January 01, 2012
Word of the Day

INCOMMUNICADO
audio pronunciation
\in-kuh-myoo-nuh-KAH-doh\

DEFINITION

adverb or adjective
: without means of communication : in a situation or state not allowing communication

EXAMPLES

Human rights groups continue to petition the government to allow them access to prisoners who are being held incommunicado.

"Spirit has been incommunicado for more than a year despite daily calls by NASA. The cause of Spirit's silence may never be known, but it's likely the bitter Martian winter damaged its electronics, preventing the six-wheel rover from waking up." -- From an Associated Press article by Alicia Chang, May 25, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

"Incommunicado" ultimately comes from Latin but made its way into English via Spanish. We borrowed the word (with a slightly modified spelling) from the past participle of the Spanish verb "incomunicar," meaning "to deprive of communication." The Spanish word, in turn, derives from the Latin prefix "in-" and the verb "communicare," meaning "to communicate."

Miriam Webster didn't have a word today so I had to pick one. Based upon the current world stage, I picked this one, one that seems eerily familiar.

SOCIALISM
noun \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\
Definition of SOCIALISM
1
: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods
2
a : a system of society or group living in which there is no private property b : a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state
3
: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done
See socialism defined for English-language learners »
See socialism defined for kids »
Examples of SOCIALISM

She is quite right, for example, to stress that Thatcher's crusade against socialism was not merely about economic efficiency and prosperity but that above all, “it was that socialism itself—in all its incarnations, wherever and however it was applied—was morally corrupting.” —Stephen Pollard, New York Times Book Review, 18 Jan. 2009

Randy, such a depressing word to learn but a word that we all must learn in order to know our enemy.

CALABOOSE
audio pronunciation
\KAL-uh-booss\

DEFINITION

noun
: jail; especially : a local jail

EXAMPLES

The chief entertainment at our family gatherings is always the stories my uncles tell of their wild youthful antics -- some of which landed them in the calaboose for a night.

"Dallas broke the law, according to the lawsuit, because it lied in violation of the False Claims Act. The False Claims Act can be enforced criminally (off to the calaboose) or civilly (write a big check)." -- From an article by Jim Schutze in the Dallas Observer, November 24, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

"Calaboose" had been part of the English language for almost a century when John S. Farmer included the term in his 1889 book Americanisms -- Old & New, defining it as "the common gaol or prison." Farmer also made mention of a verb "calaboose," meaning "to imprison," but that term was apparently lost in the years between then and now. "Calaboose" is Spanish in origin; it's from the Spanish word "calabozo," meaning "dungeon."

Just another name for the Hoosegow! Or the Pokey (Apologies to OUR Pokey)! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> Also sometimes called the Slammer. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

January 07, 2012
Word of the Day

TOME
audio pronunciation
\TOHM\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a volume forming part of a larger work
2
: book; especially : a large or scholarly book

EXAMPLES

It took me more than a month to finish reading that 800-page tome on European history.

"Priced at $1,000, the limited-edition tome brings together Norman Mailer's 1973 biography of Monroe with Bert Stern's now-legendary photos." -- From a review by Nicki Gostin on the Huffington Post, December 7, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

"Tome" comes from Latin "tomus," which comes from Greek "tomos," meaning "section" or "roll of papyrus." "Tomos" comes from the Greek verb "temnein," which means "to cut." In ancient times, some of the longest scrolls of papyrus occasionally were divided into sections. When it was first used in English in the 16th century, "tome" was a book that was a part of a multi-volume work. Now a tome is most often simply a large and often ponderous book.

anuary 08, 2012
Word of the Day

MORDANT
audio pronunciation
\MOR-dunt\

DEFINITION

adjective
1
: biting and caustic in thought, manner, or style : incisive
2
: burning, pungent

EXAMPLES

The newspaper columnist's acute insights and mordant wit made her columns a must-read for many subscribers.

"These letters show the tender, funny, love-hungry side of [Philip] Larkin that, in the poems proper, are always in tension with the mordant stuff." -- From a blog post by Adam Gopnik at The New Yorker (online), December 27, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

The etymology of "mordant" certainly has some bite to it. That word, which came to modern English through Middle French, ultimately derives from the Latin verb "mord&#275;re," which means "to bite." In modern parlance, "mordant" usually suggests a wit used with deadly effectiveness. "Mord&#275;re" puts the bite into other English terms, too. For instance, that root gave us the tasty "morsel" ("a tiny bite"). But nibble too many of those and you’ll likely be hit by another "mord&#275;re" derivative: "remorse" ("guilt for past wrongs"), which comes from Latin "remord&#275;re," meaning "to bite again."

January 11, 2012
Word of the Day

KUDOS
audio pronunciation
\KOO-dahss\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: fame and renown resulting from an act or achievement : prestige
2
: praise given for achievement

EXAMPLES

"I'd like to be a widow. Then I'd have the freedom of the unmarried, with the kudos of the married. I could eat my cake and have it, too. Oh, to be a widow!" -- From Lucy Maud Montgomery’s short story "The End of a Quarrel," in Chronicles of Avonlea (1912)

"Making the playoffs is an achievement that deserves kudos, but getting this far isn't enough -- the real goal is to win championships, and the best way to do that is to continually look to upgrade your team." -- From an article by KC Joyner on ESPN.com, December 6, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

Deriving from Greek, "kudos" entered English as slang popular at British universities in the 19th century. In its earliest use, the word referred to the prestige or renown that one gained by having accomplished something noteworthy. The sense meaning "praise given for achievement" came about in the 1920s. As this later sense became the predominant one, some English speakers, unaware of the word's Greek origin, began to treat it as a plural count noun, inevitably coming up with the back-formation "kudo" to refer to a single instance of praise. For the same reason, when "kudos" is used as a subject you may see it with either a singular or plural verb.


KUDOS to all the Dogs that post here and offer information on a multitude of subjects and tasks. I salute you all!

January 12, 2012
Word of the Day

VALOROUS
audio pronunciation
\VAL-uh-russ\

DEFINITION

adjective
1
: possessing or acting with bravery or boldness : courageous
2
: marked by, exhibiting, or carried out with courage or determination : heroic

EXAMPLES

Audie Murphy was awarded the Medal of Honor in 1945 for valorous acts that helped to save his company in the face of a fierce German assault.

"So today I am putting in the mail a donation to my local fire company. I hope many others will do the same. Honor the dead by honoring the living who continue the valorous work of first responders. Support them in their work, the work of rushing to the aid of you and me." -- From a letter to the editor by Evangeline Jones in the Poughkeepsie Journal (New York), September 11, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

If you are boldly seeking synonyms for "valorous," consider "courageous," "intrepid," "dauntless," "bold," or just plain "brave" -- all of which mean "having or showing no fear when faced with danger or difficulty." "Brave" is the most straightforward of these, implying lack of fear in alarming or difficult circumstances. "Courageous" carries a sense of stout-hearted resolution in the face of danger, while "intrepid" suggests downright daring in confronting peril. "Dauntless" suggests determination and resolution despite danger. "Bold" typically indicates a forward or defiant tendency to thrust oneself into dangerous situations. "Valorous," which comes from Middle English "valour," meaning "worth, worthiness, or bravery," suggests illustrious bravery and sometimes has an archaic or romantic ring.


Sure doesn't sound like our fearless leaders does it.

anuary 13, 2012
Word of the Day

THOLE
audio pronunciation
\THOHL\

DEFINITION

verb
: endure

EXAMPLES

"There was now temptation to resist, as well as pain to thole." -- From Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel Kidnapped

"She moved closer to him and he noticed her faint perfume. Her cheeks were rosy red, and a tiny drip hung from the end of her nose. She was cold, but she was tholing it so as not to spoil his fun." -- From Patrick Taylor's 2010 novel An Irish Country Christmas

DID YOU KNOW?

"Thole" is one of the English language's oldest words -- it existed in Middle English in its current form and in Old English with the form "tholian" -- but in these modern times it tholes only in the corners of England's northern dialects. It has the same origin as "tolerate": both come from the Greek word "tl&#275;nai," meaning "to bear." Unrelated to this "thole" is the (also very old) noun "thole," which can be used as a synonym of "peg" or "pin" or can refer to either of a pair of pins set in the gunwale of a boat to hold an oar in place. This "thole" comes from Greek "tylos," meaning "knob" or "callus."

January 14, 2012
Word of the Day

CRUCIBLE
audio pronunciation
\KROO-suh-bul\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a vessel in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted
2
: a severe test
3
: a place or situation in which concentrated forces interact to cause or influence change or development

EXAMPLES

Living in the crucible that was Paris in the spring of 1968, Remi got to witness firsthand the angry confrontations between workers, students, and government.

"'Desire' -- it's the perfect name for Pedro Almodóvar's production company, the crucible for all his films including Law of Desire, the movie that helped make a star out of a young Spanish actor named Antonio Banderas." -- From a film review by Lawrence Osborne in Newsweek, October 3, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

"Crucible" looks like it should be closely related to the Latin combining form "cruc-" ("cross"), but it isn't. It was forged from the Medieval Latin "crucibulum," a noun for an earthen pot used to melt metals, and in English it first referred to a vessel of a very heat-resistant material (such as porcelain) used for melting a substance that requires a high degree of heat. But the resemblance between "cruc-" and "crucible" probably encouraged people to start using "crucible" to mean "a severe trial." That sense is synonymous with one meaning of "cross," a word that is related to "cruc-." The newest sense of "crucible" ("a situation in which great changes take place" -- as in "forged in the crucible of war") recalls the fire and heat that would be encountered in the original heat-resistant pot.

Hum... Seems what JJ is going through for the next two months!

January 15, 2012
Word of the Day

XYLOGRAPHY
audio pronunciation
\zye-LAH-gruh-fee\

DEFINITION

noun
: the art of making engravings on wood especially for printing

EXAMPLES

Francine uses a rubber-stamping technique in her art that is reminiscent of Chinese xylography.

"Also known as wood block printing, xylography proved to be cheaper and more efficient for printing Chinese, with its thousands of characters, so movable type did not supplant it there until modern times." -- From Christopher I. Beckwith's 2011 book Empires of the Silk Road

DID YOU KNOW?

"Xylography" didn't appear in print in English until 1816, but it is linked to printing practices that are much older. In fact, the oldest known printed works (from Japan and China in the 8th and 9th centuries) were made by xylography, a printing technique that involves carving text in relief upon a wooden block, which is then inked and applied to paper. This method of wood-block printing appeared in Europe in the 14th century, and eventually inspired Johannes Gutenberg to create individual and reusable pieces of type out of metal. These days, "xylography" can also describe the technique of engraving wood for purely artistic purposes. English speakers picked up the word from French, where it was formed as a combination of "xyl-," meaning "wood," and "-graphie," which denotes writing in a specified manner.

anuary 18, 2012
Word of the Day

JUNKET
audio pronunciation
\JUNK-ut\

DEFINITION

noun
1
: a dessert of sweetened flavored milk set with rennet
2
a : a festive social affair b : trip, journey: as (1) : a trip made by an official at public expense (2) : a promotional trip made at another's expense

EXAMPLES

The senator has been criticized for going on expensive junkets to foreign countries.

"It's a little embarrassing, but when I saw a report that Gov. Sean Parnell was just returning from a junket to Europe, I was surprised. I hadn't noticed he was gone. Awkward." -- From an op-ed by Shannyn Moore in the Anchorage Daily News, November 21, 2011

DID YOU KNOW?

The road "junket" has traveled has been a long one, with frequent stops for food along the way. Since at least the 15th century, the word has named various comestibles, ranging from curds and cream to sweet confections. By the 16th century, "junket" had also come to mean "banquet." Apparently, traveling must have been involved to reach some junkets, because eventually that term was also applied to pleasure outings or trips (whether or not food was the focus). Today, the word usually refers either to a trip made by a government official and paid for by the public, as in our example sentences, or to a free trip by a member of the press to a place where something, such as a new movie, is being promoted.

Hum....I wonder How many are going on a Junket to Atlanta in June?