Word of the Day: frieze

October 22, 2016

Word of the Day: frieze

frieze (noun) FREEZ

Definition

1 : the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice

2 : a sculptured or richly ornamented band (as on a building or piece of furniture)

3 : a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze

Examples

“The house commands a hilltop and is forbidding, imposing, but softened with a frieze of beautiful American elms.” — Lady Bird Johnson, A White House Diary, 1970

“But many of the iconic features of the old ballpark, such as the curved frieze atop the three-tiered grandstand, have been preserved.” — Kevin Baxter, The Los Angeles Times, 17 Aug. 2016

FRIEZE OF AMERICAN HISTORY — Source: www.aoc.gov/art/other-paintings-and-murals/frieze-american-history

Did You Know?

Today’s word is not the only frieze in English. The other frieze refers to a kind of heavy wool fabric. Both of the frieze homographs derive from French, but each entered that language through a different channel. The woolen homograph is from the Middle Dutch word vriese, which also refers to coarse wool. The frieze that we are featuring as our word today is from the Latin word frisium, meaning “embroidered cloth.” That word evolved from phrygium and Phrygia, the name of an ancient country of Asia Minor whose people excelled in metalwork, wood carving, and (unsurprisingly) embroidery. That embroidery lineage influenced the use of frieze for the middle division of an entablature, which commonly has a decorated surface resembling embroidered cloth.

Acanthus frieze 1st century A.D. Domus Aurae, Rome. — Source: orientalist-art.org

My Take

I must admit, the moment I saw the word, the geek in me went to the character Dr. Frieze from DC Comics and Batman. However, I knew that M-W wouldn’t take me in that direction. I was pleased to find out just what they meant.

I always wondered what you call those bands of sculpted or painted artwork banding a building. Now I know. Be it interior or exterior, friezes fascinate me. I was in Las Vegas two years ago, touring the Venetian and Caesars Palace to gape in wonder at the reproductions and representations of the originals. I love this stuff. I must admit. As I wandered the hallways and foyers of these hotels, I lagged behind my friends and family as I stood and stared at the works of art. Yes, in my opinion, though reproductions, they are works of art.

Yet, I can’t help wonder whether today’s comic strips could be considered friezes. Do they meet the definition of a frieze? Long painted panel scenes organized side by side. I wonder. What about you?

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: evanescent

October 22, 2016

Cloud Busting — Steve Richard Photography — Source: Steve Richard Photography

Word of the Day: evanescent

evanescent (adjective) ev-uh-NESS-unt

Definition

: tending to vanish like vapor

Synonymons

brief; disappearing; elusive; elusory; ephemeral; fading; fleeting; illusory; indefinable; insubstantial; intangible; momentary; passing; short-lived; temporary; tenuous; transitory; vanishing

Examples

“As stunning as his dishes could be, in the end, the maestro understood its evanescent nature. Furstenberg remembers Richard telling him, ‘It’s supposed to be food.'” — Tom Sietsema, The Washington Post, 15 Aug. 2016

“I think because we are young, issues we encounter with mental health are often excused as evanescent, and therefore not something to be taken seriously.” — Morgan Hughes, The Marquette Tribune (Marquette University), 6 Sept. 2016

Did You Know?

The fragile, airy quality of things evanescent reflects the etymology of the wordevanescent itself. It derives from a form of the Latin verb evanescere, which means “to evaporate” or “to vanish.” Given the similarity in spelling between the two words, you might expect evaporate to come from the same Latin root, but it actually grew out of another steamy Latin root, evaporare. Evanescere did give us vanish, however, by way of Anglo-French and Vulgar Latin.

My Take

Surprisingly, I like researching words of the day. Why? I find so many related interesting things. Today’s word, evanescent is a fabulous word, full of innuendos, subtleties, and possibilities. Today, I found a wonderful photographer by the name of Steve Richards. Is he a kindred soul perhaps? I don’t know, and I don’t care. I just love the pieces I found on the web and his site. Check him out.

Getting back to the word, meaning to tend to vanish like vapor. I like the wispiness of the word. To me, it seems that I can use in many, interesting ways. Not just with the images I found, but in other areas as well. Typically, the word can describe anything that seems to disappear as you watch. In actuality, it can be used to describe a receding sound, thought or idea, or feeling. Anything that involves the five senses can, in many circumstances, be described by the word evanescent. Just look at the list of synonyms I included. The possibilities are endless.

What other ways do you think one can use it? I challenge you to try it out. I will. I hope you will too.

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Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: hoick

October 21, 2016

Work of the Day: hoick

Hoick: (verb) HOIK

Definition

: to move or pull abruptly : yank

Synonyms

buck, hitch, jerk, jolt, twitch, yank, hike

Examples

“to move or cause to move with a sharp quick motion” <hoicked up his pants and hastily waded into the water>

“Occasionally he hoicks up the waistband of his trousers when he thinks no one is looking.” — Elizabeth Day, The Observer, 24 Feb. 2015

“The flutist … looks forward, unfolding a retinue of futuristic techniques—sounds that purr like a cat, pop like a cork or hoick like a spitball—on the way to a final improvisation….” — David Allen, The New York Times, 29 Mar. 2016

Did You Know?

Etymologists suspect that hoick is an alteration of the verb hike, which is itself akin to hitch. According to the evidence, hike entered the language during the first decade of the 19th century, whereas hoick appeared near that century’s close. The word hoick can be used for any type of abrupt pulling movement but is commonly used for the sudden pulling back on the joystick of an airplane; a rough, jerky movement when rowing; and a jerky, elevated shot in cricket. In fox hunting, the word hoicks is used to call attention to a hound that has picked up the scent and to bring the pack together.

Hiking up her dress — Source: webphoto.co

My Take

Hoick is an interesting word. To yank, to pull up, to hike up, to pull abruptly are just some of the synonyms for the word. I like it.

Especially when applied to pulling up trousers, hiking up one’s dress or adjusting one’s bra. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen a woman absent-mindedly pull up on her bra straps because her breasts were pulling hard on the cups, forcing the bra-strap to ride her her back. I’ve never commented when it happens, yet I’m strangely drawn to watching her do it. It is over in a blink of an eye, but I smile inside never-the-less. I do the same to adjust the boys when they get jammed between my legs. It’s uncomfortable if not painful. So, I understand ladies. I do.

lilly-w-hoick — Source: investinyourchest.co.uk

In researching this word, I did not know that it is also the proper name for many people as well as a band and it’s heavily used in the game of cricket.

When I think about it, it is a word I can use in my books. Already, several scenarios are evolving in my mind in thinking about the Mona Bendarova Stories. In book two ‘Broken Steele,’ I might have utilized it when Jewel competed in her first dance competition. Of course, I published that book last year, so I can’t. However, dance competitions are common in these stories, so look for it in future stories. By the way, spoiler alert, Jewel ties for first place.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: colubrine

October 21, 2016

Word of the Day: colubrine

colubrine (adjective) KAHL-yuh-bryne

Definition

1 : of, relating to, or resembling a snake

2 : of or relating to a large cosmopolitan family (Colubridae) of chiefly nonvenomous snakes

Examples

The trellis’s latticework was covered with colubrine ivy.

“Most of the colubrine snakes are entirely harmless, and are the common snakes that we meet everywhere.” — Theodore Roosevelt, Through the Brazilian Wilderness, 1914

Did You Know?

Colubrine may be less common than other animal words—such as canine, feline, and bovine—but it has been around for a good long while. Ultimately derived from the Latin colubra(“snake”), it slithered into the English language in the 16th century. (Cobra, by the way, comes from the same Latin word, but it entered English through Portuguese.) Some other words for “snakelike” are serpentine (a more common alternative) and ophidian (from the Greek word for snake: ophis).

My Take

What’s sexier than a naked girl? Answer, a naked girl holding a snake. Admit it, people, we love seeing a girl, naked or not, draping a snake over their shoulders, displaying them as necklaces, or simply wrapping the snake around their bodies and between their legs. Is it because they could be considered a phallic symbol, poking their noses in all sorts of places?

Throughout the ages, there are many painted or written scenes depicting women and snakes. Is there a correlation? I won’t speculate on that. I value my relationship with my girlfriend and my balls way too much.

I do know I am turned on by the thought of a girl with a snake. In searching for an appropriate image for this topic, I found hundreds of portraits, depicting snake/girls of all ages, from babies to young children, to young women, mature women, to elderly women. All presented as half human and half snake.

There are the written works as well, too numerous to do justice to them all. One that does stand out in my mind is ‘Kiss the Girls’ by James Patterson. Cut from the movie version; the book includes a scene comprising the tormenting of a girl with a snake. Check out Chapter 54. Titillating in print but horrific in reality.

Perhaps I’ll write my own scene in a book involving a girl and a snake. It can’t be in the Mona Bendarova Adventures though. Why? There are no snakes on the planet, anywhere. If you’re curious as to why, read the books. Free chapters are available on my site.

Many people despise snakes. I’m not sure why? Very few are dangerous to man. I see them as beneficial to our environment. Their primary food sources are rodents. You know, rats, mice, moles, and a host of other smaller mammals. Without snakes keeping their numbers in check, we would be overrun with rodents, invading our homes and ravaging our crops.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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une nouvelle jacquerie fiscale à l’horizon

Word of the Day: jacquerie

October 20, 2016

Word of the Day: jacquerie

jacquerie (noun) zhah-kuh-REE

Definition

: (often capitalized Jacquerie) a peasants’ revolt

Examples

“There were no bloodthirsty sansculottes preparing to erect guillotines; nor were farmers, however angry about government excise taxes and other matters—as Shays’s Rebellion suggested—ready to burn down the manorial estates of their feudal overlords in some version of an American jacquerie.” — Steve Fraser, Wall Street: America’s Dream Palace, 2008

“The thicker the masonry, the more likely the fortress would withstand the anticipated Jacquerie.” — Michael Knox Beran, National Review, 7 Sept. 2009

Did You Know?

The first jacquerie was an insurrection of peasants against the nobility in northeastern France in 1358, so-named from the nobles’ habit of referring contemptuously to any peasant as “Jacques,” or “Jacques Bonhomme” (in French bonhomme means “fellow”). It took some time—150 years—for the name of the first jacquerie to become a generalized term for other revolts. The term is also occasionally used to refer to the peasant class, as when Madame Defarge in Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities tells her husband to “consider the faces of all the world that we know, consider the rage and discontent to which the Jacquerie addresses itself with more and more of certainty every hour.”

My Take

As I reflected upon what to write regarding the word Jacquerie, I struggled to apply the term to the world I live in today. Yes, I know. Jacquerie usually refers to the French peasant’s revolution in 1358, and a subsequent one in England a few years later. Amid the Hundred Years War, the Black Plague, and serf oppression by landholders, unrest and worry ran rampant as nobles waged their battles, using ordinary people as pawns in their games. Eventually, they revolted.

I can’t help wonder if we in America, not to mention around the world, aren’t gearing up for our own revolution. The population of our country had our differences, problems, and issues to work out. What I see in the 21st century is unbelievable. The partisan lines are growing apart every day. America was never supposed to have a class system, yet our founding fathers must be spinning in their graves watching one develop unimpeded, stampeding out of control, worsening every day.

Are we heading for a new jacquerie? Science fiction writers of the past have touched upon this subject many times. I have believed since high school it would eventually happen, though I always thought it would happen centuries from now. I’m not so sure now. It could even happen within the next couple of decades.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: ab initio

October 19, 2016

Word of the Day: ab initio

ab initio (adverb) ab-ih-NISH-ee-oh

Definition

: from the beginning

Examples

“Like many of contemporary architecture’s most celebrated figures, [Zaha] Hadid is often presented as an artist who conceives her buildings entirely ab initio.” — Ellis Woodman, The Daily Telegraph (London), 3 Sept. 2012

“Two months ago, the Supreme Court ruled that Federal Court judges are not eligible to represent Quebec on its bench. Justice Nadon’s nomination was therefore void ab initio.” — André Pratte, The Globe and Mail (Canada), 29 May 2014

Did You Know?

We’ll tell you right from the beginning where ab initio comes from. This adverb was adopted at the beginning of the 17th century directly from Latin, where it translates as “from the beginning.” (Initio is a form of the noun initium, meaning “beginning,” which gave rise to such English words as initial, initiate, andinitiative.) Ab initio most frequently appears in legal contexts, but it is not surprising to find it used outside of the courtroom. The phrase is also used as an adjective meaning “starting from or based on first principles” (as in “predicted from ab initio calculations”).

My Take

Why am I surprised? Well, first off, I think of myself as a well-rounded individual. I don’t pretend to know it all, but I feel I know a bit and comprehend more. Well, maybe I am no so well-rounded as I thought.

First off, I never knew a single word in the English language could include a space in the middle of the word. Ab Initio has such a space. It is considered a single word though to me; it is two words. It can’t be of course, as the first two letters of the word do not include a vowel, an essential component in the English language.

However, I do understand the concept. When I first reflected on the word, I recognized its Latin roots. I then figured that it most likely is used in either the medical or legal vernacular. I’m not sure whether it can be used in everyday conversation.

When I researched the word, I stumbled upon a website devoted to the concept, ‘from the beginning to infinity’ or ‘ab initio ad infinitum.’ The site hasn’t been updated in over four years now, but I found it an interesting read. More importantly, through it, I found another artist who intrigues me, A. Andrew Gonzalez. I plan on adding him to my list of artists to study.

What do you think about the word? Can the average person use it in everyday conversation? Certainly, if you want to read my Mona Bendarova books, you need to read them ab initio. Hmmm, an interesting word, don’t you think?

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Lavation

October 16, 2016

Word of the Day: Lavation

Lavation (noun) lay-VAY-shun

Definition

: the act or an instance of washing or cleansing

Examples

“… we cannot keep the skin healthy without frequent lavations of the whole body in pure water. It is impossible to calculate the benefits of this simple practice.” — Walt Whitman, “Bathing, Cleanliness, Personal Beauty,” June 1846

“In Maycomb County, it was easy to tell when someone bathed regularly, as opposed to yearly lavations….” — Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, 1960

Did You Know?

It sounds logical that you would perform a lavation in a lavatory, doesn’t it? And it is logical: both words come from Latin lavare, meaning, appropriately, “to wash.” English picked up a few other words from this root as well. In medicine, the therapeutic washing out of an organ is lavage. There is also lavabo (in Latin, literally, “I shall wash”), which in English can refer to a ceremony at Mass in which the celebrant washes his hands, to the basin used in this religious ceremony, or to other kinds of basins. Even the word lavish, via a Middle French word for a downpour of rain, comes to us from lavare.

My Take

Wow, another new word for me, one that I don’t think I have ever come across before. I must admit, when I first saw it, I did a double take. While the letters L‑A‑V‑A‑T‑I‑O‑N were on the screen, my mind processed L‑A‑C‑A‑T‑I‑O‑N or lactation. Instantly, transported to my favorite human body part, it took a moment before I realized the error. I guess it’s time I do a through lavation of my dirty mind– or not. 😛

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Waggish, displaying good humored mischief

Word of the Day: Waggish

October 15, 2016

Word of the Day: Waggish

Waggish (adjective) WAG-ish

Definition

1 : resembling or characteristic of a wag : displaying good-humored mischief

2 : done or made for sport : humorous

Examples

“A warm person who enjoys banter with often-waggish reporters, [Elizabeth] Brenner joked that her next move would be to take a newspaper-carrier route in Pewaukee. ‘No, that’s not what I’m going to do,’ she quickly added. ‘Can’t get up that early.'” — Rick Romell, The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, 17 May 2016

“The waggish reaction to Guaranteed Rate’s name and arrow logo is like the feedback Energy Solutions received when its name replaced that of Delta Air Lines on the Utah Jazz’s arena a decade ago. Energy Solutions’ business—disposing of low-level nuclear waste in the Utah desert—led to people calling the arena the Dump, the Isotope and Radium Stadium.” — Richard Sandomir, The New York Times, 25 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

One who is waggish acts like a wag. What, then, is a wag? Etymologists think wagprobably came from waghalter, a word that was once used for a gallows bird (that is, a person who was going to be, or deserved to be, hanged). Waghalter was apparently shortened to wag and used jokingly or affectionately for mischievous pranksters or youths. Hence a wag is a joker, and waggery is merriment or practical joking. Waggish can describe the prank itself as well as the prankster type; the class clown might be said to have a “waggish disposition” or be prone to “waggish antics.”

My Take

About the only thing that comes to mind regarding this word is a cat my family had when I was a youngster. The cat’s name was ‘Mischief’ and it was certainly a waggish creature. I remember once when it bought a snake into the house and presented it to my mother as a gift. Mom, of course, did not see it that way. But she was cool. She looked down at the cat and then looked over at our dog and said, “Lady, take care of that.”

Lady, a beautiful border collie, did take care of it. First, she went over and picked up the snake and took it outside. Upon her return, she found Mischief and proceeded to beat the shit out of her, reinforcing the rule, “Never, ever, do that again.” Mischief never did.

I still smile to this day when I think about the incident.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Nemesis

October 15, 2016

Word of the Day: Nemesis

Nemesis (noun) NEM-uh-sis

Definition

1 a : one that inflicts retribution or vengeance

b : a formidable and usually victorious rival or opponent

2 a : an act or effect of retribution

b : a source of harm or ruin : curse

Examples

“My nemesis was a young woman who, at the end of the film, had the honour of sending me to my doom at the bottom of a well. Her name meant nothing to me then: Jennifer Aniston.” — Warwick Davis, Dailymail.com, 10 Apr. 2010

“The leaves were pale … and, upon closer inspection, the stems had small nibble marks on them. I immediately suspected slugs since they’ve been my nemesis in the past so I sprang into action.” — Susan Mulvihill, The Spokesman Review(Spokane, Washington), 21 Aug. 2016

Did You Know?

Nemesis was the Greek goddess of vengeance, a deity who doled out rewards for noble acts and punishment for evil ones. The Greeks believed that Nemesis didn’t always punish an offender immediately but might wait generations to avenge a crime. In English, nemesis originally referred to someone who brought a just retribution, but nowadays people are more likely to see animosity than justice in the actions of a nemesis.

My Take

When I first noticed M-W word of the day, being a Trekker, I immediately thought of the movie Star Trek Nemesis. How could I not? Star Trek has been a significant influence in my life. I’ve seen every episode as first run episodes. I’ve seen every movie and read many of the books written by fans alike. I even just got a chance to view the original model used in the original series currently on display at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C. BTW, she’s beautiful.

However, this post is not about my love for Star Trek. It’s about the word Nemesis. In searching for an appropriate image for the word, I was not surprised at the volume of images related to the term. It seems everyone likes to associate their works with the word.

Juan Medina – Hiperrealismo Surrealista — Source: www.enkil.org

As an artist as well as a writer, I found a stunning collection of artworks by painter Juan Medina. What I saw, I loved, and now, I have a new mission to study his works and learn as much as I can about them. If you like art, I mean real art, painted with oil paints on canvas, I suggest you check them out.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

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Word of the Day: Univocal

October 13, 2016

Word of the Day: Univocal

Univocal (adjective) yoo-NIV-uh-kul

Definition

1 : having one meaning only
2 : unambiguous

Examples

The president declared that it was important to send a univocal message of support to the beleaguered country.

“Often cited as America’s greatest indigenous art form, jazz wriggles away from any univocal definition, resisting the confines of a single track like water flowing on broken ground.” — Charles Donelan, The Santa Barbara (California) Independent, 23 Sept. 2010

Synonyms

absolute, apparent, categorical, clear-cut, decisive, explicit, indisputable, obvious, straight-forward, unambiguous, undeniable, unmistakable

Did You Know?

Earliest known print evidence of univocal, in the sense of “having one meaning only,” dates the word to the mid-1500s, somewhat earlier than its more familiar antonym equivocal (meaning “often misleadingly subject to two or more interpretations”). Both words trace back to the Latin noun vox, which means “voice.” The prefix uni– (“one”) was combined with vox to create the Late Latin word univocus, from which English speakers borrowed univocal. Univocal was indeed once used in the sense of “speaking in one voice” (or “unanimous”) as its etymology would imply, but that use is now obsolete.

My Take

Sometimes, for me to understand a word, I need to know the synonyms for the word. Univocal is one of those words. Sure, the definition presented by Merriam-Webster was clear enough. However, it only lightly touched on my understanding the word.

So, I did what I normally do in my writing. I went to the thesaurus and found several dozen synonyms. I share the most pertinent ones with you but, honestly, there are others I might use in differing situations.

In my everyday use of the meanings, I often use the word absolute (the software engineer in me lives and breathes that term), decisive (the businessman), explicit (the writer), obvious (the everyday guy), and the list goes on and on.

When I went looking for an appropriate image to represent the word, I found hundreds of examples. Most of them were uninteresting and ambiguous. I found a couple that I could not use in this article, and the rest, well let’s just say, they don’t fit into my beliefs of the world. So, I chose one that I liked, but if I could have found a better example, I would have.

Please share your comments. I’m sure we would all enjoy reading them.

Word of the Day: frieze

Definition

Examples

Did You Know?

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Word of the Day: evanescent

Definition

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Examples

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Work of the Day: hoick

Definition

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Examples

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Word of the Day: colubrine

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: jacquerie

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: ab­ initio

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Lavation

Definition

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Word of the Day: Waggish

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Nemesis

Definition

Examples

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Word of the Day: Univocal

Definition

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Word of the Day: ab initio