Word of the Day-fustian0 评论
Fustian (Noun)
Pronunciation: ['fês-chên] Definition: (1) Originally today's word referred to a course, heavy material made of cotton and flax but today it refers to a cotton material with a short nap, like corduroy and velveteen; (2) pompous, turgid, bombastic language or speech. Usage: The only interesting note on the usage of today's word is that it may be used freely as an adjective or noun: a fustian jacket or a jacket of fustian—makes no difference. The same applies to the other meaning of the word: a fustian tirade or a tirade of pure fustian. Suggested Usage: We seldom talk about the cloth, fustian, but it is still there to be applied judiciously, "Rusty Bell's fustian clothes go well with his soft-spoken personality." Most often today's word comes up in conversations about bombastic speech: "The points he makes in his speeches are usually couched（表达） in such fustian as to make them difficult to find." Etymology: Today's word comes to us Old French "fustaigne," a word inherited from Medieval Latin "fustianum," possibly from El Fustat, a section of Cairo, Egypt, where the material is though to have been originally manufactured. The connection between cloth and pomposity is also reflected in "bombast," which comes from Old French bombace "cotton wadding," i.e. stuffing. Word of the Day-inchoate0 评论
Inchoate (Adjective)
Pronunciation: [in-'ko-êt ('in-kê-wêt British)] Definition: Incipient, in an initial, incomplete, imperfect state. Usage: The verb is also inchoate [in-'ko-weyt] "to begin" and the action of beginning is "inchoation." Another adjective, "inchoative," refers mostly to a verb form of certain languages which indicates the beginning of an action, such as Russian zarabotat' "begin working, start (engine)" from za- (inchoative) + rabotat' "work." Suggested Usage: Walter Lippmann liked to write about the "inchoate mass" (us), "In really hard times the rules of the game are altered. The inchoate mass begins to stir. It becomes potent, and when it strikes... it strikes with incredible emphasis" (New York Herald Tribune, December 8, 1931). Today's word offers a way to spice up that common phrase, "I haven't any idea:" "I haven't an inchoate idea of what to do with three bushels of kumquats." That means, you haven't even a the beginning of an inkling. Word of the Day-lexicon0 评论
Lexicon (noun)
Pronunciation: ['lek-sê-kahn] Definition: A dictionary or vocabulary, a special set of words (medical lexicon) or the set of words used by all the speakers of a given language (mental lexicon). Usage: The word today is used more and more frequently to refer to the dictionary we all carry in our heads as well as the entire vocabulary of a language. The adjective is "lexical" and the verb, "lexicalize," means to add a word to the lexicon, as "ism" and "burger" have been recently lexicalized from pieces of words. Suggested Usage: Examples of this useful word abound: "Margery's lexicon has grown leaps and bounds since she subscribed to YourDictionary.com's Word of the Day" or "The word 'raise' isn't in the lexicon of this company." One more: "The English lexicon not only accepts words from every language on earth, it waylays languages for their lexical treasure." Word of the Day-yahoo0 评论
Yahoo (noun)
Pronunciation: ['yah-hu] Definition: The original word was a proper noun which was "commonized", i.e. converted into a common noun. The common noun refers to any boorish, crass person. Usage: Used in the first instance among students of 18th-century British literature. More recently it has been usurped by a successful Internet company. Despite the company's success, it's a rather unfortunate choice for a name, don't you think? Suggested Usage: Usage: We should work to prevent this word's becoming a trademark. "She came in late and didn't hear the lecture, but still attacked him during the question period. What a yahoo." It is particularly important to impress the original meaning on young people: "Wash your hands before you eat; we aren't raising a yahoo." Word of the Day-troupe0 评论
Definition: (noun) A company or group, especially of touring actors, singers, or dancers.
Synonyms: company Usage: That gentleman was a sort of Barnum, the director of a troupe of mountebanks, jugglers, clowns, acrobats, equilibrists, and gymnasts. troop Word of the Day-smarmy0 评论
Pronunciation: ['smah[r]-mi]
Definition: Extremely though insincerely polite and solicitous; ingratiating if not unctuous; transparently currying favor (or favour, if you are British). Usage: This word is widely used in Britain but does not occur in US or most Australian dialects. Suggested Usage: This is a good word to refer to feigned sophistication for self-benefit. "He has a smarmy charm that some women find alluring." It also works toward avoidance of commonplace terms like "brown-nose" or clichés like "curry favor:" "He always gets a bit smarmy when the boss walks in." 常说英美人难见 "炊烟"，可他们的词汇用语与饮食有关的可真不少。今天我们来讲讲curry favor，当然，curry在这里已与"咖喱"毫无半点联系，curry favor 就是我们常说的"讨好某人"，通俗一点可说成"拍马屁"。 Curry在这里是动词，原意为梳理马的皮毛，这一动作能与"讨好"相联系则是源于14世纪法国诗人维特里的政治寓言《褐马传奇》。书中的褐色老马Fauvel聪明、狡猾、颇具权威，人们为了私利常梳理Fauvel的皮毛，示意讨好，久而久之， to curry Fauvel就成了"阿谀奉承"的代名词。随着时间的推移，关于老马的传说慢慢被大众所遗忘, "拍马屁"也由 to curry Fauvel衍变成了to curry favor。 讲了这么多, 你会不会来一句"It's so kind of you to share knowledge with us!" 呵呵，千万不敢说出口, 否则我要怀疑 "You are currying favor with me" 。 Word of the Day-poltroon, dastard0 评论
Pronunciation: [pêl-'trun]
Definition: An abject coward. Usage: The noun is "poltroonery" and the adjective, "poltroonish." Sometimes we need a way to dull the edge of an offensive term; other times, we need a whet to sharpen it. "Poltroon" makes a deeper cut than mere "coward," though its effect is undermined by its funny sound. Suggested Usage: U.S. football enthusiasts might say, spraying the TV with pretzel bits, "What a gaggle of poltroons those line-backers are! Won't they ever charge the line?" But poltroonery is no more appalling on the playing field than in the workplace: "Don't you think calling five rounds of lay-offs 'right-sizing' a bit poltroonish? Wouldn't 'results of managerial fallibility' be more manly?" Dastard (Noun) Pronunciation: ['dæs-têrd] Definition: Originally this word referred to a dullard, dimwit or sot but in the 16th century it began to be used to mean "despicable coward," where it stands today. Usage: The adjective "dastardly" is used most frequently today. The quality of a dastard is "dastardliness." Suggested Usage: Guess which inappropriate word today's can replace in your anger vocabulary? "The rotten dastard introduced his new girlfriend to Selma as his cousin, rather than tell Selma he had broken off with her. Next, the dastardly rapscallion slipped out the back door when the two women began talking to each other." (Believe it or not, "rapscallion" comes from "rascal" via obsolete "rascallion" and not vice versa.) Just remember a dastard is a coward, not merely a scoundrel. Word of the Day-tendentious0 评论
Pronunciation: [ten-'den-chês]
Definition: Exhibiting a strong tendency or point of view, overbearingly didactic or partisan. Usage: Not to be confused with "tendential" which means simply "relating to a tendency." "Tendential ideas" are those with a decided point of view but not an overbearing one. "Tendentious ideas" so strongly support a tendency as to become repulsive. Suggested Usage: Remember that today's word is pejorative and use it with care: "I find Rodney tendentious in his ideas and I have long since desisted in discussing politics with him." This does not mean it lacks household uses, "I find your reasoning for not cleaning out the garage tendentious and would prefer pursuing the matter no further. Do it!" Word of the Day-declaim0 评论
declaim \di-KLEYM\, verb:
to orate; to speak in a loud and emotional manner What is the clue to understanding a country rife with despair and disrepair, which nonetheless moved a Mughal emperor to declaim, "If on earth there be paradise of bliss, it is this, it is this, it is this ...?" -- Shashi Tharoor, India: From Midnight to Millennium The heavies declaim prolix monologues on evil in a godless universe. -- Robert Polito, Trackers, New York Times, March 29, 1998 同根词: proclaim ( 宣传) ; acclaim ( 欢呼) Word of the Day-hidebound0 评论
hidebound \HAHYD-bound\, adjective:
narrow-minded and stubborn In recent years, there has been another voice on the scene -- one that has infused this hidebound, somewhat predictable genre with an unsettling energy-- Daphne Merkin, Retirement Benefits, New York Times, December 17, 2000 They were class-bound, hidebound and incapable of expressing their emotions-- Jeremy Paxman, The English Word of the Day-defalcate0 评论
defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients. c 1540, from Latin defalcere, from de- + falx/falcem "sickle, scythe" Word of the Day-peculate0 评论
peculate \PEK-yuh-leyt\, verb:
to steal money or goods entrusted to one; embezzle Not surprisingly, they use their positions to demand bribes and peculate public funds.-- Christian Parenti, Taliban Rising, The Nation, December 10, 2006 Word of the Day-cloy0 评论
Pronunciation: ['kloy]
Definition: (1) To oversatiate with rich food, to overfeed, to cause nausea by overfeeding with delicious, rich food; (2) to oversatiate with anything otherwise pleasant to point it becomes unpleasant. Usage: We meet today's word often as "a cloying odor" in our reading, indicating an odor that is slightly nauseous. "Jade" is another verb indicating displeasure at a surfeit, but this verb suggests boredom (not nausea) from repetition of a trivial task. The adjective is "cloying" and the adverb, "cloyingly." Suggested Usage: Begin by using today's word to refer to that discomfort brought on by overeating, "Mother dear, the meal was delicious but please do not cloy me with yet another serving." Then move on to metaphorical flights like, "Alicia, you cannot cloy me with your presence; can I see you again tomorrow?" Do not forget the implication of nausea associated with this word, "The speech of our 22-million-dollar-a-year president was cloyed with insincere references to the work force and its importance to the company."
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