Showing posts with label Word of the Week Wednesday. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Word of the Week Wednesday. Show all posts

Wednesday, May 19, 2010

Word of the Week Wednesday: Soi-disant

Soi-disant (adjective)

Pronounced swah-dee-ZAHNG (the NG is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)

Definition: Self-proclaimed, so-called

Example Sentence:
Sherry realized she must have left her cookies in the oven a bit too long when she had to scrape furiously to get their charred remains off of her soi-disant nonstick baking sheet.

---
Toast. Braids. Fries. Shall we say kissing?

It all sounds more intriguing when you add a little French.

According to Merriam-Webster, “Soi-disant,” which is literally translated, “saying oneself,” is one of hundreds of French terms that entered English in the 17th and 18th centuries, during the period known as the Enlightenment.

Other examples of French words that became English staples during that time frame include, “crepe," "vis-a-vis," "etiquette," and "sang-froid."

Perhaps then, like now, people believed they could sound more sophisticated just by adding a little French twist.

Wednesday, May 12, 2010

Word of the day: Palimpsest

Palimpsest (Noun)

Pronounced:

PAL-imp-sest

Definitions:

1: writing material (as a parchment or tablet) used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased


2: something having usually diverse layers or aspects apparent beneath the surface


Example Sentence:



As Judy observed the eyes of her new boyfriend fill with tears at the end of Sleepless in Seattle, she teased him about what a palimpsest he had turned out to be.

Did you know?


According to Merriam-Webster, writing surfaces were once so rare that they were often used more than once. Their commentators explain, “‘Palimpsest’ originally described an early form of recycling in which an old document was erased to make room for a new one when parchment ran short. Fortunately for modern scholars, the erasing process wasn't completely effective, so the original could often be distinguished under the newer writing. De republica, by Roman statesman and orator Cicero, is one of many documents thus recovered from a palimpsest.”


Today, the word can be used to describe anything that is “more than what meets the eye.”


Definitions and pronunciation taken from Merrian-Webster Online

Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Word of the Week: Alma Mater

Alma Mater (Noun)

Pronounced:

al-mə-ˈmä-tər

Definitions:

1: A school, college, or university which one has attended or from which one has graduated
2: The song or hymn of a school, college, or university

Example sentence:

As the convocation drew to a close, the entire congregation stood to sing Olivet’s alma mater, which was written by the Class of 1939’s Byron Carmony.

--

Okay, so this word may not be completely unknown to the majority of our readers, but we couldn’t think of a more perfect word for this week.

For one thing, no Olivet graduation ceremony would be complete without the singing of Byron Carmony’s “Alma Mater, Olivet.” And in the last hours of their ONU experience, graduates are sure to spend plenty of time this week reflecting on warm memories from their alma mater.

Interestingly enough, the very origin of this word makes it a good fit for this first week in May. “Alma mater” means “fostering mother” in Latin — just in time for Mother’s Day.

Like a nurturing mother, we’re proud of our graduates and wish them all the best in this next chapter of their lives.

And to the all mothers of the Class of 2010: thanks for loaning us your babies for the last few years. They’ve sure done you proud!

Definition and pronunciation taken from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Word of the Week: Puerile

Puerile (adjective)

Pronounced

PYUR-ul

Definition

1: juvenile
2: childish, silly

Example Sentence

Brian misinterpreted Julie’s polite smile as an indication his flirtatious behavior was well received, when in reality, she thought his antics were pathetically puerile.

--
According to Merriam-Webster, “Puerile can describe the acts or utterances of an actual child, but it more often refers (usually with marked disapproval) to occurrences of childishness where adult maturity would be expected or preferred.”

If you’ve ever experienced the disapproving looks of someone more “sophisticated” or “mature” than you, you know how uncomfortable it can be to cross the line from silly to immature.

Where exactly is that line? It depends largely on the situation, atmosphere, and the persons on the receiving end of your behavior. For example, a whoopee cushion would send a room of ten-year-old boys into hysterics, but would threaten your credibility if utilized at a sophisticated dinner party.

If laughter is what you’re after, know your audience and utilize smart, comedic timing.

Stick to this strategy and you’re sure to be the life of the party rather than the puerile pain who never gets invited.

Definitions and pronunciation taken from Merriam-Webster’s online dictionary

Wednesday, April 21, 2010

Word of the Week: Skosh

Skosh (noun)

Pronunciation

Skōsh

Definition

A little, a bit, a small amount

Example Sentence

“Would you move over just a skosh?” asked Vanessa of her husband, so that she could sit by him on the couch.

---

While a “skosh” isn’t exactly a precise measurement, it is still a fun word to use.

This is a relatively new slang word (new in the big scheme of things — nowadays many slang words go in and out of style weekly). But the nature of this word is what makes it interesting. If you told someone who hasn’t heard this word before to “give you a skosh more room,” they’ll know exactly what you mean and will probably move to accommodate you. It’s a fun, casual word everyone can understand and ought to use.

And now, your vocabulary is just a skosh bigger.

Definition taken from dictionary.reference.com

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Word of the Week: Legerdemain

Legerdemain (noun)

Pronunciation

lej-er-duh-MEYN

Definition

Sleight of hand; trickery or deception; any artful trick

Sample Sentence

Sam’s favorite magic tricks to perform for his friends involved marked cards and plenty of legerdemain.

---

This 600-year-old word was coined by the French, but is far from the first word to come to mind when you think of a magician.

We usually think of white bunnies coming out of black top hats, or scarves that seem to come endlessly out of someone’s pocket. We call the tricks amazing, and we know there is legerdemain happening, so we watch closely to try and figure out the secret.

In the 2006 movie The Prestige, starring Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman, two magicians use legerdemain to try and outdo the other. Ricky Jay was the real-life magician who taught the actors their tricks for the movie. However, most magicians never reveal their secrets to another. As Christian Bale’s character says in the movie, “The secret impresses no one. The trick you use it for is everything.”

So if you happen to see a magic show, don’t expect to get the secrets. Instead, sit back and enjoy the legerdemain.

Definition and pronunciation provided by Dictionary.com

Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Word of the Week Wednesday: Slake


Slake: Verb

Pronunciation: \SLAYK\

Definitions:
1. To satisfy; to quench; to extinguish; as, to slake thirst.

2.To cause to lessen; to make less active or intense; to moderate; as, slaking his anger.

Sample sentence: The rain striking campus today will hopefully slake the ground's thirst.

Ever been so thirsty you couldn't gulp that water/soda/Red Bull fast enough? There's nothing so satisfying as slaking your demanding thirst.

(That word just sounds smart!)

Definition from Dictionary.com.

Wednesday, March 31, 2010

Word of the Week: Expeditiously

Expeditiously (adverb)

Pronunciation
ek-spi-dish-uhs-lee

Definition
Characterized by promptness, acting with speed or efficiency

Example Sentence
No one wanted to be in a meeting for two hours, so they conducted the business expeditiously.

---

The temptation to procrastinate is everywhere. In work or school, we tend to put things off or do them slowly. It can take an hour to do a project that should only take half an hour, because we get distracted by Facebook, e-mail, doctor appointments and more.

This interview asserts that workers get distracted from their tasks an average of every three minutes.

In fact, you’re probably reading this article as an interruption from something else. And if you clicked on the article above, that counts as another distraction/interruption.

Multitasking, the art of doing as many things as possible at once, is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s great that we can be so very expeditious when it comes to switching tasks. But we should also be expeditious at completing the tasks we’ve started.

So as you finish reading this article and get back to whatever you were doing before, do your best complete that task expeditiously.

Who knows? Maybe by focusing your attention on one thing at one time, you’ll have more time left at the end of the day to relax and do things that really matter.

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Word of the Week: Bespoke

Bespoke (adjective)

Pronunciation
bi-ˈspōk

Definition

Custom-made, made-to-order

Sample Sentence
Jennifer was extremely lucky to have a personal tailor: all of her jackets were bespoke for her.

---

While most of us can’t afford to have someone create or tailor all of our clothes, it can be a comfort to know that each of us does have at least one thing bespoke in our lives: ourselves.

Every person is unique — we all have our own sets of hand and footprints, even tongueprints. And that doesn’t even touch on how varied our personalities can be. If you know a set of twins extremely well, you’d know it would be a stretch for them to impersonate eash other because their personalities are so different.

Thanks to your background, personality, likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses, you can accomplish a set of tasks no one else in the world can — and even better, you can accomplish them well.

So this year when you’re “spring cleaning” your closets and cupboards, why not spring clean yourself? Take a look in your personality closet, find your favorite pieces about yourself, and wear them. The pieces that just aren’t “you”? Feel free to dump them out with the trash.

You’ve been made-to-order, and there’s nothing better than letting you be you.

Wednesday, March 17, 2010

Word of the Week: Pseudonym

Pseudonym (noun)

Pronunciation
sood-n-im

Definition
A fictitious name used by an author to conceal his or her identity; pen name.


Example Sentence
Because women authors did not used to be well-respected, many such as Mary Ann Evans wrote under pseudonyms; hers was George Eliot.

---

Almost everyone has read several books by Theodor Geisel, and quite a few youngsters would count him as their favorite author. However, almost no one calls him that, instead referring to him as Dr. Seuss. He picked up the pen name early in his writing career and wrote all of his children’s stories by the pseudonym.

Another famous pseudonym is that of Samuel Clemens, who went by Mark Twain. Clemens, who before becoming a writer had a brief career as steamboat pilot on the Mississippi River, adapted the pseudonym from a term used in taking soundings. As boats went from the dock into the main channel, the leadsmen would call out “mark twain” if the water were at a safe enough depth to increase speed.

Actually, one of our own Olivet English professors claims to write books under a pseudonym. Since she won’t disclose what pseudonym she’s better known by, we naturally assume she’s a world-famous, best-selling author in disguise.

Wednesday, March 3, 2010

Word of the Week: Blandish

Blandish (verb)

Pronunciation

BLAN-dish

Definition

To coax or influence by gentle flattery; cajole; also to use flattery or cajolery
Example Sentence

Sherry blandished her mom into letting her borrow the car, even though she’d only had her license for a week.

---

At one time or another, most people blandish to get what they want. A little compliment here or there before asking for what you really want, or saying what you really mean, can get you a long way.

Sometimes we even blandish subconsciously before asking an acquaintance for a favor. If you’re thinking “not me!” just think of the last time you asked a friend or coworker for something.

Did you jump right to the request?

“Can you help me finish up this deadline? I have so much to do this week, and I don’t have the time”

Or did you converse a little before getting to the real topic of conversation?

“Hey Jim. How are you? That tie looks great on you. So I know you’re great with this program, and I could really use some help….”

Blandishing may not actually be a bad thing. Most people would get tired of constantly being asked for favors by someone who seems to care nothing about how they are doing. Common courtesy says that we ask about other people and their lives and show interest in them before asking them to take interest in ours.

Blandishing may, in fact, merely be the polite way of asking for something.

Definition and pronunciation taken from dictionary.reference.com

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Word of the Week: Ubiquitous

Ubiquitous (adjective)

Pronunciation

yoo-bik-wi-tuhs

Definition

Existing or being everywhere, especially at the same time; omnipresent

Sample Sentence

The ubiquitous ants were marching all over the kitchen.

---

You know how when you learn a new word, suddenly you notice everyone using it? Or when one of your friends points out a car they want to you, you see it on every street? And if someone tells you about a new book they just read, you’ll almost positively hear someone else talking about that book the next day.

Songs, people, Bible verses: so many things go unnoticed by us all the time, but then when you are introduced to something new, it becomes so ubiquitous you wonder how you never noticed it before.

This week, when you learn a new skill or are introduced to a new author or a song or Bible verse, pay attention. You may start to notice just how ubiquitous some things are.

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Word of the Week: Bugaboo

Bugaboo (noun)

Pronunciation

buhg-uh-boo

Definition

An imaginary object of fear; something that causes fear or distress out of proportion to its importance

Example Sentence

Sarah’s worry about meeting her boyfriend’s parents was a bugaboo she could not shake, even though he told her not to worry.

--

If you’ve ever babysat or parented a young child, you probably have been woken up in the middle of the night by a bad dream you didn’t have. The familiar call of your name comes down the hallway and you know the child in your care has been deeply disturbed — even though there’s nothing of which to be afraid.

Of course, children aren’t the only ones with irrational fears. Far too often, we adults are also paralyzed by worries about things like work, bills, school or the kids.

When we start to worry about decisions we have to make, or situations that feel too big for us, it is easy to lose faith and feel like we’re in the dark by ourselves. The key is remembering that God is on our side.

In Romans 8:31, Paul reminds us, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

God also commands Joshua twice in the first nine verses of Joshua 1 to “be strong and courageous.”

Romans 12:1-2 points out that if we allow ourselves to be transformed by the renewing power of God, we can test and approve his will, which is “good, pleasing, and perfect.” If God’s plan for our lives is good and perfect, we can’t let our fears get the best of us, no matter what we’re going through.

As our favorite singing vegetables summed it up, “God is bigger than the boogie man” (or in this case, the bugaboo).

When all is said and done, after we see how God came through, we will clearly see that the monster under our bed was nothing to be frightened about at all.

Definition and pronunciation taken from dictionary.reference.com

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Word of the Week: Sapient

Sapient (adjective)

Pronunciation

SAY-pee-uhnt

Definition
Sage; wise; discerning

Example Sentence

Tim was not exactly sapient when it came to relationships, which is why his friends were unsurprised when his third girlfriend in as many weeks broke up with him.

---

The word “sapient” comes from the Latin root "sapere," meaning “to taste or know.” It has origins in the 15th century and is closely related to the word “sage.”

Are you sapient? The book of Proverbs repeatedly praises wisdom and encourages the pursuit of wisdom, saying it is more precious than anything money can buy.

Proverbs 3:13-14 says, “Blessed is the man who finds wisdom, the man who gains understanding, for she is more profitable than silver and yields better returns than gold.”

But how are we to find wisdom?

Proverbs 2:6 explains that “…the Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding.” Proverbs 13:10 says wisdom “is found in those who take advice,” and 15:33 states that “the fear of the Lord teaches a man wisdom.”

It’s interesting that those who take advice, not give it, are considered wise.

This week, if you have the desire, spend some time in Proverbs or Ecclesiastes. Both “wisdom books” have a lot to say on the subject and will definitely make you a more sapient person.


Definition and pronunciation taken from dictionary.reference.com

Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Word of the Week: Doppelganger

Doppelganger (noun)


Pronunciation


dä-pəl-ˌgaŋ-ər


Definition


A ghostly counterpart of a living person; double; alter ego


Sample Sentence


In honor of yet another pointless, but fun, Facebook event, millions of users have changed their picture to that of their celebrity doppelganger for the week.


---


It doesn’t matter if you are one of the Facebook users who changed their picture to Val Kilmer, Leona Lewis, Matt Damon, or any other celebrity, or if you are one of the many who can’t seem to figure out who you look like. Let’s face it, “doppelganger” is just a fun word.


The word comes from the German Doppelgänger, doppel meaning “double” and ganger meaning “goer” or “walker”. The word appeared around 1850 and was meant to refer to a ghost or spirit that exactly resembled a living person.


Nowadays the word has a less eerie connotation; if a friend tells you that you have a doppelganger, they are probably referring to someone else they know who looks like you.


If you want to find your look-alike, you can go to http://celebrity.myheritage.com/celebrity-collage to upload a picture and find your celebrity twin.

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

Word of the Week: Beatific

Beatific (adjective)

Pronounced:

bee-uh-TIFF-ik

Definitions:

1: of, possessing, or imparting a state of utmost bliss
2: having a blissful appearance

Example Sentence:

Though exhausted after a long labor, a beatific smile broke out across Maria’s face the moment she first held her newborn daughter.

---

There’s a lot of truth in that simple nursery song: “If you’re happy and you know it, you’re face will SURELY show it.” Regardless of language and cultures, smiles are universally recognized as an expression of happiness.

As simple as it is to smile, there’s a lot of interesting trivia about this facial expression. For example, did you know..

When a person studies laughter they are known as a ‘gelotologist’?

Women smile more than men?

Infants reserve a particular smile only for their love ones?

There are over 18 different types of smiles that are used in a variety of social situations? For instance, people can use a smile to say a hello, and they can also use a different type of smile to show their understanding of a particular situation.

A frown uses more muscles to contract and expand then a smile does?

A smile is one of the most used human facial expressions? Smiles can use between 5 to all 53 muscles.

Smiling releases endorphins and makes us feel better? Even when you fake a smile you can feel better.

A person that smiles more is deemed to be more pleasant, sincere, attractive and sociable then a non-smiling person?

We are born with the ability to smile; it is not something that we copy? Even blind babies are able to smile.

Humans are able to differentiate between a real smile and a fake smile by seeing the difference in a person’s eyes when they smile?

Newborns tend to have more preference for a person with a smile then a person that is not smiling?

Fun facts taken from infobarrel.com

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

Word of the Week: Triskaidekaphobia

Triskaidekaphobia (noun)

Pronunciation:

triss-kye-dek-uh-FOH-bee-uh

Definition:

Fear of the number 13

Example sentence:

Suffering from an acute case of triskaidekaphobia, Alice was horrified when the woman at the front desk handed her a hotel key for room 1301.

---

Why exactly is the number 13 considered unlucky? No one really knows for sure.

Some sources credit the Last Supper, where Judas was supposedly the thirteenth man to be seated. Others say the superstition didn’t appear until medieval times, and may have something to do with Hindu or Norse mythology. Then there’s the theory that it’s related to calendars based on lunar and solar cycles (for example, those used by the Hebrew and Chinese) where some years include 13 months.

According to Merriam Webster, printed references to the phobia first appeared in the late 1800s, and somewhere around 1911, the fear was prevalent enough to merit a term: triskaidekaphobia.

Of Friday the 13th, Donald Dossey, founder of the Stress Management Center and Phobia Institute says, “It has been estimated that [U.S] $800 or $900 million is lost in business on this day because people will not fly or do business they would normally do.”

It’s interesting to note that triskaidekaphobia is not universal. In other cultures, you’re more likely to be freaked out by alternate numerals.

For example, tetraphobia (fear of the number 4) is common in Korea, China and Japan as well as in many East and Southeast Asian Countries. It’s not uncommon for buildings to lack floors with the number 4, and in Taiwan, tetraphobia is so common that the use of 4s are avoided in hospitals. Mobile phone manufacturer Nokia (Finnish) does not use the number 4 at the beginning of any of their model numbers.

Likewise, the number 17 is unlucky in Italy because the Roman numerals for 17, XVII, can be rearranged to “VIXI.” This translates to “I have lived” in Latin — a euphemism for death.

Definition and pronunciation taken from Merriam-Webster.

Dossey quote taken from “Friday the 13th Phobia Rooted in Ancient History” by John Roach, National Geographic, August 12, 2004.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Word of the Week: Cosmeticize

Cosmeticize (verb)

Pronounced:

kahz-MET-uh-syze

Definition:

To make (something unpleasant or ugly) superficially attractive

Example Sentence:

Julian attempted to cosmetize the financially driven decision to cut employee hours by announcing they would all be able to enjoy three-day weekends from now on.

---

According to Merriam-Webster, “‘Cosmeticize’ first appeared in print in the early 19th century as a descendant of the noun ‘cosmetic.’ Originally, its use was often literal; with the meaning ‘to apply a cosmetic to,’ but today it is often used figuratively.”

Are you known for being too blunt? Are you tasked with breaking bad news? Try cosmetizing your everyday conversations with a little verbal rouge.

Here are a few fun examples of not-so-pleasant terms with “politically correct” alternatives from bored.com:

Bald: Folically independent

Clumbsy: Uniquely coordinated

Dead: Biologically challenged

Fat: Horizontally gifted

Gang: Youth group

Lazy: Motivationally deficient

Stained: Creatively re-dyed

Vomit: Unplanned reexamination of recent food choices

Worst: Least best

And finally…

Wrong: Differently logical

Definition and pronunciation taken from Merriam-Webster.

Wednesday, January 6, 2010

Word of the Week Wednesday:Sastruga

sastruga • \SAS-truh-guh\ • noun : a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind -- usually used in plural

It's officially winter and cold outside when words that mean 'hard snow' are popping up on the word of the week!

Yes, the wind is howling, snow is being piled into wavelike ridges by nose-nipping windchills, and more snow is sure to come.

If you're unlucky to live in a really cold clime, (like, say, Illinois) you might experience the plural of sastruga, as in lots and lots of crested snow banks, which is sastrugi.

Yes, winter is upon us, but let's look on the positive side. There may be a beautiful, wavelike sastruga nestled in a snowbank near you that will be beautiful enough to help you forget your frozen fingers and toes.

And if not, there's always hot chocolate to thaw you out once you pull yourself out of a sastruga snow bank.

Wednesday, December 16, 2009

Word of the Week: Namby-Pamby

Namby-Pamby (adjective)

Pronounced:

nam-bee-PAM-bee

Definitions:

1: lacking in character or substance : insipid
2: weak, indecisive

Example Sentence:

With jovial taunting already well-underway, Mark told his foosball opponent that he was “not afraid of his namby-pamby wooden men.”

---

Did you know?

Merriam-Webster explains the amusing origin of this fun-to-say word:

“Eighteenth-century poets Alexander Pope and Henry Carey didn't think much of their contemporary Ambrose Philips. His sentimental, singsong verses were too childish and simple for their palates.

“In 1726, Carey came up with the rhyming nickname ‘Namby-Pamby’ (playing on ‘Ambrose’) to parody Philips: “‘Namby-Pamby's doubly mild / Once a man and twice a child . . . / Now he pumps his little wits / All by little tiny bits.’"

“In 1733, Pope borrowed the nickname to take his own satirical jab at Philips in the poem ‘The Dunciad.’

“Before long, ‘namby-pamby’ was being applied to any piece of writing that was insipidly precious, simple, or sentimental, and later to anyone considered pathetically weak or indecisive.”