Category: word for the day

Before I get to the word definition, is anyone else having trouble with the northeast corner of the Saturday New York Times Crossword Puzzle? I pretty much zipped through the rest of it. Maybe if I just lay it aside for a while, I can come back to it with a fresh mind. As I’ve mentioned before, the greatest cheat is to ask John for an answer. It’s also somewhat demeaning. But if anyone reading this would like to drop me a hint I’d appreciate it.

The word for the day also appears in the puzzle. It’s one I’d never seen before. It looks like a felony committed by someone named Robert.

bobbery – A squabble; a tumult; a noisy disturbance; as, to raise a bobbery. (dictionary.com)
It is from the Hindi meaning “O thou Father” and is a disrespectful form of address.

All things wine today.

Oenology – The study of wine and the making of wine.

A variant of this is enology. Not surprisingly it is from the Greek oinos meaning wine.

This is kind of interesting. Originally, intrigue was only a noun with the accent on the first syllable meaning a secret or underhand scheme; a plot or a clandestine love affair. Then, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, “The introduction of the verb intrigue (accent on the second syllable) to mean “to arouse the interest or curiosity of” was initially resisted by writers on usage as an unneeded French substitute for available English words such as interest, fascinate, or puzzle, but it now appears to be well established.” The use of intrigue as a verb has only become well accepted in the last 40 years.

If you go to Italy, you are going to see a lot of Renaissance art.

Renaissance – A rebirth or revival.
The Renaissance
a. The humanistic revival of classical art, architecture, literature, and learning that originated in Italy in the 14th century and later spread throughout Europe.
b. The period of this revival, roughly the 14th through the 16th century, marking the transition from medieval to modern times. (dictionary.com)

A tad, smidgen, iota, tad, taste, sip, dollop, atom, bit, crumb, dot, fragment, grain, jot, minimum, mite, modicum, molecule, morsel, mote, ounce, particle, scintilla, scrap, shred, smidgen, or a speck, it’s just a little more.

These entries are all connected as you’ll see when you read the “travels” section.

Bellini – This drink was created in 1943 at Harry’s Bar in Venice, Italy in honor of the painter Geovani Bellini. The original recipe was made with fresh pureed white peaches with a bit of raspberry or cherry juice to give the drink a pink glow.

Original Version
2/3 cup white peach puree (use yellow peaches if white not available)
1 teaspoon raspberry puree
1 bottle chilled Italian sparkling wine such as Prosecco or Asti Spumante Brut

Place 1 1/2 tablespoons puree In the bottom of each flute and add 2 – 3 drops of the raspberry puree. Add sparkling wine and serve. (gourmetsleuth.com)

Why is it that English, particularily American English, so readily accepts foreign words with no fuss, while the French have laws against it. They don’t want their language polluted with lots of Americanisms. But guess what, it’s an uphill fight. Things like “le weekend” or “radio” are in practical use.

Here are words from French we use all the time: malaise, chauffeur, milieu, parvenu, paramour, bon mot, montage, laissez faire and many others.

There’s a lot of talk in the news about the Senate using the “nuclear option” and changing the Senate rules about filibustering judicial nominees.

Filibuster – The use of obstructionist tactics, especially prolonged speechmaking, for the purpose of delaying legislative action.

There is a statue of William Lloyd Garrison, the famous abolitionist, on the Commonwealth Mall in Boston. Inscribed on the statue are his words – “I am in earnest – I will not equivocate – I will not excuse – I will not retreat a single inch – AND I WILL BE HEARD.” Here’s a man who really said what he meant and stood by it.

In relation to my worry of the day, I tend to be an equivocator. It’s something I am trying to overcome.

equivocate – To be deliberately ambiguous or unclear in order to mislead or to avoid committing oneself to anything definite.

I know the word misogynist but misandrist is new to me. Isn’t that interesting.

Misogynist – One who hates women.
Misandrist – One who hates men.