September 09, 2012 Word of the Day lugubrious \loo-GOO-bree-us\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : mournful; especially : exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful 2 : dismal EXAMPLES Katie's friends guessed immediately from her lugubrious expression that she and her boyfriend had broken up. "Then beneath that lugubrious lament…
September 08, 2012 Word of the Day gallant \GAL-unt\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : showy in dress or bearing : smart 2 a : splendid, stately b : spirited, brave c : nobly chivalrous and often self-sacrificing 3 : courteously and elaborately attentive especially to ladies…
Good evening, Netizens... I have given a great deal of thought to the Democratic National Convention, and I have reached a few conclusions that probably will not surprise anyone. If you are a Republican stalwart, of course you eagerly chant the new party line of…
September 07, 2012 Word of the Day jocose \joh-KOHSS\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : given to joking : merry 2 : characterized by joking : humorous EXAMPLES Rachel has the kind of jocose personality that can liven up even the dullest of parties. "The information imparted…
September 06, 2012 Word of the Day gainsay \gayn-SAY\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to declare to be untrue or invalid 2 : contradict, oppose EXAMPLES There is no doubt that their work makes a useful contribution, but it does not provide enough evidence to gainsay…
Good morning, Netizens... Can you imagine Michelle Obama as a baseball pitcher for a major league baseball team? Instead of the sleek form-fitting silk dress she wore last night before the Democratic National Convention, she might show up sporting a baseball uniform and packing a…
September 05, 2012 Word of the Day inimitable \in-IM-it-uh-bul\ DEFINITION adjective : not capable of being imitated : matchless EXAMPLES "He is involved in roughly six projects, most of them part time and some dormant. Each is different from the others and to each, say…
September 04, 2012 Word of the Day ecstatic \ek-STAT-ik\ DEFINITION adjective : of, relating to, or marked by rapturous delight EXAMPLES Naomi's face was ecstatic as she accepted first prize in the essay contest. "Jordan Staal would much rather play with his brother than against…
September 03, 2012 Word of the Day caduceus \kuh-DOO-see-us\ DEFINITION noun 1 : the symbolic staff of a herald; specifically : a representation of a staff with two entwined snakes and two wings at the top 2 : an insignia bearing a caduceus and symbolizing…
Good evening, Netizens... I've read one hell of a lot of comments and blogs over the last 48 hours about Clint Eastwood's diatribe spoken before the Republican National Convention, some good, some irreverent and some only marginal. Having read a lot of texts of the…
September 02, 2012 Word of the Day wend \WEND\ DEFINITION verb : to direct one's course : travel, proceed EXAMPLES The hikers wended through the forest's trails. "Improvements in wastewater treatment and conservation upgraded the water quality of the river, which wends its way nearly…
September 01, 2012 Word of the Day aborning \uh-BOR-ning\ DEFINITION adverb : while being born or produced EXAMPLES The bill was introduced in the Senate last year, but it died aborning. "We've all put aside the social task that we wanted to take the time…
Good morning, Netizens... I plead guilty to having all but abandoned my duties as moderator of Community Comment in favor of watching and listening to the Republican National Convention. Most of it was, as I expected, an endless litany of self-congratulatory speeches in favor of…
August 31, 2012 Word of the Day inspissate \in-SPISS-ayt\ DEFINITION verb : to make or become thick or thicker EXAMPLES "Marmalade of carrots is the juice of yellow carrots, inspissated till it is of the thickness of fluid honey, or treacle, which last it resembles…
August 30, 2012 Word of the Day servile \SER-vul\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : of or befitting a slave or a menial position 2 : meanly or cravenly submissive : abject EXAMPLES Maura was embarrassed at the way her mother demanded servile behavior from store employees.…
August 29, 2012 Word of the Day benison \BEN-uh-sun\ DEFINITION noun : blessing, benediction EXAMPLES The candidate sought the benison of the popular pastor in the hope of gaining both spiritual and political support. "On warm(ish) days, the soft rain feels like a benison, pattering…
August 28, 2012 Word of the Day aliment \AL-uh-munt\ DEFINITION noun : food, nutriment; also : sustenance EXAMPLES "In the Propontis, as far as I can learn, none of that peculiar substance called brit is to be found, the aliment of the right whale." —…
August 27, 2012 Word of the Day sansculotte \sanz-koo-LAHT\ DEFINITION noun 1 : an extreme radical republican in France at the time of the Revolution 2 : a radical or violent extremist in politics EXAMPLES "At the time of the French Revolution, the rampaging sansculottes…
August 26, 2012 Word of the Day sedulous \SEJ-uh-lus\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : involving or accomplished with careful perseverance 2 : diligent in application or pursuit EXAMPLES Daphne was a sedulous student whose hard work and determination earned her a number of college scholarships. "We…
Good morning, Netizens... It comes as no surprise that yesterday morning, while over coffee at one of our favorite dining places, I learned that my friend of many years, Marty Hibbs, recently had a serious heart attack while in Scared Heart Hospital, and had to…
August 25, 2012 Word of the Day belaud \bih-LAWD\ DEFINITION verb : to praise usually to excess EXAMPLES Supporters belauded the idea as a magic bullet for all social problems in the country. "Several cheers went up. Piccard, unaware of the scene unfolding behind him,…
August 24, 2012 Word of the Day never-never land \nev-er-NEV-er-LAND\ DEFINITION noun : an ideal or imaginary place EXAMPLES Lester seems to think he lives in some kind of never-never land where people don't have to accept responsibility for their actions. "China's pride of ownership…
Good evening, Netizens... I believe our Mayor, the Boy Wonder of Spokane, has spoken, and other than a ditched effort on the part of the Spokane City Council (which seems unlikely at this point in time) Dr. Frank Straub is now our new Chief of…
August 23, 2012 Word of the Day dundrearies \dun-DREER-eez\ DEFINITION noun plural : long flowing sideburns EXAMPLES Many of the Civil War reenactors were sporting dundrearies to give their costumes a look of authenticity. "Although as a Victorian man he lacks the vocabulary to express…
August 22, 2012 Word of the Day ramose \RAY-mohss\ DEFINITION adjective : consisting of or having branches EXAMPLES "On a coral reef something analogous happens when ramose corals grow upward to create a structure resistant to waves and current...." — Les S. Kaufman in Coral…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
