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Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

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THURSDAY, DEC. 13, 2012

A Word A Day -- parietal

Good morning, Netizens... December 13, 2012 Word of the Day parietal \puh-RYE-uh-tul\ DEFINITION adjective 1 a : of or relating to the walls of a part or cavity b : of, relating to, or forming the upper posterior wall of the head 2 : attached…

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A Word A Day -- intersperse

Good morning, Netizens... December 12, 2012 Word of the Day intersperse \in-ter-SPERSS\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to place something at intervals in or among 2 : to insert at intervals among other things EXAMPLES The author has interspersed the guidebook with illustrations of the different…

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TUESDAY, DEC. 11, 2012

A Word A Day -- disport

Good evening, Netizens... December 11, 2012 Word of the Day disport \dih-SPORT\ DEFINITION verb 1 : divert, amuse 2 : frolic 3 : display EXAMPLES "Dracula builds a five-stake resort for his monster friends to disport themselves unbothered on vacation, but his daughter falls in…

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MONDAY, DEC. 10, 2012

A Word A Day -- pomander

Good morning, Netizens... December 10, 2012 Word of the Day pomander \POH-man-der\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a mixture of aromatic substances enclosed in a perforated bag or box and used to scent clothes and linens or formerly carried as a guard against infection; also :…

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SUNDAY, DEC. 9, 2012

O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum...

Good morning, Netizens... Good morning, Netizens... For most of the year, it lives in the deepest most-depraved corner of our basement, in a little-used closet space beneath the basement stairs, somewhat adjacent to the hot water heater. Each year, in my experience, it is reverently…

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A Word A Day -- tutelary

Good morning, Netizens... December 09, 2012 Word of the Day tutelary \TOO-tuh-lair-ee\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : having the guardianship of a person or a thing 2 : of or relating to a guardian EXAMPLES The ancient Romans revered certain gods and goddesses as tutelary deities.…

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SATURDAY, DEC. 8, 2012

A Word A Day -- hypermnesia

Good morning, Netizens... December 08, 2012 Word of the Day hypermnesia \hye-perm-NEE-zhee-uh\ DEFINITION noun : abnormally vivid or complete memory or recall of the past EXAMPLES "When I heard Peyton Manning might have hypermnesia, I was going to buy him a get-well card. Then I…

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FRIDAY, DEC. 7, 2012

It's a Wonderful Life 

I went out and got the mail and found it snowing, just a little, like snow sprinkles. It's December already and shoppers are in a frenzy. This year, more than any other, I am NOT doing the shop-til-you-drop thing, buying trinkets and goblets and niknaks,…

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A Word A Day -- tamale

Good morning, Netizens... December 07, 2012 Word of the Day tamale \tuh-MAH-lee\ DEFINITION noun : cornmeal dough rolled with ground meat or beans seasoned usually with chili, wrapped usually in corn husks, and steamed EXAMPLES "The Mexican Dinner has a little of everything; the moist…

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THURSDAY, DEC. 6, 2012

A Word A Day -- nobby

Good morning, Netizens... December 06, 2012 Word of the Day nobby \NAH-bee\ DEFINITION adjective : cleverly stylish : chic, smart EXAMPLES "[Mrs. Vance] ... reappeared, stunningly arrayed in a dark-blue walking dress, with a nobby hat to match." — From Theodore Dreiser's 1900 novel Sister…

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WEDNESDAY, DEC. 5, 2012

A Word A Day -- connive

Good afternoon Netizens... December 05, 2012 Word of the Day connive \kuh-NYVE\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to pretend ignorance of or fail to take action against something one ought to oppose 2 a : to be indulgent or in secret sympathy : wink b :…

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TUESDAY, DEC. 4, 2012

A Word A Day -- cloche

Good morning, Netizens... December 04, 2012 Word of the Day cloche \KLOHSH\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a transparent plant cover used outdoors especially for protection against cold 2 : a woman's close-fitting hat usually with deep rounded crown and narrow brim EXAMPLES You may be…

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SUNDAY, DEC. 2, 2012

A Word A Day -- hotdog

Good evening, Netizens... December 03, 2012 Word of the Day hotdog \HAHT-dawg\ DEFINITION verb : to perform in a conspicuous or often ostentatious manner; especially : to perform fancy stunts and maneuvers (as while surfing or skiing) EXAMPLES The wide receiver hotdogged in the end…

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SATURDAY, DEC. 1, 2012

A Word A Day -- scumble

Good evening, Netizens... December 01, 2012 Word of the Day scumble \SKUM-bul\ DEFINITION verb 1 a : to make (as color or a painting) less brilliant by covering with a thin coat of opaque or semiopaque color applied with a nearly dry brush b :…

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FRIDAY, NOV. 30, 2012

A Word A Day -- cathexis

Good afternoon, Netizens... November 30, 2012 Word of the Day cathexis \kuh-THEK-sis\ DEFINITION noun : investment of mental or emotional energy in a person, object, or idea EXAMPLES "The veil that hides Laura and her eyes, her hair, her smile (and its counterpart, the glove…

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THURSDAY, NOV. 29, 2012

A Word A Day -- famish

Good afternoon, Netizens... November 29, 2012 Word of the Day famish \FAM-ish\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to cause to suffer severely from hunger 2 : to suffer for lack of something necessary EXAMPLES "Set him breast-deep in earth and famish him, / There let him…

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WEDNESDAY, NOV. 28, 2012

On bravery and grace...

Good morning, Netizens... This has been a rough month around our household. Suzie's mother passed away which came as no surprise as her husband of 60-some years, Suzie's father, had passed away not long before. Isn't it poignant that, when married couples have been together…

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A Word A Day -- hortative

Good afternoon, Netizens... November 28, 2012 Word of the Day hortative \HOR-tuh-tiv\ DEFINITION adjective : giving exhortation : serving to advise or warn EXAMPLES The candidate's hortative style of speaking appealed to some voters but led others to dismiss him as a blowhard. "But it's…

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TUESDAY, NOV. 27, 2012

My Grace

I was reading an interview with writer Anne Lamott in the November 24, 2012 Spokesman-Review, regarding her book, Help. Thanks. Wow. (http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/nov/24/divine-connections/) I haven’t even read her book, however, I immediately realized that Help, Thanks, Wow is the way I got through this past summer.…

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A Word A Day -- vapid

Good morning, Netizens... November 27, 2012 Word of the Day vapid \VAP-id\ DEFINITION adjective : lacking liveliness, tang, briskness, or force : flat, dull EXAMPLES The movie was billed as a gripping political thriller but turned out to be a vapid film with a slow…

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MONDAY, NOV. 26, 2012

A Word A Day -- sederunt

Good morning, Netizens... November 26, 2012 Word of the Day sederunt \suh-DEER-unt\ DEFINITION noun : a prolonged sitting (as for discussion) EXAMPLES "This letter is a report of a long sederunt ... at Davos Platz, Dec. 15, 1880." — From a letter by Robert Louis…

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SUNDAY, NOV. 25, 2012

A Word A Day -- numen

Good morning, Netizens... November 25, 2012 Word of the Day numen \NOO-mun\ DEFINITION noun : a spiritual force or influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place EXAMPLES We were in a village that had hardly changed in a thousand years, and we…

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SATURDAY, NOV. 24, 2012

Never On A Sunday

I really hate what the holidays have become - so materialistic. Everybody's on a shopping frenzy for Christmas presents today (Black Friday) for items that are almost guaranteed to be put in a yard sale next summer, or high up in a closet, or deep…

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Associated Press

The Grand Experiment...

Good morning, Netizens... Good morning, Netizens... Yesterday was an experiment. Shoppers stand in line outside a Best Buy department store before the store's opening at midnight for a Black Friday sale, Thursday, Nov. 22, 2012, in Arlington, Texas. Black Friday, the day when retailers traditionally…

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A Word A Day -- obdurate

Good morning, Netizens... November 24, 2012 Word of the Day obdurate \AHB-duh-rut\ DEFINITION adjective 1 a : stubbornly persistent in wrongdoing b : hardened in feelings 2 : resistant to persuasion or softening influences EXAMPLES I pleaded with my boss for a second chance, explaining…

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Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.