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Year Ends
Amuse-bouche: Freezer burn Old news Jumbo shrimp Living sacrifice Butthead –Miscellaneous oxymorons Today’s Wonderful Word: “aleatory.” Definition: relating to or denoting music or other forms of art involving elements of random choice (sometimes using statistical or computer techniques) during their composition, production, or performance. Etymology: Aleatory evolved to mean “of uncertain outcome, depending on a…
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Cas(s)ino
Today’s quote: Il faut pas chanter juste, il faut juste chanter. Casino (or “Cassino”) is a two- to four-player card game. I’ve never played the four-person version. It’s a go-to option when there are only two of you. There’s a particularly fun 21-point variation that I’ll share with you today. Game Setup Gameplay Scoring I…
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Two Puzzling
Amuse-bouche: “They wanted to check with Dr. Robert before sending.” “Who’s that?” “Don’t act stupid, you’ve known Dr. Robert for years.” “Right, but who’s Cindy?” Today’s Wonderful Word: “iiwi.” Definition: a Hawaiian bird with a red body, black wings, and a pinkish-red curved bill “Alright! Another one down.” I clicked the edge piece into its…
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Irony(?)
Amuse-bouche: Un jeu de mots : Comment ca va ? Commence, Ava. Today’s Wonderful Word: “halcyon.” Definition: characterized by happiness, great success, and prosperity; calm or peaceful. Another meaning: a bird identified with the kingfisher and held in ancient legend. Example: Ancient sailors believed the halcyon would calm the seas, bringing peace to their journeys across tumultuous waters. Irony…
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Corpse Flower
Today’s expression: “ne pas casser trois pattes à un canard.” Literal translation: not to break three legs on a duck. Signification : ne rien avoir d’extraordinaire ; être banal ; n’avoir rien de remarquable ; ne pas casser des briques ; ne pas casser des meubles ; ne pas casser les vitres ; être très…
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Author rebellion
Amuse-bouche: Despite spanning five geographical time zones, China follows a single standard time across the country. So, if you were to cross into Afghanistan from Western China through the Wakhjir Pass, you’d be going 3.5 hours back in time in a matter of seconds. It’s the sharpest time change of any international frontier. – Morning…
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un deux trois cat
Today’s quote: “Silence is the sleep that nourishes wisdom.” – Francis Bacon They’re everywhere. And they’re smarter than us. This is Vaïana. She’s amazing. She knows a few tricks. During one particular training session, she was working on “stand,” where the goal was for her to stand on her hind legs. I performed the “stand”…
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Horripilation
Amuse-bouche: My daily step-count average according to my phone (which I don’t always have on me when I walk) for 2023 was 3,333. For 2024, my daily average was 6,666 steps. Today’s Wonderful Word: “horripilation.” Definition: a bristling of the hair on the skin from cold or fear. Alternate definition: goosebumps. Example: The chilling horror…
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fANTastic (Part 2)
Today’s quote: “Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.” – E. O. Wilson How many ants are there? More than anyone could count. More than everyone could count if we all counted together as fast as we could for all our lives. There was an article in the Washington Post…
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Exhibiposition
Amuse-bouche: I’m stressed because I can’t pick my fingernails because they’re all too short because I pick them when I’m stressed. Today’s Wonderful Word: ” boondocks.” Definition: a remote rural area. Variation: “(the) boonies” Etymology: “Boondocks” was first adopted into English during the U.S. military occupation of the Philippines in the early 1900s, from the…
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CYM
Today’s quote: Colors, like features, follow the changes of the emotions. – Pablo Picasso This article changed my life. https://science.howstuffworks.com/primary-colors.htm What is the true set of primary colors? It’s not red, yellow, and blue, like you’ve been taught. Well, it is, actually. It’s not red, green, and blue, like how the TVs operate, except it…
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Trust me, I know what I’m talking about.
Amuse-bouche: “I’ve lost all hope in humanity.” “Why’s that? What happened?” “The sign. I leave for a long weekend and it gets covered in ink.” “What sign?” “The one that says, ‘Please DO NOT test pens.’ I don’t see it anymore. It used to be right here.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “ultracrepidarianism.” Meaning: The habit or…
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Art Amateur
Today’s quote: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn’t quit.”– Richard Bach Amateur Art I enjoyed high school art class. I loved experimenting with new media and styles. Some of my favorite approaches involved pointillism and geometric figures. M.C. Escher was an inspiration. In courses throughout all four years of high school, I learned…
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Mal-à-Fours
Amuse-bouche: “I’m exhausted. I was up late last night.” “Pumping the midnight iron?” “Yes. Something like that.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “malaphor.” Definition: Malaphors, also called “idiom blends” are mixtures of two or more aphorisms, idioms, or clichés. Etymology: The first recorded use was when writer Lawrence Harrison combined “malapropism” and “metaphor” into “malaphor” in a Washington…
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4 Levels of Communication
Today’s quote: “To effectively communicate, we must realize that we are all different in the way we perceive the world and use this understanding as a guide to our communication with others.”– Tony Robbins, author, speaker, coach Let’s talk about communication. There are countless ways to communicate with someone. You can communicate in person or…
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Equipoise
Amuse-bouche: What did one coffin say to the other coffin? “Was that you coughin’?” Today’s Wonderful Word: “equipoise.” Meaning: a situation in which things are perfectly balanced. Example of “equipoise between”: There is in the artist’s landscapes a delicate equipoise between the natural and the man-made. Example of “in equipoise”: If the evidence for and…
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Denim Sandwiches
Today’s expression: To wrap one’s head around something. Meaning: To understand something complicated Origin: While the expression wrap one’s head around something seems to have appeared in the 1970s and may be primarily an American phrase, the term get one’s head around something first appeared in a British boys’ magazine in the 1920s. Example: I tried to…
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25 Bird Photos
Amuse-bouche: I see someone holding a pair of sunglasses in the hand which blocks the sun from their eyes. “Look at that guy over there.” “Hold on, it’s too bright. Okay, I see him, but I don’t get it. What am I supposed to be looking for?” The same thing you’re doing. “Nevermind.” Today’s Wonderful…
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the old barn
Today’s expression: “Those who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Meaning: People who are morally questionable shouldn’t criticize others. (Origin) Inhaling is like swallowing a mouthful of water through my nose. It’s another scorcher. Flakes of dead and dying grass ride heat waves up from the ground where my shoes set them free, up…
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Summertime Freshness
Amuse-bouche: Shield from sun, song, and scent. Today’s Wonderful Word: “lemonade.” Definition: a drink made from lemon juice and water, sweetened with sugar. Etymology: 1650s, nativized from French limonade, from Italian limonata or else a French formation from limon. The earlier English spelling was lemonado (c. 1640) with a false Spanish ending. It’s a hot day in the south of France. You sit…
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Critters
Today’s quote: When in doubt, don’t. – Ben Franklin You can’t spell astonishing without ant. Today is a day to talk about the most numerous of all crawling critters on this planet. The information presented today comes from National Geographic and can be explored in more detail by clicking this link. Ten facts about ants…
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Muted(,) Pleas(e)
Amuse-bouche: On était censé changer les choses. Depuis quand les choses nous ont changés ? – Orelsan Today’s Wonderful Word: “gainsay.” Definition: to deny, dispute, or contradict Etymology: First recorded between 1250–1300, from the Middle English word gainsaien, literally “say against.” Example: It’s hard to gainsay the fact that technology has drastically changed our lives. Answer to Saturday’s…
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Pong
Today’s quote: Table Tennis is like an atom. To the ignorant it is merely microscopic and insignificant in existence, but to the dedicated, it is intricate in design and the building block to everything we know. – Matt Hetherington I got a lot of ping back from the last one, so here goes another one.…
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Ping
Amuse-bouche: Art is saying what needs to be said. Today’s Wonderful Word: “parsimonious.” Definition: frugal to the point of stinginess. Example: A society that is parsimonious in its personal charity (in terms of both time and money) will require more government welfare. —William J. Bennett, The Death of Outrage, 1998 Don’t be parsimonious in your ping ponging. Be lavish yet…
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Birdfy Review
Today’s quote: “With the birds I share this lonely view.” – Red Hot Chili Peppers, Scar Tissue Hey, Mr. Painted Bunting, you got a little something there. No, on the other side. There. And another at the top of your nose. Not quite. A little lower. No, still there. Don’t worry about it. It’ll fall…
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Your Home
Amuse-bouche: (Leaving a restaurant due to no open tables): “No one eats here anymore because it’s too crowded.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “zeitgeber.” Definition: an environmental cue, as the length of daylight or the degree of temperature, that helps to regulate the cycles of an organism’s biological clock. Etymology: Zeitgeber comes from German, in which it…
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International Day of Yoga
Today’s quote: “Victory and defeat are a part of life, which are to be viewed with equanimity.” – Atal Bihari Vajpayee In respect of International Yoga Day, I’ve created a yoga flow. Out of a fondness for volleyball, I’ve embedded a focus on some of the movements of the sport into the flow. For all…
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L’esprit de l’escalier
Amuse-bouche: The day is (h)ours. Today’s Wonderful Word: “assiduous.” Definition: showing hard work, care, and attention to detail, constant in application or effort, working diligently at a task. Example: An assiduous reader and cook can learn countless lessons by reading through the family cookbook. “You know when ______ said ______? I should have responded ______ ___ ______ __ ________ _ _________. If only…
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Mastery of 5 skills in 10 years
Today’s quote: “If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn’t seem so wonderful at all.” – Michelangelo Here’s something I did one day I was bored. I hopped on Excel (because what else is there to do when bored?) and made a productivity tracker. A schedule or planner that, when…
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Words with all five vaoiweuls
Amuse-bouche: It’s not that difficult to tell alligators and crocodiles apart. One will see you in a while whereas the other one will see you later. Today’s Wonderful Word: “capullo.” “Capullo” is a Spanish word that literally means “cocoon.” “Capullo” is used in slang to mean that someone is an idiot or a fool. I’ve…
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Ginormous
Today’s expression: Easy does it! Meaning: Slow down! (And be careful.) “Easy does it” is used to tell someone to go ahead with something with slowly, and carefully. Read more about the meaning and origin here. The Giant Sequoia, originating in California, has an average lifespan of 3,000 years and can grow up to 94.8 m…
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Amusing Amalgamation
Amuse-bouche: “Bye! Have a great day. And stay out of the kitchen! Leave the peach cobbler alone!” I couldn’t help myself. I sneaked into the kitchen and watched him. Watched him make his stupid little peach shoes. “Nobody’s going to wear those,” I said under my breath. “They’re stupid.” But on he worked. Today’s Wonderful…
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Voyage au Texas
Today’s quote: What did Batman say to Robin before they got in the Batmobile? Get in the Batmobile. Food and fun in a few Texas cities Dallas Food Attractions Fort Worth Food Attractions Houston Attractions San Antonio Food Attractions Austin Food Attractions Waco Food Attractions Miscellaneous restaurant chains Brain teaser: Arrange the numbers from 1…
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Something about music
Amuse-bouche: A flight of stairs takes you to a landing. “Flight” and “landing,” like a plane. Today’s Wonderful Word: “incunabula.” Definition: the earliest stages or first traces of anything. Etymology: Incunabula was first recorded in 1815. It comes from Latin and means variously “the straps holding a baby in a cradle,” “earliest home,” or “birthplace.”…
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Camping
Today’s expression: “to hit the sack.” Meaning: to go to bed; to go to sleep. Alternative: “to hit the hay.” Origin: It’s assumed that both “hit the sack” and “hit the hay” came from the fact that beds used to be made of cloth stuffed with hay. Some have also suggested that people used to hit…
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Garden path sentences
Amuse-bouche: Today’s Wonderful Word: “tergiversation.” Definition: The act of abandoning something or someone, of changing sides; desertion. Alternate definition: The act of evading any clear course of action or speech, of being deliberately ambiguous; equivocation. Etymology: The verb “tergiversate” was recorded in English around the mid-17th century, but the noun form was in use a…
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Augur
Today’s quote: « Les cathédrales sont bellesEt hautes sous le ciel bleu;Mais le nid des hirondellesEst l’édifice de Dieu. » – Victor Hugo, Les Contemplations Augur Q&A What does it mean to be an augur? Being an augur means you observe and interpret natural signs, particularly the behavior of birds. How do modern-day augurs differ…
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Comparative illusion
Amuse-bouche: More people have been to Berlin than I have. Today’s Wonderful Word: “illusion.” Definition: an instance of a wrong or misinterpreted perception of a sensory experience. Etymology: From Old French illusion “a mocking, deceit, deception” (12c.), from Latin illusionem (nominative illusio) “a mocking, jesting, jeering; irony,” from past-participle stem of illudere “mock at,” literally “to play with.” Example: Stripes embellish the surface to create the…
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Rabbit trail
Today’s expression: « poser un lapin » Signification : faire attendre quelqu’un en n’allant pas au rendez-vous fixé ; ne pas honorer une rencontre prévue ; se défausser d’un rendez-vous ; ne pas venir au rendez-vous fixé à quelqu’un Traduction : to stand someone up Exemple : « Tu sais, hier soir, j’avais rendez-vous avec cette fille que…
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How to build a reading habit in 30 days
Today’s expression: « l’habit ne fait pas le moine » Signification : les apparences peuvent être trompeuses ; il faut s’abstenir de ne juger les gens qu’à leur apparence Exemple : « Certains pensaient que le nouveau professeur serait sévère à cause de son apparence stricte, mais l’habit ne fait pas le moine : il s’est avéré…
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La fête du citron
Amuse-bouche: French people are so hardcore they eat PAIN for breakfast. Life is pain. Eat pain for breakfast. Pain is the bread of life. Today’s Wonderful Word: “refulgent.” Definition: shining brightly; radiant; gleaming. Etymology: First recorded in the early 1500s, “refulgent” comes from a Latin word meaning “to radiate light.” The prefix means “again” while…
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Flock together
Today’s expression: “Birds of a feather flock together.” Meaning: People who are alike often become friends and stay friends. Origin: The idea of “like seeks like” dates from ancient Greek times, and “Birds dwell with their kind” was quoted in the apocryphal book of Ecclesiasticus. The full saying in English was first recorded in 1545. Today, it’s…
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E-Readers
Amuse-bouche: At a Costume Party Host: What are you? Me: A harp. Host: Your costume’s too small to be a harp. Me: Are you calling me a lyre? Today’s Wonderful Word: “concatenation.” Definition: a series of interconnected or interdependent things or events. Etymology: First appearance between 1595 and 1605, from Latin. Original meaning was to…
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Read more, worry less.
Today’s quote: “Sometimes the smallest things take up the most room in your heart.” – Winnie the Pooh The only worries related to reading are the “what”s and “how”s. What to read and how to read it. First for the “what.” There are too many good reads out there. The trouble can be in finding…
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Notes, body, flavor, aroma, fragrance, brightness
Amuse-bouche: Someone asked Duolingo, “Are there any words that all languages have in common?” Researchers at the language app looked into it and identified two words that sound remarkably similar across all languages. Can you identify those two words? ANSWERS: coffee and chocolate. (Source) Today’s Wonderful Word: “terroir.” Definition: Terroir refers to how the origin…
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It’s like riding a bike.
Today’s expression: “It’s like riding a bike.” Meaning: Said of a skill that, once acquired, can never be lost. Origin: It’s rumored that the expression began before the invention of bikes. It was used with a reference to swimming, but with the same meaning. Examples: “I’m worried to pick up driving again. It’s been six…
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Bare with me
Amuse-bouche: “Naked” and “baked” are pronounced differently. Today’s Wonderful Word: “peregrinate.” Definition: travel around, through, or over, especially on foot People who peregrinate are constantly on the move, traveling from one location to another. You might peregrinate from Italy to Spain to France during your European backpacking trip. Bare with the hairy bears baking naked, making baked hares. Bare…
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Liar Bird
Today’s quote: “Wise sayings often fall on barren ground, but a kind word is never thrown away.” – Arthur Helps Never miss a chance to say or do something kind for someone. Kindness takes trillions of different shapes. You could say there are countless kinds of kindnesses. Anyone and everyone can create their own version…
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New Year
Amuse-bouche: Whole piece. An oxymoron. Today’s Wonderful Word: “panacea.” Definition: an answer or solution for all problems or difficulties. Etymology: “Panacea” comes from a Greek word meaning “all-healing. Example: The new software claims to be a panacea for productivity issues, but its effectiveness remains to be seen. Happy New Year I didn’t get a haircut…
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Bikes of New York (Part 9)
Today’s quote: “We send thanks to all the Animal life in the world. They have many things to teach us as people. We are glad they are still here, and we hope it will always be so.” Excerpt from the Thanksgiving Address, Mohawk version. Happy New Year! Thanks again to everyone who is reading this.…
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Bikes of New York (Part 8)
Amuse-bouche: Heavy light. An oxymoron. Today’s Wonderful Word: “chiaroscuro.” Definition: the distribution of light and shade in a picture. Etymology: “Chiaroscuro” was first recorded in English between 1680 and 1690. It comes from Italian and is composed of chiaro, meaning “bright,” and oscuro, meaning “dark.” From chiaro comes the English word “clear,” “free from darkness; light,” and from oscuro comes “obscure,” “not…
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Bikes of New York (Part 7)
Today’s quote: “If you dwell upon any distraction, Your feet, they are bound to lose traction.” Merry Christmas, ya filthy animals. Enjoy a nice Jolabokaflod this year. Brain teaser: Below are the names of five countries with alternating letters missing. What are the five countries?
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Bikes of New York (Part 6)
Amuse-bouche: Roommate, doing laundry: “I decided just to put in my clothes, so I didn’t throw those other towels in there like I said I would.” Me: “Who’s Mike Lowe?” Today’s Wonderful Word: “Jolabokaflod.” Definition: an Icelandic tradition in which books are given as Christmas presents and opened on December 24, after which the evening…
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Bikes of New York (Part 5)
Today’s quote: “A pondered mistake is regret. A corrected mistake is experience. A pondered corrected mistake is wisdom.” Brain teaser: Today’s brain teaser is all about the sound “zh” and the many English letters that can represent it. For example, the “g” in “beige,” the “s” in “measure,” and the “z” in “seizure.” There is…
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Bikes of New York (Part 4)
Amuse-bouche: “Have you heard of Wadaisei’s Law?” “No, what’s that?” “What I say is law.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “circumlocution.” Definition: a roundabout or indirect way of speaking. Etymology: “Circumlocution” was first recorded in English between 1375 and 1425. It comes from the Latin word circumlocūtiō, “the act of speaking around; periphrasis.”Circum– is a prefix with…
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Bikes of New York (Part 3)
Today’s quote: “Si vis pacem, para bellum.” If you want peace, prepare for war. The phrase “Si vis pacem, para bellum” is adapted from a statement found in Roman author Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus’s tract Dē Rē Mīlitārī, in which the actual phrasing is “Igitur quī dēsīderat pācem, præparet bellum” (“Therefore let him who desires…
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Bikes of New York (Part 2)
Amuse-bouche: Stream of consciousness. About to lose my mind your own business ventures often fail after 10 years ago I fell into a well being tends to be a low priority for teenagers. Today’s Wonderful Word: “cognoscente.” Definition: a connoisseur or someone in the know. Alternative definition of “cognoscenti,” the plural form: people who are…
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Bikes of New York (Part 1)
Today’s quote: “All beings tremble before violence. All fear death. All love life. See yourself in others. Then whom can you hurt? What harm can you do?” – Siddhartha Gautama, The Dhammapada Welcome to December. The year’s almost over. How’s it been? Any millions of responses are valid, each one in their own right. Because millions…
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Nickelodeon
Amuse-bouche: Ugly as sin. Meaning: extremely ugly. Today’s Wonderful Word: “nickelodeon.” Definition: an early movie theater to which admission usually cost five cents. Etymology: From 1888, as the name of a theater in Boston. By 1909 as “a motion picture theater,” from nickel “five-cent coin” (the cost to view one) + –odeon, as in Melodeon (1840) “music hall,” ultimately from…
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Surreal
Today’s expression: La letra con sangre entra. This piece is surreal. The artist: Francesca Woodman. The title: Untitled The location: Rome The date: sometime in 1977 or 1978 Such a clever title. This photo makes me want to rock climb. She’s suspended, weightless, supported by her fingers with help from her forearms. The chair is in…
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Rigmarole
Amuse-bouche: Always random. An oxymoron(?) Today’s Wonderful Word: “rigmarole.” Definition: something (such as a procedure or an explanation) that is long, complicated, and tedious. Alternative definition: confused or meaningless talk. Etymology: In the Middle Ages, the term Rageman or Ragman referred to a game in which a player randomly selected a string attached to a roll of verses and read…
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Vacation (Part 2)
Today’s quote: Chaque homme a sa passion qui le mord au fond du cœur, comme chaque fruit son ver. – Alexandre Dumas, Le comte de Monte-Cristo More pictures. Don’t forget to do the Stingray Shuffle. Moving Water Rock Water Rock coming up for Air Look at its little Nose. Ha! Brain teaser: You can go from…
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Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia
Amuse-bouche: Thief: “The best entry is through the glass door.” *throws a brick and shatters the entire left side of the two-pane sliding glass door* Thief, trying the handle of the right half of the sliding glass door: “Aw, rats! It’s locked.” *steps inside through the open door frame on the left side to unlock…
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Vacation (Part 1)
Today’s quote: “Artists use lies to tell the truth while politicians use them to cover the truth up.” – Evey Hammond, V for Vendetta 11/11. Make a wish. I wish I were in Captiva. Pictures are worth thousands of words. Green life Special moss Big lizard Blue sky Flying things What are you lookin’ at?…
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Remember, remember the 5th of November
Amuse-bouche: “I’ll just tie this string on my finger so I don’t forget!” *two hours later* “What is this pesky string doing on my finger?” Today’s Wonderful Words: “lazy” and “lackadaisical.” Synonyms that start with the same letter. Remember, remember the 5th of November. November 5th is known in the UK as Guy Fawkes Night. It’s to…
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The Crack of Dawn
Today’s expression: “Bright and early.” Meaning: very early; the earliest part of the morning. This expression makes no sense. If it’s truly the earliest part of the day you’re talking about, the sun won’t be in the sky. We should rewrite the expression. It should be “dark and early.” Or, at the very least, “bright…
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Halloween
Amuse-bouche: I’m bored, so I’m gonna go chug some water and then keep sipping a little bit here and there until I can sit on the toilet and keep a constant stream of pee flowing. Today’s Wonderful Word: “skullduggery.” Definition: mean dishonesty or trickery. Alternative definition: “Skullduggery” can also refer to an instance of dishonest…
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Some art
Today’s quote: “Are you really sure that a floor can’t also be a ceiling?” – M. C. Escher Here’s one of my favorite paintings: Le petit bras de la seine à Argenteuil The balance and framing of the river makes me tilt my head one way and then the other. My eyes roam from the…
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Bibliomaniac
Amuse-bouche: I get so stressed when my desk is cluttered. I’m grateful for modern science and all the ways to relieve stress, like with fidget spinners and stress balls, for example. However, I will say that I’m starting to get overwhelmed with all the stress balls and fidget spinners covering my desk. Today’s Wonderful Word:…
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Synesthesia
Today’s expression: “to be swamped.” Meaning: Extremely busy, to the point of being overwhelmed, overburdened, or overworked. Example: “I work 10 hours a day and then attend classes and do homework for 8 hours a day. I’m totally swamped.” Example: “We’ve been absolutely swamped ever since the famous actor mentioned our company in one of his…
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Don’t take this for granite.
Amuse-bouche: This is goofpaste. For goofs. Today’s Wonderful Word: “abscond.” Definition: to depart in a sudden and secret manner. Etymology: The first records of the word “abscond” come from around the 1600s. Abscond comes from the Latin verb abscondere, meaning “to hide or stow away.” The word typically implies that someone has left because they have done…
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Tessellate
Today’s expression: “We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it.” Meaning: Let’s not talk about that problem right now. We may or may not see the problem come into reality in the future, so we will only address it if it does. Alternative: Let’s cross that bridge when we get there. Tessellation: A tessellation…
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Giant Squid
Amuse-bouche: “Giant squid” in Irish directly translates to “big mother of suck.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “Hobson-Jobson.” Definition: the alteration of a word or phrase borrowed from another language to accord more closely with the phonological and lexical patterns of the borrowing language. Etymology: Hobson-Jobson comes from the Arabic lament ḥasan ḥusayn. British soldiers stationed in…
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Wall Ball (Part 6)
Today’s expression: “You can’t have your cake and eat it too.” Meaning: You can’t have everything. Don’t be greedy. Example: “I’m so upset that I didn’t get a Ferrari for my birthday. All I got was a Lamborghini. And I’m not even 16 yet, so I can’t drive.” “You can’t have your cake and eat…
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Heteronyms
Amuse-bouche: I started a war, saw a pole, and it was all in Warsaw, Poland. Today’s Wonderful Word: “knickknack.” Definition: a small, worthless object, usually used as decoration. Alternate spelling: “knick-knack.” Etymology: a reduplication of “knack,” meaning “an ingenious device, toy, trinket” (1530s); from a specialized sense of “knack” which means “stratagem, trick” (1570s). Perhaps…
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Wall Ball (Part 5)
Today’s expression: “It ain’t over till the fat lady sings.” Meaning: This isn’t over yet. There is still time to complete a task before it is due or before it is too late. Origin: Opera. It’s been a wonderful month of Wall Ball, hasn’t it? As we approach the end of our 6-part journey in…
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-ough-
Amuse-bouche: Every morning for the past nine months, I announce loudly to my family that I’m going for a jog, and then I don’t. It’s my longest running joke of this year. Today’s Wonderful Word: “cheapskate.” Definition: a miserly or stingy person, especially one who tries to avoid paying a fair share of costs or…
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Wall Ball (Part 4)
Today’s expression: “Don’t put all your eggs in one basket.” Meaning: What you’re doing is too risky. I hope you all are enjoying Wall Ball Month. Today, we’re going to talk about the object of the game and introduce some more rules of gameplay. Get ready! The object of the game: As a Wall Ball…
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False French Friends
Amuse-bouche: I just spent $100 on a belt that doesn’t fit. Huge waist. Today’s Wonderful Words: “false friends.” Definition: a word or expression that has a similar form to one in a person’s native language, but a different meaning. Example: In English, we have the word “magazine.” In French, there is the word “magasin,” which…
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Wall Ball (Part 3)
Today’s expression: “Do something at the drop of a hat.” Meaning: To do something without having planned beforehand. It’s now the end of the second full week of WB Month. Let’s take a look at the basics of how to play. But first, if you missed the introduction and the information you need to know…
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Learn your Alfa Bravo Charlies
Amuse-bouche: “It’s not the best time to go because it’s Easter weekend.” “Yeah, it’ll be Paque’d.” Today’s Wonderful Word: “quiddity.” Definition: the essential nature of a thing. Etymology: “Quiddity” is from the Latin word quidditās meaning “essence” or “whatness.” Quintessence or quintessential refer to the perfect embodiment of something and also derive from the same Latin root, quid,…
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Wall Ball (Part 2)
Today’s expression: “the straw that broke the camel’s back.” Meaning: describes the minor or routine action that causes an unpredictably large and sudden reaction, because of the cumulative effect of small actions. Origin: the proverb “it is the last straw that breaks the camel’s back.” In continuation of our celebration of Intl. Wall Ball Month,…
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The phonetic alphabet
Amuse-bouche: A centurion walks into a bar, holds up 2 fingers, and the bartender brings him 5 beers. Today’s Wonderful Word: “ferdutzt.” Definition: confused; bewildered. Etymology: “Ferdutzt” is from Pennsylvania Dutch, and originates with the German verdutzt, meaning “bewildered, nonplussed.” “Ferdutzt” was first recorded in English in the early 1980s. Example: The mechanic was ferdutzt and surprised…
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Wall Ball (Part 1)
Today’s expression: “That’s the last straw.” Meaning: My patience has run out. Alternative: “the final straw.” Explanation: The last one in a line of unacceptable occurrences causes a seemingly sudden and strong reaction. The final problem, setback, or source of irritation in a series that causes one to finally lose patience or for something to…
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Does he honestly expect
Amuse-bouche: Why is “liqueur” pronounced liquor and “liquor” pronounced liqueur? Today’s Wonderful Word: “animalcule.” Definition: a minute or microscopic animal, nearly or quite invisible to the naked eye. Etymology: “Animalcule” was first recorded in English in the 1590s. It comes from New Latin animalculum, meaning “small animal.” The animal– element literally means “airy” or “breathy” in Latin. Writing from December 4,…
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Cistercian numerals
Today’s expression: “Call it a day.” Meaning: to decide to stop working on something Example: “I’m exhausted. Let’s call it a day.” You’ve heard of Roman numerals, and you may have heard of Arabic numerals, but have you heard of Cistercian numerals? (Every time I’ve typed “numeral” so far, including this time, I accidentally started…
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The Clay and the Potter
Amuse-bouche: Everything’s fiction in one way or another. Today’s Wonderful Word: “formication.” Definition: the sensation of ants or insects crawling on or under the skin. Califormication by the Red Hot Fire Ants Writing from May 5th, 2020 Dust. And breath. In a brown chair which he crafted, at a metal table which he forged, sat a…
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fANTastic
Today’s expression: to get some sun. Meaning: to spend time in the sunlight; to get sunburned Example: “Your back looks red. Did you get some sun at the beach?” Start counting now. Spend several lifetimes counting. Spend 10,000 years counting as fast as you can, and you still won’t make it to 1% of the total…
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The dog days
Amuse-bouche: Sorry for missing the time-management workshop. I lost track of time. Today’s Wonderful Word: “canicule.” Alternative definition: the hot period between early July and early September. It’s the hottest summer ever, probably. The dog days are the hottest days of the year. It seems like we’re having more and more “hottest” days every year.…
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Gelato me crazy
Today’s expression: “Break a leg.” Meaning: Good luck. Use: A phrase of encouragement typically said to one who is about to perform before an audience, especially a theater actor. Origin: This expression is thought to be used due to the superstition that wishing one “good luck” will result in the opposite, but the exact origin…
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Have you ever wondered why…?
Amuse-bouche: When I order at the bakery in France, I never know if I should say “un” or “une” baguette. So, my friend told me an easy solution. It’s more expensive, but it works. Order “deux baguettes.” Today’s Wonderful Words: “comb, womb, bomb.” These words have identical endings yet different pronunciations. Have you ever wondered…
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The Phalanx Theory
Today’s expression: “It’s not rocket science.” Meaning: It’s simple; it’s not complicated; it’s easy to understand. “It’s not rocket science” can also be used sarcastically in the event that information actually is quite difficult to understand, or that a task is difficult to execute. Example: “Basketball is a simple game. All you do is put…
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Have you ever wondered how…?
Amuse-bouche: In New York, pressed the brakes. Stopped my car between the lines, call that Central Park. Today’s Wonderful Word: “oneiromancy.” Definition: divination through dreams. Etymology: Oneiromancy is based on Ancient Greek óneiros, “dream,” and manteía, “divination.” Óneiros is of uncertain origin, with relatives in Albanian and Armenian but in no other languages. Manteía comes…
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Le Tour de France (Part 8)
Today’s quote: Your situation doesn’t have to change at all in order for your perspective to change entirely. Vocabulaire Le peloton : groupe de coureurs. Coureur : nom donné aux cyclistes. Maillot jaune : porté par le coureur occupant la première place d’un classement aux étapes précédentes. Il est jaune parce que L’Auto a été imprimé sur papier…
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Le Tour de France (Part 7)
Amuse-bouche: Why can’t bikes stand on their own? Because they’re two-tired. Today’s Wonderful Word: “reboant.” Definition: resounding or reverberating loudly. Etymology: Reboant comes from Latin re-, “back, again,” and boāre, “to cry aloud.” Boāre is either related to or derived from Ancient Greek boân, of the same meaning, and these words may be of onomatopoeic…
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Le Tour de France (Part 6)
Today’s quote: “I write to discover what I think. After all, the bars aren’t open that early.” – Daniel J. Boorstin En outre, Pierre Sansot compare la Grande Boucle avec une procession catholique, une liturgie nationale. « L’étape constituait tout autant une route parcourue qu’une pause. Le Tour se composait d’étapes tout comme le chemin de…
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Le Tour de France (Part 5)
Amuse-bouche: My friend keeps saying “Cheer up mate, it could be worse, you could be stuck underground in a hole full of water!” I know he means well. Today’s Wonderful Word: “afterwards.” “Afterwards” uses only letters on the left side of the QWERTY keyboard. Malgré le danger qu’ils présentent, le Tourmalet, le mont Ventoux, l’Alpe…
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Le Tour de France (Part 4)
Today’s quote: “The rule about aquariums is you can’t wear blue because the animals will mistake you for water.” – Me Il n’y a pas beaucoup de « règles » dans le Tour de France. Dans les premières années du Tour, « les départs se font souvent la nuit (entre 23 heures et 5 heures du matin) pour…
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