Word of the day July 1
 

The Word of the Day for July 1 is:

temporize • \TEM-puh-ryze\ • (verb) 1. to act to suit the time or occasion; yield to current or dominant opinion; compromise; 2. to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time

A little more information about today’s word:
"Temporize" comes from the Medieval Latin verb "temporizare" ("to pass the time"), which itself comes from the Latin noun "tempus," meaning "time." ("Tempus" is also the root of such words as "tempo," "contemporary," and "temporal.") If you need to buy some time, you might resort to temporizing—but you probably won't win admiration for doing so. "Temporize" can have a somewhat negative connotation. For instance, a political leader faced with a difficult issue might temporize by talking vaguely about possible solutions without actually doing anything. The point of such temporizing is to avoid taking definite—and possibly unpopular—action, in hopes that the problem will somehow go away. But the effect is often just to make matters worse.

My sentence (using definition #2):
The legislature was accused of temporizing while the budget deficit continued to worsen.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Management tried to temporize the negotiations with the union rather then bargain in good faith.

After heated debate, both sides decided to temporize to end the deadlock.

The agents for the ballplayer temporized while they dtermined if the player had other suiters.

Sometimes I temporize my bosses' pet projects,
while dealing with the real issues.

No wonder I get into to trouble. ;)

My kid begins to temporize when bedtime is near.

Word of the day July 2
 

The Word of the Day for July 2 is:

redbrick • \RED-brick\ • (adjective) 1. built of red brick; 2 often capitalized: of, relating to, or being the British universities founded in the 19th or early 20th century

A little more information about today’s word:
Although red brick is a perfectly innocent building material in America, the British usage of "redbrick" is often potentially uncomplimentary. "Redbrick" is a British coinage created to denote the universities which were newer and perhaps less prestigious than Oxford and Cambridge (and sometimes the ancient universities of Scotland). These newer universities tended to be constructed of red brick, rather than the stone used for Oxford and Cambridge, and were most often created in industrial cities such as Liverpool. Sometimes the term is also used to distinguish these universities from those built after World War II. Limited evidence suggests that "redbrick" may be developing an extended meaning of "lower-class" or "working class," but this is not established enough to merit dictionary entry.

My sentence (using definition #2):
Maureen graduated with a Redbrick degree three years ago and now works in London.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

The man felt very confident that he would get the job because of his Redbrick degree.

Janis, with her Old Navy attire and Redbrick upbringing could never quite fit in with her new crowd up on the Hill.

As my bills fly in every month I am constantly temporizing in the most creative ways.

Newly graduated from the community college, Stan was surprised that his redbrick diploma did not open many doors.

My wife accuses me of temporizing when it comes to the ol' "honeydew" list...

Yale & Harvard would not be considered Redbrick institutions,
either figuratively or literally.

Today a degree gained through the internet (even from a reputable college) would be considered redbrick.

If you want a gal with more than just a killer body, go chase after the redbrick poon.

If I graduated with a redbrick degree, I'd probably have a bloody English accent. It'd be rippa. :-)

Word of the day July 3
 

The Word of the Day for July 3 is:

abject • \AB-jekt\ • (adjective) 1. sunk to or existing in a low state or condition; 2a. cast down in spirit; servile, spiritless; 2b. showing utter hopelessness or resignation; 3. expressing or offered in a humble and often ingratiating spirit

A little more information about today’s word:
"Abject" comes to us from Latin "abjectus," the past participle of the verb "abicere," meaning "to cast off." "Abicere" in turn comes from the prefix "ab-" ("away, off") and the verb "jacere," which means "to throw." As you may have guessed, "reject" is a cousin of "abject"—it is ultimately derived from "re-" and "jacere." (Both words arrived in English in the 15th century.) "Jacere" has a number of other descendants in English as well, including "deject," "eject," "conjecture," and "adjective," just to name a few.

My sentence (using definition #2b):
"In reality the difference between spectacular success and abject failure can come down to a little luck and a few dedicated inventors toiling behind the scenes."
-- Robert Langreth and Zina Moukheiber, Forbes, June 23, 2003

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

The abject failure of the experiment was disheartening to the scientist.

Living in abject poverty has a way of destroying peoples hopes and sense of humanity.

There have been times in my life where I've been in an abject mood.
I kick myself out of it, and move on.

Reality television can be described as abject entertainment.

He entered an abject depression following the death of his grandfather.

Word of the day July 4
 

<center>http://www.animedia.us/image/liberty.jpg
<span style=filter:glow(color=white,strength=9);width:100%><font size=9 face="Arial">Happy 4th</font></span>
</center>

The Word of the Day for July 4 is:

bloviate • \BLOH-vee-ayt\ • (verb) to speak or write verbosely and windily

A little more information about today’s word:
Warren G. Harding is often linked to "bloviate," but to him the word wasn't even remotely insulting; it simply meant "to spend time idly." Harding used the word often in that "hanging around" sense, but during his tenure as the 29th U.S. President (1921-23), he became associated with the "verbose" sense of "bloviate," perhaps because his speeches tended to the long-winded side. Although he is sometimes credited with having coined the word, it's more likely that Harding picked it up from local slang while hanging around with his boyhood buddies in Ohio in the late 1800s. The term most likely derives from a combination of the word "blow" plus the suffix "-ate."

My sentence:
Paul can bloviate on a par with the windiest of politicians, but he’s also capable of being concise and getting right to the point.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

If I don't stick to my notes during a presentation I tend to bloviate out of nervousness.

Well, god knows I'm NEVER one to bloviate.
;)

Larry the Loquacious' rambling bloviations were like an opiate to those he came into contact with,

I'm generally quiet, so I tend not to bloviate.

I could bloviate all night and you still wouldn't listen.

He often dreamed of great things for himself, but laziness restricted him to an abject existence.

Some females I know can bloviate with the best of them.

Although many times people find the need to be concise to the point of being terse or taciturn, some tend to migrate towards the opposite end of the spectrum and bloviate with uncomparable verbosity and superfluously flowery speech.

I bloviate when I don't need to, and procrastinate when I need to bloviate.

Twice the bloviation!

Word of the day July 7
 

The Word of the Day for July 7 is:

chin-wag • \CHIN-wag\ • (noun) slang: conversation, chat

A little more information about today’s word:
In English, phrases about wagging tongues have suggested the act of speech since at least the late 1500s. The pairing of "chin" with "wag" to refer to talk didn't occur until several centuries later, but when it did, "chin" took on a life of its own as a term for idle chatter. Other "chin" expressions for loose lips include "chin-music" (a noun meaning "idle talk, chatter"), "chinfest" (another noun synonymous with "chat"), and "chin" itself (which can be used either as a verb meaning "to chatter" or a noun meaning "a chat").

My sentence:
"Few things in life are better than a good chin-wag over a cup of tea," my aunt often said, and I have fond memories of our many teatime chats.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Our weekend in Las Vegas is sure to be remembered fondly in future beer fueled chin-wags.

I was watch chin-Wag The Dog, and couldn’t believe one of my favorite actors portrayed that cur.

The TFP members are known for their constant chin-wagging.:)

The tiny beard musicians like to grow right under their bottom lip is a chin-wag.

The garrulous tend to bloviate.

We need to have a chin-wag.

He bloviated endlessly during our chin-wag.

You know you are in trouble when your significant other wants a chin-wag.

I was saddened to see the supplicant reduced to abject tears when his offering was rejected.

Word of the day July 8
 

The Word of the Day for July 8 is:

deasil • \DEE-zil\ • (adverb) clockwise

A little more information about today’s word:
It's an old custom that you can bring someone good fortune by walking around them clockwise three times while carrying a torch or candle. In Scottish Gaelic, the word "deiseil" is used for the direction one walks in such a luck-bringing ritual. English speakers modified the spelling to "deasil," and have used the word as both the name of the clockwise charm and the direction one walks when working it.

My sentence:
"'Twas a lovely show, with all the wee children carrying their little flowers and marching deasil 'round in a circle," my Scottish uncle declared after watching our daughter's school pageant.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Yes, but if you walk deasil backwards, you're going widdershins, aren't you?

If Frank Zappa had been a tracter-trailer driver instead of a musician, he might have named his son Deasil, instead of Dweezil.

To give the newly married couple good luck the wedding party danced deasil around their new house.

My life seems going in reverse deasil sometimes.;)

When you get to the gas station go around it deasil until you pass the Walmart.

Vin Deasil sucks ass

I got so drunk the other night, i spun deasil three times and cracked my head on the pool table....is that good luck too ?

Word of the day July 9
 

The Word of the Day for July 9 is:

ephemeral • \ih-FEH-muh-rul\ • (adjective) lasting a very short time

A little more information about today’s word:
The mayfly (Ephemeroptera) typically hatches, matures, mates, and dies within the span of a few short hours (though the longest-lived species may survive a record two days); poets sometimes use this insect to symbolize life’s ephemeral nature. When "ephemeral" first appeared in print in English in the late 16th century, it was a scientific term used to describe things, such as insects, flowers, and fevers, that lasted only about a day. Soon after, it acquired an extended sense referring to anything that is fleeting and short-lived ("ephemeral pleasures"). The original use of "ephemeral" recalls its etymology—it’s derived from the Greek word "ephmeros," meaning "lasting a day" —but the general extended sense is by far the more prevalent meaning today.

My sentence:
The actor starred in several hit films in the 1980s, but success proved ephemeral and his career was soon on a downward spiral.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Flights of fancy are ephemeral,
Dreams are forever.

Alaska summers for all their beauty are ephemeral.

When I want to be informed, I listen to one station on ephemeral of the A M Talk programs.

edit

All good things in life are but ephemeral pleasures.

It's best to leave the house when your wife and her mother start a chin-wag.

The hands on the timepiece spun deasil.

Orgasms are notoriously ephemeral.

Word of the day July 10
 

The Word of the Day for July 10 is:

flatfoot • \FLAT-foot\ • (noun) 1. a condition in which the arch of the instep is flattened so that the entire sole rests upon the ground; 2a. slang: police officer; especially a patrolman walking a regular beat; 2b. slang: sailor

A little more information about today’s word:
In 1899 the police officers of Akron, Ohio, climbed aboard the first police car (a patrol wagon powered by an electric motor). In that same year the noun "flatty" was first used in print with the meaning "police officer." Mere coincidence? Maybe, but consider that quite a few similar words have been used over the years to distinguish pedestrian officers from mobile ones, including "flat," "flat arch," flathead," "flatter," and today's featured word, "flatfoot." Other notable (and more comic) descriptors are "pavement pounder" and "sidewalk snail." "Flatfoot" dates its "police officer" sense from 1913. It is especially used of those footing it to keep our cities safe, but it can also refer to police in general.

My sentence (using definition #2a):
"'You've got your story and you stick to it,' he said in a low voice. 'Get that? Stick to it. Don't mind this flatfoot who's coming. He hasn't got a thing on you.'"
-- Mary Roberts Rinehart, Saturday Evening Post, May 1983

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

The thief hid in the alleyway around the corner as the Flatfoot slowly passed by
browsing the window of the store he was about to break into.

Flatfooting and clogging are but two of the dances you can see demonstrated at a good hoedown in the mountains.

The flatfoot chased the criminal for several blocks before finally apprehending him.

When I got a flat "foot express" was my only option, since there was no spare.

The detectives get the credit for solving crimes when it is really the flatfoot who does the work.

Word of the day July 11
 

The Word of the Day for July 11 is:

Gretna Green • \gret-nuh-GREEN\ • (noun) a place where many eloping couples are married

A little more information about today’s word:
In the England of the 1700s, a person could not marry without parental consent until age 21. The Scottish were more lenient, allowing young people to marry without parental permission at 16. England also had rules that made it difficult to marry quickly, but Scottish law required only that couples declare their desire to be married in front of witnesses before tying the knot. So it isn't surprising that many English couples ran to Gretna Green, a small village on the English-Scottish border, when they decided to elope. In Gretna Green, the wedding ceremony was typically performed by the blacksmith at a roadside tollhouse, but it was all perfectly legal.

My sentence:
Reno, Nevada is an American Gretna Green, the ideal place for runaway lovers to tie the knot.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

The cruise ship seemed like the perfect Gretna Green but the couple was deeply disappointed to learn the ships captains really can't do legal marriages.

Of course, Vegas is known for many couples using it as a Gretna Green.

I have no gretna green with you in this matter, as I am positive of my facts and I know I am right.

When not eating all the doughnuts that flatfoot does some pretty amazing police work.

Many people rush to Gretna Green and then several months later realize that a divorce is in order.

When I was in Vegas a litle while back, I noticed many Gretna Greens.

Grenta Green is also the name of a street in the Brentwood section of LA. It's the street behind the condo where OJ killed his wife.

Word of the day July 14
 

The Word of the Day for July 14 is:

halcyon • \HAL-see-un\ • (adjective) 1. calm, peaceful; 2. happy, golden; 3. prosperous, affluent

A little more information about today’s word:
According to Greek mythology, Alkyone, the daughter of the god of the winds, became so distraught when she learned that her husband had been killed in a shipwreck that she threw herself into the sea and was changed into a kingfisher. As a result, ancient Greeks called such birds "alkyon" or "halkyon." The legend also says that such birds built floating nests on the sea, where they so charmed the wind god that he created a period of unusual calm that lasted until the birds' eggs hatched. This legend prompted people to use "halcyon" both as a noun naming a genus of kingfisher and as an adjective meaning either "of or relating to the kingfisher or its nesting period" or "calm."

My sentence (using definition #1):
Tara claimed to have found the ideal cure for her stress-related ills: a quiet weekend in the halcyon atmosphere of a beautiful country town.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

The halcyon air about the couple was visible in their designer suits and pearls.

...?

That's my goal, to develop a halcyon environment about myself,
my sanity will appreciate it.;)

I think that TFP v.4 is the best so far, is Halcyon it that way too?

http://www.amureprints.com/img1/Calv...2/ch920728.gif

There's MY sentence.

Rather then looking to a halcyon past, I see that time in my future.

From Powderfinger's Like a Dog

Now he nervously shakes as we rattle his cage,
but he's happy to be stuck back in his halcyon days.

After listening to music, I tend to be in a more halcyon like state.

I wonder what percentage of flatfoots suffer from flatfoot?

On our vacation last month, we noticed several grenta greens in the mountains.

Halcyon days are here again!

Word of the day July 15
 

The Word of the Day for July 15 is:

insouciance • \in-SOO-see-unss\ • (noun) lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance

A little more information about today’s word:
Don't worry—be insouciant. Perhaps your mind will rest easier if we explain that English speakers learned "insouciance" from the French in the 1700s (and the adjective "insouciant" has been part of our language since the 1800s). The French garnered their term from Latin; its most immediate ancestor was the verb "sollicitare" (meaning "to disturb"), which in turn traces to "sollicitus," the Latin word for "anxious." If it seems to you that "sollicitus" looks a lot like some other English words you've seen, you're right. That root also gave us "solicit" (which now means "to entreat" but which was once used to mean "to fill with concern or anxiety"), "solicitude" (meaning "uneasiness of mind"), and "solicitous" ("showing or expressing concern").

My sentence:
Amanda sauntered casually into the meeting room with an air of insouciance; if she was worried at all about her presentation, she certainly didn't show it.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

Cher's lack of insouciance lead her friends to ask what was the matter.

Sometimes I think people who display insouciance actually have a sadness inside.

He put up a front of insouciance so no one would know that something was bothering him.

When I stepped insouciance, I had to be
rushed to the hospital because I am allergic to Fire ant stings.

James Bond always seems to have an attitude of insouciance even when people are trying to kill him.

Her horrifying air of insouciance as I floundered desperately about in an attempt to extinguish the flames on my face and back is something that will live with me each day for the rest of my scar-pocked life.

Try as I might, my personality prohibits insouciance.

Now that I have a new ISP, these are truly halcyon days.

It is with graceful insouciance that Paul stabbed his fork in Mark's blintz.

When my daughter asked me about sex I tried to temporize but she caught on to what I was doing.

Those Oxford boys really look down on my redbrick degree.

Word of the day July 16
 

The Word of the Day for July 16 is:

popinjay • \PAH-pin-jay\ • (noun) a strutting supercilious person

A little more information about today’s word:
Popinjays and parrots are birds of a feather, etymologically speaking. "Popinjay" was borrowed from a Middle French word for "parrot" back in the 1500s, when parrots were rare and were considered exotic. At that time, it was quite a compliment to be called a "popinjay" after such a beautiful bird. But as parrots became more commonplace, their gaudy plumage and vulgar mimicry helped "popinjay" develop the pejorative sense we use today.

My sentence:
The cast and crew of the production soon learned to ignore the vain arrogance of the temperamental popinjay who was playing the leading role.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 10th Edition.

Next sentence?

When he gets home tired and hungry from a day on the set, Ben can't wait to relieve his tension with a quick popinjay Lo...

Had to be the first...

I snicker at those people who come off a Popinjay,
usually they are just hiding behind an image.

Popinjay is what some of us call: “Nailing a jump shot.”