Author Topic: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com  (Read 137585 times)

Offline ifyoucantfixit

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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #30 on: April 12, 2012, 06:37:25 am »
macaronic \mak-uh-RON-ik\, adjective:

1. Composed of a mixture of languages.
2. Composed of or characterized by Latin words mixed with vernacular words or non-Latin words given Latin endings.
3. Mixed; jumbled.

noun:
1. Macaronics, macaronic language.
2. A macaronic verse or other piece of writing.

The tradition is even more significant in Folengo's Italian works and especially in his macaronic writings.
-- Mikhail Bakhtin, Rabelais and His World

The macaronic mode swivels between different languages. I believe Beckett chose French against English for similar reasons to those of Jean Arp in selecting French against German.
-- W. D. Redfern, French Laughter: Literary Humour from Diderot to Tournier

The journalistic multiplicity of voices found in the Magazine corresponded with the poetic multi-vocality of Fergusson's macaronic compositions, texts that combined elements of neo-classical English and vernacular Scots diction.
-- Ian Brown, The Edinburgh History of Scottish Literature

Macaronic is related to the word macaroni. Specifically, the pasta is named after the Southern Italian dialect maccarone, which was also associated with a mixture of Latin and vernacular languages.

Now this is a new kind of macaroni.



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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #31 on: April 13, 2012, 07:24:03 am »

approbate \AP-ruh-beyt\, verb:

To approve officially.

And as for that one, let him work, let him work all he likes, as long as he doesn't interfere with anybody or touch anybody; let him work—I agree and I approbate!
-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Double and the Gambler

By that logic, it is only the creation of a domestic crowd that can truly approbate the doings of the nation.
-- John Plotz, The Crowd: British literature and Public Politics

Approbate stems from the Latin word approbāre, from the root ap- which is a variation of ad-, meaning "towards," and probātus meaning "proved."




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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #32 on: April 14, 2012, 10:44:05 am »


irriguous \ih-RIG-yoo-uhs\, adjective:

Well-watered, as land.

For if the old cress-woman, the sole inhabitant of that secluded valley, had been inclined to make observations, she could not have failed to perceive that irriguous as were the windings of the brook, Miss Margaret and her friends preferred following them to their utmost.
-- Catherine Grace Frances Gore, "Blanks and Prizes, Or The Wheel of Fortune," Tait's Edinburgh Magazine

As nothing, at the opening of Spring, can exceed the luxuriant vegetation of these irriguous valleys; so, no term could be chosen more expressive of their verdure.
-- William Beckford, Vathek

Irriguous comes from the Latin word irrigāre meaning "to wet" and the suffix -ous which turns a verb into an adjective, like nervous



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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #33 on: April 16, 2012, 12:30:09 am »

palladium \puh-LEY-dee-uhm\, noun:

1. Anything believed to provide protection or safety; safeguard.
2. A statue of Athena, especially one on the citadel of Troy on which the safety of the city was supposed to depend.
3. A rare metallic element of the platinum group, silver-white, ductile and malleable, harder and fusing more readily than platinum; used chiefly as a catalyst and in dental and other alloys. Symbol: Pd; atomic weight: 106.4; atomic number: 46; specific gravity: 12 at 20°C.

Trial by jury is the palladium of our liberties.
-- Mark Twain, Roughing It

So, representative institutions are the talismanic palladium of the nation, are they? The palladium of the classes that have them, I daresay.
-- Charles Kingsley, Alton Locke: Novels, Poems and Letters of Charles Kingsley

Palladium is related to the Greek word pallas meaning "little maiden." The sense of a protective talisman comes from the name of a statue of Athena that guarded the city of Troy.




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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #34 on: April 16, 2012, 07:02:38 am »


aperçu \a-per-SY\, noun:

1. A hasty glance; a glimpse.
2. An immediate estimate or judgment; understanding; insight.
3. An outline or summary.

Dr. Lornier, if you would be kind enough to give us a summary of your accomplishments and an aperçu of your plans for the next two months.
-- Mona Risk, To Love a Hero

He was going to lecture that afternoon on Prosperity and, since I was unable to go to the lecture, he was good enough to give me an aperçu of the situation.
-- Ford Madox Ford, It Was the Nightingale

Aperçu literally means "perceived" in French. It entered English in the 1820s.





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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #35 on: April 17, 2012, 08:49:42 pm »
           
xenophilia \zen-uh-FIL-ee-uh\, noun:

An attraction to foreign peoples, cultures, or customs.

Yet the scenario of openhanded host and guest, of xenophilia, is played out time and time again in Homer's Odyssey. It mattered to those hill-bound and sea-scattered tribes that the wanderer be made welcome…
-- Nicholas Delbanco, The Lost Suitcase

This connectedness — so evident to the drama's spectator, so indiscernible to the dramatized participant — promotes what we might call xenophilia.
-- Susan Gubar, Critical Condition

The opposite of xenophobia, xenophilia has the same Greek roots. It literally means "attracted to strangers." It first appeared in English in the 1920s and was used heavily after the Second World War.

    I know most people know the meaning of xenophobia.  But didn't know if all knew of the opposite word.

 



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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #36 on: April 18, 2012, 12:35:59 am »

   ban jee

  Evidently an urban term.  Started by the gay latino and black young gays, in the inner city...
 banjee  64 up, 28 down
 is a young Latino or Black man who has sex with men and dresses in thuggish urban fashion

gay banjee homosexual black latino
buy banjee mugs & shirtsbannjee banjeee bangee banjea danjee
by flaming homo Feb 1, 2007 share this add a video 

2.  banjee  41 up, 24 down
 A girl who is Ghetto
Big hairs, Long weaves, unnormal hair colors, plastic shoes, grills in they mouth, broken english..Just straight hood!

I'm tired of being around these banjee ass girls.
buy banjee mugs & shirtsghetto fabulous hood ratchet. antonyms; classy proper jazzy
by unknown531 Jan 3, 2007 share this add a video 

3.  Banjee  8 up, 2 down
 Young man or woman (usually black/latino) who has a Hip Hop/ghetto/street swagger, look, and demeanor. (regardless of sexuality)

Started by black and latino gays in New York in the 80's. It was used to describe boys and girls "in the hood." Some say it is where the term "B-boy" derived from.
Girl, you know I love me some Banjee boys - lookin' all rough and stuff.

She is so Banjee


  All the Banjee boys and girls were dancing in the  hot clubs. 

 * Just thought I would throw this in for those that don't know the term.. I didn't before hearing it used in the lyrics from Adams song  on his
new album.



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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #37 on: April 19, 2012, 06:06:44 am »

 
bona fides \BOH-nah FEE-des\, noun:

1. Good faith; the state of being exactly as claims or appearances indicate.
2. (Sometimes italics) (used with a plural verb) the official papers, documents, or other items that prove authenticity, legitimacy, etc., as of a person or enterprise; credentials.

He seemed to feel that he had to convince them of his bona fides before they would trust the purity of the fuel that he was selling.
-- Dean R. Koontz, One Door Away from Heaven

The want of sincerity or bona fides, in a large body of men, respected and respectable, is a very tender place, and cannot be touched with too much delicacy.
-- Thomas Reid, The Works of Thomas Reid

We cannot investigate the bona fides of any of these people. We have to rely solely on deduction.
-- Agatha Christie, Murder on the Orient Express

Originally bona fide, bona fides was accidentally pluralized by the 1830s and subsequently was used as a synonym for credentials
 



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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #38 on: April 20, 2012, 06:03:03 am »


agnomen \ag-NOH-muhn\, noun:

1. A nickname.
2. An additional, fourth name given to a person by the ancient Romans in allusion to some achievement or other circumstance, as “Africanus” in “Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus.”

He was thin in person and low in stature, with light sandy-colored hair, and small pale features, from which he derived his agnomen of Bean or white.
-- Sir Walter Scott, Waverley

Successful Roman generals were frequently given an agnomen celebrating the source of their victories.
-- Waldo E. Sweet, Lectiones Primae

Agnomen comes from the Latin tradition of adding a fourth nickname to someone's given name. Ag- is a variation of the prefix ad- meaning "to" or "near." Nomen means "name."




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Re: WORD OF THE DAY..........courtesy of Dictionary.com
« Reply #39 on: April 21, 2012, 08:08:48 am »

hsien \shyuhn\, noun:

1. One of a group of benevolent spirits promoting good in the world.
2. In China, a county or district.

Taoists want to live forever, become Hsien.
-- Louis Rogers, Ladder to the Sky

The hsien was willing to depart, most willing if it could fulfill its mission and take her with it. By urging the spirit to depart as quickly as possible, Deng had inadvertently given it new strength.
-- Jane Lindskold, Five Odd Honors

Hsien stems from the Chinese word xiān meaning "hermit, wizard." It came into English in the 1960s.




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