Don't you belying to me, or I'll give you a whipping you'll not soon forget!

Dan's poker face belied the fact that he had four kings.

His sinuous arm, banded by protruding veins and well defined muscles, was the focus of his narcicistic fascination.

Smiling Jim's friendly manner and good natured laugh did not belie his true character; he was a cross burning, murdering racist wizard of the KKK.

the belly dancer's blushing smile belied her bleeding heart ?

John used his fake ID to belie that he was 21 when he was only 18.

I had to drive up a very steep and sinuous road to get to a certain girlfriend's house -- which seems like a perfect metaphor for our relationship.

Word of the day August 21
 

The Word of the Day for August 21 is:

obfuscate • \AHB-fuh-skayt\ • (verb) 1a. darken; b. to make obscure; 2. confuse

A little more information about today’s word:
The last syllable of "obfuscate" may sound like the "skate" in "ice skate," but the two aren't spelled the same way. How can you keep the correct spelling for "obfuscate" clear in your mind? The knowledge that the word traces to the Latin "fuscus," meaning "dark brown," may be of some help. The fact that "obfuscate" looks and sounds a little like "obscure" (although the two are etymologically distinct) might help too; both "obfuscate" and "obscure" can refer to concealing something or making it more difficult to see or understand. Or maybe alliterative devices are more your cup of tea. If that's the case, you can remember the "c" by recalling that "obfuscate" means to confuse, cloud over, or cover up.

My sentence (using definition #1b):
I thought Chad would give me a straightforward account of events, but instead he obfuscated the facts with evasive, misleading answers.

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

Next sentence?

Many people accused the politician of obfuscation but the real problem was the they were easily confused.

I’ve told you for the last time: “ Obfuscate without any pads, you will be an old man before your time!”

Obfuscating your email address some places on the net can make it more difficult for people to spam you.

My favourite:

Eschew obfuscation!

Your defining of the word obfuscate did not obfuscate me in the least.

Word of the day August 22
 

The Word of the Day for August 22 is:

venal • \VEE-nuhl\ • (adjective) 1. capable of being bought or obtained for money or other valuable consideration; especially open to corrupt influence and especially bribery; 2. originating in, characterized by, or associated with corrupt bribery

A little more information about today’s word:
If you are given the choice between acts that are "venal" and those that are "venial," go for the venial. Although the two words look and sound alike, they have very different meanings and histories. "Venal" demonstrates the adage that anything can be had if the price is high enough and the morals are low enough. That word originated with the Latin "venum," which simply referred to something that was sold or for sale. Some of those transactions must have been rather shady, because by the mid-1600s, "venal" had gained the sense of corruption it carries today. "Venial" sins, on the other hand, are pardonable, the kind that prove everyone makes mistakes sometimes. That forgiving term descends from "venia," Latin for "favor," "indulgence," or "pardon."

My sentence (using definition #1):
"Corruption is a two-sided deal involving both venal officials and corrupt bribepayers. . . ."
-- Susan Rose-Ackerman, The Journal of Banking and Finance, September 2002

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

Next sentence?

OUr local politicians aspire to be venal but nobody thinks they are important enough to buy.

All too often, a venal review board will promote a student against popular opinion. In these cases, students are judged on the width of their wallet rather than their excellence of examination.

Source code obscfucation is a technique used by computer programmers to make thier work less readable by the scrying eyes of their competition.

His reputation for being a venal man eventually led to his indictment.

When I argue with my wife I always try to obfuscate the issue in order to win the argument, but since she is a lawyer she rarely gets confused.

It is the realist that claims that venal politicians are ubiquitous

Word of the day August 25
 

The Word of the Day for August 25 is:

ineluctable • \ih-nih-LUK-tuh-bul\ • (adjective) not to be avoided, changed, or resisted; inevitable

A little more information about today’s word:
Like drama, wrestling was popular in ancient Greece and Rome. "Wrestler," in Latin, is "luctator," and "to wrestle" is "luctari." "Luctari" also has extended senses—"to struggle," "to strive," or "to contend." "Eluctari" joined "e-" ("ex-") with "luctari," forming a verb meaning "to struggle clear of." "Ineluctabilis" brought in the negative prefix "in-" to form an adjective describing something that cannot be escaped or avoided. English speakers borrowed the word as "ineluctable" around 1623. Another word that has its roots in "luctari" is "reluctant." "Reluctari" means "to struggle against"—hence someone who is "reluctant" resists or holds back.

My sentence:
In classical Greek tragedy, the hero's flaw leads him to a disastrous and ineluctable fate.

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

Next sentence?

Luke liked to linger about the ineluctable consequences of his lethargic behaviour ?

It was his first rodeo and with ineluctable , hopefully, would not sense his fear.

Spinoza was a predeterminist who believed that there was an ineluctable future.

John's ineluctable nature was obvious by the way he would always make his presence in a room known.

Sitting here in front of the computer I know that death is ineluctable.

Attempting jujutsu randori with a skilled oppoent twice my size led to ineluctable defeaut.

Word of the day August 26
 

The Word of the Day for August 26 is:

ukase • \yoo-KAYSS\ • (noun) 1. a proclamation by a Russian emperor or government having the force of law; 2a : a proclamation having the force of law; 2b. order, command

A little more information about today’s word:
English speakers adopted "ukase" more or less simultaneously from French ("ukase") and Russian ("ukaz") in the early 18th century. The word can be traced further back to the Russian verb "ukazat'," meaning "to show, order," and its ultimate source is an ancient root that led to similar words in Latin, Sanskrit, and Old Church Slavonic. A Russian ukase was a command from the highest levels of government that could not be disobeyed. But by the early 19th century, English speakers were also using "ukase" generally for any command that seemed to come from a higher authority, particularly one that was final or arbitrary.

My sentence (using definition #2b):
"The professor's first instruction to the [playwriting] class was a ukase: Never begin a play with a telephone ringing."
-- Bruce McCabe, The Boston Globe, June 23, 2000

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

Next sentence?

When the Czar sold Alaska to the United States he put in the sales contract that native Alaskans should always be compensated, something that had been a ukase for many years.

Foist rule of crime: “ Ukase da joint, before ya hit it.”

Lincoln's famous ukase ended state sponsored slavery in the United States.

Everything my girlfriend says to me is a ukase.

Nicholas issued many ukases while he was tzar.

Now that he's in the Air Force, my friend will have to get used to receiving ukases from commanding officers.

The ukase made up of England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales

Though Arnie campaigned hard in California, he was ineluctable!!

Word of the day August 27
 

The Word of the Day for August 27 is:

pacify • \PASS-uh-fye\ • (verb) 1. to allay the anger or agitation of; soothe; 2. to restore to a tranquil state; settle

A little more information about today’s word:
A parent who wants to win a little peace and quiet might give a fussy baby a pacifier. An employer seeking to avoid worker discontent might pay employees well. These actions may seem unrelated, but, etymologically speaking, they have a lot in common. Both "pacifier" and "pay" are ultimately derived from "pax," the Latin word for "peace." As you may have guessed, "pax" is also the source of our word "peace." "Pacify" comes to us through the Middle English "pacifien," from the Latin verb "pacificare," which derives from "pax."

My sentence (using definition #1):
Erin sang a soothing lullaby to pacify the crying baby.

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

Next sentence?

Pacified chicken, it REALLY is “finger lickin’ good!”

I have discovered that there are some situations where it is impossible to pacify a person.

Sometimes the only thing that can pacify a person is a glass of warm milk with two heaping spoonfuls of honey.