What's Your Word for the Day? Showing 1,901-1,950 of 3,049

[Ken, Moderator]

I'll hunt that up.

[Cecily]

Susanne wrote: "NIMROD
Today’s word of the day is nimrod. Most Americans today know it only as an insult meaning “jerk” or “loser,” but it has also historically meant “skillful hunter.” ..."

Many British people would know it as a military aircraft used by the RAF and as the name of a movement from Edward Elgar's "Enigma Variations", which is always played on Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph and other such services.

[John]

Another previously un-encountered British term from my current library book:

Prang -- to collide with; bump into.

[[deleted user]]

I've pranged my car on a number of occasions..

[Cecily]

Prang most often applies to a collision involving at least one vehicle rather than, for example, a pedestrian walking into a tree.

If you're interested in the differences between AmE and BrE, have a look at http://separatedbyacommonlanguage.blo...

[John]

Thanks for link, Cecily!

For some reason I'd gotten it into my head (wedged amongst all the useless trivia!) that 'gammon' was some sort of bird, like a pheasant, rather than another term for ham.

[Carol]

Gamin or Gamine

Homeless young man or woman

[David]

"Jamoke" and "gibbone," both slang terms for a crude, inept person. "Gibbone" is from the Italian for "gibbon," a kind of ape.

[David]

Another Italian-born piece of American slang is "agita," which can mean "heartburn," or any kind of anxiety or worry. It has the same Latin root as "agitation."

[Ken, Moderator]

"Jamoke" I'm familiar with. "Gibbone" is news to be. Sounds too much like the author, Gibbons.

Prang -- I thought it was a baby carriage in England.

[Carol]

Prang--a type of South-East Asian temple spire;

[Ruth]

Prang - the watercolors you used in grammar school.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Prang only ever meant a collision of sorts in NZ....pranged me bike, pranged me car, pranged me pram (baby carriage NE!!)

[Ken, Moderator]

Ohhhh. PRAM, I was thinking.

[Carol]

farouche
adj.

1. wild; savage; fierce
2. unsociable in a fierce or surly way; lacking social grace

[Ken, Moderator]

I went to school with him. Dominic Farouche.

[Savvy]

DUMBASSERY

Today’s word of the day is dumbassery, which is stupid or foolish behavior. It’s less amusing than tomfoolery, more innocent than chicanery, and more likely to be congenital than botchery.

[Ruth]

I love it! Is it really a word?

[David]

It is now.

[Ken, Moderator]

You've heard of the "make a wish" foundation. This is the "make a word" one.

I wonder what the mules think.

[Carol]

Those humans are just a bunch of tomfoolery BAFOOMS bungling the word dumb.

[David]

flaccid: limp and floppy.

[David]

"mash note"--a sentimental letter expressing an attraction, usually to a stranger or near-stranger. Somewhat obsolete in the Internet Age.

[Carol]

Which in this Internet Age,can sometimes be construed as stalking .

[Carol]

Supercalifragilisticexpealidoshus -watched Mary Poppins last night. I will go around singing these songs for days now. A spoon full of Splenda helps the medicine go dowooooonnnnnnn , the medicine go dooowwnnnnnnnnnnnn haahahahaha

[Ken, Moderator]

Long time no Mary Poppins. I bought my wife this "chick flick" (sight unseen) called The Ugly Truth and actually watched the end with her (usually she watches TV alone, as I'm not big on it).

WOD:

loess

[David]

loess is more, when it builds up layers of soil

[Ruth]

Loess is why the Great Yellow River is yellow

[David]

According to Michael Palin, a river beloved of English football players.

[Carol]

Loess One of the key characteristics of these deposits is the ‘cat steps'. The soil has few clay particles to hold it together. It is composed mainly of quartz crystals which slide easily against each other, and is therefore very subject to erosion. Because of this, there are mini-earth slides, which form the steps.

See I learn so much from you all.

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Osmosis
Also the way in which I have learned much here Carol......

[Ruth]

My mom taught me about osmosis when I was just a little kid.

[Carol]

Me I am a Porifera , utilizing osmosis.

[Ken, Moderator]

I'm glad I left LOESS blank. Your fill-in's were superior to any Dan'l Webster.

[Carol]

We were building layers of thoughts.

[David]

disintermediation--eliminating the middleman

[Debbie, sardonic princess of cheerfulness]

Dissing the middleman? Sounds like a scheme! Never liked middlemen myself!

[Ruth]

David wrote: "disintermediation--eliminating the middleman"

Looks like you're digging the mediation out of the grave.

[Carol]

Good one Ruth hehehe.

[Savvy]

MUNDUNGUS

Today’s word of the day is mundungus, a stinking tobacco. From the Spanish mondongo, meaning paunch (more precisely, the first stomach of a ruminant), tripe, or black pudding. Walter Skeat has a substantial entry on the word in his Notes on English Etymology. These days, mundungus is mostly known as the first name of the tobacco-smoking Mundungus Fletcher in the Harry Potter young adult fiction by J.K. Rowling.

[Carol]

MUNDUNGUS -This is almost self explanatory, at least the stinky part.

[Savvy]

SNASH

To talk saucily. Jamieson. [Scots.:]
Insolent, opprobrious language; impertinent abuse. [Scots.:]

Poor tenant bodies, scant o' cash, How they maun thole the factor's snash! Burns, The Twa Dogs.

[Carol]

opprobrious -abusive: expressing offensive reproach . Shoot I will go with this one. I had never heard of it .

[Jimmy]

hugger-mugger

noun: 1. Disorderly confusion; muddle.
2. Secrecy; concealment.

verb: 1. to keep secret; conceal.
2. To act in a secretive manner.

[Carol]

funambulist
n
a tightrope walker
[from Latin fūnambulus rope dancer, from fūnis rope + ambulāre to walk:]
funambulism n

[Savvy]

ESURIENT

Today’s word of the day is esurient, meaning, “hungry or greedy,” and ultimately having the same root (edere) as eat.

[Ruth]

That's a new one for me.

[David]

In the Monty Python cheese shop sketch, "esurient" comes right near "I came all over peckish."

Customer: Well, I was, uh, sitting in the public library on Thurmon Street just now, skimming through Rogue Herrys by Hugh Walpole, and I suddenly came over all peckish.
Owner: Peckish, sir?
Customer: Esurient.
Owner: Eh?
Customer: 'Ee, ah wor 'ungry-loike!
Owner: Ah, hungry!

[Savvy]

SOUGH

Today’s word of the day is sough, which as a verb means “to make a soft murmuring or rustling sound” and as a noun “a soft murmuring or rustling sound, as of the wind or a gentle surf.”

Would make a nice poetic word...rhymes with rough (not dough)

[Ruth]

Oh my. That's a reading word for me. I always thought it was pronounced sigh. Learn something new every day.