WORD OFF!
machination: /mak-uh-ney-shuhn/
1. The act of plotting.
2. A crafty scheme or cunning design for the accomplishment of a sinister end.
vs.
maxixe: /me-shēsh/
a ballroom dance of Brazilian origin that resembles the two-step
last week's word winner:
bibelot
the thing about bibelot is that i know i've encountered it previous to it being last week's winner. last week dictionary had it up, but i could swear MW had it as a WOTD and i posted on it. i just can't find it. either that or i've gone bitchcakes.
google readers don't forget to vote
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
RATE-A-WORD!
martinet: /mär-te-net/
1: a strict disciplinarian
2: a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
according to MW this word originates from one Jean Martinet, a "17th century french officer". yet another example of how being an asshole will make people remember you forever.
results:
lacuna
based on a weighted average of your votes lacuna is a:
4
(3.8214285714285714285714285714286) to be precise.
don't forget to vote!
martinet: /mär-te-net/
1: a strict disciplinarian
2: a person who stresses a rigid adherence to the details of forms and methods
according to MW this word originates from one Jean Martinet, a "17th century french officer". yet another example of how being an asshole will make people remember you forever.
results:
lacuna
based on a weighted average of your votes lacuna is a:
4
(3.8214285714285714285714285714286) to be precise.
don't forget to vote!
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
evince: /i-vins/
1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest
2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).
how to use in casual conversation:
"she went through great pains to evince the superiority of tom baker to sylvester mccoy"
not be confused with:
wince
how it makes me feel:
meh. i try not to be overly negative about words when i don't need to. if i get all hopped up about a mediocre WOTD, you won't take it seriously when i am legitimately angry about a horrible WOTD. so that being said, this is a mediocre WOTD. i'll admit to not being terribly familiar with the word itself, but based on it's constituent parts and it's definition we know that it is somehow related to other words we are all exceptionally familiar with. i suppose we could scape some value out of a sentiment along the lines of "wow, i've never heard of the word but it makes sense given that evidence is blah blah blah, and then convince is blah blah blah" but i'm not that chipper of a person and quite frankly that kind of hoo-ha just makes me irritated. speaking of being irritated, we lost internet at my house for like 3-whole-days. so not only was my porn spigot turned off, but i also had to resort to watching things from my severely limited DVD collection as netflix was a no-go. so i started watching season one of the west wing. again. but this wasn't the irritating part. actually i wasn't irritated at all. but i was thinking about what a pain in the ass toby zeigler was. internet is back by the way. porn galore!
1. to show clearly; make evident or manifest
2. to reveal the possession of (a quality, trait, etc.).
how to use in casual conversation:
"she went through great pains to evince the superiority of tom baker to sylvester mccoy"
not be confused with:
wince
how it makes me feel:
meh. i try not to be overly negative about words when i don't need to. if i get all hopped up about a mediocre WOTD, you won't take it seriously when i am legitimately angry about a horrible WOTD. so that being said, this is a mediocre WOTD. i'll admit to not being terribly familiar with the word itself, but based on it's constituent parts and it's definition we know that it is somehow related to other words we are all exceptionally familiar with. i suppose we could scape some value out of a sentiment along the lines of "wow, i've never heard of the word but it makes sense given that evidence is blah blah blah, and then convince is blah blah blah" but i'm not that chipper of a person and quite frankly that kind of hoo-ha just makes me irritated. speaking of being irritated, we lost internet at my house for like 3-whole-days. so not only was my porn spigot turned off, but i also had to resort to watching things from my severely limited DVD collection as netflix was a no-go. so i started watching season one of the west wing. again. but this wasn't the irritating part. actually i wasn't irritated at all. but i was thinking about what a pain in the ass toby zeigler was. internet is back by the way. porn galore!
Friday, January 22, 2010
mrs. grundy: /MISS-uz-GRUN-dee/
one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct
one marked by prudish conventionality in personal conduct
how to use in casual conversation:
"stop being a mrs. grundy and take your pants off"
not to be confused with:
how it makes me feel:
it would be kind of funny were it not so sad. lets run with the funny. hahahahaha. it isn't a word. hahahahaha. it's a name. hahahahaha at best a phrase. hahahahahaha. it's an obscure reference to a late 18th century play. hahahahahaha. merriam-webster fails again.
i actually went to dictionary.com to see if they had an entry for this, which they kind of did. but they didn't try to pass off the phrase version. in my opinion this qualifies as guff, guff of an unacceptable sort. i'm actually thinking of organizing a letter writing campaign to m-w out of honest concern for the low quality of their WOTDs. for their sake i hope i get ultra lazy like i do about most things and it just goes down as another really good idea that i didn't do anything about, instead spending my hours watching dr. who spin-offs and smoking pot. oh yeah and knitting. don't forget the knitting.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
WORD OFF!
this week's battle:
bibelot: /bib-loh/
a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.
vs.
colubrine: /col-u-brīn/
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake
2 : of or relating to colubrids
last week's word winner:
i screwed up
yesterday. while cleaning up the gadgets and polls i accidentally erased the wrong poll (torpor vs. suborn). i think it was torpor, but it was a close race. if there is any concern about the integrity of the voting i must apologize for the error but i was rooting for suborn. torpor can be fun but suborning something is always an adventure.
this week's battle:
bibelot: /bib-loh/
a small object of curiosity, beauty, or rarity.
vs.
colubrine: /col-u-brīn/
1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake
2 : of or relating to colubrids
last week's word winner:
i screwed up
yesterday. while cleaning up the gadgets and polls i accidentally erased the wrong poll (torpor vs. suborn). i think it was torpor, but it was a close race. if there is any concern about the integrity of the voting i must apologize for the error but i was rooting for suborn. torpor can be fun but suborning something is always an adventure.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
RATE-A-WORD!
lacuna: /luh-kyoo-nuh/
1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2. anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3. botany. an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.
lacuna as you may remember was the name of the medical clinic in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. makes sense now - doesn't it?
results:
triskaidekaphobia/tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
according to a weighted average of your votes triskaidekaphobia is a......
*drumroll*
.......3. (technically speaking it was a 3.0571428571428571428571428571429. sig figs people. sig figs.)
lacuna: /luh-kyoo-nuh/
1. a gap or missing part, as in a manuscript, series, or logical argument; hiatus.
2. anatomy. one of the numerous minute cavities in the substance of bone, supposed to contain nucleate cells.
3. botany. an air space in the cellular tissue of plants.
lacuna as you may remember was the name of the medical clinic in eternal sunshine of the spotless mind. makes sense now - doesn't it?
results:
triskaidekaphobia/tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
according to a weighted average of your votes triskaidekaphobia is a......
*drumroll*
.......3. (technically speaking it was a 3.0571428571428571428571428571429. sig figs people. sig figs.)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
perambulate: /per-am-byuh-leyt/
intransitive verb
1. To walk about; to roam; to stroll
transitive verb
1. To walk through or over.
2. To travel over for the purpose of surveying or inspecting.
how to use in casual conversation:
"anybody wanna perambulate?"
not to be confused with:
perameles
how it makes it feel:
it feels pretty good. not like '2 live crew' feeling good, but more like 'otis redding' feeling good. i like the idea of perambulating. my friend chelsea and i used to perambulate quite a bit when we were roommates. we would perambulate around ballard. that was a lot of fun. one time, while perambulating our way to the grocery store, we got into an argument. best. argument. ever.
intransitive verb
1. To walk about; to roam; to stroll
transitive verb
1. To walk through or over.
2. To travel over for the purpose of surveying or inspecting.
how to use in casual conversation:
"anybody wanna perambulate?"
not to be confused with:
perameles
how it makes it feel:
it feels pretty good. not like '2 live crew' feeling good, but more like 'otis redding' feeling good. i like the idea of perambulating. my friend chelsea and i used to perambulate quite a bit when we were roommates. we would perambulate around ballard. that was a lot of fun. one time, while perambulating our way to the grocery store, we got into an argument. best. argument. ever.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
draconian: /drey-koh-nee-uhn/
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws.
2. rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
how to use in casual conversation:
"the nazis i work for are so draconian about internet filtering that they decided to block huffington post"
not to be confused with:
draconic
how it makes me feel:
it's not exactly winning points for being esoteric. it's a fairly common word for anybody above the semi-/pseudo-intellectual level of intelligence. though it does sound kind of cool, probably because of it's ain't far from 'dragon' phonetically. but the real reason i chose draconian over doldrums was that this word is actually derived from the actions of one man - draco, who while being remembered for the historical contribution he made to athenian law will also be remembered as a prick of historical proportions. i mean his name is now synonymous with going way the hell over the top. other pricks of historical proportions who had words derived from their assholism - pompey (pompous) and the marquis de sade (sadistic). i wonder what the word 'ponisitc' will come to eventually represent.
1. of, pertaining to, or characteristic of Draco or his code of laws.
2. rigorous; unusually severe or cruel.
how to use in casual conversation:
"the nazis i work for are so draconian about internet filtering that they decided to block huffington post"
not to be confused with:
draconic
how it makes me feel:
it's not exactly winning points for being esoteric. it's a fairly common word for anybody above the semi-/pseudo-intellectual level of intelligence. though it does sound kind of cool, probably because of it's ain't far from 'dragon' phonetically. but the real reason i chose draconian over doldrums was that this word is actually derived from the actions of one man - draco, who while being remembered for the historical contribution he made to athenian law will also be remembered as a prick of historical proportions. i mean his name is now synonymous with going way the hell over the top. other pricks of historical proportions who had words derived from their assholism - pompey (pompous) and the marquis de sade (sadistic). i wonder what the word 'ponisitc' will come to eventually represent.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
rate-a-word
today im introducing a new feature!
it's pretty simple - i pick a WOTD from dictionary or MW. a word that i'm not too sure about. it will then be your job to rate that word on a scale of 1-5.
so here we go:
triskaidekaphobia: /tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
don't be afraid to hurt the word's feelings
today im introducing a new feature!
it's pretty simple - i pick a WOTD from dictionary or MW. a word that i'm not too sure about. it will then be your job to rate that word on a scale of 1-5.
so here we go:
triskaidekaphobia: /tris-kī-de-ke-fō-bē-a/
fear of the number 13
don't be afraid to hurt the word's feelings
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
WORD OFF!!!
torpor: /tawr-per/
1. sluggish inactivity or inertia.
2. lethargic indifference; apathy.
3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities.
4. dormancy, as of a hibernating animal.
vs.
suborn: /se-born/
1 : to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing
2 : to induce to commit perjury
don't forget to vote
torpor: /tawr-per/
1. sluggish inactivity or inertia.
2. lethargic indifference; apathy.
3. a state of suspended physical powers and activities.
4. dormancy, as of a hibernating animal.
vs.
suborn: /se-born/
1 : to induce secretly to do an unlawful thing
2 : to induce to commit perjury
don't forget to vote
Monday, January 11, 2010
flagitious: /fluh-jish-uhs/
1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.
2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime; infamous.
how to use in casual conversation:
"there is nothing flagitious about riding public transit without pants."
not to be confused with:
fergalicious
how it makes me feel:
first i'm going to say that i really like this word. phonetically it's nothing terribly exciting. but it is one of those ominously dark words that makes me tingle in my special place*. speaking of ominous, i was scanning the merriam-webster WOTD archive. it's kind of sad. here's a list of the one i find most offensive from december and january:
1. shamefully wicked, as persons, actions, or times.
2. heinous or flagrant, as a crime; infamous.
how to use in casual conversation:
"there is nothing flagitious about riding public transit without pants."
not to be confused with:
fergalicious
how it makes me feel:
first i'm going to say that i really like this word. phonetically it's nothing terribly exciting. but it is one of those ominously dark words that makes me tingle in my special place*. speaking of ominous, i was scanning the merriam-webster WOTD archive. it's kind of sad. here's a list of the one i find most offensive from december and january:
- ominous
- baptism of fire
- receipt
- pundit
- pied-à-terre
i've been laying off the whole "merriam-webster" sucks, but in the name of not taking any guff i must say that indeed, merriam-webster sucks. and it's not that i am patiently waiting for them to continue sucking - i want them to be better. i want them to shine with all the word power they can muster. like some dorky care-bear cousin that shoots adjectives from it's chest like warren beatty dispenses baby batter. but for some reason their continued insistence on being mediocre means i'm using their site less which means less clicks for them. therefore it behoves them to improve, lest they continue to have their asses kicked almost daily by dictionary.com.
* my brain you perverts.
Friday, January 8, 2010
gesticulate: /je-stik-yuh-leyt/
1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.
2. to express by gesturing.
how to use in casual conversation:
"i couldn't understand what that man was saying, but his gesticulating action in his pocket revealed his true intent."
not to be confused with:
gestation
how it makes me feel:
the word itself isn't terribly sexy. not only is it (as a word) somewhat pedestrian, it also sounds like an adjective you wouldn't want someone to describe you with as it sounds dirty.
a note:
have a nice weekend.
1. to make or use gestures, esp. in an animated or excited manner with or instead of speech.
2. to express by gesturing.
how to use in casual conversation:
"i couldn't understand what that man was saying, but his gesticulating action in his pocket revealed his true intent."
not to be confused with:
gestation
how it makes me feel:
the word itself isn't terribly sexy. not only is it (as a word) somewhat pedestrian, it also sounds like an adjective you wouldn't want someone to describe you with as it sounds dirty.
i'd much rather just refer to myself as being 'animated' and leave it at that.person: "hey pony - i heard you gesticulate quite frequently"
me: "what the hell? are you looking in my window and night or something?"
a note:
have a nice weekend.
Thursday, January 7, 2010
WORD OFF!
this week's battle:
magnanimous: /mag-na-ne-mus/
1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
vs.
quotidian: /kwoh-tid-ee-uhn/
–adjective
1. daily
2. usual or customary; everyday
3. ordinary; commonplace
4. (of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.
–noun
5. something recurring daily.
and to all you gazpacho-monkeys using reader: don't forget to vote
this week's battle:
magnanimous: /mag-na-ne-mus/
1 : showing or suggesting a lofty and courageous spirit
2 : showing or suggesting nobility of feeling and generosity of mind
vs.
quotidian: /kwoh-tid-ee-uhn/
–adjective
1. daily
2. usual or customary; everyday
3. ordinary; commonplace
4. (of a fever, ague, etc.) characterized by paroxysms that recur daily.
–noun
5. something recurring daily.
and to all you gazpacho-monkeys using reader: don't forget to vote
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
flibbertigibbet: /flib-er-tee-jib-it/
1. a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
2. archaic. a gossip.
how to use in casual conversation:
"that girl is such a flibbertigibbet"
not to be confused with:
turkey giblets
how it makes me feel:
in a word, i'm flabbergasted. this is one of those words where you go "that's a word? huh. no shit." it sounds a lot like some nonsense word someone would try to slip in to scrabble game. it also sounds like some euphemism that your great-grandma would use for referring to a vagina. "don't let any boys be touching your flibbertigibbet" -or- "now don't you be running around chasing flibbertigibbet, find yourself a nice girl". anyway, this is one of those amazing nonsense words that would fit nicely into my new idiolalia of slipping double b's into the center of words i.e. i'vbbe bebben thinbbking abbbout goibbng babbck to schbbool bbbut i habbte makbbing cobbmmitmebbnts.
1. a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
2. archaic. a gossip.
how to use in casual conversation:
"that girl is such a flibbertigibbet"
not to be confused with:
turkey giblets
how it makes me feel:
in a word, i'm flabbergasted. this is one of those words where you go "that's a word? huh. no shit." it sounds a lot like some nonsense word someone would try to slip in to scrabble game. it also sounds like some euphemism that your great-grandma would use for referring to a vagina. "don't let any boys be touching your flibbertigibbet" -or- "now don't you be running around chasing flibbertigibbet, find yourself a nice girl". anyway, this is one of those amazing nonsense words that would fit nicely into my new idiolalia of slipping double b's into the center of words i.e. i'vbbe bebben thinbbking abbbout goibbng babbck to schbbool bbbut i habbte makbbing cobbmmitmebbnts.
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
atelier: /at-l-yey/
a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer
how to use in casual conversation:
"i spend so much time in this bar, it's practically become my atelier of drunkenness"
not to be confused with:
ateliosis
how it makes me feel:
happy new year! remember when i said i'd be back on the 4th? yeah. i kinda lied. i didn't want to lie but as it turns out i did. after my forced 12 day vacation from work i decided that the best way to deal with having a job i hate is to actually try to do my job. made the day go by soooo fast. i was busily toiling in my atelier (laboratory), adding chemicals to each other and watching them change color which kept me away from my other atelier (cubicle) where i craft these sweet sweet words you're reading right now. back to new years - here is my list of resolutions:
1. take no guff
i've made it a point to tell everyone, especially people i work with. they're kind of sick of hearing it but i don't care. because my atelier (laboratory) is not my own personal atelier (laboratory) and i am not taking any guff from anybody thinking my atelier (laboratory) is their own personal atelier (laboratory). but either way, 2010 will be guff-less. many have said, "hey pony, doesn't that mean that you should also refrain from guff-giving?" perhaps, but in the process of not taking any guff i will undoubtedly dole some out. it's up to the guffee not the guffer to decide if the guff will be received or refused. kinda like UPS. they bring the guff. you either sign for the guff or you don't. this year i refuse to use the stylus of resignation upon the electronic clipboard of life. (my name is pony. P-O-N-Y.)
a workshop or studio, esp. of an artist, artisan, or designer
how to use in casual conversation:
"i spend so much time in this bar, it's practically become my atelier of drunkenness"
not to be confused with:
ateliosis
how it makes me feel:
happy new year! remember when i said i'd be back on the 4th? yeah. i kinda lied. i didn't want to lie but as it turns out i did. after my forced 12 day vacation from work i decided that the best way to deal with having a job i hate is to actually try to do my job. made the day go by soooo fast. i was busily toiling in my atelier (laboratory), adding chemicals to each other and watching them change color which kept me away from my other atelier (cubicle) where i craft these sweet sweet words you're reading right now. back to new years - here is my list of resolutions:
1. take no guff
i've made it a point to tell everyone, especially people i work with. they're kind of sick of hearing it but i don't care. because my atelier (laboratory) is not my own personal atelier (laboratory) and i am not taking any guff from anybody thinking my atelier (laboratory) is their own personal atelier (laboratory). but either way, 2010 will be guff-less. many have said, "hey pony, doesn't that mean that you should also refrain from guff-giving?" perhaps, but in the process of not taking any guff i will undoubtedly dole some out. it's up to the guffee not the guffer to decide if the guff will be received or refused. kinda like UPS. they bring the guff. you either sign for the guff or you don't. this year i refuse to use the stylus of resignation upon the electronic clipboard of life. (my name is pony. P-O-N-Y.)
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