Word of the day

[Bagumbawalla]

Cynic vs Stoic
The modern cynic is a person distrustful of the motivations, believes others are motivated by self-interest
generally has a pessimistic outlook on life. A cynic would be distrustful of the motives of politicians
and billionaires who seem greedy and self-serving, and may believe people in love
are motivated by other motives. The Greek philosophical movement of the cynics is a bit
different from a modern cynic. The Greeks cynics questioned conventionally accepted ideas
and conventions. They tried to live simply in nature, aware of their animal nature. "Cynic comes from
Greek roots meaning "dog like".
The modern skeptic, on the other hand, is distrustful of "facts" presented without evidence,
proof, substantiation. A skeptic would doubt conspiracy theories and attempt to find out
the truth. A skeptic might distrust psychics and the supernatural.
Greek skepticism is a bit different and generally recommends suspending judgement
between opposing views to achieve a state of tranquility rather than antagonism from championing
one position over another,

Delegate or relegate
Delegate means to assign someone a task or responsibility- or power or authority.
I am going to delegate someone to stand by the punch bowl at the senior party
to make sure it remains alcohol-free. Delegation is generally a positive action implying trust.

Relegate (or relegation) has more negative associations- implying a demotion to a less important
position- away from the main or most responsible circles.
Philip Brook missed two catches in Friday's big game and the coach relegated him to the
second string.

Torpid vs Torrid
Torpid Comes from Latin roots meaning to "be numb" and in our more modern speaking
means to be slow, lacking energy- physically or mentally sluggish- lazy, sleepy, dull.
A torpid animal may be in a state of hibernation or "torpor". After the Thanksgiving meal he
felt torpid and refused a second helping. "No, thanks, I can't eat another bite, just guide me to the couch
and maybe I'll just have some ice-cream and pie.
Torrid means hot, very hot, burning hot and dry like a desert- from Latin roots meaning "parch, scorch".
it can also mean "hot" in the sense of sexually hot- highly charged, passionate emotions arising from a love affair.
His horse became torpid under the torrid afternoon heat and just wanted to find some shade and water.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Some words from German that would be fun to say- if we could say them

Weltschmerz- means a feeling of melancholy and sadness at the condition
of the world and how it has been sullied and "fallen form an imagined "ideal".
There is a sense of weariness or grief due to the impossibility of making
change. It is derived from "Welt" and "schmerz" or "world" "pain".

Nostalgia has similar kind of associations, as it means a longing for the
lost memories of the past that cannot be regained, well...because they are lost.

Kummerspek- means "grief-bacon". In lost of TV sitcoms and in movie romcoms
the person suffering from lost love or some other loss may be seen downing
a carton of ice-cream or maybe a six-pack. A similar Americanism might
be "love-handles.

Schnukiputzi- is a German term of endearment that means something like "sweetheart",
"Cutie pie", "Sweetie", or things like that.

Waldeinsamkeit- is similar to, but different, than weltschmerz. It means a feeling of
pleasant, peaceful, solitude- a kind of spiritual (rather than sorrowful) feeling
by being alone in nature,

Backpfeifengesicht- means something like "a face that deserves a fist"(or a "slap"
and describes a person with an irritating, smug, obnoxious expression that you
feel deserves a smack.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Animus- The most used definition of animus
is "a feeling of dislike, hostility and prejudice".
Synonyms might be antipathy, antagonism, hostility.
Jeffry held an animus against the Christophers, if
for no other reason than they were wealthy and he was poor.

In Jungian psychology, animus refers to the concept
that men and women both have masculine and
feminine aspects In men the feminine aspect is "anima"
and in women the masculine aspect is animus.

In law, animus (Latin for mind) means intent (as opposed
to accidental or unthinking actions- as in what is the animus
of this contract.

Apostate- An apostate is a person who renounces or abandons
their beliefs- religious or political or whatever. The word comes from
a Greek term meaning "runaway slave". A political apostate, for example,
might be a Republican who abandons the party to run as a
Democrat when the feelings of the population have changed.

Salver- A salver is a small tray that you might have come across in an
old book or movie, like maybe a Sherlock Holmes story there the
butler brings in a calling card or message on a small, silver tray and
announces, "Sir, a telegram has just arrived from Major Oingoboingo."

Veldt- Uncultivated grassland found in Southern Africa as in- Here
in Zimbabwe we have set aside this area of veldt a a preserve for
wild animals and tourists.

 

[Spielgame]

dirge
/dəːdʒ/

noun

1. a lament for the dead, especially one forming part of a funeral rite.
   Similar:
   
   elegy
   lament
   funeral song/chant
   burial hymn
   requiem
   dead march
   keen
   coronach
   threnody
   threnode
   monody​
   • a mournful song, piece of music, or sound.
     "singers chanted dirges"​
   • informal
     a song or piece of music that is considered too slow, miserable, or boring.
     "after his ten-minute dirge, the audience booed"​

 

[Spielgame]

Shokunin (職人) is a Japanese term for a highly skilled artisan or craftsman who dedicates their life to mastering a specific craft, embodying a deep commitment, ethical responsibility, and spiritual connection to their work, viewing it as a lifelong journey towards perfection for the benefit of society, not just a job. This philosophy emphasizes continuous improvement, integrity, and passing traditions to the next generation, going beyond mere technical skill to include an attitude of service and excellence.

 

[Spielgame]

truncheon
/ˈtrʌn(t)ʃ(ə)n/

noun
British English
noun: truncheon; plural noun: truncheons

1. a short, thick stick carried as a weapon by a police officer.
   Similar:
   
   club
   baton
   cudgel
   bludgeon
   stick
   staff
   billy
   billy club
   blackjack
   nightstick
   life preserver
   cosh​
   • a staff or baton acting as a symbol of authority, especially that used by the Earl Marshal.​

Origin

Middle English (denoting a piece broken off (especially from a spear), also a cudgel): from Old French tronchon ‘stump’, based on Latin truncus ‘trunk’.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Runyonesque- Damon Runyon (1880-1946) was a writer who had a particular style- writing in the vernacular
of Ney York's gamblers, gangsters and showgirls, depicting tough guys with hearts of gold, much
of the action taking place in the Broadway area during prohibition- in fact what reminded me of
the term was a movie with Glen Ford that was on the TV a few days ago called A Pocketful of Miracles (directed by Frank Capra)
where "Dave the Dude" helps "Apple Annie" pretend to be a socialite to impress her visiting daughter.

Kafkaesque- Just as Runyonesque means reminiscence of Damon Runyon's writing, Kafkaesque writing would remind one of
Franz Kafka that has a foreboding, brooding, angst-driven, dream-like quality of alienation in one's own world of bureaucratic
indifference.

Dickensian- Charles Dickens tended to write about poor social conditions and comically grotesque characters living
during time of social strife, hardships and inequality. It has been a while since I read Dickens, but I seem to recall
a sometimes flamboyant, easy-flowing style sprinkled with interesting language and sometimes invented words.

Orwellian- George Orwell's most famous work, 1984, was full of dystopian dread and a totalitarian government that
worked to control not only the actions, but the very thoughts of the population. So, any novel (or movie) depicting
such a world that has become divorced from freedoms, justice, individuality and hope may be said to be Orwellian.

Byronic- Well, I guess I should have read more of Lord Byron's work, but, from what I remember, he was among the
most influential writers of his time- known for a sort of brooding romanticism often with a bigger-than-life hero
who is distant, self-involved, dark, handsome charismatic and sensitive. Edmond Dantes, a Dumas character, obsessed with
revenge might be said to be a Byronic hero.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

It's funny how some things make you think of other things.
- Irene Bullock (Carlo Lombard) in My Man Godfrey.

 

[Spielgame]

cavalcade
/ˌkav(ə)lˈkeɪd,ˈkav(ə)lkeɪd/

noun
noun: cavalcade; plural noun: cavalcades

1. a formal procession of people walking, on horseback, or riding in vehicles.
   "the royal cavalcade proceeded through the city"
   Similar:
   
   procession
   parade
   motorcade
   carcade
   cortège
   march
   column
   troop
   file
   train
   caravan
   retinue
   march-past
   crocodile​

Origin

late 16th century (denoting a ride or raid on horseback): from French, from Italian cavalcata, from cavalcare ‘to ride’, based on Latin caballus ‘horse’.



I think horse in French is cheval.

 

[Spielgame]

jetsam
/ˈdʒɛts(ə)m/

noun
noun: jetsam

1. unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore, especially material that has been discarded to lighten the vessel.
   "there was plenty of good kindling among the jetsam on the beach"
   

Origin

late 15th century (as jetson ): from jettison.

 

[Spielgame]

 

[Spielgame]

malinger
/məˈlɪŋɡə/

verb
verb: malinger; 3rd person present: malingers; past tense: malingered; past participle: malingered; gerund or present participle: malingering

1. pretend to be ill in order to escape duty or work.
   "while some thought I was malingering, they couldn't see the pain I dealt with"
   Similar:
   
   pretend to be ill
   feign/fake illness
   pretend to be an invalid
   sham
   shirk
   skulk
   put it on
   skive
   swing the lead
   goldbrick​

Origin

early 19th century: back-formation from malingerer, apparently from French malingre, perhaps formed as mal- ‘wrongly’ + haingre ‘weak’, probably of Germanic origin.

 

[Spielgame]

 

[Spielgame]

A gynecological speculum is a medical tool, usually duckbill-shaped, used during pelvic exams to gently open the vaginal walls for doctors to view the cervix and vagina, allowing for Pap tests (Pap smears) to collect cells for cancer screening, checking for STIs, infections, and other abnormalities. They come in reusable metal (like stainless steel) or disposable plastic, various sizes (small, medium, large), and some newer designs feature built-in LED lights for better visibility.

 

[Spielgame]

chinwag
/ˈtʃɪnwaɡ/

informal•British English
noun
noun: chinwag; plural noun: chinwags; noun: chin-wag; plural noun: chin-wags

1. a chat.
   "it was time they got together for a good old chinwag"
   

verb
verb: chinwag; 3rd person present: chinwags; past tense: chinwagged; past participle: chinwagged; gerund or present participle: chinwagging; verb: chin-wag; 3rd person present: chin-wags; past tense: chin-wagged; past participle: chin-wagged; gerund or present participle: chin-wagging

1. have a chat.
   "he sent her to chinwag with the chiefs"

 

[Spielgame]

wigwam
/ˈwɪɡwam/

noun
noun: wigwam; plural noun: wigwams

1. a hut or tent with a domed or conical roof made by fastening bark, hides, or reed mats over a framework of poles (as used traditionally by some Indigenous peoples of North America).
   • a pyramidal framework of poles used to support runner beans, sweet peas, and other climbing plants.

Phrases
a wigwam for a goose's bridle — used as a reply to an unwanted question.
"when asked ‘What's that?,’ she snapped sarcastically: ‘It's a wigwam for a goose's bridle!’"
Origin

early 17th century: from Ojibwe wigwaum, Algonquian wikiwam ‘their house’.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Vitriolic- Means "caustic", burning, hateful, full of bitterness, abusive-
as in, "The politician unleashed a vitriolic speech attacking all foreigners and
people of religions other than Christianity".
"Vitreous" means "glass or glass-like" and because vitriol an old-time substance
similar to sulfuric acid had a glass-like appearance, we get "vitriolic". In the 1880s it became
almost a fad to throw vitriol at (usually the face) of someone you hate- and so a
vitriolic attack became associated with something hateful, vile, destructive...

Logorrhea- Comes from a couple Greek roots- logos "mouth" and rhein "flow".
So, basically logorrhea means a flowing or "running off" at the mouth- similar
to the way diarrhea means a flowing out or across. So, in one sense the word
may just mean something like loquacious, garrulous, chatty, excessively verbose-
it can also refer to a condition, possibly due to a stroke, where a person rambles
on and on, sometimes incoherently, compulsively...
Hank's girlfriend "Mixie" was known for her logorrhea when it came to alternative
music that evolved from former garage bands.

Hobson's choice- Is an eponym, word named for a person- in this case Thomas
Hobson who rented out horses and gave his customers only one choice, the horse next
in line or none at all. So, basically Hobson's choice is no choice at all- or, in fact just
having the illusion of choice. Henry Ford offered his line of Model "T" cars "In any
color you want- so long as it is black".

Peripatetic- Means traveling from place to place, for work or other reasons and staying
in each place for only a short period of time. The peripatetic lifestyle of the professional
tennis player and the long playing season with so many commitments- combined with the
reactively short period of peak earning potential make the game seem less appealing
than some team sports.

Friar- Speaking of "peripatetic", friars (like friar Tuck) tended to be just that. In general they were a part
of some mendicant order, relying on begging or working as they moved from place to place-
while spending their peripatetic existence helping others along the way. Monks tended
to be located within a specific residence, while friars wandered about- possibly along with Robin Hood
and his merry men- intending to do good and help the needy.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Soldier of fortune- a Soldier of fortune is someone (not necessarily a soldier) who
engages in conflicts for payment, adventure or personal gain- not for patriotism or
country- Other terms might be "hired gun" mercenary, freelance...

Matriculate- Means to meet entrance requirements and officially enroll in a college or university with the
intention of attending classes and getting a degree. So, if someone says
they matriculated at Yale, all that means is they were enrolled and went to college there- took classes,
nothing too very specific- it does not mean "graduation".

Podium, lectern, pulpit, rostrum, soapbox, dais
A podium is a platform for a speaker to stand on top of so as to be seen and heard above
a crowd of people (maybe like an Olympic medal stand). A lectern is a stand with a sloping
top to hold a book or notes for easy reference. A pulpit is like a lectern- used in a church for
giving a sermon. Depending on the church, it is often raised high above the floor level, and
may even be enclosed, something that you step into. A rostrum, similar to a podium, is a raised
platform, but usually for more than one person. Technically a lectern holds the notes and you
stand on a rostrum (which in Roman times were designed like the prow of a ship. Soapbox
and stump are more casual terms for less "formal" speaking situations- politicians, fresh of the
bus, doing a quick speech in a small community may stand on a simple box or tree stump.
A dais (day-us) is intended for standing on. Unlike a podium, which is for one person, a dais
may hold several people, possibly a panel, or, maybe, special guests at a special table.

Indigent vs Indignant
Indigent means poor, needy, requiring the basics of food, clothes, shelter.
Indignant means angry or resentful at some perceived slight, unfairness or poor treatment.
The indigent people, some homeless, were indignant that the city council would not hear their
request for basic medical services.

 

[Bartelby]

Matriculate in Australia used to mean successfully finishing your final year of school in order to enter university.

As a term it went out of popular use over fifty years ago. The purpose of finishing school was redefined beyond entering university.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

This or that or whatever

Shier, shyer or shire

Shire- A shire is like a county or district. Used mostly in England, we find it tacked on to the name of a place
like Yorkshire or Hampshire- and in the US of A, "New" Hampshire.

Shier or shyer- Which one means "more shy"? Well, it kind of depends on where you're from.
Shy+er follows the simple "add an "er" rule, and is "standard"- especially in British English.
Shier (change "y" to "i" and add "er", also acceptable, and is a bit more common in the US.

Saccharine- Means "sickeningly sweet" or "overly sentimental or cloying"- an adjective.
Saccharin- Is the chemical name for the zero-calorie artificial sweetener- a noun.

Nihilism vs absurdism vs existentialism-
Nihilism is the belief that life, the universe and commonly accepted values
are without intrinsic meaning. If nothing has any meaning, then why obey laws or join a religion?
If a person believes something has meaning does it then have meaning after-all?
Let's check with the absurdists and existentialists first.

Absurdism acknowledges the universe's lack of meaning and, in effect, the absurdity of man's
search for meaning or imposing a meaning upon things. The early Dadaists had fun with all that,

Existentialism agrees that we are born without purpose, but nevertheless must choose our own
way to get along in the world. We can choose to obey laws so as not to be hanged, we can choose
religion (like Kierkegaard) because- well why not if it is comforting. We can choose (like captain Ahab)
to fight back against the nihilistic death-driven forces of nature- or not.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Yule cat

Here in the USA Santa keeps a list of kids- naughty and nice.
Naughty kids might get a lump of coal in their stocking.
in Iceland it is the Yule Cat that menaces the children into good behavior.
Good children who do their chores and behave are rewarded with new clothes
from their parents. Children with old ragged clothes must, therefore, be
bad. Legend has it that the Yule Cat seeks out the bad kids that have no
new clothes to wear.
The Yule Cat kills them and eats them. As simple as that.
(I think I would rather get coat)

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Frankincense is another Christmas-related word- but it also relates
to tennis in a round-about way. Frankincense is an aromatic resin harvested from
Boswellia trees. Boswellia, also called Indian Frankincense, an extract of the tree,
is used to relieve aches, pains and inflammation like those experienced by tennis players.
Frankincense was also one of the gifts presented to the baby Jesus that symbolically
affirmed his divinity.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Commodious- Basically means "roomy". In the past its Latin roots had the meaning "beneficial,
but today it is mainly used to refer to furniture and rooms that will accommodate quite a few people.
The children liked to play "Matterhorn" on grandma's commodious Victorian couch.

Tortuous- Means "full of twists and turns". It could refer to a tortuous mountain road that should not be
driven at night, or a tortuous speech with many long-winded arguments and circular reasoning.
Oh, tortuous does not mean torture- though they come from the same root (to twist). If you
want to say something is twisting and winding, use tortuous. If something causes excruciating pain
and suffering, it is torturous.

Dither- Dither means to be indecisive- to go back and forth, changing one's mind- as in aunt Ellen
was a dithering fool who would buy Christmas presents, then decide another gift might be better, and finally
end up sending a gift card and keeping the towel set and cat necklace for herself.

Cursory- Carries a slightly negative connotation in that the word implies something quick, brief and
superficial. Sometimes for lack of time a cursory inspection, cursory, greeting, cursory explanation is
all that one has time for. While waiting in line at the check-out counter of the bookstore, Harold
did a cursory reading of the first few pages of his book and decided he didn't want it after all.
Cursory comes from a Latin root that means "running" or "flowing". these other "cur" words have a similar
etymology- Cursive (writing that flows or runs along), current (water that flows), concur (to agree or (flow together),
Cursor (the indicator on a computer screen that runs across the text)- and so on.

Manifold- Means "many and various" or "many in kind or number". It can also have mathematical or
automotive meanings. Bryan's excuses for not doing his homework were manifold, inventive and amusing.
In one week, alone, he had six tortuous explanations involving an Uber raid, a windstorm, Soviet spies,
accidently writing it in Klingon, picking up his sister's book by mistake...

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Noel- Comes to us from Latin through old French and is related to the word "natal"
(Having to do with a birth)- in this case the birth of Jesus- or Christmas. The French
might say, "Joyeux Noel". I never hear people saying, "Merry Noel", but it is
correct to say that.

Yule- Comes from Old English and Germanic roots and refers to a pagan festival
celebrating gods like Odin and the winter solstice and "rebirth"- where burning a "Yule log"
symbolized the return of the Sun. Later the the winter time celebrating "rebirth"
acquired trappings of Christianity.

Xmas- Is not the name of an obese Marvel cartoon character, but rather an (acceptable)
abbreviation for Christmas- using the Greek letter Chi (X)- the first letter of Christ in Greek.

Nativity- Is another word for "having to do with birth", as in "natal" or "prenatal".
As used in December, "Nativity" is refers to Christmas. A Nativity scene depicts the birth
of Jesus in a manger surrounded by animals and, possibly, three Magi.

Manger- A manger is a trough or bin. The Christmas manger was likely made of stone and
would contain food for the various animals (Goat?, sheep?, horse?) typically found in a stable or barn.

Creche- A creche is basically another term for a nativity scene. The word "creche" basically means
"crib". People in my neighborhood typically display a creche in their front yards (nativity scene with manger)
made with inflatable figures that deflate and sag to the ground during daylight hours.

 

[Spielgame]

Lamprey

Lampreys are a group of jawless fish composing the order Petromyzontiformes, sole order in the class Petromyzontida. The adult lamprey is characterized by a toothed, funnel-like sucking mouth.

 

[Spielgame]

Soft Cell

Soft cell - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

In mathematics, a soft cell is a shape with curved edges that can tile the 2D plane or 3D space. The class of shapes was discovered in 2024 by Gábor Domokos, Alain Goriely, Ákos G. Horváth and Krisztina Regős.

Mathematicians Discover a New Class of Shape: the 'Soft Cell'

If the structures look familiar, it's probably because nature has been using them for a long time in places like nautilus shells, zebra stripes and onions

www.smithsonianmag.com

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Sundry- Means "various", various kinds of things. There used to be stores that sold "sundries"-
various items- some of this and that- usually not important enough to name individually.
Lila's grandmother's recipe called for, "lemon peel and sundry herbs and spices".

Limpid- When referring to a liquid , means "clear", "transparent", "unclouded".
The SCUBA divers found a limpid pool, so clear the fish gleamed like wiggly jewels.

Whit- Evolved from an Old English word meaning "thing" or "creature"- into "not a whit" (or
not a thing). Now it is used to mean something small or insignificant, a bit, an iota...
Larry was tired of working at the Crazy-burger cafe and didn't care a whit if manager
Terry fired him for arriving late.

Solfege- Is a word we are unlikely to come across unless you are auditioning for a chorus.
Solfege is the study of music using solmization syllables (Do, Rey, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si/or Ti)
sort of like in The Sound of Music.

Circuitous- Means in a round-about or indirect manner. A cab driver might take a circuitous
rout back to the hotel in order to increase his fee. An inexperienced public speaker might
ramble in a circuitous fashion before getting back to his main point.

Quagmire- Comes from old (Middle English/Old Norse) words, quag (to shake or tremble)
and mire (muddy bog). So, the literal meaning of quagmire is a swampy bog- but there is a more
figurative sense where the word described a "difficult situation" that is difficult to solve or escape from.
The high school teacher tried to explain quantum theory but got bogged down in the quagmire of
incomprehensible terminology.

 

[Spielgame]

quoit
/k(w)ɔɪt/

noun
noun: quoit; plural noun: quoits

1. 1.
   British English
   a ring of iron, rope, or rubber thrown in a game to encircle or land as near as possible to an upright peg.
   • a game consisting of aiming and throwing quoits.
   • the dolmen itself.
     "New Stone Age burial remains at Zennor Quoit"
2. 3.
   informal•Australian English
   a person's buttocks.

verb
archaic
verb: quoit; 3rd person present: quoits; past tense: quoited; past participle: quoited; gerund or present participle: quoiting

1. throw or propel like a quoit.
   "it was just beyond where Falstaff was quoited into the Thames"

Origin
late Middle English: probably of French origin.

An 1817 fashion plate depicting three women and a man playing an inverse ring toss, in which they are tossing a quoit

The equipment used for the game of deck-quoits. The quoits are the rings of rope.

Etymology​

edit

From Middle English coyte (“flat stone”), from Old French coite, from Latin culcita. Doublet of quilt.

Noun​

edit
quoit (plural quoits)

1. A flat disc of metal or stone thrown at a target in the game of quoits.

• A ring of rubber or rope similarly used in the game of deck-quoits.
• The flat stone covering a cromlech.

1. An ancient burial mound, synonymous with dolmen.
2. The discus used in ancient sports.

Translations​

edit
±flat disc thrown at a target

[Select preferred languages]

Czech: kroužek (cs) m Finnish: heittorengas German: Diskus (de) m, Wurfring m Ido: disko (io) Maltese: ċappella f Polish: pierścień (pl) m Russian: мета́тельное кольцо́ n (metátelʹnoje kolʹcó) Swedish: ring (sv) c

Verb​

edit

quoit (third-person singular simple present quoits, present participle quoiting, simple past and past participle quoited)

1. (intransitive) To play quoits.

• 
  
• (transitive) To throw like a quoit.

1. Synonyms: fling, toss; see also Thesaurus:throw

Derived terms​

edit

• quoiter
• quoitlike

 

[Spielgame]

7-5-3 Day in Japan, or Shichi-Go-San (七五三), is a traditional festival on November 15th celebrating the healthy growth of children reaching ages three, five, and seven, with families visiting Shinto shrines to pray for their well-being, often dressed in beautiful kimonos and receiving special candy for good fortune. It marks key developmental milestones, with boys celebrating at 3 & 5, and girls at 3 & 7, though customs vary, and it's a cultural rite of passage rather than a public holiday.

 

[Spielgame]

Hibakusha (被爆者) are the survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, a Japanese term meaning "bomb-affected people" or "person affected by exposure". They endured horrific injuries, radiation sickness, loss, and faced significant discrimination in Japan due to fears of contagion and hereditary effects, yet many have become powerful advocates for nuclear disarmament, sharing their testimonies to prevent future nuclear catastrophe.

 

[Spielgame]

Kodokushi (孤独死) ("Lonely death," "solitary death," or "dying alone") is a Japanese term for a person dying alone, with their body remaining undiscovered for an extended period, often due to social isolation, and is a growing concern in aging societies. It's linked to Japan's demographic shifts, changing family structures, and increasing rates of elderly people living alone, with statistics showing thousands of cases annually, affecting both seniors and younger adults. The phenomenon has led to specialized cleaning services, insurance products, and government initiatives to build community support networks to combat loneliness and isolation.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Various words

Zerk- Is named for its inventor, Oscar U Zerk, a zerk (often misspelled zert)
is a one-way valve where grease can be injected into machinery with moving parts
while preventing contamination from dirt etc..

Megillah- Most is often used in the phrase, "the whole megillah" and has various
connotations depending on context.

a. It can mean a long, involved (tedious?) story- "I don't need the whole megillah,
a quick synopsis will do just fine".

b It can refer to a complicated, involved, situation or series of events- as in- "The birthday
party was supposed to be a quiet family event, but when the mother-in-law was invited
it turned into a big megillah with catering, a garage band and home-made ice cream).

c It can simply mean everything, the whole ball of wax, kit and kaboodle...
"There was a box at the yard sale full of knickknacks from the 1950s. I couldn't decide
which I liked best, so I bought the whole Megillah".

Megillah comes from an old Hebrew word that means "scroll" (the scroll of Esther) read at Purim.
That scroll was long, detailed, complicated- and over time, the sense of the word was applied to
other situations that were complicated, long, and made up of many parts or pieces.".

Pall- Refers to a cloth spread over a coffin, hearse of tomb, or, by extension, anything that creates
a dark feeling of gloom- as in, "A pall came over the room when Linda entered carrying a
photograph of her dead baby".

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Scathing- I recently saw an old Hayley Mills movie where she used the word "scathing" quite a bit.
Scathing means severe, witheringly harsh, caustic, biting, vitriolic, savage, brutal...
...as in- "I kind of liked the movie, but the critics gave it scathing reviews".

Satori- Is a Japanese Buddhist term for a kind of sudden enlightenment or awakening, resulting
in a shift of perspective so that the person sees their relationship to reality and their connection to it.
"It as just a simple, off-hand word from the Master which resulted in the lagging student suddenly
experiencing satori and imbued with fresh understanding.

Laughing stock- The simple definition is that a "laughing stock" is someone subjected to the harassment
of others by being mocked, ridiculed, possibly taunted- not unlike the suffering of Hester Prynne
inn The Scarlet Letter. Back in "olden times" stocks were forms of punishment where a person was locked into a device
(usually of wood) where they were subject to public inspection and humiliation- including laughter.
The term has been around since at least the 800s. A person pointed out was a "pointing stock", someone
whipped, a ""whipping stock" and so on-

Adamantine- comes to us from Greek then through Latin and means "unbreakable" like the legendary hardest
substance (from which the word "diamond" was also coined). By extension it has also come to mean
"inflexable" in attitude or opinion.
"At last the adamantine chains of slavery were broken".

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Auld Lang Syne

Well, today is New Year's eve and what does
Auld Lang Syne mean anyway?

A most basic, word for word translation (from Scottish) would be
"Old Long Since" but it is more often said as "since long ago" or
"For Old-Time's Sake" or "Days Gone By"

The song was based on a poem by Robert Burns and became
popularized in the USA by Guy Lombardo in the 1920s.

I recall hearing it in It's a Wonderful Life, White Christmas, and "When
Harry Met Sally. If there are more, please add them on.

In Scotland (as in the US) the song is traditionally sung on
Hogmanay, which is their word for "last day of the year".

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Mince words- means to speak carefully- especially so as not to offend or be negative.
A person "tiptoeing around a sensitive subject" minces words so as not to get into another
argument with uncle Vinnie. It is derived from "mincing"- making small and easier to
swallow by chopping up into small pieces. You can also mince steps by taking small
delicate steps (rather than clomping around like a clown).
Very often the term is used in its negative sense to not mince words means to just
speak bluntly, frankly, and directly to the point. Minced oaths are words or phrases
used instead of using crude swear word or holy names. Minced oaths might be something
like "gosh darn", "oh drat" "heck" or "oh fudge".

 

[Spielgame]

 

[Bagumbawalla]

More words that I must have heard on TV lately
Grist (as in grist for the mill)- Basically, grist just means "grain",
separated from its chaff- resulting in the stuff you put into a mill to grind it down into flour or meal.
But in a more figurative sense "grist for the mill" could mean anything that
might be used to feed some other, larger purpose- To the politician, stirring up
hatred and fear was just grist for the mill to turn out voters----or---- the novelist
wrote down interactions and comments that she noticed throughout the day,
they became more "grist for the mill" of creating character interactions and situations in her
new book.

Scotch- Well Scotch can be a type of whisky (without an "e"), but it can also mean to
"put an end to something" (usually decisively)- as in "After accepting her Oscar, the actress addressed
the public, directly, to scotch rumors of an impending divorce--- or--- At the meeting, the board
members worked on a plan to scotch a company takeover by their rival, AtoZ pet foods.

Redux- (re-DUKS) means a revival of something like, for example, a sit-com or a piece of music- usually
updated, revised or revisited in some way to make it more relevant or up-to-date.

Fiasco- Well we know that a fiasco is a complete failure or disaster, often of an extremely embarrassing sort.
In Karl's tennis tournament his first match was against a 60 year old man who had taped up his knees and
arms with Ace bandages. He referred to the opponent as "the mummy" and thought it would be an an
easy victory. Instead it was a complete fiasco. He lost 6-0, 6-0 to the tennis coach of the nearby college.
What I did not know until recently is that "fiasco" is also the name for the straw-covered wine bottle (like chianti)
that was originally used to prevent a failed product.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

A few more, mainly because I like the way they sound

Oculus- Basically means "eye" and can be used in anatomy, or optics, but in
architecture it means a eye-like opening in a dome used to let in light (as opposed to
the more practical use of windows, The most famous oculus is on the Pantheon.

Dithyramb- A dithyramb, in ancient Greece, was a wild choral hymn (usually) dedicated
to Dionysus, god of wine, festivity, fertility, theater and ritual madness. Dithyrambic is
used now to describe an over-the-top impassioned speech, poem or other writing.
A speech trying to stir up a crowd to action might be dithyrambic, or even an impassioned-
eulogy for a famous and loved individual.

Blyth- Has a couple definitions. It can mean happy or joyous as in- a blithe seaside community- or
it can mean a casual (but cheerful) indifference as in- since Clevis bought his new Lamborghini,
he has shown a blithe disregard for speed limits. "Well then, let them eat cake", might be seen
as a blithe response to the starvation of the French people.

Poignant- The word "poignant" refers to a keenly felt sense of emotion- especially bittersweet
sadness or regret. After a ten-year separation the two sisters were reunited in a poignant moment
at the funeral of their adopted mother.

 

[Spielgame]

Hikikomori (ひきこもり) is a Japanese term for severe, prolonged social withdrawal, where individuals isolate themselves at home for six months or more, cutting off from society, work, and school, often due to overwhelming societal pressures, family issues, or mental health struggles, though it's recognized globally now as a spectrum of extreme isolation linked to underlying distress. Coined by psychiatrist Tamaki Saito in 1998, it involves a deep psychological retreat, making re-entry into the world incredibly difficult, and is characterized by significant distress and functional impairment.

 

[Spielgame]

linctus
/ˈlɪŋ(k)təs/

noun
British English
noun: linctus

1. thick liquid medicine, especially for relieving a cough.
   

Origin

late 17th century: from Latin, from lingere ‘to lick’.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Flummox- Means to perplex, bewilder, baffle. The student who thought he knew everything was
flummoxed by the professors question.

Lummox- a clumsy, stupid person. Similar words might be: clodhopper, oaf, simpleton, goon, klutz...

Flummery- Basically means insincere praise or hyperbole- pretended praise to get on someone's good side-
basically mindless flattery- soft soap-toadyism, balderdash, poppycock...

Flume- A flume is a. a deep narrow channel or ravine with a river flowing through it, b. a water-chute ride
at an amusement park, but the most used definition is c. a man-made channel (usually wood) for transporting
logs from a higher mountain area to (or near) a lumber mill where they can be sawn for various uses.

Flim-flam- Means insincere talk, nonsense, bosh, bunkum, baloney, codswallop. A flim-flam man is
someone who uses his gift of gab, to hornswoggle people into falling for some bogus scheme- hoodwink,
bamboozle, cheat, sucker, deceive, dupe..

Sincere- speaking of sincere, it means without pretense or deception or deceit- honest, real, genuine..
The word comes from Latin roots meaning pure, clean and sound and relates to Ceres, goddess of grain
(cereal) and not to the "folk etymology" that the word comes from "sine cera" ("without wax" that would be used
to hide imperfections in various crafts).

 

[atatu]

jetsam
/ˈdʒɛts(ə)m/

noun
noun: jetsam

1. unwanted material or goods that have been thrown overboard from a ship and washed ashore, especially material that has been discarded to lighten the vessel.
   "there was plenty of good kindling among the jetsam on the beach"

Origin

late 15th century (as jetson ): from jettison.

I feel like you should follow this one up with "Flotsam" ?

 

[Spielgame]

I feel like you should follow this one up with "Flotsam" ?

Flotsam refers to debris, wreckage, or cargo floating in the sea that comes from a shipwreck or accident, distinct from jetsam, which is deliberately thrown overboard, and often used figuratively for unwanted people or things. It can also refer to various forms of floating debris, unimportant materials, or even a video game about survival in a garbage-filled ocean.

 

[Spielgame]

brogue1
/brəʊɡ/

noun
noun: brogue; plural noun: brogues

1. a strong outdoor shoe with ornamental perforated patterns in the leather.
   "he wore a traditional black suit and white shirt matched with black brogues"
   • a rough shoe of untanned leather, formerly worn in parts of Ireland and the Scottish Highlands.

Origin
late 16th century: from Scottish Gaelic and Irish bróg, from Old Norse brók (related to breech).





brogue2
/brəʊɡ/

noun
noun: brogue; plural noun: brogues

1. a marked accent, especially Irish or Scottish, when speaking English.
   "he related this story to me in his wonderfully thick Irish brogue"

Origin

early 18th century: perhaps allusively from brogue1, referring to the rough footwear of Irish peasants.

 

[Bagumbawalla]

More than you can shake a stick at- I suppose everyone knows this idiomatic phrase,
but you may have wondered about who goes around shaking sticks at things.
In general the phrase usually goes something like-"In my neighborhood there are more
coffee shops than you can shake a stick at" (meaning lots) or "Larry wants to play saxophone
in our Jazz band, buy, truthfully, he is "nothing to shake a stick at" ( not worth it).

Nobody really has much clue about the origin of the term involving shaking
or not shaking stick at someone or something- basically the term refers to "lots and lots"
of something- or in the more negative sense- not worth troubling with.

One idea is that shepherds, for example, carried sticks (crooks) and if the sheep were
threatened by a wild animal they might shake their stick and chase it away, but if many
animals came around there would be "too many to shake a stick at" and if it was a one
blind wolf with a bad limp and no teeth it wouldn't be worth the trouble of stick shaking,

Palanquin- (pal-an-keen) A palanquin is a covered, often ornate, box-like structure with built-in
seating that can be hoisted by servants and carry a wealthy person (who may also be lazy) wherever
they need to go. They were popular in Asia.
Sedan chair- A sedan chair is/was the term for a litter as used in Europe.
Litter- Both a palanquin and sedan chair are litters (a broad general term)- the palanquin an
Asian litter, the sedan chair a European version.

Ethos, logos and pathos- refer to Aristotle's 3 modes of persuasion-
Ethos- appeals to credibility and character (ethics) of the persuader.
Logos- appeals with logic and reasoning to the "audience".
Pathos- appeals to their emotions.
So, these are the 3 ways of persuasion or winning someone over. In advertising (for example)
we see this every day on TV. A highly respected doctor promotes a new drug (ethos).
An advertisement uses statistic to show, for example, the safety of a product (logos).
An add shows starving, mistreated dogs shivering in the cold and asks for donations (pathos).

 

[Spielgame]

Lol I thought barbarity is not a word. I thought the correct word is barbarism.


barbarity
/bɑːˈbarɪti/
Barbarity means extreme cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity, referring to behavior or acts that deliberately inflict severe physical or mental suffering, often associated with savagery or a lack of civilization. It can describe shocking acts of violence or a generally coarse, uncivilized manner.

Key aspects:

• Cruelty: Deliberately causing intense pain and suffering.
• Inhumanity: A shocking lack of human kindness or compassion.
• Brutality: Savage, violent, or harsh behavior.
• Examples: Torture, war crimes, or acts of extreme violence.

Synonyms:

• Atrocity, savagery, brutality, inhumanity, barbarism, heinousness.

Usage examples:

• "The barbarity of the regime led to widespread suffering."
• "They condemned the barbarities committed during the conflict."

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Mercurial- Means highly changeable, volatile, unpredictable...
Mercurial usually refers to behavior, temperament, moodiness
similar to that of the Roman god Mercury. In general mercurial implies
something rather negative. A person with a mercurial temperament
might be difficult to deal with, undependable, chaotic. On the other
hand, a person with a mercurial intellect might be quick-witted, clever.
jumping in clever ways from idea to idea.
"Her mercurial nature made he interesting, but ultimately tiring
to be around for any length of time". The mercurial artist had a genius
for effortlessly changing styles".

Out of the blue- Refers to something that happens suddenly and
unexpectedly. Why blue? Why not green or puce? Well, yes, it has to do
with the sky. We think of a blue, cloudless, sky as pleasant and calming.
However "out of the blue" is a shortened, changed, wording of the older
"like a bolt from the blue". We don't expect a lightning to bolt out from a clear
blue sky, so it would be sudden and totally unexpected. "Out of the blue.
grandma called to say she wanted to take us to Paris".

Tabula rasa- Comes from The Latin for "blank slate" and refers to the
ideas (of John Locke) that one is born without any innate, built-in mental content, and that
all knowledge, behavior and personality is shaped by experience, education
and environment alone. The opposite concept to that of a tabula rasa is "innatism".
Plato and others (like Descartes) suggested that humans are born with inherent
concepts like "god", "logic", and "beauty".
Bagumbawalla Has his own ideas on the subject, but is too lazy to go into all that now.
However, feel free to add your thoughts on this topic.

Apocryphal- An apocryphal story refers to a story or statement that lacks credibility, is most likely
not true, but has been spread widely and circulated as it it were. Urban legends most
often turn out to be just that, legends, apocryphal tales, urban myths, tall tales,
shaggy-dog stories. The Story about George Washington not telling a lie is an apocryphal
story that just keeps getting told to school kids. The story about how changing the schedule of a train so
that it blares its horn in the early morning waking couples up and causing the birthrate to
increase sounds plausible, but, well, just another apocryphal tale.

 

[Spielgame]

lariat
/ˈlariət/

A lariat is a long rope with a sliding loop (noose) used for catching livestock like cattle or horses, essentially a type of lasso, but it also refers to a fashionable long necklace with dangling ends or, in science, to RNA structures in genetic processes.

Usage examples

Cowboy/Ranching: Throwing a lariat to rope a calf for branding or doctoring.

Jewelry: Wearing a lariat necklace with beads or pendants that hang long and Y-shaped, popular in bohemian and modern styles.

Science (Biology): Describing the circular intermediate RNA molecule (lariat intermediate) formed during splicing.

Wrestling: A professional wrestling move might be called a lariat.

Synonyms & related terms
Lasso
Riata (Mexican Spanish)
Rope (general)
Sautoir (for necklaces)

 

[Bagumbawalla]

Halcyon_ is an adjective the refers to a time (in the past) that was idyllically happy, peaceful and free of care.
Childhood, for many people, seems a halcyon time full of fond memories- but for Alice
it was a merely a period of survival, with a psychotic mom and and alcoholic dad.

Efficacy- Is the ability to produce a desired or intended result. The term is used most frequently in
reference to medicine, medical treatment or intervention. Generally efficacy is used to refer to how
something works in ideal, controlled, or trial settings. In the real world, the performance may very
from the efficacy results versus a placebo.

Charade- A charade is a pretense, and act, a put-on of a facade- doing something for "show".
Brian kept up the facade of having to work on Saturday so that his wife would not suspect he was
throwing her a surprise party.

Acronym- An acronym is a shortened or abbreviated formed from the first letters of a thing or term
made up of several several words in such a way that it can be pronounces as a word, itself and not
merely a string of initials. For example: if you combine the first letters of "self contained underwater
breathing apparatus"

 

[Spielgame]

bilk
/bɪlk/

verb
verb: bilk; 3rd person present: bilks; past tense: bilked; past participle: bilked; gerund or present participle: bilking

1. 1.
   informal
   obtain or withhold money from (someone) unfairly or by deceit; cheat or defraud.
   "an apparently benevolent elderly gentleman bilked me of twenty dollars"
   
   Similar:
   swindle
   
   defraud
   
   cheat
   
   fleece
   
   exploit
   
   deceive
   
   trick
   
   con
   
   bamboozle
   
   do
   
   diddle
   
   sting
   
   rip off
   
   screw
   
   shaft
   
   take for a ride
   
   take to the cleaners
   
   pull a fast one on
   
   put one over on
   
   sell someone a pup
   
   gull
   
   rook
   
   finagle
   
   clip
   
   skin
   
   swizzle
   
   stiff
   
   euchre
   
   bunco
   
   hornswoggle
   
   sucker
   
   snooker
   
   pull a swifty on
   cozen
   
   sharp
   
   mulct
   
   do someone in the eye
   
   • obtain (money) fraudulently.
     "some businesses bilk thousands of dollars from unsuspecting elderly consumers"
2. 2.
   archaic
   evade; elude.
   

Origin

mid 17th century (originally used in cribbage meaning ‘spoil one's opponent's score’): perhaps a variant of balk.

Use over time for: bilk