December 22, 2010Word of the Day
NUMINOUS \NOO-muh-nus\DEFINITION
adjective

1: supernatural, mysterious
2: filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : holy
3: appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : spiritual
EXAMPLES As she listened to the choir sing in the candlelit sanctuary, Marianne was overcome by a sense of numinous awe.

"The instrumental interlude is notated as a musical staff drawn in a circle with eight more musical staffs protruding as 'musical rays.' It’s hard to follow but easy to understand, a thing of numinous visual and aural beauty." --From a review by Mark Swed in the Los Angeles Times, November 17, 2010
DID YOU KNOW? "Numinous" is from the Latin word "numen," meaning "divine will" or "nod" (it suggests a figurative nodding, of assent or of command, of the divine head). English speakers have been using "numen" for centuries with the meaning "a spiritual force or influence." We began using "numinous" in the mid-1600s, subsequently endowing it with several senses: "supernatural" or "mysterious" (as in "possessed of a numinous energy force"), "holy" (as in "the numinous atmosphere of the catacombs"), and "appealing to the aesthetic sense" (as in "the numinous nuances of her art"). We also created the nouns "numinousness" and "numinosity," although these are rare.

Yeah like some who were blind to his obvious faults and "I don't care about you attitude", were numinous over His election and viewed him as something he IS NOT. Wonder if they are now?

December 23, 2010Word of the Day
SUPEREROGATION \soo-per-air-uh-GAY-shun\DEFINITION
noun

: the act of performing more than is required by duty, obligation, or need
EXAMPLES I have already stated my opinion and thoroughly explained my reasoning, so it would be an act of supererogation to provide further details.

"To redistribute from wealthy to poor across national boundaries, or to invest economically in a defeated state, may be an ethical obligation, a work of supererogation, ethically neutral, or even ethically wrong." -- From the 2010 book Global Ethics: An Introduction by Kimberly Hutchings
DID YOU KNOW? English speakers took "supererogation" from the Medieval Latin verb "supererogare," which means "to perform beyond the call of duty." That Latin word, in turn, derives from the prefix "super-," meaning "over and above," plus "erogare," meaning "to expend public funds after asking the consent of the people." The earliest English uses of "supererogation" occurred in religious contexts, where it often referred to the doing of good deeds beyond those required for salvation. By the late 1500s, "supererogation" was being applied to any act performed above and beyond obligation.



Many of the Dawgs here can be accused of SUPEREROGARE in touting the superiority of our favorite blades! (Oh and in helping others too)!

December 24, 2010Word of the Day
INVINCIBLE \in-VIN-suh-bul\DEFINITION
adjective

: incapable of being conquered, overcome, or subdued
EXAMPLES Susan loved stories of invincible superheroes and determined sidekicks.

"When the title was on the line in the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, Johnson and his team looked more invincible than vulnerable." -- From an article by Rick Minter in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, November 23, 2010
DID YOU KNOW? The origins of "invincible" are easily subdued. The word derives, via Middle French, from Late Latin "invincibilis," which was itself formed by combining the negative prefix "in-" with "vincere," meaning "to conquer." Other descendants of "vincere" in English include "convince," "evince," "vanquish," and even "victor." "Vincere" also gave English "vincible," meaning (unsurprisingly) "capable of being overcome or subdued," though it is significantly less common than "invincible."

Wielding a Scrap Yard knife often makes one feel invincible! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbup.gif" alt="" />

You mean it's a FALSE sense of security! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

December 25, 2010Word of the Day
NOSEGAY \NOHZ-gay\DEFINITION
noun

: a small bunch of flowers
EXAMPLES The young man presented a nosegay of red, white, and yellow roses to his sweetheart.

“The bride carried a nosegay of green hydrangeas, Gerbera daisies, and coral roses hand-tied in turquoise ribbon.” -- From a wedding announcement in Mississippi Magazine, January 2010
DID YOU KNOW?" Nosegay" is a homegrown word -- that is, it originated in English. Fifteenth-century Middle English speakers joined "nose" (which meant then what it does today) with "gay" (which at the time meant "ornament"). That makes "nosegay" an appropriate term for a bunch of flowers, which is indeed an ornament that appeals to the nose. Today the word "nosegay" is especially common in the bridal business, where it usually refers to a specific type of bouquet: a round, tight bunch of flowers as opposed to a cascading bouquet or other type of arrangement. Occasionally, the word is used metaphorically for things that somehow resemble a bouquet. For example, a compact collection of enjoyably lighthearted short stories might be called "a nosegay of a book."

And here I thought it was a new form of servicemember! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/doh.gif" alt="" />

I thought that was a special street in San Fran..............never mind!

December 26, 2010
Word of the Day

* EMBARRASS
* audio pronunciation
* \im-BAIR-us\

* DEFINITION
*

verb
1
: to confuse or disconcert
2
: to involve in financial difficulties
3
: to cause to experience self-conscious distress
4
: to hinder or impede

* EXAMPLES
*

She embarrassed her grandson by showing his baby pictures to his friends.

"She wasn't about to embarrass herself in front of a man she hardly knew. Gracie had learned years ago that if she couldn't make herself invisible, a tough exterior was her second best defense." -- From Lorelle Marinello's 2010 novel Salting Roses

* DID YOU KNOW?
*

If you've ever been so embarrassed that you felt like you were caught up in a noose of shame you may have some insight into the origins of the word "embarrass." The word can be traced back through French and Spanish to the Portuguese word "embaraçar," which was itself probably formed as a combination of the prefix "em-" (from Latin "in-") and "baraça," the Portuguese word for "noose." Though "embarrass" has had various meanings throughout its history in English, these days it most often implies making someone feel or look foolish.

Why you mean like if a certain live birth certificate does not really exist?

Birth certificates exist. But they may be full of false information, thereby making them Forgeries perhaps.

December 29, 2010Word of the Day
PLUMMY \PLUMM-ee\DEFINITION
adjective

1a : full of plums b : choice, desirable
2a : having a plum color b : rich and mellow often to the point of affectation
EXAMPLES She got a plummy job as a lifeguard over the summer.

"His impossibly smooth, domed head, chiseled features and plummy voice make him instantly recognizable in the regal, authoritative roles he so often plays." -- From a theater review by Scott Kraft in the Los Angeles Times, October 17, 2010
DID YOU KNOW? During the 18th century the word "plum" became a delectable ingredient in the English language. The word for the sweet, juicy fruit denoted such things as a fortune of 100,000 pounds, a rich person, and, by the early 19th century, anything desirable. "Plummy" blossomed in the mid-18th century with the meaning "full of plums" and had branched out as an adjective for desirable things by the century's end. By the late 19th century it was being used to describe rich, mellow voices. The sweetness of the word did eventually sour, however, when people began to use it to describe stilted or affected speech, as in "the teacher used a plummy voice when he talked to the students' parents."


I had a perfect example of this but it would be slamming our government for their Plummy benefits (FOR LIFE) after they serve so I am not going to say anything.

December 30, 2010Word of the Day
MAHATMA \muh-HAHT-muh\DEFINITION
noun

1: a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness
2: a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor
EXAMPLES Film directors regard Alfred Hitchcock as the mahatma of the suspense thriller and still often borrow his plot devices and filming techniques.

"Vince Lombardi -- one of the Seven Blocks of Granite at Fordham, the coaching saint, the mahatma of Green Bay -- is the subject of a new play, and its producers plan to bring it to Broadway late next year." -- From an article by Richard Sandomir in The New York Times, November 7, 2009
DID YOU KNOW? "Mahatma" is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word "mah&#257;tman," which literally meant "great-souled." As a general, uncapitalized English noun, "mahatma" can refer to any great person; in India, it is used as a title of love and respect. When capitalized, however, it usually refers to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the great leader who helped guide India to independence in 1947. Renowned for his policy of nonviolent protest, he was widely known as "Mahatma Gandhi" or "the Mahatma." The title was reportedly conferred on him by poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915, but spiritual leader and author Paramahansa Yogananda claimed that Gandhi didn’t embrace it himself. According to Yogananda, Gandhi never referred to himself as "Mahatma," but rather "made some humble, and witty, protests about the title."

MAHATMA Obama! Nah I don't think so!

I mean that would be like calling Nancy Pelosi <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/barf.gif" alt="" /> Mother Teresa!