Let us dine and be plentiful in viands as we welcome and celebrate our very honored guest tonight!

Arr matey! Ye be savvy or ye be visiting Davy Jone's Locker, ye swashbuckler!

After much anticipation, the lovestruck couple osculated the night away.

Pbbbbbhhtttt! :p

While malingering around the house, I checked my word of the day from Marriam-Webster and it was yuppify.

What kind of word is yuppify?

to make appealing to yuppies; also : to infuse with the qualities or values of yuppies

I kid you not.

Hmm.. now to look up yuppies..

Word of the day September 22
 

The Word of the Day for September 22 is:

agita • \AJ-uh-tuh\ • (noun) a feeling of agitation or anxiety

A little more information about today’s word:
Judging by its spelling and meaning, you might think that "agita" is simply a shortened version of "agitation," but that's not the case. Both "agitation" and the verb "agitate" derive from the Latin "agere" ("to drive"). "Agita," which first appeared in English in the early 1980s, comes from a dialectical pronunciation of the Italian "acido," meaning "heartburn" or "acid," which derives from the Latin "acidus." For a while its usage in American English was limited to New York City and surrounding regions, but the word became more widespread in the mid-90s.

My sentence:
The prosecuting attorney’s aggressive cross-examination seemed to give the defendant agita.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition.

Next sentence?

The oncoming hurricane created a state of agita among the residents.

Being in Jane's presence always put Jack in a state of agita.

My altitude was so incredibly high during that test flight, I felt like I was on the agita world!

Mom mastered the art of nagging -- delivering relentless blows of agita to the household.

Word of the day September 23
 

The Word of the Day for September 23 is:

bright-line • \BRYTE-lyne\ • (adjective) providing an unambiguous criterion or guideline especially in law

A little more information about today’s word:
In the first half of the 20th century, courts began referring to a "bright line" that could or could not be drawn to make clear-cut distinctions between legal issues, such as a bright line to distinguish negligence from nonnegligence. Early users may have been influenced by the term "bright line," used by physicists to refer to the distinct color lines in the light spectrum. Before that, judges were content with wording that was more prosaic, such as "line of demarcation." In the second half of the 20th century, we began using "bright-line" as an adjective. Nonlegal types looking for unambiguous distinctions in other walks of life took a shine to "bright-line" sometime in the 1980s.

My sentence:
While there is no bright-line rule, cost spreads of more than five percent
are considered excessive for certain municipal bonds.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition.

Next sentence?

Jim's attorney argued that there was no bright-line law saying that what he did was illegal.

Since his boss saw him at the mall that day, he was not too
bright-line about being too sick to work that day.

There seems to no bright-line between selfishness and self interest.

Word of the day September 24
 

The Word of the Day for September 24 is:

chasten • \CHAY-sun\ • (verb) 1. to correct by punishment or suffering; discipline; 2. to cause to be more humble or restrained; subdue

A little more information about today’s word:
If you say you would castigate or chastise someone in order to chasten them, you demonstrate a good knowledge of the origin of "chasten"—all three verbs derive from the Latin verb "castigare," meaning "to punish." The verb trio share an initial sense of "to subject to severe and often physical punishment," but all three are now as likely to refer to a verbal dressing-down as a physical lesson. "Chasten" (which arrived in English via the Anglo-French "chastier") can also be used to mean "to prune (as a work of art) of excess, pretense, or falsity." This led to the more general sense of "to make more subdued," although the humility can be imposed by a humiliating situation as easily as by a strict taskmaster.

My sentence (using definition #2):
The humiliation of having to ask his parents for help chastened Jim, but made him wiser about spending his money.

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

Next sentence?

After a 30 point loss, the team, that normally likes to run up the score on opponents, felt chastened.

Dave was chastened when he had to ask his 13 year old son to help fix a mess he had made with the computer.

You got to admit, it's pretty funny anytime you see a dog chasten his tail.

Word of the day September 25
 

The Word of the Day for September 25 is:

eighty-six • \ay-tee-SIKS\ • (verb) slang: to refuse to serve (a customer); also to get rid of; throw out

A little more information about today’s word:
In the early 1900s, people began using the verb "nix" to mean "to veto" or "to reject." Approximately 50 years later the verb "eighty-six," which may have been created as a rhyming slang word for "nix," began popping up in the lingo of restaurant and bar employees. If you work in a restaurant or bar, you might eighty-six (or "eliminate") an item from the menu offerings, or you might eighty-six (or "cut off") a customer who should no longer be served. "Eighty-six" is still used in this specific context, but it has also entered the general language. These days, you don’t have to be a worker in a restaurant or bar to eighty-six something—you just have to be someone with something to get rid of or discard.

My sentence:
"I think it's about time you eighty-sixed those sneakers, before they simply disintegrate," Ben's mother informed him.

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

Next sentence?

He was promptly eighty-sixed from the club as soon as he propositioned one of the ladies for an evening of sixty-nine.

I was so hungry I eighty-six doughnuts before I left the bakery.

The shrimp salad smelled so bad the chef decided to eighty-six it.

After being rude to several members of the staff, the manager eighty-sixed the customer.

Very cool verb! I've never been a fan of people turning non-verbs into verbs .. but this is cool :D

Word of the day September 26
 

The Word of the Day for September 26 is:

megillah • \muh-GHIH-luh\ • (noun) slang: a long involved story or account

A little more information about today’s word:
Although "megillah" is a slang word in English, it has perfectly respectable Hebrew origins. "Megillah" derives from the Yiddish "megile," which itself comes from the Hebrew word "mĕgillāh," meaning "scroll" or "volume." ("Mĕgillāh" is especially likely to be used in reference to the Book of Esther, which is read aloud at Purim celebrations.) It makes sense, then, that when "megillah" first appeared in English in the mid-20th century, it referred to a story that was so long (and often also tedious or complicated) that it was reminiscent of the length of the mĕgillāh scrolls. The Hebrew word is serious, but the Yiddish "megile" can be somewhat playful, and our "megillah" has also inherited that lightheartedness.

My sentence:
Mom could never make a long story short—she always had to tell the whole megillah in excruciating detail.

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

Next sentence?

In 1976 HBO was the first TV network to broadcast its signal via satellite airing the "Thrilla from Megillah "; the classic match-up between Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazier.

There is a very fine line between a megillah and a shaggy dog story.

John always gave the megillah even when there wasn't much of a story to tell.

I always thought megillah was a gorilla for sale.

I have plenty of time to kill, so lay the megillah on me.

Jack Zhivago sold his megilla to the Hollyweird hypsters,detailing in lurid composition all about his scary life as an underworld maintainance man.

Babe, I hate to say this but I'm gonna have to eighty-six this shrimp.

-exerpt from"Confessions of a BBQ god"

I never do anything without consulting my compadre.

In my very loud and boisterous house the only quietus I can find is in the bathroom with the door locked.

The most incongrous thing I have seen in all my life was a Hell's Angel with frou frou poodle in a basket on the back of his very mean looking Harley.

When I'm in a fight with the wife the chances of sex are de minimis.

In the army you can be sent to the brig for malingering.

I think it is about time that you eighty-six that Miami Vice jacket.

If I tell a particularly excruciating megillah I don't have to answer questions from my wife about suspcious credit card purchases.

I've never seen my brother more chastened than that time he accidentally slammed my finger in the car door.

After a particularly drawn out row, I think we established a bright-line between what constituted helping and not helping around the house.

I always feel the worst agita on the first day of a performance.

heh heh hehheh.

Providing a brightline guide to proper netiquette will not prevent the socially inept from trolling for responses.

Chastened by his former cronies from future invitations to parties, Ted learned a lesson or two about recklessly drinking and destroying private property.

The prospects of succeeding were de minimis, so I just gave up on the whole idea.

Word of the day September 29
 

The Word of the Day for September 29 is:

quorum • \KWOR-um\ • (noun) 1. a select group; 2. the number (as a majority) of officers or members of a body that when duly assembled is legally competent to transact business

A little more information about today’s word:
"Quorum" was introduced into Modern English in the early 17th century by way of Middle English, where it referred to a group of justices of the peace. From there, the English term can be traced back to the Latin "quorum," meaning "of whom," which is itself the genitive plural of "qui," meaning "who." At one time, the Latin "quorum" was used in the wording of the commission issued to justices of the peace in England. In English, "quorum" initially referred to the number of justices of the peace who had to be present to constitute a legally sufficient bench. That sense is now rare, but it's not surprising that "quorum" has come to mean both "a select group" and "the minimum people required in order to conduct business."

My sentence (using definition #2):
The committee lacked a quorum that day, and so was unable to vote on any issues.

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

Next sentence?

Members of the city council tried to a do an end run around the open meetings laws by gathering a quorum at a local bar before the public meetings to make decisions.

The club consisted of a quorum of some of the wealthiest people in the city.

Everybody knows that when using apples for cooking, you have to quorum first.

The quorum of teenagers ultimately chosen to participate in a focus group gave the marketing department very little insight into the diverse world of teenage consumerism.

Word of the day September 30
 

The Word of the Day for September 30 is:

shopaholic • \shah-puh-HAH-lik\ • (noun) one who is extremely or excessively fond of shopping

A little more information about today’s word:
The word "alcoholic" refers to someone who has a serious medical condition. "Shopaholic," on the other hand, is a rather playful word that usually suggests mere excess rather than true addiction. "Shopaholic" first appeared in print in 1983. It was formed on the model of "alcoholic," which was itself created many years earlier by combining "alcohol" with "-ic," meaning "of or relating to." People evidently saw a parallel between someone addicted to alcohol and someone "addicted" to shopping. This is not the first time "alcoholic" has spawned a spinoff word—"shopaholic" was preceded by "workaholic" and "chocoholic," both of which first turned up in 1968.

My sentence:
Susie is such a shopaholic that her friends refuse to set foot in a mall with her on the day of a big sale.

Based on Merriam-Webster's Collegiate® Dictionary, 11th Edition.

Next sentence?

Impulse buying is often a symptom of shopaholics.

My sister is an extreme shopaholic, buying way too many things she really doesn't need.

People who are in the manic phase of bi-polar often become shopaholics.

If it wasn't for his shopaholic ways, they would have bought a larger house years ago.

“I told you I didn’t want that contraption in my shopaholic back to where you got it from.”