Good afternoon, Netizens..., December 18, 2012 Word of the Day lagniappe \LAN-yap\ DEFINITION noun : a small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; broadly : something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure EXAMPLES Diners…
Good morning, Netizens... December 17, 2012 Word of the Day commensal \kuh-MEN-sul\ DEFINITION adjective 1 : of or relating to those who habitually eat together 2 : of, relating to, or living in a relationship in which one organism obtains food or other benefits from…
Good morning, Netizens... Despite having a vast overload of work keeping me from my appointed rounds, I could not help but ask a theologically thorny question in the face of the deaths in Newtown, Connecticut, as it has been haunting me since I first heard…
December 15, 2012 Word of the Day hagiography \hag-ee-AH-gruh-fee\ DEFINITION noun 1 : biography of saints or venerated persons 2 : idealizing or idolizing biography EXAMPLES The book effectively portrays the leader's strengths without resorting to hagiography. "'Lincoln' gratifyingly dodges the kind of safe, starchy…
Good morning, Netizens... December 14, 2012 Word of the Day schmooze \SHMOOZ\ DEFINITION verb : to converse informally : chat; also : to chat in a friendly and persuasive manner especially so as to gain favor, business, or connections EXAMPLES Conference attendees will have plenty…
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…
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…
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…
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 :…
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…
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.…
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…
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…
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…
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 :…
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…
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…
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 :…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Spokesman-Review readers blog about news and issues in Spokane written by Dave Laird.
