on the radio slipping it into their sound bites. It's interesting how these phrases and words make the rounds, so to speak.

Attrition just means "normal losses"... of which, any in war could probably be considered "normal".

I used to work for Bank of America (formerly NationsBank) and during the 3 mergers of which I was a part, "attrition" was used routinely to mean that any staff who lost their jobs only did so because of "attrition". Meaning they would have lost their jobs anyway... And then the bastards go in a cut 6,000 positions! grrr...


Bodhi - Cell 617

I had never heard it used in a sentence like this for example, "The Medina Republican Guard are being constantly attrited." I had always heard it used as "attrition" the same way you did at the bank.

Come to think of it, I haven't heard it used in that manner either... Of course, I'm trying really hard not to listen too much to the television these days... I should probably pay more attention to it.
What do ya know? Learn something new every day...

Ok, I had to do it. I looked it up in Ye Ol' Webster's New World. Attrition is the noun, attrited is the adjective. The definition for the noun says: 1. "the act or process of wearing away or grinding down by friction." and 2. "any gradual wearing or weakening, esp. to the point of exhaustion (a siege is a battle of attrition)" and then 3. "the loss in personnel of an organization in the normal course of events, as because of death, retirement, etc."
The definition for attrited just says "worn down by friction or attrition." I'm always wary when the definition uses the word or even the root word to describe itself... But now it makes sense!
Been a long time since I've felt the need to do that. Thanks for the exercise in self-education, Bugs!

Bodhi - Cell 617

[This message has been edited by bodhi23 (edited 04-08-2003).]

Main Entry: de·lu·sion
Pronunciation: di-'lü-zh&n, dE-
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English, from Late Latin delusion-, delusio, from deludere
Date: 15th century
1 a : the act of deluding : the state of being deluded b : an abnormal mental state characterized by the occurrence of psychotic delusions
2 a : something that is falsely or delusively believed or propagated b : a persistent false psychotic belief regarding the self or persons or objects outside the self




.:[ Never resist a perfect moment ]:.

A friend defines cnn as 'a weapon of mass distraction.'

Note the implied "real" meaning of 'innocent'.



Today's Word:
Internecine (Adjective)

Pronunciation: [in-têr-'ne-seen]

Definition 1: Aimed at total destruction; mutually destructive; pertaining to a struggle within an entity, such as a nation or organization.

Usage 1: Today's word exemplifies the mischief dictionaries can do to language. The prefix inter? in today's word was used in Latin as an intensifier meaning "completely" rather than as a prefix with its usual meaning "mutual, between." Samuel Johnson mistook the prefix, and defined the word as "endeavoring mutual destruction." Johnson's dictionary was so popular, however, that his error became accepted usage. Later on, due to yet another misinterpretation of the prefix, the meaning slipped even farther when it began to refer to internal struggle of any magnitude.

Suggested usage: Today, however, we cannot escape the semantic slippage of "internecine;" it is ingrained in the language. To speak of World War II as an internecine war would be taken as a reference to a mutually destructive war among nations inside the same continent. The new Department of Home Security was created, among other reasons, to reduce the internecine competition between the various security agencies of the federal government.

Etymology: From Latin internecinus "massively destructive" from internecare "to slaughter," based on nex (nec-s) "death," an e-variant of Proto-Indo-European (PIE) *nok-/*nek- "death." The o-grade form is found in nocent "harmful, guilty," the rarely used antonym of "innocent," and in nocuous "harmful," another rarity sitting in plain view inside "innocuous." Both are from the Latin verb nocere "to harm or injure." "Noxious" alone or in "obnoxious" derives from Latin noxa (nok-s-a)"injury, damage." The e-grade form also turns up in Greek nekros "corpse, body," underlying the other word for cemetery, necropolis "city of the dead." Nectar, the drink of the gods, comes from PIE *nek "death" + *tar "overcoming," the drink that overcame death, and "nectarine" derives from "nectar." (We are grateful today to Dr. Richard R. Everson for spotting the slide of today's word from its original meaning.)


?Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

Quote:

regime change

(ruh.ZHEEM chaynj) n. An ironic reference to a change of leadership, particularly in business, politics, or sports.

Example Citation:

As you might have heard, we've had a regime change here at the paper. We knew something was up Wednesday when all the TVs in the building suddenly went black, then showed the Star Tribune flag with patriotic music playing. Then the middle managers were dragged from the building in shackles and loaded into black vans ? some sort of retreat, I guess. Next thing you knew we had a new editor.
?James Lileks, "New regime has informer already," Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN), May 19, 2002


Backgrounder:
The phrase regime change has been used in military and diplomatic circles for many years. It became a household term earlier this year when members of the Bush administration began using the phrase conspicuously when discussing their policy towards Iraq. Secretary of State Colin Powell used the term in congressional hearings in early February, and White House spokesman Ari Fleischer began using regime change regularly in press conferences around the beginning of March. Whether it was the prospect of war with Iraq or the unabashedly euphemistic scent carried by the phrase, it struck a chord and suddenly references to regime change were everywhere you looked.

What interests me, however, is the shift the phrase has taken to more mundane contexts. Whether it's the retirement of a business executive, the defeat of a politician, or the firing of a coach, wags from all walks of life are planting their tongues firmly in their cheeks and referring to these leadership moves as regime changes.

Below are a few more example citations to give you a taste of how this phrase is being used.

Example Citation #2:

Our fascination and anger and sense of betrayal over the breakup of the old championship Bulls, our curiosity about the new kids, our interest in a front-office regime change ? all of it has been dulled until we just sort of shrug, smile and say, "Whatever."
?Rick Telander, "These Bulls in no hurry to improve," Chicago Sun-Times, April 17, 2002


Example Citation #3:

lvmh fashion group instituted a regime change at its recently acquired subsidiary, Donna Karan International. The company kicked chief executive Giuseppe Brusone upstairs to be chairman and brought on Fred Wilson, head of LVMH's U.S. fashion division, to accelerate growth.
?"New CEO at Donna Karan," Crain's New York Business, October 7, 2002


Example Citation #4:

I think that if city commissioners and the mayor keep putting their residents' safety at risk, then we need a 'regime change' next election.
?Craig Eaton, "Monnin would bring much-needed change," Dayton Daily News, October 19, 2002


Example Citation #5:

In two short weeks in September, revolutionary regime change spread through the classical music world.
?Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, October 20, 2002


...xpi...

"nuff said"

[This message has been edited by Xpirex (edited 04-23-2003).]

Iraqnophobia

(i.RAK.nuh.foh.bee.uh) n. An unusually strong fear of Iraq, especially its ability to manufacture and use biological, chemical, and nuclear weapons. Also: Iraqnaphobia, Iraqniphobia.

Example Citation:


Now that September is here, President Bush can launch his "initial public offering" of stock in his newest product, Iraqnophobia.
?John Roberts, "Bush's war talk hides economic woes" (letter to the editor), The Tennessean, September 14, 2002


"nuff said"

Now that one has a nice ring to it.