October 16, 2012 Word of the Day surfeit \SER-fut\ DEFINITION noun 1 : an overabundant supply : excess 2 : an intemperate or immoderate indulgence in something (as food or drink) 3 : disgust caused by excess EXAMPLES "A surfeit of the sweetest things /…
Good afternoon, Netizens... I regret to inform everyone that our own Marty Hibbs is in Scared Heart Hospital Room 652 suffering from pneumonia. He is doing better from last night when he was listed as in serious but stable condition. If you have time please…
Good morning, Netizens... October 15, 2012 Word of the Day envisage \in-VIZ-ij\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to view or regard in a certain way 2 : to have a mental picture of especially in advance of realization EXAMPLES In planning out their new patio, Betty…
Good morning, Netizens... I doubt if anyone in the free world, short of Mitt Romney, knows that our own Jeanie of Spokane has been under the weather lately. However, just in the last sixty days or so, Jeanie has had both her kidneys removed by…
Good morning, Netizens... October 14, 2012 Word of the Day garniture \GAHR-nih-cher\ DEFINITION noun 1 : embellishment, trimming 2 : a set of decorative objects (as vases, urns, or clocks) EXAMPLES The room was authentically furnished right down to the 16th-century garniture decorating the mantel…
Good morning Netizens... October 13, 2012 Word of the Day fecund \FEK-und\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : fruitful in offspring or vegetation : prolific 2 : intellectually productive or inventive to a marked degree EXAMPLES As an artist she gets most of her inspiration from nature;…
Good evening, Netizens... November 11, 2012 Word of the Day flotsam \FLAHT-sum\ DEFINITION noun 1 : floating wreckage of a ship or its cargo; broadly : floating debris 2 a : miscellaneous or unimportant material b : debris, remains EXAMPLES The young couple's apartment was…
Good morning, Netizens... October 12, 2012 Word of the Day nuncupative \NUN-kyoo-pay-tiv\ DEFINITION adjective : spoken rather than written : oral EXAMPLES On his deathbed Jacob made a nuncupative will for his son and daughter. "He left me a small Legacy in a nuncupative Will,…
Good morning, Netizens... I am sick to death of what has been a long session of perfect fall weather with moderate temperatures in the 60's and 70's. What is rather frightening is that we have had no rain for over a month, leaving our grasslands…
October 11, 2012 Word of the Day rectitude \REK-tuh-tood\ DEFINITION noun 1 : the quality or state of being straight 2 : moral integrity : righteousness 3 : the quality or state of being correct in judgment or procedure EXAMPLES The speaker exhorted audience members…
October 10, 2012 Word of the Day lenticular \len-TIK-yuh-ler\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : having the shape of a double-convex lens 2 : of or relating to a lens 3 : provided with or utilizing lenticules EXAMPLES Amateur astronomers might be interested in what the observatory…
October 09, 2012 Word of the Day viand \VYE-und\ DEFINITION noun 1 : an item of food; especially : a choice or tasty dish 2 : provisions, food EXAMPLES "The family sat down to table, and a frugal meal of cold viands was deposited before…
October 08, 2012 Word of the Day illustrious \ih-LUSS-tree-us\ DEFINITION adjective : notably or brilliantly outstanding because of dignity or achievements or actions : eminent EXAMPLES During the ceremony, the illustrious star of stage and screen was presented with a lifetime achievement award. "Born in…
Good afternoon, Netizens... The thought that Mitt Romney wants to eliminate public television, including Big Bird and the family of Muppets sours my stomach and simply won't go away. Perhaps one of the most-compelling statements I have heard against Romney's ill-advised opinion was done originally…
October 07, 2012 Word of the Day memento \muh-MEN-toh\ DEFINITION noun : something that serves to warn or remind; also : souvenir EXAMPLES The attic is filled with mementos of Julie's basketball career—awards, newspaper clippings, team photographs, her old uniform. "All season long Michel Hazanavicius…
October 06, 2012 Word of the Day conjecture \kun-JEK-cher\ DEFINITION verb 1 : to arrive at or deduce by surmise or guesswork : guess 2 : to form a supposition or inference EXAMPLES Some scientists have conjectured that the distant planet could sustain life. "[Kim…
Good morning, Netizens... This morning, we have the return of cartoonist David Horsey to Community Comment, which couldn't come at a more fruitful point in historical time. After watching the debate between President Obama and Governor Mitt Romney, I have come to the conclusion that…
October 05, 2012 Word of the Day devoir \duh-VWAHR\ DEFINITION noun 1 : duty, responsibility 2 : a usually formal act of civility or respect EXAMPLES "The Grand Master, having allowed the apology of Albert Malvoisin, commanded the herald to stand forth and do his…
October 04, 2012 Word of the Day seriocomic \seer-ee-oh-KAH-mik\ DEFINITION adjective : having a mixture of the serious and the comic EXAMPLES The intergenerational meal was a seriocomic affair, with the younger generation refereeing the jabs their elders hurled at one another while trying to…
Good evening, Netizens..., King County's candidate for Sheriff John Urquhart announced Tuesday morning that if he is elected to office, he will appoint former Spokane Chief of Police Anne Kirkpatrick as his chief deputy. One of my local wags immediately opined that Kirkpatrick's potential job…
Good evening, Netizens... If you haven't already considered the thought, perhaps this morning would be a good time for you to dig out those nefarious red woolen long-handled union suits out of the closet where they have been hidden since last spring. That is because,…
October 03, 2012 Word of the Day placate \PLAY-kayt\ DEFINITION verb : to soothe or mollify especially by concessions : to calm the anger or bitterness of EXAMPLES In an effort to placate the angry customer, the store manager replaced the defective product with a…
Good evening, Netizens... I read Jonathan Brunt's piece this morning titled “City Council raises hotel tax to back PFD” and nearly had a cow. Supporters of the expansion of the Spokane Convention Center and Spokane Veterans Memorial Arena promised the taxpayers there would be no…
October 02, 2012 Word of the Day fourth estate \FORTH-ih-STAYT\ DEFINITION noun : the public press EXAMPLES "We should all be concerned," the senator asserted, "about the plight of newspapers and the consequences of a weakened fourth estate on our democracy." "As someone firmly entrenched…
Good evening, Netizens... You might think, given all the various health maladies that have stricken me in the last two years, that I might hold a very special place in my heart for Jeanie of Spokane, who has served with her gentle nature and distinction…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
