with Anu Garg

baksheesh

(BAK-sheesh)

noun: A payment, such as a tip or bribe.

From Persian bakhshish, from bakhshidan, from baksh (to give).

“A certain favoritism, even in the absence of baksheesh-pocketing headwaiters, is indispensable to restaurants that expect to maintain a steady clientele — especially in New York, where every other big shot seems to demand the ‘best’ table and, instead of something fabulous to eat, a custom-baked potato.”
Thomas McNamee; The Joy of Cooking; The New York Times Book Review; Jun 23, 2002.

“About 130 officials were fired for taking baksheesh, and the volume of tariff revenue that actually reached state coffers jumped by almost 50% in two years.”
Maturing Mozambique; The Economist (London, UK); Dec 4, 1999.

Explore “baksheesh” in the Visual Thesaurus.

In the presence of eternity, the mountains are as transient as the clouds. -Robert Green Ingersoll, lawyer and orator (1833-1899)

with Anu Garg

convoke

(kuhn-VOHK)

verb tr.:
To call together for a meeting.

From Latin convocare (call together), from con- (together) + vocare (to call), from vox (voice).

“They insist that Mr Zelaya violated the constitution by trying to convoke a constituent assembly which they fear might have prolonged his term.”
Post-coup Honduras; The Economist (London, UK); Jul 9 2009.

Explore “convoke” in the Visual Thesaurus.

Books written out of fire give me a great deal of pleasure. You get the sense that the world for these writers could not have continued if the book hadn’t been written. When you come across a book like that it is a privilege. -Hisham Matar, author (b. 1970)