The Wordsmith Thread

"A Compromise is an agreement whereby both parties get what neither of them wanted!"

Sisyphean is a good word to use. It means very difficult, yet futile.

"Bailing out that boat a thimble at a time is a Sisyphean task."

More than meets the eye.


affect (v.)
: To influence; produce a response; as, People are deeply
affected by Picasso's anti-war painting "Guernica." Latin
afficere.


effect (v.)
: To be the cause of; bring about; as, to effect the
unification of the two Germanys. Latin efficere.


illicit (adj.)
: Unlawful; unauthorized; as, Stock-exchange rules prohibit
illicit trading in securities. Latin illicitus.


elicit (v.)
: To evoke a response or reaction; draw out; as, The
inquiry elicited important facts. Latin elicere.


perimeter [puh RIM uh tur] (n.)
: Outer boundary; as, We walked the perimeter of our farm.
Greek peri- (around) and metron (measure).


parameter [puh RAM uh tur] (n.)
: Varying mathematical quantity whose values determine a
system's form; as, death and survival parameters from
insurance statistics. Informally, a guide; as, foreign-
policy parameters. Latin para- (beside) and metron.


evanescent (adj.)
: Fading quickly; barely perceptible; as, an evanescent
dream. Latin Latin evanescere (to vanish).


effervescent (adj.)
: Bubbling; as, an effervescent soft drink. Also,
vivacious; as, en effervescent personality. Latin
effervescere (to boil over).


voracious (adj.)
: Having an insatiable appetite for food or activity; as,
a voracious collector of baseball statistics. Latin vorare
(to devour).


rapacious (adj.)
: Greedy; predatory; taking by force whatever one wants;
as, a rapacious dictator. Latin rapere (to seize).


cynical (adj.)
: Contemptuously distrustful; not believing in human good-
ness or sincerity. From the Cynics, ancient Greek philosophers
thought of as self-righteous, misanthropic, even currish.
Greek kynos (dog).


skeptical (adj.)
: Unconvinced; doubting; as, to be skeptical about a new
medical cure. Greek skeptikos (reflective).


obtuse (adj.)
: Dull; insensitive; mentally slow; as, to be so obtuse as
to ignore strong hints. Also, an angle greater than 90
degrees and less than 180. Latin obtusus (blunted).


abstruse (adj.)
: Difficult to understand; beyond average intelligence; as,
an abstruse scientific concept. Latin abstrudere (to thrust
away).


judicious (adj.)
: Wise; sensible; practical; as, judicious advice. Latin
judicium (judgment).


judicial (adj.)
: Unbiased; fair; as, a judicial decision. Primarily of
judges or a law court; as, the judicial system. Latin judex
(judge).


classical (adj.)
: Of Greek and Roman culture; as, a classical scholar.
Also, traditional, as classical architecture or music.
Latin classicus (superior).


classic (adj.)
: Of the highest quality; serving as a standard; as,
Melville's "Moby Dick" is a classic American novel. Latin
classicus.

Good thread idea

legerdemain (noun)
1. Skillful use of one's hands when performing tricks.
2. Deception; trickery.

parvenu (PAR-vuh-noo); (PAR-vuh-nyoo)
(noun)
: A person who has suddenly risen to a higher economic
status but has not gained social acceptance of others in
that class

Parvenu is from the French, from the past participle of
parvenir, from Latin pervenio, pervenire, to come through
to, to arrive at, to reach, hence to succeed, from per,
through + venire, to come.

In a NUTshell.


Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their
children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become
lesbians.
---Pat Robertson - speech at GOP Presidential Convention (1992)

Sic'im Kat!

 voluptuary   (vuh-LUP-choo-er-ee)  (noun)  
: One who makes his physical enjoyment his chief care; one  
addicted to luxury, and the gratification of sensual  
appetites  

SYNONYMS: * sensualist  
          * hedonist  
          * epicurean  
  
WORD WISE: Voluptuary comes from a Late Latin variant of  
Latin voluptarius, devoted to pleasure, from voluptas,  
pleasure.  

Quote:

Originally posted by katje

In a NUTshell.


Feminism encourages women to leave their husbands, kill their
children, practice witchcraft, destroy capitalism, and become
lesbians.
---Pat Robertson - speech at GOP Presidential Convention (1992)

Yay Feminism!!

Oh Please!

"A Smile is an inexpensive way to improve your looks."


Groucho Marx

Quote:

Originally posted by 911Porsche

Oh Please!

I'm kidding. lol

" A dream you dream alone is only a dream. A dream you dream together is reality."


John Lennon

Hearts will never be practical until they are made unbreakable.
--The Wizard of Oz

concatenation (kon-kat-uh-NAY-shuhn) (noun)

: A series of links united; a series or order of things
depending on each other, as if linked together

SYNONYMS: * chain
* succession
* series

WORD WISE: Concatenation is from Late Latin concatenatio,
from concatenare, "to chain together," from Latin con-, "with,
together" + catena, "a chain, a series."

A pleasant anecdote is told of Partridge, the celebrated almanac maker. In traveling on horseback into the country he stopped for his dinner at an inn, and afterward called for his horse that he might reach the next town, where he intended to sleep. "˜If you would take my advice, sir," said the ostler, as he was about to mount his horse, "you will stay where you are for the night, as you will surely be overtaken by a pelting rain." "Nonsense, nonsense," said the almanac maker, "˜there is sixpence for you, my honest fellow, and good afternoon to you." He proceeded on his journey, and sure enough he was well drenched in a heavy shower. Partridge was struck with the man's prediction, and being always intent on the interest of his almanac, he rode back on the instant, and was received by the ostler with a broad grin. "Well, sir, you see I was right after all." "Yes, my lad, you have been so, and here is a crown for you, but I give it you on condition that you tell me how you knew of this rain." "˜To be sure, sir," replied the man; "˜why the truth is we have an almanac in our house called Partridge's Almanac, and the fellow is such a notorious liar, that whenever he promises us a fine day we always know that it will be the direct contrary."

- The Golden Rule, and Odd-Fellows' Family Companion, Oct. 16, 1847

Ambassador Richard Washburn Child once dined with Calvin Coolidge at the White House.

After dinner, the president said he had something to show him. He led Child to one of the smaller rooms in the mansion, opened the door, and turned on the light.

“On the opposite wall hung a portrait of himself,” Child later recalled. “I thought it so very bad I could think of nothing to say.”

For a long moment the two men stood on the threshold. Then Coolidge snapped off the light and closed the door.

“So do I,” he said.

Quote:

Originally posted by EricLindros

A pleasant anecdote is told of Partridge, the celebrated almanac maker. In traveling on horseback into the country he stopped for his dinner at an inn, and afterward called for his horse that he might reach the next town, where he intended to sleep. �If you would take my advice, sir,� said the ostler, as he was about to mount his horse, �you will stay where you are for the night, as you will surely be overtaken by a pelting rain.� �Nonsense, nonsense,� said the almanac maker, �there is sixpence for you, my honest fellow, and good afternoon to you.� He proceeded on his journey, and sure enough he was well drenched in a heavy shower. Partridge was struck with the man�s prediction, and being always intent on the interest of his almanac, he rode back on the instant, and was received by the ostler with a broad grin. �Well, sir, you see I was right after all.� �Yes, my lad, you have been so, and here is a crown for you, but I give it you on condition that you tell me how you knew of this rain.� �To be sure, sir,� replied the man; �why the truth is we have an almanac in our house called Partridge�s Almanac, and the fellow is such a notorious liar, that whenever he promises us a fine day we always know that it will be the direct contrary.�

� The Golden Rule, and Odd-Fellows� Family Companion, Oct. 16, 1847

recondite
(rek' en dite) (adjective)

: Not easily understood; abstruse
: Concerned with or treating something abstruse or obscure
: Concealed; hidden

SYNONYMS: * ambiguous
* cryptic
* vague

WORD WISE: [17th century] Recondite "obscure, abstruse" means
etymologically "hidden." It comes from reconditus, the past
participle of Latin recondere "hide." This was a compound
verb formed from the prefix re- "again" and condere "put away,
store" (ultimate source of English condiment [15th century],
literally "stored" or "preserved" food).

In everyone's life, at some time,
our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an
encounter with another
human being.
We should all be thankful
for those people
who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

Quote:

Originally posted by webbie1

In everyone's life, at some time,
our inner fire goes out.
It is then burst into flame by an
encounter with another
human being.
We should all be thankful
for those people
who rekindle the inner spirit.
Albert Schweitzer

Albert was a wise man indeed... thanks for the share webbie

imbroglio (im-BROLE-yo) (noun)

: A complicated and embarrassing state of things; a serious
misunderstanding.

Imbroglio derives from Italian, from Old Italian imbrogliare,
to tangle, confuse, from in-, in + brogliare, to mix, to
stir. It is related to broil, a rowdy argument, and embroil,
to involve in argument.