festinate \FESS-tuh-nut\ adjective : hasty
Example sentence: "Even [the company's] successes . . . are vestiges of 1990s thinking. They may halt a festinate death, but you don't build a company around them." (Fritz Nelson, _Network Computing_, August 21, 2000)
Did you know? "Festinate" is one among many in the category of words whose first recorded use is in the works of Shakespeare ("Advise the Duke where you are going, to a most festinate preparation." -- _King Lear_, III.vii.10). Perhaps the Bard knew about "festinatus," the Latin predecessor of "festinate," or was familiar with the Latin proverb "festina lente" -- "make haste slowly." Shakespeare also gets credit for the adverb "festinately" (first seen in _Love's Labour's Lost_, III.i.6: "Bring him festinately hither."), but another writer beat him to the verb "festinate" (pronounced \FESS-tuh-nayt\), meaning "to hasten."
28 June 2006
27 June 2006
The Word of the Day
yegg \YEG\ noun : safecracker; also : robber
Example sentence: "[Her] attorney does admit that his client had developed 'platonic' relationships with two cons, a couple of yeggs named Ollie and Marvin, but only to gather information." (_Fort Collins Coloradoan_, December 6, 2002)
Did you know? "Safecracker" first appeared in print in English around 1825, but English speakers evidently felt that they needed a more colorful word for this rather colorful profession. No one is quite sure where "yegg" came from. It first appeared in the _New York Evening Post_ on June 23, 1903, in an article about "the prompt breaking up of the organized gangs of professional beggars and yeggs." By 1905, it had acquired the variant "yeggmen," which was printed in the _New York Times_ in reference to unsavory characters captured in the Bowery District. "Yegg" has always been, and continues to be, less common than "safecracker," but it still turns up once in a while.
Example sentence: "[Her] attorney does admit that his client had developed 'platonic' relationships with two cons, a couple of yeggs named Ollie and Marvin, but only to gather information." (_Fort Collins Coloradoan_, December 6, 2002)
Did you know? "Safecracker" first appeared in print in English around 1825, but English speakers evidently felt that they needed a more colorful word for this rather colorful profession. No one is quite sure where "yegg" came from. It first appeared in the _New York Evening Post_ on June 23, 1903, in an article about "the prompt breaking up of the organized gangs of professional beggars and yeggs." By 1905, it had acquired the variant "yeggmen," which was printed in the _New York Times_ in reference to unsavory characters captured in the Bowery District. "Yegg" has always been, and continues to be, less common than "safecracker," but it still turns up once in a while.
teleological \tel-ee-uh-LAH-jih-kul\ adjective : exhibiting or relating to design or purpose especially in nature
Example sentence: "What is the true purpose of life's voyage?" wrote John R. Illingworth in 1907, posing what he termed "the great teleological question."
Did you know? "Teleological" (which comes to us by way of New Latin from the Greek root "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose") and its close relative "teleology" both entered English in the 18th century, followed by "teleologist" in the 19th century. "Teleology" has the basic meaning "the study of ends or purposes." A teleologist attempts to understand the purpose of something by looking at its results. A teleological philosopher might argue that we should judge whether an act is good or bad by seeing if it produces a good or bad result, and a teleological explanation of evolutionary changes claims that all such changes occur for a definite purpose.
Example sentence: "What is the true purpose of life's voyage?" wrote John R. Illingworth in 1907, posing what he termed "the great teleological question."
Did you know? "Teleological" (which comes to us by way of New Latin from the Greek root "tele-, telos," meaning "end or purpose") and its close relative "teleology" both entered English in the 18th century, followed by "teleologist" in the 19th century. "Teleology" has the basic meaning "the study of ends or purposes." A teleologist attempts to understand the purpose of something by looking at its results. A teleological philosopher might argue that we should judge whether an act is good or bad by seeing if it produces a good or bad result, and a teleological explanation of evolutionary changes claims that all such changes occur for a definite purpose.
26 June 2006
The Word of the Day
ensky \in-SKYE\ verb : exalt
Example sentence: "Her first appearance in evening dress was a revelation to me; she was my idol, enskied and sacred." (Frank Harris, _My Life and Loves_)
Did you know? Someone who has been enskied has been raised, figuratively, as high as the sky. The "en-" prefix indicates putting something or someone into or on whatever the second part of the word indicates -- in this case, the sky. Lots of words have been formed this way; some of them are quite familiar ("enthrone," "entrap"), whereas others are as high-flown as "ensky." "Enisle," for example, means "to put someone on an island," or, figuratively, "to isolate someone." "Enwomb" means "to shut one up as if in a womb." The very first, and most famous, use of "ensky" occurs in Shakespeare's _Measure for Measure_, when Lucio tells Isabella, a novice in a convent, "I hold you as a thing enskied and sainted."
Example sentence: "Her first appearance in evening dress was a revelation to me; she was my idol, enskied and sacred." (Frank Harris, _My Life and Loves_)
Did you know? Someone who has been enskied has been raised, figuratively, as high as the sky. The "en-" prefix indicates putting something or someone into or on whatever the second part of the word indicates -- in this case, the sky. Lots of words have been formed this way; some of them are quite familiar ("enthrone," "entrap"), whereas others are as high-flown as "ensky." "Enisle," for example, means "to put someone on an island," or, figuratively, "to isolate someone." "Enwomb" means "to shut one up as if in a womb." The very first, and most famous, use of "ensky" occurs in Shakespeare's _Measure for Measure_, when Lucio tells Isabella, a novice in a convent, "I hold you as a thing enskied and sainted."
23 June 2006
AT&T rewrites rules: Your data isn't yours
David Lazarus
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
Wednesday, June 21, 2006
AT&T has issued an updated privacy policy that takes effect Friday. The changes are significant because they appear to give the telecom giant more latitude when it comes to sharing customers' personal data with government officials.
The new policy says that AT&T -- not customers -- owns customers' confidential info and can use it "to protect its legitimate business interests, safeguard others, or respond to legal process."
The policy also indicates that AT&T will track the viewing habits of customers of its new video service -- something that cable and satellite providers are prohibited from doing.
Moreover, AT&T (formerly known as SBC) is requiring customers to agree to its updated privacy policy as a condition for service -- a new move that legal experts say will reduce customers' recourse for any future data sharing with government authorities or others.
22 June 2006
21 June 2006
The Word of the Day
kinetic \kuh-NET-ik\ adjective
1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
*2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing
3 : of or relating to art (as sculpture or assemblage) having mechanical parts which can be set in motion : of or relating to kinetic art
Example sentence: The dancers infected the audience with their fierce kinetic energy.
Did you know? "Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinetikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinema," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinematographe."
"Cinematographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.
1 : of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith
*2 a : active, lively b : dynamic, energizing
3 : of or relating to art (as sculpture or assemblage) having mechanical parts which can be set in motion : of or relating to kinetic art
Example sentence: The dancers infected the audience with their fierce kinetic energy.
Did you know? "Kinetic" comes from the Greek word "kinetikos," meaning "of motion," which in turn traces to the verb "kinein," meaning "to move." Compared to some other English words that have their roots in Greek, "kinetic" is a relatively young English word; the earliest evidence we have of its use is from 1864. Although it deals with the motion of images rather than material bodies, the word "cinema" can also be traced back to "kinein." The verb "kinein" is the source of the Greek "kinema," meaning "movement," to which the French referred in the coining of their "cinematographe."
"Cinematographe" is the word that gave rise to the English word "cinematograph," of which "cinema" is simply a shortened form.
20 June 2006
The Word of the Day
palaver \puh-LAV-er\ noun
1 a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication b : conference, discussion
2 *a : idle talk b : misleading or beguiling speech
Example sentence: "Ask folks involved why they opted to make [the movie], and you're not going to get a lot of palaver about high art and noble intentions." (Joshua Rich, _Entertainment Weekly_, May 19, 2006)
Did you know? During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese "palavra," which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin "parabola," a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek "parabole," meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."
1 a : a long parley usually between persons of different cultures or levels of sophistication b : conference, discussion
2 *a : idle talk b : misleading or beguiling speech
Example sentence: "Ask folks involved why they opted to make [the movie], and you're not going to get a lot of palaver about high art and noble intentions." (Joshua Rich, _Entertainment Weekly_, May 19, 2006)
Did you know? During the 18th century, Portuguese and English sailors often met during trading trips along the West African coast. This contact prompted the English to borrow the Portuguese "palavra," which usually means "speech" or "word" but was used by Portuguese traders with the specific meaning "discussions with natives." The Portuguese word traces back to the Late Latin "parabola," a noun meaning "speech" or "parable," which in turn comes from the Greek "parabole," meaning "juxtaposition" or "comparison."
16 June 2006
Switching To The Mac: A Guide For Windows Users
Psst! Wanna switch to a Mac? Here's everything you need to know, including what hardware and software to get and how to navigate the new operating system. By John C. Welch Click title
15 June 2006
Gazpacho Recipe
Gazpacho soup was invented for the summer. Refreshingly cold on hot summer days, this adaptation of the classic Spanish soup deliciously combines the best of summer vegetables. Make sure you only use the freshest, highest quality ingredients for this soup.
6 ripe tomatoes, peeled and chopped
1 purple onion, finely chopped
1 cucumber, peeled, seeded, chopped
1 sweet red bell pepper (or green) seeded and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1-2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley
2 Tbsp chopped fresh chives
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
2 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 teaspoons sugar
Salt and fresh ground pepper to taste
6 or more drops of Tabasco sauce to taste
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
4 cups tomato juice
Combine all ingredients. Blend slightly, to desired consistency. Place in non-metal, non-reactive storage container, cover tightly and refrigerate overnight, allowing flavors to blend.
Serves 8.
Many thanks to Marjorie for passing on this recipe, adapted from her Delicious Decisions Junior League of San Diego cookbook.
14 June 2006
The Word of the Day
divarication \dye-vair-uh-KAY-shun\ noun
1 : the action, process, or fact of spreading apart
*2 : a divergence of opinion
Example sentence: A divarication arose over how to handle next year's themed party, with one faction arguing for a Hawaiian luau and another proposing a 1950s sock hop.
Did you know? There's no reason to prevaricate about the origins of "divarication" -- the word derives from the Medieval Latin "divaricatio," which in turn descends from the verb "divaricare," meaning "to spread apart." "Divaricare" itself is derived from the Latin "varicare," which means "to straddle" and is also an ancestor of "prevaricate" ("to deviate from the truth"). The oldest sense of "divarication," which first appeared in print in English in 1578, refers to a literal branching apart (as in "divarication of the roads"). The word eventually developed a more metaphorical second sense that is used when opinions "stretch apart" from one another.
1 : the action, process, or fact of spreading apart
*2 : a divergence of opinion
Example sentence: A divarication arose over how to handle next year's themed party, with one faction arguing for a Hawaiian luau and another proposing a 1950s sock hop.
Did you know? There's no reason to prevaricate about the origins of "divarication" -- the word derives from the Medieval Latin "divaricatio," which in turn descends from the verb "divaricare," meaning "to spread apart." "Divaricare" itself is derived from the Latin "varicare," which means "to straddle" and is also an ancestor of "prevaricate" ("to deviate from the truth"). The oldest sense of "divarication," which first appeared in print in English in 1578, refers to a literal branching apart (as in "divarication of the roads"). The word eventually developed a more metaphorical second sense that is used when opinions "stretch apart" from one another.
12 June 2006
The Word of the Day
revenant \REV-uh-nahng (the final "ng" is not pronounced, but the vowel is nasalized)\ noun : one that returns after death or a long absence
Example sentence: The play is about a family of revenants who come back to their ancestral home after years of political exile.
Did you know? Frightening or friendly, the classic revenant was a ghost -- a specter returned from the dead. Even in figurative uses, death played its hand. When Sir Walter Scott, in his 1828 novel _The Fair Maid of Perth_, used "revenant" in one of the earliest uses of the word in English, he was referring to a criminal who had survived the gallows, who "was cut down and given to his friends before life was extinct, and ... recovered." Eventually, though, we appended a more earthly meaning: a revenant can be a flesh-and-blood returnee when we use it simply to mean a person who shows up after a long absence. We borrowed "revenant" from the French, who created it from their verb "revenir," which means simply "to return," as does its Latin ancestor, "revenire."
Example sentence: The play is about a family of revenants who come back to their ancestral home after years of political exile.
Did you know? Frightening or friendly, the classic revenant was a ghost -- a specter returned from the dead. Even in figurative uses, death played its hand. When Sir Walter Scott, in his 1828 novel _The Fair Maid of Perth_, used "revenant" in one of the earliest uses of the word in English, he was referring to a criminal who had survived the gallows, who "was cut down and given to his friends before life was extinct, and ... recovered." Eventually, though, we appended a more earthly meaning: a revenant can be a flesh-and-blood returnee when we use it simply to mean a person who shows up after a long absence. We borrowed "revenant" from the French, who created it from their verb "revenir," which means simply "to return," as does its Latin ancestor, "revenire."
10 June 2006
Jack the cat proves his mettle by chasing black bear up tree
WEST MILFORD, N.J. (AP) -- A black bear picked the wrong New Jersey yard for a jaunt earlier this week, running into a territorial tabby who ran the furry beast up a tree -- twice. Click title
09 June 2006
Where gay marriage cases stand in state courts
By The Associated Press | June 9, 2006
Gay and lesbian couples have lawsuits in several states asserting they should be allowed to marry. Where the cases stand:
--Washington state: The state Supreme Court heard arguments in March 2005 in a case in which 19 couples seek to overturn the state's Defense of Marriage Act. It's unclear when the court might rule.
--New Jersey: The state Supreme Court heard arguments in a case Feb. 15; it's unclear when the court might rule.
--New York: The state Court of Appeals, New York's top state court, heard arguments in a case May 31; it's unclear when the court might rule.
--California: A state court last year ruled that barring same-sex marriage is against the state Constitution. An appeals court is to hear the case on July 10. The three-judge panel will have 90 days to rule. Any decision is expected to be appealed to the state Supreme Court.
--Maryland: A judge on Jan. 20 struck down a 1973 state ban on same-sex marriages. The state has appealed the ruling.
--Connecticut: A state judge heard arguments in a gay marriage case on March 20. An appeal is expected whatever the outcome.
--Iowa: A trial in a gay marriage lawsuit is scheduled before a state judge for Oct. 23.08 June 2006
The Word of the Day
mala fide \mal-uh-FYE-dee\ adverb or adjective : with or in bad faith
Example sentence: The judge concluded that the company had acted mala fide in concealing the information.
Did you know? You may be familiar with the more commonly used "bona fide" (\BOH-nuh-fyde\), which can mean "made in good faith" (as in "a bona fide agreement") or "genuine or real" ("a bona fide miracle"). Not surprisingly, in Latin "bona fide" means "in good faith" and "mala fide" means "in bad faith." These days "mala fide," which dates from the mid-16th century, tends to turn up primarily in legal contexts.
Example sentence: The judge concluded that the company had acted mala fide in concealing the information.
Did you know? You may be familiar with the more commonly used "bona fide" (\BOH-nuh-fyde\), which can mean "made in good faith" (as in "a bona fide agreement") or "genuine or real" ("a bona fide miracle"). Not surprisingly, in Latin "bona fide" means "in good faith" and "mala fide" means "in bad faith." These days "mala fide," which dates from the mid-16th century, tends to turn up primarily in legal contexts.
07 June 2006
Tivo
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06 June 2006
The Word of the Day
bedizen \bih-DYE-zen\ verb : to dress or adorn gaudily
Example sentence: "Adorned by minarets and spires and bedizened by more than a million lights, Coney Island embodied what has been called the 'architecture of exhilaration.'" (Blaine Harden, _New York Times_, August 28, 1999)
Did you know? "Bedizen" doesn't have the flashy history you might expect -- its roots lie in the rather quiet art of spinning thread. In times past, the spinning process began with the placement of fibers (such as flax) on an implement called a "distaff"; the fibers were then drawn out from the distaff and twisted into thread. "Bedizen" descends from the verb "disen," which meant "to dress a distaff with flax" and which came to English by way of Middle Dutch. The spelling of "disen" eventually became "dizen," and its meaning expanded to cover the "dressing up" of things other than distaffs. In the mid-17th century, English speakers began using "bedizen" with the same meaning.
Example sentence: "Adorned by minarets and spires and bedizened by more than a million lights, Coney Island embodied what has been called the 'architecture of exhilaration.'" (Blaine Harden, _New York Times_, August 28, 1999)
Did you know? "Bedizen" doesn't have the flashy history you might expect -- its roots lie in the rather quiet art of spinning thread. In times past, the spinning process began with the placement of fibers (such as flax) on an implement called a "distaff"; the fibers were then drawn out from the distaff and twisted into thread. "Bedizen" descends from the verb "disen," which meant "to dress a distaff with flax" and which came to English by way of Middle Dutch. The spelling of "disen" eventually became "dizen," and its meaning expanded to cover the "dressing up" of things other than distaffs. In the mid-17th century, English speakers began using "bedizen" with the same meaning.
04 June 2006
The Word of the Day
caesura \sih-ZYUR-uh\ noun
1 : a break in the flow of sound usually in the middle of a line of verse
*2 : break, interruption
3 : a pause marking a rhythmic point of division in a melody
Example sentence: "Without so much as the caesura of a drawn breath I was first shouting in joy, then screaming in shock." (E.L. Doctorow, _World's Fair_)
Did you know? Caesuras (or caesurae) are those slight pauses one makes as one reads verse. While it may seem that their most obvious role is to emphasize the metrical construction of the verse, more often we need these little stops (which may be, but are not necessarily, set off by punctuation) to introduce the cadence and phrasing of natural speech into the metrical scheme. The word "caesura," borrowed from Late Latin, is ultimately from Latin "caedere" meaning "to cut." Nearly as old as the 450-year-old poetry senses is the general meaning "a break or interruption."
I will be away from this blog for 1 week, returning Monday 12 June.
1 : a break in the flow of sound usually in the middle of a line of verse
*2 : break, interruption
3 : a pause marking a rhythmic point of division in a melody
Example sentence: "Without so much as the caesura of a drawn breath I was first shouting in joy, then screaming in shock." (E.L. Doctorow, _World's Fair_)
Did you know? Caesuras (or caesurae) are those slight pauses one makes as one reads verse. While it may seem that their most obvious role is to emphasize the metrical construction of the verse, more often we need these little stops (which may be, but are not necessarily, set off by punctuation) to introduce the cadence and phrasing of natural speech into the metrical scheme. The word "caesura," borrowed from Late Latin, is ultimately from Latin "caedere" meaning "to cut." Nearly as old as the 450-year-old poetry senses is the general meaning "a break or interruption."
I will be away from this blog for 1 week, returning Monday 12 June.
03 June 2006
The Word of the Day
sabot \sa-BOH\ noun
1 *a : a wooden shoe worn in various European countries b (1) : a strap across the instep in a shoe especially of the sandal type (2) : a shoe having a sabot strap
2 : a thrust-transmitting carrier that positions a missile in a gun barrel or launching tube and that prevents the escape of gas ahead of the missile
3 : a dealing box designed to hold several decks of playing cards
Example sentence: "All her kind, at least in the countryside, wore . . . sabots, well past the century's end." (Eugen Weber, France, _Fin de Siecle_)
Did you know? The term "sabot" may have first been introduced into English in a 1607 translation from French: "Wooden shoes," readers were informed, are "properly called sabots." The gun-related sense appeared in the mid-1800s with the invention of a wooden gizmo that kept gun shells from shifting in the gun barrel. Apparently, someone thought the device resembled a wooden shoe and named it "sabot" (with later generations of this device carrying on the name). Another kind of French sabot -- a metal "shoe" used to secure rails to railway ties -- is said to be the origin of the word "sabotage," from workers destroying the sabots during a French railway strike in the early 1900s. The word "sabot" is probably related to "savate," a Middle French word for an old shoe.
1 *a : a wooden shoe worn in various European countries b (1) : a strap across the instep in a shoe especially of the sandal type (2) : a shoe having a sabot strap
2 : a thrust-transmitting carrier that positions a missile in a gun barrel or launching tube and that prevents the escape of gas ahead of the missile
3 : a dealing box designed to hold several decks of playing cards
Example sentence: "All her kind, at least in the countryside, wore . . . sabots, well past the century's end." (Eugen Weber, France, _Fin de Siecle_)
Did you know? The term "sabot" may have first been introduced into English in a 1607 translation from French: "Wooden shoes," readers were informed, are "properly called sabots." The gun-related sense appeared in the mid-1800s with the invention of a wooden gizmo that kept gun shells from shifting in the gun barrel. Apparently, someone thought the device resembled a wooden shoe and named it "sabot" (with later generations of this device carrying on the name). Another kind of French sabot -- a metal "shoe" used to secure rails to railway ties -- is said to be the origin of the word "sabotage," from workers destroying the sabots during a French railway strike in the early 1900s. The word "sabot" is probably related to "savate," a Middle French word for an old shoe.
02 June 2006
The Word of the Day
foodie \FOO-dee\ noun : a person having an avid interest in the latest food fads
Example sentence: A serious foodie, Chloe reads cookbooks like novels and scours specialty shops in search of exotic ingredients.
Did you know? "Foodie" is a relatively recent addition to our language (dating from the early 1980s), but it derives from a much older word, "food," which has been with us for as long as there has been anything that could be called English. "Food" can be traced back through Middle English to the Old English form "foda," which is itself related to Old High German "fuotar," meaning "food" or "fodder," and Latin "panis," meaning "bread." "Panis" is the source for "empanada," a Spanish turnover with a sweet filling, "panatela," a type of cigar, "panettone," an Italian bread containing raisins and candied fruit, and "pantry," a room used for the storage of provisions.
Example sentence: A serious foodie, Chloe reads cookbooks like novels and scours specialty shops in search of exotic ingredients.
Did you know? "Foodie" is a relatively recent addition to our language (dating from the early 1980s), but it derives from a much older word, "food," which has been with us for as long as there has been anything that could be called English. "Food" can be traced back through Middle English to the Old English form "foda," which is itself related to Old High German "fuotar," meaning "food" or "fodder," and Latin "panis," meaning "bread." "Panis" is the source for "empanada," a Spanish turnover with a sweet filling, "panatela," a type of cigar, "panettone," an Italian bread containing raisins and candied fruit, and "pantry," a room used for the storage of provisions.
A 'Left Is Loose" Kind Of Tip
Both in your car and in your home, air-conditioning works best if all windows are closed.
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