08-20-2003, 08:30 AM | #127 (permalink) |
oulipian
Location: La Paz, Bolivia
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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.
__________________
Tu causes, tu causes, c'est tout ce que tu sais faire. -- Zazie dans le metro |
08-21-2003, 03:57 AM | #128 (permalink) |
Loser
Location: who the fuck cares?
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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? |
08-22-2003, 05:12 AM | #134 (permalink) |
Loser
Location: who the fuck cares?
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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? |
08-22-2003, 07:07 AM | #136 (permalink) |
Insane
Location: Seattle
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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.
__________________
"It's a long story," says I, and let him up. |
08-22-2003, 11:19 AM | #139 (permalink) |
oulipian
Location: La Paz, Bolivia
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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.
__________________
Tu causes, tu causes, c'est tout ce que tu sais faire. -- Zazie dans le metro |
08-25-2003, 03:33 AM | #141 (permalink) |
Loser
Location: who the fuck cares?
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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? |
08-26-2003, 03:42 AM | #148 (permalink) |
Loser
Location: who the fuck cares?
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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? |
08-27-2003, 05:25 AM | #157 (permalink) |
Loser
Location: who the fuck cares?
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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? |
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