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David Theobald

The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… shenanigan (noun): 1: a devious trick used especially for an underhand purpose 2a: tricky or questionable practices or conduct—usually used in plural b: high-spirited or mischievous activity—usually used in plural Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The history of shenanigan is as tricky and mischievous

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… bowdlerise (verb): 1 literature : to expurgate (something, such as a book) by omitting or modifying parts considered vulgar 2: to modify by abridging, simplifying, or distorting in style or content Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Few editors have achieved the notoriety of Thomas Bowdler. He was

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… equivocal (adjective): 1a: subject to two or more interpretations and usually used to mislead or confuse b: uncertain as an indication or sign 2a: of uncertain nature or classification b: of uncertain disposition toward a person or thing : undecided c: of doubtful advantage, genuineness, or

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… gerrymander (noun, verb): noun 1: the act or method of gerrymandering 2: a district or pattern of districts varying greatly in size or population as a result of gerrymandering verb : to divide or arrange (a territorial unit) into election districts in a way that gives

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… belated (adjective): 1: delayed beyond the usual time 2: existing or appearing past the normal or proper time Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Long ago, there was a verb belate, which meant “to make late.” From the beginning, belate tended to mostly turn up in the

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… infantilise (verb): 1: to make or keep infantile 2: to treat as if infantile Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Infantilise is just a baby, linguistically speaking. It wasn’t until several decades into the 20th century that social scientists started using the term to discuss the

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… erstwhile (adverb, adjective): adverb : in the past : formerly adjective : former, previous Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The adverb erstwhile has been part of English since at least the 16th century, but it is formed from two words that are much older. It comes from the Old

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… démarche (noun): 1a: a course of action : maneuver b: a diplomatic or political initiative or maneuver 2: a petition or protest presented through diplomatic channels Source : Merriam – Webster Etymology : When it comes to international diplomacy, it’s important not only to talk the talk but

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… perpetuity (noun): 1: eternity 2: the quality or state of being perpetual 3a: the condition of an estate limited so that it will not take effect or vest within the period fixed by law   b: an estate so limited 4: an annuity payable forever Source

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… recuse (verb): : to disqualify (oneself) as judge in a particular case , but broadly, to remove (oneself) from participation to avoid a conflict of interest Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you ever find yourself accused of refusing to recuse yourself, look on the bright side: you

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… golem (noun): 1: an artificial human being in Hebrew folklore endowed with life 2: something or someone resembling a golem Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The Hebrew ancestor of the word golem means “shapeless mass,” and the original mythical golems started as lumps of clay that

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… immaculate (adjective): 1: spotlessly clean 2: having or containing no flaw or error 3: having no stain or blemish : pure 4: having no colored spots or marks – used especially in botany and zoology Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : You may already use the word immaculate flawlessly,

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… bildungsroman (noun): literature : a novel about the moral and psychological growth of the main character Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Bildungsroman is the combination of two German nouns: Bildung, meaning “education,” and Roman, meaning “novel.” (Nouns in German are always capitalized.) Fittingly, a bildungsroman is a

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… lambent (adjective)): 1: playing lightly on or over a surface : flickering 2: softly bright or radiant 3: marked by lightness or brilliance especially of expression Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Fire is frequently associated with lapping or licking imagery: flames are often described as “tongues” that

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… disparate (adjective): 1: markedly distinct in quality or character 2: containing or made up of fundamentally different and often incongruous elements Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The word, which first appeared in English in the 16th century, comes from the Latin verb disparare, meaning “to divide,

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… cavalcade (noun): 1a: a procession b: a procession of vehicles or ships 2: a dramatic sequence or procession Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Cavalcade is a word with deep equestrian roots, though it comes (via French and possibly Italian) from a Latin word (caballus, meaning “work

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