vilify - VIL-ih-FIE, VIL-ih-fih-KAY-shun - speak or write about in an unpleasant manner, put down, castigate

Example: "The Week magazine attempted an analysis of Sarah Palin's amazing rise in popularity with the publishing of her book, despite harsh vilification by the general press."

foment - FOH-MENT - stir up, incite, instigate, arouse, egg on

Example: "On NPR's morning news it was announced that a partisan plan has begun, to foment blame on the present administration for what the President called a 'systemic failure' in airline security."

censorious - sen-SOAR-ih-US - severely critical

Example: "Sexual liberation has reached the military; in her censorious portrayal of sexual accosts while serving in Iraq, Capt. Margaret H. White declared her biggest threat came from her fellow soldiers."

laud - LAHD - praise, esp. in a public context

Example: "Both the administration & the press have lauded the passengers on the Christmas flight from Amsterdam to Detroit for overcoming the Nigerian who planned to blow up the plane, and subsequently, prevent a terrorist attack."

rime (sometimes "rime ice") - RIME - a kind of icy frost that coats things, usually due to humid air or moisture freezing when temperature drops

Example: "The local weather forecast in Lower Michigan predicts that the recent drizzle will result tomorrow in a coating of rime ice if temperatures drop to the freezing point."

grandiloquent - grand-ILL-oh-KWENT - pompous or extravagant in language, style or manner, especially to impress

Example: "An ethnic cook on a local talk show raved grandiloquently about the curative powers of her chicken soup, particularly with regard to colds or the flu."

dormant - DORE-MANT - in a deep sleep or, as with animals, falling into a period with functions slowed down

Example: "After 30 years of slowdown, the dormant nuclear industry seems to be swinging back, with 104 plants now running and sharply raising their output, and with more expected to be completed soon."

simulacrum - SIM-you-LA-krum - an image or representation of someone or something

Example: "It's not well known, but in a remote area in Indiana the Army and the Indiana National Guard have turned an abandoned ramshackle complex into a simulacrum of a war-torn Afghan city, with a courthouse, a jail and a graffiti-smeared marketplace - where our troops practice before heading for the real thing."


(Just checked: also can be pronounced sim-YOU-lai-krum)

concierge - kohn-see-AIRJ - someone hired by a hotel or apartment building to help guests or residents

Example:  "According to an article in the NY Times, experts predict smartphone applications as personal concierges - handling everything from reservations to reimbursements."

outré - ooh-TRAY - unusual, startling, far out, bizarre

Example: "As all the critics agree, 'Avatar' has a hackneyed plot, but the special effects are, to put it mildly, outré to the extreme!"

avatar - av-ah-TAR - the god-like embodiment of someone who personifies. or is the manifestation of, an idea or concept

Example: "Buddhists believe that Buddha was an avatar - an Indian philosopher who renounced his life as a prince in order to develop & teach."

zealous - zell-uss - having or showing great zeal (ardent devotion)

Example: "Facing beefed-up security on the border that now includes miles of new fencing, floodlights, drones, motion sensors and cameras - Mexican smugglers have stepped up their efforts to corrupt even the most zealous border police."

ebullient - eh-BYOO-lee-ENT - cheerful, full of eager energy

Example: "Former Black Sabbath frontman, after repeated tries, finally passed his driving test; the ebullient man exclaimed, 'I'm legal now, so watch out!'"

sacrilege - SAK-rih-LEJ - a violation or misuse of what is regarded as sacred

Example: "An article in the NY Times revealed a custom unique to weddings in Pittsburgh - having a special table heaped with a variety of home-made cookies: "Not to bake cookies for the ceremony is considered a sacrilege by its citizens.'"

intractable - in-TRAK-tah-BULL - hard to control or deal with, excessively stubborn

Example: Aluf Benn, an Israeli columnist, wrote that the normally intractable Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was seriously interested in making concessions to the Palestinians and coming to agreement on a two-state solution to decades of controversy."

comity - KOM-it-ee - considerate behavior toward others; comity of nations is an association of nations for mutual benefit

Example: "It is a comity of nations that have assembled in Copenhagen to discuss global changes."

capacious - cah-PAY-shus - roomy, having a lot of space inside

Example: "Digital camera owners are asked to note that a camera won't be of much use without a capacious memory card to store photos or videos on."

imbroglio - im-BRO-lee-oh - an extremely confused, complicated or embarrassing situation

Example: "The Tiger Woods imbroglio might finally leave the front pages, now that he has confessed, apologized & promised to make reparation for his philanderings."

invictus - in-VIK-tus - Latin for "unconquered"

Example: "Invictus is the title of a poem by William Ernest Henley, which Nelson Mandela read & was inspired by, while in a South African prison."

egotist - ee-goh-tist - the practice of talking & thinking of oneself excessively due to an overblown image of self-importance

Example: "Ambrose Bierce once said, 'An egotist is a person of low taste - more interested in himself than me.'"

bourgeois - boor-SZHWA - of the middle class, boring, conventional, materialistic, "square"

Example: "With three new biographies of Andy Warhol renewing interest in the 50s artist , critic David Wallace-Wells belittled him for his Campbell's tomato soup cans and elaborate multiple reproductions of movie stars, calling him 'a pop artist out to out-bourgeois the bourgeois.'"

fait accompli - feht-ak-kom-PLEE - a done deed, a thing that has already happened

Example: "Delegates to the Copenhagen discussion on global waming have come to an early agreement that serious global changes have become a serious fait accompli."

epiphany - ee-PIF-uh-NEE - insight, realization, manifestation

Example: "The Week magazine recently quoted 18th century German philosopher Immanuel Kant, who in a sudden epiphany wrote: 'Science is organization of knowledge; wisdom is organization of life.'"

endemic - en-DEM-ik - the innate tendency to behave in a particular way

Example: "All China's barriers to higher consumption are endemic - their focus on one thing: making stuff."

dystopia - dis-TOW-pyah - an imaginary place where everything is as bad as could be - opposite of "utopia," where everything is as good as could be

Example: "Whether true or not, we tend automatically to consider any Muslim-dominated country, like Iran or Afghanistan, to be a dystopia of dictatorial horrors."

irascible - ee-RASS-sible - "hot-tempered, easily angered

"A New York Times article reported that the president's speech (indicating his troops for Afghanistan decision) was responded to negatively & immediately in typical knee-jerk reaction from the irascible Fox news outlets."

insouciance - in-SOO-see-AHNS - casual lack of concern, indifference

Example: "A federal district court ruled that the Army Corps of Engineers' failure to properly maintain a navigational channel to the devastated flood during Hurricane Katrina - leading to billions of dollars in litigation against the federal government - as myopia, insouciance & shortsightedness."

rife - bursting, overflowing, teeming, rampant

Example: "The town of Ontonagon came first in its race for money to build a children's playground; the people there are rife with excitement over it. Note the following comment: "I am so glad something good is happening for Ontonagen. I voted faithfully! Hooray for all the yoopers who helped make this happen. It shows what wonderful people they are - whether they live in the U.P. still, or not."

preemptive - pree-EMP-tive - done before somebody else can act, seizing the initiative

Example: "In his most recent speech, President Obama declared that he would take preemptive action in Afghanistan."

moratorium - MORE-uh-TOR-yum - suspension of activity, temporary prohibition of activity

Example: "Tiger Woods is attempting to place a moratorium on police activity regarding his well publicized car accident, which, he claims, took place on his own property and thus is of family, not police, issue."

predation - pree-DAY-shun - the relationship of one animal species to another when one hunts, kills & eats the other

Example: "According to a publication from the DNR, congregating birds makes them more susceptible to predation, to everything from raptors to house cats."

plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose - ploo-sah-shahnj, ploo say lah mem shoze - the more things change, the more they remain the same

Example: "Reviewing Disney's 'The Princess & the Frog,' Allison Samuels commented on the new & daring racial theme; then, regarding the animation, wrote 'Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose.'"

curmudgeon - ker-MUD-jen - a stubborn & ill-tempered person, a surly person

Example: "A curmudgeon who happens to be a lawyer in Washington recently snarled, 'The economy is so bad Exxon just laid off 25 Congressmen.'"

pillory - pill-oh-ree - to ridicule or castigate (reprimand severely) someone publicly

Example: "Despite a distinguished record as a US district judge in Indiana, David Hamilton has been pilloried as a judge for his supposed determination to chase Christians out of the public square in order to make space for Muslims."

concurrent - kon-CURR-ent - simultaneous, at the same time

Example: "Concurrent with promises from auto manufacturers to increase gas mileage came this from a study by the UofM Transportation Research Institute: the average fuel efficiency of US cars has improved by only 3mpg since the days of the Model T."

vicissitudes - vis-SIS-ih-TOODS - unexpected changes, particularly in one's fortunes

Example: "AAA predicts less people flying & more people driving longer distances for Thanksgiving, likely the result of current economic vicisssitudes."

egregious - ih-GREE-zhus - in bad taste, blatant, extraordinarily ridiculous

Example: "According to the Sierra Magazine, a Berlin brothel in an egregious display of being patriotically "green" offers discounts for customers arriving by bicycle or public transportation."

parochial - par-OAK-ee-AL - having a limited or narrow outlook, limited in scope, regional, myopic
esoteric - ESS-oh-TAIR-ik - understood by, or appreciated by, only a few

Example: "The movie 'The Blind Side' is universally accepted with a positive approval of 71% critical response, while the vampire film 'New Moon,' perhaps more esoteric than parochial in its intent, is aimed at a target audience of young women and is the largest box office success despite it's mere 29% critical approval."

indigenous - in-DIDJ-en-US - native, home grown, originating in a specific region

Example: "The Afghan interior minister said, 'What we are talking about is a local, spontaneous and indigenous response to the Taliban; just give us the resources & we will defend our own country.' "

erudite - AIR-you-DITE - having or showing great knowledge or learning

Example: "The most invigorating day - starting at 6am with Bob Edwards' spellbinding interviews and continuing with news intelligently covered by Scott Simon and other equally erudite NPR hosts - occurs each Saturday, not to be missed by people who hunger for fascinating programs no longer found on the biased or dumbed-down commercial stations."

buzzword - buzz-word - a fashionable, in vogue word & sometimes a neologism (newly coined word), that is common to managerial, technical, administrative, and political work environments; there it rises to common usage, meant to impress or cover a range of more specific meanings

Example: "Opra is the latest person to be described with two overused buzzwords in today's news, as 'iconic' and 'out-of-the-box'."

crapper - krap-per - Thomas Crapper, late 19th century plumber whose name became synonymous with a toilet, celebrated on his birthday, today.

Example: "According to legend, it was the doughboys of WWI who picked up on the name and referred to any toilet as a "crapper.'"

corpulent - KOR-pew-lent - fat, obese, well overweight

Example: "The FDA announced that the number of corpulent people will, in 10 years, average over half the US population, costing billions of additional dollars in health expenses."

prescient -PREE-shee-ent - knowing or having knowledge of actions or events before they take place

Example: "Even as drug makers promise to support Washington's health care overhaul by shaving $8 billion a year off the nation's drug costs, in a prescient move the industry has been raising its prices at the fastest rate in years."

torpid - TOR-PID - lax, sloth-like, listless, sluggish

Example: "Sarah Palin's book, 'Going Rogue,' far from being torpid, depicts the McCain campaign as overscripted, defeatist, disorganized and dunder-headed - slow to shift focus from the Iraq war to the cratering economy, insufficiently tough on Mr. Obama and contradictory in its media strategy."

ineptitude - in-EP-tih-TOOD - having or showing no skills, clumsiness, incompetency

Example: "Sportswriter Jim LaJoie is quoted as saying, 'Even though I'm a Packers fan, a part of me wants to see the Detroit Lions finally turn around decades of ineptitude.'"

arcane - are-KANE - mysterious, secret, enigmatic

Example: "According to Newsweek Magazine, 'With upwards of 70% of all equity-trading done by high-frequency traders, the arcane world of such trading is one of the least understood practices in the market - in which sophisticated investors use computer programs to buy & sell huge amounts of stocks at breakneck speed.'"

volatile - VOL-uh-tuhl - unstable, likely to explode due to instability, liable to change quickly & for the worse

Example: "The Obama administration is being praised by teachers unions for adding flexibility to its 'Race to the Top' grant program, though it still retains politically volatile elements."

au courant - OH-curr-AHN - up-to-date, hip, current

Example: "This week's revival of the 1981 musical at Harlem's Apollo Theatre, "Dreamgirls," has been made au courant with a cast of 26 using more than 580 new outfits and 184 newly designed wigs."

cupidity - kyoo-PID-it-ee - greed (especially for money or possessions), avarice, rapaciousness

Example: "In his most explosive film to date ('Capitalism: A Love Story'), Flint native Michael Moore attacks the gross cupidity of financial powers like Goldman Sachs which, he sets out to prove in this thought-inducing documentary, are powerful enough to control Congress & the secretaries of the Treasury at the expense of the common taxpayer."

cacophony - kah-KOFF-uh-NEE - a harsh & discordant mixture of sounds, stridently noisy, raucous

Example: "The 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin wall tonight - which will be celebrated by tearing down a mile and a half long styrofoam wall constructed for the occasion - is expected to be boisterous, accompanied by beer drinking and a cacophony of sounds well into the night."

prodigious - pro-DIJ-us - powerful, huge, spectacular, Herculean, phenomenal

Example: "Along with the usual bad news this morning were three positive items, the most prodigious being a meeting of leaders from 50 major religions in Copenhagen, who feel they can individually be more effective than politicians or scientists in drawing up long range plans to ward off the dangers of global changes.

vaunt - VAHNT - to brag, boast

Example: "Some scholars, noting yesterday's shootings at Ft. Hood, vaunt their theory as accurate, that 'Every psychologist needs one.'"

polemic - poh-LEM-ik - a strong verbal or written attack

Example: "Clint Eastwood's next polemic film, 'Inveticus,' concerns Nelson Mandela & his anti-apartheid campaign in South Africa - coming soon to a theatre near you."

creme de la creme - KREM-der-lah-KREM - the best, upper crust, blue bloods, the greatest

Example: "New York's Mayor Bloomberg, who spent an all-time record of 100 million dollars for his campaign, proved himself once again the creme de la creme of elite politicians."

contentious - kon-TEN-shus - controversial, inciting argument, disagreeable, testy

Example: "When President Obama congratulated Karzai on a successful return to Afghanistan presidency, he also, in a contentious mood, admonished Karzai to take on what he avoided during his first term: the rampant corruption and drug trade that have fueled the resurgence of the Taliban."

ancillary - ANS-sill-AIRY - providing support for somebody or something

Example: "NPR suggests that for ancillary information regarding most asked Q&As on swine flu, go to NPR.org

cloistered - KLOY-STIRD - isolated, reclusive, shielded

Example: "As with other women in her position, for the former soldier returning from Iraq, cloistering herself seems to make sense. Post-traumatic stress disorder distorts personalities: some veterans who have it fight in their sleep; others feel paranoid around children. And as women return to a society unfamiliar with their wartime roles, they often choose isolation over embarrassment.

epicenter -EHP-ih-SEN-ter - the point above the direct center of an earthquake, figuratively used to indicate the focal point of a troubling situation

Example: "As of today, the USA has been declared the global epicenter of the swine flu pandemic, with schools closing rapidly across the country in an attempt to isolate the virus."

iconoclast - eye-KON-oh-KLAST - originally, a destroyer of images used in religious worship, now generally a person who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions

Example: "Ayn Rand, author of 'Atlas Shrugged' & 'The Fountainhead,' was considered the iconoclast of the mid-1900s by favoring self interest over attention given to others."

iconic - eye-KON-ik - (Note: originally, an icon was a holy picture, usually made of or painted on wood, to be revered religiously. Of late, the adjective "iconic" has grown to buzz word status, now grossly misused to elevate anything to a status desecratingly equal to its original holy connotation.)

Example: "In the latest blow to the GPS business, the iconic Google announced a free navigation service for mobile phones that will offer turn-by-turn directions, live traffic updates and the ability to recognize voice commands. The service will initially be available on only one phone, the new Motorola Droid, but will be expanded to more phones soon."

stolid - STAHL-id - calm, showing little action or emotion

Example: "An assured prediction is that crowds at the opening of the World Series on Wednesday will be anything but stolid."

capricious - cap-REE-shus - whimsical, unpredictable, fickle, flighty, "any way the wind blows"

Example: "The law requiring air bags in certain parts of commercial airlines has been scoffed at by some legislators as a capricious act."

contentious - kon-TEN-shus - causing or likely to cause an argument, controversial

Example: "On NPR today, a Mexican who just lost his American job, feels it would be contentious to return to Mexico, all things considered."

flummox - FLUM-OKS -bewilder greatly, perplex

Example: "Shopping for oatmeal, a Swedish housewife admitted that she was flummoxed by the label on a box of oatmeal reading, 'Climate declared: .87 kg CO2 per kg of product;' turns out it's a new national way, on all packaged foods, to remind eaters how much CO2 is released in the creating of the food."

Word for Today - Oct. 23, 2009

dithering - DITH-er-ing - being indecisive

Example: "Former VP Chaney today condemned President Obama for his dithering over sending troops to Afghanistan."

Word for Today - Oct. 22

conundrum - koh-NUN-drum - a problem without an apparent answer, brain-teaser, enigma, riddle

Example: "With the amount of food grown reaching record proportions in certain parts of the world, the conundrum is whether food can be grown in the developing world where the hungry can actually get it, at prices they can afford."

Word for Today - Oct. 21, 2009

ineptitude - in-EP-tih-TOOD - incompetence, having bungled, maladroitness

Example: "As an example of political ineptitude, a photo was displayed, taken (rear view) in the Michigan House of Representatives, during which the house minority leader was giving a report, while it could be seen that two representatives were playing solitaire on their laptops, a third was on facebook, and a fourth checking out baseball scores."

peroration - PAIR-oh- RAY-shun - the concluding part of a presentation, created to make a strong impression

Example: "At the end of his novel 'The Bridge of San Luis Rey,' Thornton Wilder made an inspired closing peroration on love, and how it endures through cruelty & death."

Word for Today - Oct. 18, 2009

abrogate - AB-row-GATE - to abolish, repeal, do away with

Example: "Abolitionist John Brown is honored in the South today for his fight to abrogate slavery; on October 16, 1859, with 21 men he went to Harper's Ferry to capture arms for slaves to fight for their freedom, was captured on the 18th & hanged on Dec. 2nd.

Word for Today - Oct. 17, 2009

irascible - ee-RASS-ible - easily angered, bad-tempered, touchy, short-fused

Example: "According to the NY Times, drug crime investigators cope with too little expertise & too much corruption, and have become targets themselves, to deal with the irascible Mexican crime lords."

Word for Today - Oct 16, 2009

acrimonious - AK-rih-MOAN-yus - nasty, bitter, caustic, vitriolic, venomous, acerbic

Example: "The acrimonious reaction from smokers who resented the ban for nonsmoking in restaurants, bars and other gathering spots was squelched when the result was shown to reduce the risk of heart attacks among nonsmokers."

indisputable - in-dis-PYOOT-able - beyond doubt, undeniable, irrefutable

Example, Dr. Mary P. Miles, author of a paper about exercise and immunity, said with what she considered indisputable evidence, 'The risk both of catching a cold or the flu and of having a particularly severe form of the infection drop if you exercise moderately,' emphasizing that the exercise be moderate and not excessive."

Word for Today - Oct. 14, 2009

anomaly - uh-NOM-uh-lee - something that deviates from what is standard, normal or expected

Example: "Car manufacturers face a new anomaly: Always trying to make car engines quieter, they realize that since pedestrians cannot hear silent hybrids approaching, they are too quiet to be safe, and now must have a built in sound of the driver's choice to make them heard."

Word for Today - Oct. 13, 2009

sentient - SEN-tee-ent - able to perceive or feel things

Example: "The remarkably conceived animation '9' reveals a futuristic adventure about a band of sentient rag dolls battling malevolent, mechanized forces as they struggle to survive in a post-human landscape."

Word for Today - Oct 12, 2009

denouement - day-new-eh-MOHN(t) - a French word used as the final outcome in dramas or literature, more commonly as the conclusion of anything

Example: "Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (P.T.S.D.) is a monster that war veterans have been facing since the beginning of armed conflict. In a nutshell, it is the stress brought on by a traumatic event, the denouement of their military career."

Word for Today - Oct. 11, 2009

plethora - PLETH-oh-rah - an excess of something

Example: The plan to use what has been termed a plethora of lap tops as standard military warfare has brought mixed reactions among the Israelis.

proliferation - pro-LIF-uh-RAY-shun - a rapid increase in numbers, spread at a rapid rate

Example: "THE WEEK magazine ponders on the surprising proliferation of deathly earthquakes, mud slides, etc., especially in the eastern Asia region, might be a sign of global changes."

Word for Today - Oct 9, 2009

dis - DIHS - to treat a person without respect, being purposely rude or inconsiderate

Example: "Ultra conservatives, including Republicans who have been consistently dissing Obama since he took office, were stunned when the president today won the Nobel Prize for Peace."

Word for Today - Oct 8, 2009

elan - ay-LAN - self-confident vigor, style, energy, enthusiasm

Example: "Rome's Bertusconi, despite stories of his womanizing, misuse of political power & other shady doings still carries himself with great elan in public."

Word for Today - Oct. 7, 2009

affectation -AF-fek-TAY-shun - phony or unnatural behavior, often displayed in an attempt to impress

Example: "According to a recent article in a British book on dentistry , 'While most educated people believed in tooth care, in the city of Manchester, perfect teeth were seen as a bit of an affectation.'"

Word for Today - Oct 6, 2009

kiosk - KEY-OSK - a small hut or cubicle from which newspapers, etc., are sold

Example: "Rows of prepaid plastic worth $25, $100 and even $500 beckon from kiosks alongside prepaid phone cards and gift cards for retailers; sales are skyrocketing, but buyers discover too late that additional hidden costs make them less than desirable."

Word for Today - Oct 5, 2009

conundrum - koh-NUN-drum - a problem without an apparent solution, a confusing & difficult problem or question

Example: "Should the government attempt to solve the problem of using cell phones, etc., while driving by making it illegal or should technology create such communication devices to become inoperative while in motion? It's a modern conundrum, yet to be resolved."

Word for Today - Oct 4, 2009

extortion - eks-TOR-shun - the illegal means of getting money from one through intimidation or blackmail

Example: "It appears that Letterman's daring exposé of Halderman's extortion plan succeeded, but left a sordid trail behind it."

Word for Today - Oct 3, 2009

chutzpa - HOOT-spa - Yiddish for "pure boldfaced guts"

Example: "Until now, the best example of 'chutzpa' was the kid who murdered his parents, then asked for mercy from the judge because he was an orphan; but David Letterman's turning acts of adultery into an on air joke finally tops it."

Word for Today - Oct 2, 2009

bucolic - bew-KAL-ik - relating to the pleasant aspects of rural life

Example: "Michigan's 'Yoopers' spurn the urban lives of the 'Trolls' who live below the bridge in favor of a more bucolic life in the Upper Peninsula."

Word for Today - Oct 1, 2009

prescient - PREE-shee-ent - being able to forecast the future

Example: "Even the 10 richest men in the USA (still topped by Bill Gates) are not entirely prescient economically, since a recent NPR report announced their net loss last year - a total of about 300 billion dollars."

Word for Today - Sept. 30, 2009

disingenuous - dis-in-JEN-you-us - deceitful, lying, insincere, dishonest, underhanded

Example: "According to an American source, . today's response from an Iranian spokesman regarding the discovery of a second nuclear site was a disingenuous claim that the secret site was simply a back-up in case the first one came under enemy attack."

Word for Today - Sept 29, 2009

regimen - REJ-ih-MEN - a recommended program designed to make improvements

Exmple: " Philips announced today that, if their new LED bulb passes the department's testing regimen, it will be an even more efficient, longer-lasting lighting device than today's compact fluorescent bulbs."

Word for Today - Sept. 28, 2009

arbiter - ARE-bih-TER - a person who settles a dispute or has ultimate authority in a matter

Example: "The man who created Gap died yesterday, but, more importantly to the political and communication world, William Safire, the arbiter of correct word usage, at the age of 79, also died."

Word for Today - Sept. 27, 2009

Yooper - YOU-purr - nickname for residence of Michigan's Upper Peninsula

Example: " NPR this morning took a trip to Upper Michigan when interviewer/announcer Liane Hanson presented an aural picture of life among the Yoopers, from their favorite food (meat pasties) to a long historical life of hard work in iron & copper mines."

Word for Today - Sept. 26, 2009

aficionado - uh-FISH-ee-oh-NAH-doh - devotee, fan

Example: "Today in NYC, a large group of anime (famed Japan-based, usually hand-painted, animations) aficionados took to the streets to celebrate anime (ANN-ee-MAY) films, especially those made by "Ponyo" artist Hayao Miyazaki."

Word for Today - Sept 25, 2009

deleterious - DEL-eh-TER-yus - causing harm or damage

Example: "The accumulating evidence against a Denver airport shuttle driver suggests he may be capable of deleterious action, with some investigators calling his case the most serious since 9/11."

Word for Today - Sept 24, 2009

fatuous, fatuity - FAT-you-US, FAT-you-it-TEE - a state of being ignorant yet not realizing it, so flaunting it

Example: "According to Jonathan Swift fatuous people know just enough to make them hate, but not enough to make them love one another - or something like that."

Word for today - Sept 23, 2009

incipient - in-SIP-ee-ENT - in an initial stage, just beginning to happen

Example: "In an incipient move, a businessman in Madagascar has found a way to weave golden silk cloth from the spinets of huge native spiders."

Word for Today - Sept 22, 2009

catatonic - KAT-uh-TON-ik - in a state of stupor, inertia, trance-like

Example: "In reaction to the death of a loved one a person, at least for a time, could become catatonic, submerged in sadness."

Word for Today - Sept 21, 2009

ostentatious - AHS-ten-TAY-shus - showiness, pretentiousness, flashy, flamboyant

Example: "The movie 'Jennifer's Body' is the latest in witless, ostentatious horror flicks, featuring in this case a seductive woman in the role traditionally designed for male blood-thirsty killers."

Word for Today - Sept. 20, 2009

gravitas - GRAV-ih-TAZ - a serious & solemn attitude or way of behaving

Example: "During the Republican gathering to discuss future candidates for the next presidential election, Romney was encouraged to run again, suggested for having the 'gravitas needed for the office.'"

Word for Today - Sept 18, 2009

heinous - HAY-nus - evil or wicked to the extreme, abominable

Example: "The latest truck bomb suicide in Pakistan continues the heinous war crimes committed by the Taliban."

Word for Today - Sept. 17, 2009

contemptuous - con-TEMP-chew-US - a feeling that expresses or demonstrates a strong dislike or utter lack of respect

"The latest right-wing attempt to tarnish President Obama's character now focuses on whether or not he was involved with the contemptuous actions of the Acorn Group and its use of government funds for under-age prostitution; the debate continues."

Word for Today - Sept 16, 2009

marauder - mah-ROD-er - one who roams, plunders, ransacks, pillages

Example: "The nation's top military officer, Mike Mullen, opposed Democrats who reject sending additional combat troops to Afghanistan, telling Congress that success would probably require more fighting forces, and certainly much more time, especially against isolated mountain marauders."

Word for Today - Sept 15, 2009

stolid - STALL-id - showing little emotion, impassive, phlegmatic

Example: "The most amazing role played by Patrick Swazey, who died yesterday at 57, was as a stolid homosexual dancer in the Aussie film 'Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.'"

Word for Today - Sept 14, 2009

mitigate - MIT-ih-GATE - to lessen the effect or severity of something; to lessen, alleviate, allay, diminish, blunt

Example: "According to today's news, drain water that used to go unwanted and created a wetland in the Mexican desert, is now being considered to mitigate the Southwest's water shortage. "

Word for Today - Sept 13, 2009

cataclysm - KAT-uh-KLISM - disaster, upheaval, catastrophe, devastation, debacle

Example: "The NY Times made the following comment: 'One year after the collapse of Lehman Brothers, there is little change on Wall Street from that cataclysm; the surprise is not how much has changed in the financial industry, but how little.'"

Word for Today - Sept 12, 2009

inflammatory - in-FLAM-uh-TOW-ree - provocative, inciting, instigative

Dave Letterman's response to Rep. Wilson's inflammatory cry ("You lie!") heard round the world was: '...and I thought, OK, so now Gov. Mark Sanford is the second most embarrassing politician from South Carolina.'"

infamy - IN-fah-MEE - shame, disrepute, disgrace, notoriety

Example: "When FDR referred to the Pearl Harbor attack as a 'day of infamy,' he could have been saying the same about the day we honor today - our sadly recalled day of infamy."

Word for Today - Sept 10, 2009

vitriolic - VIT-ree-ALL-ik - sarcastic, caustic, disdainful

Example: Regarding negative reactions to the president's health care proposal, satirist Brian Unger wrote the vitriolic summary, "A lot of us are a combination of these things: too busy, lazy, a bit stupid perhaps, lucky, unsympathetic, in-denial, really rich, hypocritical, selfish - and patriotic."

Word for Today - Sept 9, 2009

revile - ree-VYL - disparage, vilify, upbraid, jump down one's throat, curse

Example: "Argentine activist Eduardo Galiano, revered by some, reviled by others, once said, "Those killed in wars are always the poor," and, "Being rich is being a crook."

Word for Today - Sept 8, 2009

assuage - uh-SWAY - to relieve, to soothe, to ease

Example: "In order to assuage the conservative extremists who fear propaganda in his speech to school children today, President Obama has handed out copies of the speech which, as it turned out, contained no political propaganda."

Word for Today - Sept 7, 2009

moribund - MORE-ih-BUND - weak unto the point of death

Example: "The NY Times asks this question of our president: Can he soothe discontent with an economy that appears to have bottomed out but remains moribund?"

Word for Today - Sept 3, 2009

prescribe - pre-SCRIBE - to advocate, ordain, recommend

Example: "Recalling the vicious attacks by the right wing & insurance companies on then President Clinton's 1993 health plan, which destroyed it, Rahm Emanuel, the White House chief of staff, said today that Mr. Obama would be 'more strongly prescriptive than he has been to date,' adding, 'and we have a tremendous amount of consensus in Congress to build off of.'"

Word for Today - Sept 4, 2009

proscribe - PRO-SCRIBE - to ban or prohibit something that is considered undesirable, usually by authorities

Example: "Government proclamations on safety have unanimously proscribed the use of electronic devices while driving."

Word for Today - Sept 2, 2009

obtuse - ub-TYOUS - dull, slow, pea-brained, vapid, vacuous

Example: "The story featured a pair of contrasting personalities; one was sharp & quick-witted, the other obtuse to the extreme."

Word for Today - August 31, 2009

provenance -PRO-ven-AHNS - the source or origin of something

Example: "While the sources of our commercial films are hardly original, those from foreign film makers are of unusual provenance."

Word for Today - August 30, 2009

prosaic - pro-ZAY-ik - ordinary, ho-hum - flat

Example: NY artist tried to capture the city's odors as a work of art, saying, ' As my nostrils led me from Manhattan's northernmost end to its southern tip, some prosaic scents recurred (cigarette butts; suntan lotion; fried foods); some were singular and sublime (a delicate trail of flowers mingling with Indian curry); while others proved revoltingly unique (the garbage outside a nail salon). '"

Word for Today - August 29, 2009

transcend - TRANS-SEND - to exceed, to surpass or go beyond

Example: "Regarding the huge numbers in the Kennedy clan, Kevin McCabe, one of an Irish family of 12 , said, 'They sure as hell stuck together, and they were all in love with each other, and that was the transcending message to everyone else; that is the essence of a family.'"

Word for Today - August 28, 2009

egregious - eh-GREE-jhass - ridiculous to an extraordinary degree

Example: "In 'This Week' magazine it was noted that the number of lobbyists focusing on the health plan have grown to an egregious 3,300 - which amounts to 6 for each Congressman - and growing."

Word for Today - August 27, 2009

pro tem - PRO-TEM - (short for "pro tempore") - for the time being

Eample: "The first applicant was hired pro tem, to be employed until a more qualified applicant came along."

Word for Today - August 26, 2009

iconoclast - eye-KON-oh-KLAST - one who attacks cherished beliefs or institutions

Example: "Ted Kennedy, who died of a brain tumor last night, was known as a political iconoclast, playing both sides to suit his patriotic motives when necessary."

Word for Today - August 25, 2009

attenuate - ah-TEN-you-ATE - to reduce in size, strength or density

Example: "When the court declared that Michael Jackson had indeed been a victim of an incorrect drug procedure, it attenuated the charge from intentional 'murder' to non-intentional 'homicide,' thus lessening the penalty."

Word for today - August 24, 2009

evocative - ee-VOK-uh-TIV - calling forth, arousing (as with emotions)

Example: "On HBO tonight at 9pm EST airs 'Which Way Home,' an evocative documentary about the plight of Central American children who hop trains in their desperate attempt to reach a better life in the U.S."

Word for Today - August 23, 2009

inequitable - in-EK-wit-ABUL - unequally fair

Example: "Scotland's freeing of the only person imprisoned for the infamous plane crash at Lochabee (Sp?) was met with praises from some for a Scottish sense of compassion, and cries of inequitable leniency by others."

Words for Today - August 21, 2009

infantile, purile, adolescent, mature - (purile - PURE-eyel) - adjectives to signify a particular emotional or active stage in growing to maturity

Example: "Physically, we grow from baby to adult, but emotionally or in action we might be arrested anywhere along the maturing process from being infantile, purlile or adolescent without ever reaching true maturity . In fact, says a report in Esquire magazine, whole societies, like ours today, can be called generally adolescent for its egocentric reluctance to grow up and accept responsibilities. "

Word for Today #2 - August 20, 2009

Thanks to a nit-picker (because he's always right), I neglected to use the word "bellicose" in my example a few days ago. Mea culpa. Here's the example, properly adjusted:

Example: "NPR news announced that a new trend, bellicose right-wingers openly brandishing arms at political rallies, is growing alarmingly."

Word for today - August 20, 2009

integrative - in-TEG-rah-TIV - serving or intending to unify separate things

Example: "Doctors are learning to apply integrative medical techniques, combining more than one form of therapy to heal or cure. Similarly, teachers are now trying integrative educational techniques in the learning process."

Word for Today - August 19, 2009

admonish, admonition - ad-MOH-nih-SHUN - warning, seriously advising

Example: "Today the NY Times offered this admonition: 'A lot of time we are chasing shadows, but it's better to do that than find out later you let something get by.'"

Word for Today - August 18, 2009

bellicose - BELL-ih-COSE - warlike, belligerent, hostile, militant

Example: "NPR news announced that a new trend, openly brandishing arms at political rallies, is growing alarmingly."

Word for Today - August 17, 2009

incursion - in-KUR-zhun - a brief, hostile & usually sudden invasion of somebody's territory

Example: "According to an authority dealing with commercial airplane accidents, there were '325 incursions last year at American airports - varying from near disasters to total wreckage & deaths.'"

Word for Today - August 16, 2009

palpable - PAL-bah-bull - that which can be physically touched or felt, perceivable, tangible

Example: "When Hamlet fences with Ophelia's brother and makes a sudden thrust, the official judge of the game cries out, 'A hit! A palpable hit!'"

Word for Today - August 15, 2009

pudique - poo-DEEK - a catch-all French word that includes modest, prim, priggish, prudish

Example: "According to the newspaper 'Le Monde,' there's a growing movement among young French men & women away from casual nudity to a pudique attitude on the beach."

Word for Today - August 13, 2009

stoic - STOW-ik - tending to remain unemotional esp. in times of adversity, impassive, stolid

Example: "A Times article referred to Obama as being remarkably stoic in his reaction to the 'orchestrated' disruptions at Town Hall meetings."

Word for Today - August 12, 2009

prosaic - pro-ZAY-ik - ordinary, daily humdrum, boring, ho-hum

Example: "In his recent movie 'Walz With Bashir,' writer/director Ari Folman uses animation - where the prosaic standards of truth & the inconvenient laws of physics can be flouted (scorned) at will - to blend grimly his images with surreal flights of fantasy, humor & horror."

Word for Today - August 11, 2009

paucity - PAW-sit-ee - scarcity, lack, dearth

Example: "There is a paucity of agreement among everyone for a good health plan."

Word for Today - August 10, 2009

surfeit - SUR-FIT - excess, overabundance, glut, too much

Example: "At the recent annual gathering of MTU alums, there was an ongoing surfeit of food & beverages."

Word for Today - August 9, 2009

turgid - TOOR-jid - overblown, bombastic, grandiloquent, pompous

Example: "Joe K has, at one time or another, rightfully been referred to as turgid in personality."

Word for Today - August 8, 2009

cachet - cah-SHAY - state of being respected or admired

Example: "News analyst Daniel Schorr feared that the massively orchestrated campaign against Obama's health plan could undermine the president's cachet with the general public."

Word for Today - August 7, 2009

joie de vive - zhwah-deh-VEEV - love of life

Example: "Bud Schulberg, author of 'What makes Sammy Run,' 'On the Waterfront,' etc., died at 95 - still living until then with characteristic joie de vive ."

Word for Today - August 6, 2009

ennui - on-WEE - weary feeling resulting from dissatisfaction or loss of interest or sense of excitement

Example: "Become bombarded by any repetitious hate monger and the the diatribe (bitter or violent attack) results in initial disgust and, finally, ennui ."

imbroglio - im-BRO-lee-OH - a confusing or complicated situation that causes misunderstanding, even a possible fight

Example: "In slapstick comedies, the hero often finds himself in the middle of a huge imbroglio."

Word for Today - August 4, 2009

abase - uh-BASE - to make somebody feel degraded or belittled

Example: "A person with an extreme feeling of inadequacy is likely to compensate by searching out some racial or religious group to abase."

Word for Today - August 3, 2009

inscrutable - in-SCROOT-able - mysterious, unfathomable, enigmatic, hidden

Example: "The humor in the movie 'Funny People' will be enjoyed by younger viewers while it likely will become inscrutable to anyone over 35 years of age."

Word for Today - August 2, 2009

ethnocentric - ETH-no-CEN-trik - belief in the superiority of one's social or cultural group

Example: "According to the senior member of world study, the most serious problem in Iraq is the strong ethnocentric attitude among its diverse religious groups."

Word for Today - August 1, 2009

exacerbate - eks-ZASS-sir-BAIT - to aggravate, make worse, inflame

Example: "Some auto dealers like the "Cash for Clunkers" deal, while others think in the long run it only exacerbates the financial problem."

Word for Today - July 31, 2009

assuage - uh-SWAYJ - to soothe, mollify, "take the edge off"

Example: "According to NPR this morning, President Obama failed to assuage the resistance most Republican and some "blue" Democratic congressmen have regarding immediate passage of his proposed health plan."

Word for Today - July 30, 2009

expansive - eks-PAN-siv - comprehensive, sweeping, broad, voluminous, open, generous

Example: "On NPR this morning an Iraqui spoke expansively about the conflicts among the various religious sects."

Word for Today - July 29, 2009

septuagenarian, octogenarian - SEP-tua-jen-AIR-yan, OCK-toe-jen-AIR-yan - person who's in 70s, person who's in 80s

Example: "When Ms. Ertel turned 70, she became a septuagenarian; 10 years later, for a decade she was an octogenarian."

Word for Today - July 28, 2009

sardonic - sar-DON-ik - sarcastic, contemptuous, jeering, "smart-alecky"

Reactions to Ms. Palin's stepping down from Alaskan politics brought mixed reactions, from hopes she may return for the next presidential election to sardonic disbelief."

Word for Today - July 26, 2009

libido; libidinous - lib-BEE-doh; leh-BID-den-US - sexual drive; having or expressing strong sexual desires

Example: A recent study at Texas A&M University suggests that watermelon may deliver Viagra-like effects to increase libido and without any side effects."

Word for Today - July 25, 2009

mitigate - MIT-ih-GATE - to make something less harsh, less offensive, less violent

Example: "After President Obama's initially harsh reaction to the apparently racial incident, he received a more complete description of the incident and then mitigated his original statement."

Word for Today - July 24, 2009

abnegate - AB-neh-GATE - forego, renounce, give up

Example: "Regarding the situation in New Jersey, the press is condemning those politicians and clerics whom they say have, for purely selfish reasons, abnegated their public and religious responsibilities."

Word for Today - July 23, 2009

fatuous - FACH-oo-US - showing a lack of intelligence without realizing it

Example: "A call-in listener to NPR felt the idea of comparing rappers' attack songs with attacks between warring countries a fatuous comparison."

Word for Today - July 22, 2009

vitriolic - VIT-ree-ALL-ik - bitter, sarcastic, nasty, malicious

Example: "As Fifty Cents discovered too late, rapper competition can be fierce and often vitriolic."

Word for Today - July 21, 2009

prodigious - pro-DIJ-us - huge, spectacular, astounding

Example: "Getting to the moon 30 years ago was a prodigious accomplishment."

Word for Today - July 20, 2009

mundane - MUN-DANE - everyday, common, humdrum, prosaic, pedestrian

Example: "Both the husband and wife agreed; his work at the office and her chores around the house were different but equally mundane."

Word for Today - July 19, 2009

diminutive - dim-IN-you-TIV - tiny, small, pint-sized, petite, Lilliputian

Example: "Electrons are diminutive, even smaller than atoms, around which they orbit."

Word for Today - July 18, 2009

perfidious - purr-FID-ee-us - guilty of treachery or deceit

Example: (From Nietzche) "The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments."

Word for Today - July 17, 2009

paucity - PAW-sit-ee - shortage, insufficiency, lack, scarcity

Example: "With 14% unemployment in Michigan, the paucity of available jobs in one way or another has affected everyone in the state."

Word for Today - July 16, 2009

sturm und drang - shturm unt drong - literally, storm & stress; upheaval, turmoil, big deal

Example: "The latest sturm und drang among some senators is whether or not people should display their unmentionables on an outside clothesline."

Word for Today - July 15, 2009

extant - EKS-TANT - existing, living, surviving, remaining

Example: "There is a great controversy over whether or not polar bears will still be extant after the next few decades of global changes."

Word for Today - July 14, 2009

diatribe - DYE-uh-TRIBE - a scathing written or verbal attack

Example: "The Republican senators continue a thinly disguised diatribe against Sonia Sotomayor as a possible judge on the Supreme Court."

Word for Today - July 13, 2009

gregarious - gree-GER-ee-us - sociable, likes the company of others

Example: "Karl Malden, who died on July 1, 2009, was off the screen a most gregarious gentleman."

Word for Today - July 12, 2009

de rigueur - dur-ree-GUR - strictly required by fashion or by etiquette

Example: "Among teens, showing as much skin or underwear as possible in public is considered de rigueur, as is excessive use of profanity."

Word for the Day - July 11, 2009

perfidy - PURR-fid-EE - faithless, a betrayal of trust, treachery

Example: "It was an act of perfidy: my keyboard died, and I spent a quarter tank of gas & half the day to find that no store carries one to fit my computer."

Word for the Day - July 10, 2009

quintessential - KWINT-eh-SEN-shul - representing the most perfect or typical example of a person or thing

Example: "An NPR reporter was questioned this morning for comparing the pope and our president as the quintessential heads of their representative 'states' - the pope over Catholics, the president over Americans."

Word for the Day - July 9, 2009

commandeer - ka-MAN-DEER - seize something usually for military purposes, take something over

Example: "The take-over regime in Honduras has, as is the custom in such situations, commandeered all broadcast media for its own propaganda purposes."

Word for the Day - July 7, 2009

symbiotic - SIM-bee-AW-tik - referring to a mutually beneficial relationship

Example: "In our summer garden, the bees and flowers have a perfect symbiotic relationship."

Word for the Day - July 8, 2009

dalliance - DAL-ih-yans - flirtation, love affair, fooling around

Example: "The USA, France & now Italy have joined the scandals of dalliance in high politics."

Word for the Day - July 6, 2009

arcane - ar-KANE - mysterious, hard to fathom, difficult to understand without special knowledge

Example: "Until the press is notified with some releases, President Obama's trip to Russia may involve several arcane meetings there."

Word for the Day - July 5, 2009

bluestocking - blew-stock-ing - an old term describing (usually derisively) a woman who is well educated or who has scholarly interests

Example: "While the rest of us were celebrating the 4th with parades, eating, drinking, playing games and watching fireworks, the bluestockings remained comfortably at home, passing the time with their favorite dictionaries and encyclopedias.

Word for the Day - July 4, 2009

sanguine - SAN-gwin - robust, upbeat, optimistic (also ruddy complexioned)

Example: "Isn't it amazing, regardless our everyday political attitudes, how sanguine we become on the 4th of July."

Word for the Day - July 3, 2009

torpor - TOR-por - state of inactivity, sluggishness

Example: "There certainly is no torpor despite the 2 1/2-hour length of the new gangster film 'Public Enemies.'"

Word for the Day - July 2, 2009

elegiac - ELL-eh-JAY-ik - mournful, sad, sorrowful

Example: "With recent news of so many deaths of entertainers - the latest being Karl Malden at 97 - an elegiac mood has settled over the country."

Word for the Day - July 1, 2009

puer aeternus - POO-air aye-TAIR-nus - a child (literally, boy) forever

Example: "Michael Jackson was considered by an analyst, in trying to explain the singer's strange actions, to be a puer aeternus."

Word for the Day - June 30, 2009

lurid - LOO-rid - horrifying, gruesome, revolting, appalling

Example: "Boris Karloff's horror films were once considered quite lurid; but they're tame by comparison to, say, the contemporary 'Saw' series, which are truly lurid."

Word for Today - June 29, 2009

symptomatic - SIM-toe-MAT-ik - characteristic, indicative, suggestive

Example: "A film critic recently stated that the current success of badly written movie scripts is symptomatic of our dumbed-down society, which now accepts mediocrity as the norm."

Word for Today - June 28, 2009

gratutous - grat-TOO-ih-TUS - uncalled for, unjustified, unwarranted or freely given without charge

Example: "Though rarely in life, gratutous praise is frequently heaped upon the recently dead."

Word for Today - June 27, 2007

aphrodisiac - AFF-row-DIZ-ee-AKK - something exciting sexual desire

Example: "The latest sex scandal involving conservative politicians caused a news analyst to remark, 'It seems that becoming part of the political scene is, for many, an aphrodisiac.'"

Word for Today - June 26, 2009

plethora - more than enough, excess, over abundance

Example: "After a lengthy un-newsworthy period, we suddenly have a plethora of deaths among the rich & famous - Jackson & Faucett included."

Word for Today - June 24, 2009

enmity - EHN-mih-TEE - mutual hatred, hostility, antipathy

Example: "A serious problem in the Mid Eastern countries is the tradition of enmity among their various religions."

Word for Today - June 23, 2009

comment ca va (or just "ca va" for short) - koh-MAH say VAH - "How's it going?"

Example: "'Comment ca va' is a Frenchman's way of greeting someone informally, much as the German would say, 'Wie geht's' (vee-gates),' or the Spaniard, 'Que tal?' (kay-tahl)."

Word for Today - June 22, 2009

protean - PRO-tee-an - versatile, able to change

Example: "It appears unlikely so far that protean activity might occur during the stalemate in Iran."

Word for Today - June 20, 2009

vicissitude - vih-SIS-ih-TOOD - expected or unexpected changes (especially in one's life)

Example: "We make careful plans for our future, but there are vicissitudes that can change them overnight."

Word for Today - June 19, 2009

obsequious - ub-SEE-kwee-US - overly eager to please, fawning, "brown-nosing"

Example: "The nurse was attendant in helping her patients - not obsequiously, but with sincere care to heal."

Word for Today - June 18, 2009

nascent -NAY-sent - starting to develop, beginning to emerge

Example heard over NPR: "Rules for taxing cell phone use are outdated, having been developed 20 years ago, when cell phones were nascent technology."

Word for Today - June 17, 2009

Draconian - drak-KOHN-yan - overly harsh, too severe

Example: "In the news today the Republican members of Congress rejected Obama's suggested new health plan as Draconian."

Word for Today - June 16, 2009

conflate - kon-flate - to mix or fuse things

Example: "Alan Ayckbourn's plays often conflate the action in several rooms in onstage space."

Word for Today - June 15, 2009

schlep - shlep: This from a Jewish friend who ought to know what she's talking bout:

Joe - do not know where your definition came from, but it is not how I have heard (or used) the word. I googled it and got 2 other definitions.

By the way, Perhaps my family has been using it wrong - but the Yiddish dictionary agrees with us. In our family schlepp meant "to carry". For instance "I schlepped the groceries all the way from the village to home."

From American Yiddish Dictionary 101: To "schlepp" something is to carry it along with difficulty. A classic example is a Chassidic Jew "schlepping" tuna fish on an airplane from Crown Heights, Brooklyn, to somewhere else in the world.

And another: "Schlepp" derives from the German word "schleppen," meaning to drag.
diously, awkwardly, or carelessly

Another: To move slowly or laboriously: schlepped around with the twins in a stroller. (as in Sally is signing off this email because she is taking her kayak out and schlepping across the Lake Nebagamon to meet a friend .)

Word for Today - June 13, 2009

profligate - PROF-lih-GATE - having low moral standards

Example: "Time Magazine referred to the 'profligate Berlusconi and his many peccadilloes (sins) as being once again in scandal.'"

Word for Today - June 12, 2009

predilection - PRED-ih-LEK-shun - a natural liking, a partiality, a penchant

Example: "For whatever reason, Americans have had a century old predilection for anything that is fast, expensive, noisy & polluting."

Word for Today - June 11, 2009

homiletic - HOM-eh-LET-ik - the art of preaching or writing sermons

Example: "One can only hope that the clergyman is homile tic - most don't size up to those like 19th century Phillips Brooks, who, for example, proclaimed in one of his homilies, 'Do not pray for a lighter load, but for a stronger back.'"

Word for Today - June 10, 2009

paralegal - PAIR-uh-LEE-gull - qualified to work as a full lawyer's assistant

Example: "Before she went into politics, Bonnie Sweeten worked as a paralegal."

Word for Today - June 9, 2009

hirsute - hair-suit - abundant hair, with plants bristling with hairy surface

Example: "The hirsute lady in the circus could easily match any gentleman with a full beard."

Word for Today - June 8, 2009

inchoate - in KHO-ATE - just beginning to form, not yet completed

Example: "The jury had inchoate feelings about the woman on trial."

Word for Today - June 7, 2009

vilify - VIL-ih-FIE - slander, defame, blacken character with abusive language, traduce, malign

Example: "Naomi Tutu decried (found fault) the fact that her father was often vilified as an activist against apartheid in South Africa."

Word for Today - June 6, 2009

odyssey - ODD-eh-SEE - a lengthy series of travels or adventures

Example: "After discovering the undeniable horrors of Buchenwald with survivor Ellie Wiesel, the president on his political odyssey next visited the Normandy war site with octogenarian veterans."

Word for Today - June 5, 2009

stanchion - stan-CHEE-YON - an upholding or supporting pole

Example: "Many Palestinians announced hope that Obama would become the stanchion for what they called 'a fair & equal treatment' in the Gaza Strip."

Word for Today - June 4, 2009

sere - seer - arrid, dry, withered

Example: "While the Midwest complains about heavy flooding, the lower West Coast complains its weather has become dangerously sere."

Word for Today - June 3, 2009

trepidation - trep-ih-DAY-shun - fear, horror, dread, repulsion

Example: "French families await the news of the disappeared plane with grave trepidation."

Word for Today - June 2, 2009

mollify - MOLL-ih-FYE - soothe, appease, tone down, calm

Example: "Too often mothers mollify their crying babies with something to eat."

joek

Word for Today - June 1, 2009

sine qua non - seenee-kwah-nohn - prerequisite, essential condition (literally, "without which not")

Example: "Comment in this month's SIERRA MAGAZINE: 'There are long lists of things people can do to mitigate climate change, but the sine qua non for solving the problem is to stop burning coal.'"

Word for Today - May 31, 2009

mitigate - MIT-ih-GATE - to lessen, diminish, alleviate, soften

Example: "Today on National Public Radio, controversial writer Toni Morrison hoped to mitigate the severity of the title of her recent collection of works, 'Burn this Book.'"

Word for Today - May 30, 2009

sang-froid - sahn-FRAH - cold-blooded coolness

Example: "World nations are stumped by North Korea's sang-froid atomic testing."

Word for Today - May 29, 2009

ameliorate - uh-MEEL-ee-oh-RATE - to make better, to improve

Example: "A Chilean earth group avowed (openly declared) that the USA could ameliorate environmental corruption by following President Obama's goal in nature preservation."

Word for Today - May 28, 2009

denigrate - DEN-ih-GRATE - belittle, put down

Example: "At a recent Alice Neel's art exhibit, a historian claimed that her portrait paintings rose to fame only after she stopped denigrating herself and her art."

Word for Today - May 27, 2009

Word for Today: palpable - PAL-pub-ULL - able to be felt or touched

Example: "The hint of controversy over Obama's selection for the Supreme Court, judge Sonia Sotomayor, between liberal Democrats & right wing Republicans, was subtle but palpable."

Word for Today

tantamount - TANT-uh-MOUNT - the same as, identical

Example: "North Korea has announced that South Korea's joining with the world powers against the recent missile testings as tantamount to a declaration of war with North Korea."