Giselle Bastin Flinders University Giselle Bastin has a BA from the University of Adelaide, and a PhD from Flinders University. She is an Associate Professor in English at Flinders University. “Elizabeth the Second, by the Grace of God Queen of Australia and Her other Realms and Territories, Head of the
In a 1972 cartoon, graphic novel master Will Eisner satirised the hippy “Underground Comix”, portraying them as a bunch of low-brow, scatological neanderthals, accusing each of other of “Establishment Tendencies”. But, in a corner of the cartoon, one of the drooling Morlocks scrawls, “I have just discovered a horrible thing
The word for today is… yankee (noun): 1a : a native or inhabitant of New England b : a native or inhabitant of the northern U.S. 2 : a native or inhabitant of the U.S 3: a type headsail on a sailboat with a high-cut clew. A yankee is often used
The word for today is… teem (verb): 1a : to become filled to overflowing : abound b : to be present in large quantity 2 obsolete : to become pregnant Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Teem and team are not just homophones, they are also etymological kin. Teem comes from Old English teman or taeman,
The word for today is… apposite (adjective): : highly pertinent or appropriate Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Apposite and opposite sound so much alike that you would expect them to have a common ancestor—and they do: the Latin verb ponere, which means “to place, set.” The prefixes that we see in
The RNZ article “Growing anger over use of moko, mataora in image filters: ‘That’s a mockery’ had me wondering, “When is cultural appropriation not cultural appropriation?” To some, easy access to Maori culture has been touted as a positive, a helping lens to the revitalisation of matauranga Maori. But
The word for today is… mogul (noun): 1 : an Indian Muslim of or descended from one of several conquering groups of Mongol, Turkish, and Persian origin especially : great mogul 2 : a great personage – e.g. Hollywood mogul 3 : a bump in a ski run Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Started by
Sarah Schiffling Liverpool John Moores University Nikolaos Valantasis Kanellos Technological University Dublin Dr Sarah Schiffling is a Senior Lecturer in Supply Chain Management at Liverpool John Moores University, UK, and an International Research Fellow with the HUMLOG Institute in Helsinki, Finland. She is also a trustee for the Humanitarian Logistics
familyfirst.org.nz After we honoured and celebrated fathers on Sunday, it’s worth considering just how significant fathers are to the well-being and development of children, and ultimately the overall health of our society. Sadly, many kiwi kids live without a biological father or stepfather in their home. More
The word for today is… debunk (verb): : to expose the sham or falseness of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : To debunk something is to take the bunk out of it—that bunk being “nonsense.” (Bunk is short for the synonymous bunkum, which has political origins – see BFD Word of the Day
The word for today is… scintillate (verb): 1 : to emit sparks 2 : to emit quick flashes as if throwing off sparks 3 : to dazzle or impress with liveliness or wit Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The initial spark of the verb scintillate was the Latin noun scintilla, meaning “spark.” The ember
The word for today is… duress (noun): 1 law : forcible restraint or restriction 2 law : compulsion by threat Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Duress is most often paired with the word under to refer to force or threats meant to make someone do something. For example, someone forced to sign a
Good News Network goodnewsnetwork.org Georgina Brough and Christian Allen get daily visits from a group of wild lorikeets—birds that broke in a year ago and now want to hang out constantly. The new feathered friends first visited the young couple in early 2021. They flew in through their
The word for today is… fulsome (adjective): 1a : characterized by abundance b : generous in amount, extent, or spirit c : being full and well developed 2 : aesthetically, morally, or generally offensive 3 : exceeding the bounds of good taste : overdone 4 : excessively complimentary or flattering Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In the 19th
The word for today is… jingoism (noun): : extreme chauvinism or nationalism marked especially by a belligerent foreign policy Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Jingoism originated during the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-1878, when many British citizens were hostile toward Russia and felt Britain should intervene in the conflict. Supporters of the cause
Groucho Marx famously said that you’re only as young as the woman you feel. But behind the quip is more than a skerrick of truth: ageing is as much a matter of mind as of body. Of course, no amount of wishful thinking is going to make old bones
