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Word of the dayPrevious Week Next WeekFriday, February 08, 2019
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What is the origin of roborant?
Roborant comes from Latin rōborant- (the stem of rōborāns), present participle of rōborāre “to strengthen, invigorate,” a derivative of the noun rōbor (stem rōbur-) “oak, oak tree.” From rōborāre Latin forms corrōborāre “to strengthen, harden” (English corroborate). Latin also has an archaic form rōbus for rōbur, and the archaic form clearly shows the source of Latin rōbustus “strong, powerful” (English robust). The Latin noun rōbus is akin to the adjective rōbus “red” and dialectal rūfus “light red, fox red” (English rufous), the noun rōbīgō (also rūbīgō), stem rōbīgin- (rūbīgin-) “rust,” and its derivative adjective rōbīginōsus “rusty” (English rubiginous). Roborant entered English in the 17th century.Previous DayHow is roborant used?
... they put him to bed in the rest room, where the doctor gave him a roborant injection. Thomas Glavinic, Carl Haffner's Love of the Draw, translated by John Brownjohn, 1999
The label, designed for the English speaking market, gives this description of its virtues: "Nutritious and roborant: promoting the brain and recovering the memory: strengthening the organs and systems of generations." Jack Anderson, "Fat Cats Show They Care," Daytona Beach Morning Journal, Saturday October 7, 1972
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Word of the dayThursday, February 07, 2019
What is the origin of dullsville?
Dullsville, originally an Americanism, is an obvious, self-explanatory compound. The suffix -ville comes from the French noun and suffix ville, -ville “city, town,” a straightforward development of Latin villa “farmhouse, farm, estate.” Both French and English use the suffix -ville to form placenames (nearly 20 percent of the toponyms, or placenames, in northern France end in -ville); American toponyms include Gainesville, Charlottesville, and Chancellorsville. French and English also use -ville to form derogatory or disparaging quasi-toponyms: French has bidonville “shantytown,” formed from bidon “metal can, metal drum (used in constructing shanties)." American English has Hooverville, dating from the Great Depression of the 1930s, and named “in honor of” president Herbert Hoover; Squaresville, associated with the Beat Generation, dates from the mid-1950s; Hicksville dates from the early 1920s; dragsville dates from the mid-1960s; and dullsville (also Dullsville) from 1960.Previous DayHow is dullsville used?
Just that it was another system that didn't look particularly noteworthy. A star and some planets. No record of human presence. Dullsville, really. Alastair Reynolds, Absolution Gap, 2003
I work in a big insurance office now, working in the customer enquiries department. No doubt this will sound a bit dullsville to you ... David Nicholls, One Day, 2009
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Word of the dayWednesday, February 06, 2019
What is the origin of temerity?
Temerity ultimately comes from the Latin noun temeritās (inflectional stem temeritāt-) “rashness, recklessness, thoughtlessness.” The Latin noun is a derivative of the adverb temerē (with the same meanings), and temerē in form is a fossil form of an assumed noun temus (stem temer-) “darkness” and meant “in the dark, blindly.” The Latin forms come from a Proto-Indo-European root teme- “dark,” with a suffixed noun form temesra “darkness.” Temesra in Latin becomes tenebrae (plural noun) “darkness” (source of tenebrous). The Latin name for the River Thames is Tamesis (Tamesa), adapted from a local Celtic language in which Tamesas means “dark river.” Temerity entered English in the 15th century.Previous DayHow is temerity used?
... he was taken aback by skeptical reviews that had the temerity to question his research methods or his conclusions. Jennifer Szalai, "Steven Pinker Wants You to Know Humanity Is Doing Fine. Just Don't Ask About Individual Humans." New York Times, February 28, 2018
The guys off the docks at the port who came in looking for engagement rings and wedding rings for their girlfriends would sometimes have the temerity to take the salesgirl's hand in order to examine the stone up close. Philip Roth, Everyman, 2006
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Word of the dayTuesday, February 05, 2019
What is the origin of hoggery?
Hoggery in its original (and still current) sense means “a place where hogs are kept.” The sense “swinish behavior, piggishness, greediness” dates from the 19th century. The latter sense is close to the Yiddish chazerei “piggery, filth, junk food, junk,” ultimately derived from Hebrew ḥazīr “pig.” Hoggery entered English in the 17th century.Previous DayHow is hoggery used?
The culprits behind such acts of beach hoggery are said to range from unscrupulous umbrella operators hoping to bilk tourists, to eager sun seekers reserving space for friends and relatives. Barry Neild, "Italy fines tourists who hog beach spots," CNN, August 9, 2016
Harry, this is game-hoggery of the worst kind. It has got to stop. I'm going to write my congressman. Durward L. Allen, "Fifty Million Bunnies," Boys' Life, October 1960
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Word of the dayMonday, February 04, 2019
rigmarole
noun [rig-muh-rohl]an elaborate or complicated procedure: to go through the rigmarole of a formal dinner.See Full DefinitionWhat is the origin of rigmarole?
Rigmarole, with many variant spellings in the 18th century, is probably a reduction of ragman roll, a long catalog or list, a sense dating from the early 16th century. In Middle English ragmane rolle was a roll or scroll of writing used in a game of chance in which players draw out an item hidden in the roll. This game of chance possibly arose from Ragemon le bon (Rageman the Good), an Anglo-French poem. The sense “confused, incoherent, foolish, or meaningless talk” dates from the 18th century; the sense “elaborate or complicated procedure” dates from the 19th.Previous DayHow is rigmarole used?
He said he had a shack in Mill City and I would have all the time in the world to write there while we went through the rigmarole of getting the ship. Jack Kerouac, On the Road, 1957
At the station, I went through the rigmarole of implied consent and told Father Grady I wanted him to take a Breathalyzer test. Jodi Picoult, Handle with Care, 2009
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Word of the daySunday, February 03, 2019
hygge
noun [hoog-uh]the feeling of coziness and contentment evoked by simple comforts, as being wrapped in a blanket, having conversations with friends or family, enjoying food, etc.: The holidays are a time of hygge for me and my family.See Full DefinitionWhat is the origin of hygge?
Hygge is still an unnaturalized word in English. It is a Danish noun meaning “coziness, comfort, conviviality.” Danish hygge comes from Norwegian hygge (also hyggje in Nynorsk), but the Norwegian word doesn’t have the same emotive force as the Danish. The further derivation of the Norwegian forms is uncertain, but they may derive from Old Norse (and Old Icelandic) hyggja “thought, mind, opinion, thoughtfulness, care.” Hygge entered English in the 20th century.Previous DayHow is hygge used?
Hygge is about an atmosphere and an experience, rather than about things. It is about being with the people we love. Meik Wiking, The Little Book of Hygge, 2016
... “The Red Address Book” is just the sort of easy-reading tale that will inspire readers to pull up a comfy chair to the fire, grab a mug of cocoa and a box of tissues and get hygge with it. Helen Simonson, "Hygge and Kisses," New York Times, January 11, 2019
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Word of the daySaturday, February 02, 2019
prognosticate
verb [prog-nos-ti-keyt]to forecast or predict (something future) from present indications or signs; prophesy.See Full DefinitionWhat is the origin of prognosticate?
English prognosticate comes from Medieval Latin prognōsticāt-, the inflectional stem of prognōsticātus “foretold, predicted,” the past participle of prognōsticāre. Prognōsticāre comes from the Greek adjective and noun prognōstikós “prescient, foreknowing; a prognostic, a sign of the future.” It is not common for Latin and Greek to agree so easily in their etymologies, but prognosticate is a good example. The basic meaning of the preposition and prefix prō, pro- in both languages means “forward, forth, in front of” and is akin to English for and forth. The root gnō- in Latin and Greek means “to know” and is akin to English know and Slavic (Polish) znać. Prognosticate entered English in the 15th century.Previous DayHow is prognosticate used?
Indeed, during the year we are describing, it was known that all those visible signs which prognosticate any particular description of weather, had altogether lost their significance. William Carleton, The Black Prophet: A Tale of Irish Famine, 1847
January is here, which means it’s time to prognosticate about the new year — and specifically, how we in the Bay Area will be eating over the next 12 months and beyond. Sarah Fritsche, "How the Bay Area will eat in 2019: Convenience, CBD, and more chicken," San Francisco Chronicle, January 4, 2019
