Word of the Day: Banausic

Banausic | adjective | buh-NAW-sik

Definition

: relating to or concerned with earning a living — used pejoratively; also : utilitarian,practical

Examples

“At the far end was a wooden board on which were hung saws, chisels, knives and other banausic instruments of the trade.” — Sebastian Faulk, Human Traces, 2005

“That story is followed by a brilliant allegory of reality TV and the cult of personality, Rumours About Me, in which a simple company man sees his banausic daily life … broadcast by the media until he is transformed into ‘a nobody who was known by everybody.'” — Christine Thomas, The Miami Herald, 2 Nov. 2008

Did You Know?

The ancient Greeks held intellectual pursuits in the highest esteem, and they considered ideal a leisurely life of contemplation. A large population of slaves enabled many Greek citizens to adopt that preferred lifestyle. Those who had others to do the heavy lifting for them tended to regard professional labor with contempt. Their prejudice against the need to toil to earn a living is reflected in the Greek adjective banausikos (the root of banausic), which not only means “of an artisan” (from the word for “artisan,” banausos) but “nonintellectual” as well.

My Take

Hey, here is a word I know I have never used or known. What I like about it, is it the perfect word to describe what I am trying to do with my writings. I strive to earn a living from my stories, written down, and shared with you.

Hundreds of stories stream through my head daily, some adaptations of previous streams but most are raw, new and different. Hmm, my streams are quiet right now, due to my injury several months back. I am hopeful they will return soon. At least that is what Doc tells me, despite my reservations. How do you think I came up with ‘The Taste of Honey’? It was one of those streams that kept repeating itself over the years.

Hopefully, my stories will be the banausic means to independent living. (Did I use it right? If not, please let me know.) Now, the challenge is to remember this word and use it. With my short-term memory issues, that will be a challenge. Thankfully, I have this post to refer to again and again.

This is Richard Verry, sharing with you just another insight into my world.

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