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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… emancipation (noun): : the act or process of emancipating Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The Emancipation Proclamation, issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, ordered that enslaved people living in rebellious territories be released from the bonds of ownership and made free people—their own masters.

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… redolent (adjective): 1 : exuding fragrance : aromatic 2a : full of a specified fragrance b : evocative, suggestive Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Redolent traces back to the Latin verb olere (“to smell”) and is a relative of olfactory (“of, relating to, or connected with the sense of smell”

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… oblige (verb): 1 : to constrain by physical, moral, or legal force or by the exigencies of circumstance 2a : to put in one’s debt by a favor or service b : to do a favor for Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If you are obliged by a

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… festoon (noun, verb): noun 1 : a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points 2 : a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain verb 1 : to hang or form festoons on 2 : to shape into festoons Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The noun festoon

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… panacea (noun): : a remedy for all ills or difficulties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers took panacea from Latin, but as is the case with many Latin borrowings, the word ultimately traces its roots to Greek: panakes, meaning “all-healing,” comes from pan-, meaning “all,” and

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The End of the Golden Age of TV as We Know It

The End of the Golden Age of TV as We Know It

Siobhan Lyons Macquarie University Dr Siobhan Lyons is a media scholar and casual lecturer in the Department of Media, Music, Communication and Cultural Studies at Macquarie University, where she completed her doctoral dissertation in 2017. When it was announced that the creators of Breaking Bad would be filming a prequel

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… burgle (verb): : to break into and steal from (a home, business, etc.) : to commit robbery Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Burglary and burglar, which refer respectively to the act of breaking into a dwelling especially at night in order to commit theft or some other crime,

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… alleviate (verb): : relieve, lessen: such as – a : to make (something, such as pain or suffering) more bearable b : to partially remove or correct (something undesirable) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Alleviate derives from the past participle of Late Latin alleviare (“to lighten or relieve”), which in

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… evanescent (adjective): : tending to vanish like vapor Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The fragile, airy quality of evanescent things reflects the etymology of the word evanescent itself. It’s from a form of the Latin verb evanescere, which means “to evaporate” or “to vanish.” (Evanescere is

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… abrogate (verb): 1 formal : to abolish by authoritative action : annul 2 formal : to treat as nonexistent : to fail to do what is required by (something, such as a responsibility) 3 formal : to suppress or prevent (a biological function or process and especially an immune response)

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… vocation (noun): : a summons or strong inclination to a particular state or course of action especially : a divine call to the religious life b : an entry into the priesthood or a religious order 2a : the work in which a person is employed b : the persons

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Why Can’t We Debate Islam?

Why Can’t We Debate Islam?

Myriam Renaud Union Institute & University Myriam Renaud, PhD University of Chicago (2018), serves as affiliated faculty at DePaul University where she teaches courses in bioethics, religion, and society. Her academic research focuses on constructive philosophical theology, the concept of God, global ethics, comparative theology, and world religions. Author Salman

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… sumptuous (adjective): extremely costly, rich, luxurious, or magnificent Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The word sumptuous typically describes things that can only be had at some significant expense, a fact that keeps the modern English word tied to its Latin source: sumptus, meaning “expense.” Another English

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… fidelity (noun): 1a : the quality or state of being faithful b : accuracy in details 2 : the degree to which an electronic device (such as a record player, radio, or television) accurately reproduces its effect (such as sound or picture) Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Fidelity came

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Tassie’s Shul Isn’t Closing up Just Yet

Tassie’s Shul Isn’t Closing up Just Yet

I’m very familiar with Launceston’s synagogue – but only in the most superficial way. I’ve passed the modest little building in St John Street many, many times (it’s right next door to the old Tiger Hobbies shop, after all). For all that, I’ve never really given

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The BFD Word of the Day

The BFD Word of the Day

The word for today is… decry (verb): 1 : to depreciate (something, such as a coin) officially or publicly 2 : to express strong disapproval of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Decry has several synonyms in English, among them disparage and belittle. Decry connotes an open condemnation that makes it the best choice

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