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…
Good afternoon, Netizens... For the sake of all the various gray-beards in our midst, Scott McKenzie, one of the voices of the 60's passed away today. Best known for his song, “San Francisco (Be Sure to Wear Flowers in Your Hair),” which was released in…
August 21, 2012 Word of the Day dyslogistic \diss-luh-JISS-tik\ DEFINITION adjective : uncomplimentary EXAMPLES The blogger used many dyslogistic adjectives to express his dissatisfaction with the mayor. "One answer lies in ... the dyslogistic school of memoir written by former officials who present themselves as…
August 19, 2012 Word of the Day de minimis \dee-MIN-uh-mus\ DEFINITION adjective : lacking significance or importance : so minor as to merit disregard EXAMPLES Critics complain that the new policy merely introduces de minimis modifications and does nothing to amend the real faults in…
August 18, 2012 Word of the Day peruse \puh-ROOZ\ DEFINITION verb 1 a : to examine or study attentively and in detail b : to look over or through in a casual or hasty manner 2 : read EXAMPLES Genevieve perused the menu while we…
August 17, 2012 Word of the Day georgic \JOR-jik\ DEFINITION adjective : of or relating to agriculture EXAMPLES City slicker Brian was still getting used to the georgic lifestyle—particularly getting up at 4:30 each morning to milk the cows. "During the last decade of the…
Good evening Netizens... Today was my first appointment with the cardiologist after having succumbed to three heart attacks over eight years ago. I had some considerable trepidations about this visit because I had just had a heart electrocardiogram done last week, one which I was…
August 16, 2012 Word of the Day maquette \ma-KET\ DEFINITION noun : a usually small preliminary model (as of a sculpture or a building) EXAMPLES At the town meeting the architect presented a maquette of the proposed new school, which will include a state-of-the-art gymnasium…
August 15, 2012 Word of the Day palisade \pal-uh-SAYD\ DEFINITION noun 1 a : a fence of stakes especially for defense b : a long strong stake pointed at the top and set close with others as a defense 2 : a line of bold…
August 14, 2012 Word of the Day bloviate \BLOH-vee-ayt\ DEFINITION adjective : to speak or write verbosely and windily EXAMPLES Mitchell spent his Sunday morning listening to talk show pundits bloviating about world affairs. "Does the deluge of financial reporting make us more prone to…
August 13, 2012 Word of the Day a-go-go \ah-GOH-goh\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : of, relating to, or being a disco or the music or dances performed there : go-go 2 : being in a whirl of motion 3 : being up-to-date — often used postpositively…
August 12, 2012 Word of the Day nectar \NEK-ter\ DEFINITION noun 1 a : the drink of the Greek and Roman gods b : something delicious to drink c : a beverage of fruit juice and pulp 2 : a sweet liquid that is secreted…
Good afternoon, Netizens... With both Jeanie and I being somewhat out of commission over the last few weeks, things have been inordinately slow around Community Comments' hallowed halls. In case you didn't already know Jeanie was in the hospital for surgery and is currently back…
August 11, 2012 Word of the Day gibbous \JIB-us\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : marked by convexity or swelling b of the moon or a planet : seen with more than half but not all of the apparent disk illuminated 2 : having a hump :…
Good morning, Netizens... From the Associated Press... This photo provided by Sean McAfee from Thursday, Aug. 2, 2012, shows a dead raccoon that McAfee saw with the road dividing line painted over it before he stopped his motorcycle to take the picture on Franklin Rd.…
August 10, 2012 Word of the Day scaramouch \SKAIR-uh-moosh\ DEFINITION noun a : a cowardly buffoon b : rascal, scamp EXAMPLES Dorothy was wary about lending money to her uncle, a scaramouch who never took responsibility for his actions. "The mischievous Scaramouche dances beneath them,…
August 09, 2012 Word of the Day weald \WEELD\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a heavily wooded area : forest 2 : a wild or uncultivated usually upland region EXAMPLES "Challenger's house was on the very edge of the hill, and from its southern face, in…
Good morning, Netizens... Despite what the liocal or national news organizations including Youtube may suggest, I have heard many pronunciations for the word Sikh lately, ranging from seek to sick. While many organizations are pronouncing it "seek," we have asked for and received confirmation from…
August 08, 2012 Word of the Day aught \AWT\ DEFINITION pronoun 1 : anything 2 : all, everything EXAMPLES "Xury said it was a lion, and it might be so for aught I know." — From Daniel Defoe's 1719 novel Robinson Crusoe "He dropped, dead,…
August 07, 2012 Word of the Day oriflamme \OR-uh-flam\ DEFINITION noun : a banner, symbol, or ideal inspiring devotion or courage EXAMPLES For many Americans, the photograph of the Iwo Jima flag raising served as an oriflamme and a reminder of the sacrifices and courage…
August 06, 2012 Word of the Day affront \uh-FRUNT\ DEFINITION verb 1 a : to insult especially to the face by behavior or language b : to cause offense to 2 : to face in defiance : confront 3 : to appear directly before EXAMPLES…
August 05, 2012 Word of the Day wiseacre \WYZE-ay-ker\ DEFINITION noun : one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially : smart aleck EXAMPLES A few wiseacres in the audience began heckling the young comedian after his first couple of jokes fell flat. "Following the…
August 04, 2012 Word of the Day scarlet pimpernel \SKAHR-lut-PIM-per-nel\ DEFINITION noun 1 : a European pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) naturalized in North America and having scarlet, white, or purplish flowers that close in cloudy weather 2 : a person who rescues others from mortal danger…
August 03, 2012 Word of the Day mettlesome \MET-ul-sum\ DEFINITION adjective : full of vigor and stamina : spirited EXAMPLES The mettlesome bronco kicked and bucked, but the rider kept her balance and rode her out. "An accomplished actor, Prete writes electrifying dialogue, and his…
August 02, 2012 Word of the Day cerebrate \SAIR-uh-brayt\ DEFINITION verb : to use the mind : think EXAMPLES Jane is apt to cerebrate at length before making even minor decisions. "You can't cerebrate over what you can't see, which therefore becomes an object of…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
