There’s such a thing as too much. That’s right, too much of a good thing is often too much. If you love ice cream, eating a cone every so often is a savory treat that coats your tongue with exploding flavors as its cooling succulence slips down your throat. Even eating it once a day,…
Word of the Day: qui vive qui vive (noun) kee-VEEV Definition : alert, lookout — used in the phrase on the qui vive Examples “All right. Lieutenant Howard, go see how the artillery wagons are managing, and on the way tell Major Mason that I need him again. Stay on the qui vive; you may…
Word of the Day: bamboozle Bamboozle (verb) bam-BOO-zul Definition 1 : to deceive by underhanded methods : dupe, hoodwink 2 : to confuse, frustrate, or throw off thoroughly or completely Examples “Some consumers are so bamboozled by slick sales talk that they pay extra for amazingly bad deals. Just one example, a $49.99, four-year service…
Word of the Day: salient Salient (adjective) SAIL-yunt Definition 1 : moving by leaps or springs : jumping 2 : jetting upward 3 : standing out conspicuously : prominent; especially : of notable significance Examples The speech was filled with so much twisted rhetoric that it was hard to identify any salient points. “Among the…
Word of the Day: ziggurat Ziggurat (noun) ZIG-uh-rat Definition : an ancient Mesopotamian temple tower consisting of a lofty pyramidal structure built in successive stages with outside staircases and a shrine at the top; also : a structure or object of similar form Examples “The building itself is certainly distinctive: The bronze-meshed ziggurat moves upwards toward…
Word of the Day: muckrake Muckrake (verb) MUCK-rayk Definition : to search out and publicly expose real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business Examples Arn is an aggressive reporter, never afraid to ask difficult questions, hound evasive sources, or muckrake when things appear suspect. “From his groundbreaking days of editing the iconic liberal…
Word of the Day: vulpine Vulpine (adjective) VUL-pine Definition 1 : of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2 : foxy, crafty Examples “There is something Gatsby-esque about the whole story. [Bernie] Madoff is a clear proxy for Meyer Wolfsheim, the vulpine, self-satisfied criminal seducer.” — Daniel Gross, Newsweek, 12 Jan. 2009 “Flashing a vulpine grin,…
Word of the Day: wane Wane (verb) WAYN Definition 1 : to decrease in size, extent, or degree 2 : to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence Synonyms abate; atrophy; decrease; die down; die out; dim; dwindle; ebb; fade; peter out; shrink; slacken; subside; taper off; weaken; wither Antonyms brighten; develop; enhance; enlarge; expand;…
Word of the Day: thaumaturgy Thaumaturgy (noun) THAW-muh-ter-jee Definition : the performance of miracles; specifically : magic Examples “The place is still a favourite pilgrimage, but there seems to be some doubt as to which Saint John has chosen it as the scene of his posthumous thaumaturgy; for, according to a local guide-book, it is equally…
Word of the Day: soporific Soporific (adjective) sah-puh-RIFF-ik Definition 1 a : causing or tending to cause sleep b : tending to dull awareness or alertness 2 : of, relating to, or marked by sleepiness or lethargy Examples The soporific effects of the stuffy classroom and the lecturer’s droning voice left more than one student…
