The word for today is… inane (adjective, noun): adjective 1 : lacking significance, meaning, or point 2 : empty, insubstantial noun : void or empty space Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The adjective “inane” is now most commonly encountered as a synonym of “shallow” or “silly.” But when this word first entered the English
Karin Hammarberg Monash University Karin is a Registered Nurse with 20 years experience as clinical co-ordinator of IVF programs. She completed her PhD in 2006. Her main areas of research interest are the psychosocial aspects of infertility and infertility treatment including donor conception and surrogacy; health and development of children
In the UK in the early 1990s, the rave culture was making incursions into licensed venues and young people were abandoning alcohol in favour of the “party drug” known as Ecstasy. In short, the UK alcohol market was shrinking. What was a poor but mega-rich alcohol industry to do? Ecstasy
Christian Cooijmans University of Liverpool Chris is a research fellow at the University of Liverpool. His research focuses on the reach and repercussions of Viking movement across the Frankish realm. For many years, archaeologists and historians have provided an increasingly informed insight into the dynamic world of the Vikings, chipping
The word for today is… doppelganger (noun): 1a : double b : alter ego c : a person who has the same name as another 2 : a ghostly counterpart Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : According to age-old German folklore, all living creatures have a spirit double who is invisible but identical to the living
Caleb Larson fee.org Caleb Larson is a cybersecurity engineer and a contributor at Human Events where he writes about cybersecurity related issues facing the United States. Economic principles have a funny way of showing up in unexpected places. To highlight the often scoffed at importance that branding plays in
The word for today is… misdemeanor (noun): 1 : a crime less serious than a felony 2 : misdeed Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Misdemeanor comes from demeanor, which means “behavior toward others” or “outward manner” (as in “his quiet demeanor”), itself derived from the verb demean, which means “to conduct or behave
The word for today is… eloquent (adjective): 1 : marked by forceful and fluent expression 2 : vividly or movingly expressive or revealing Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Since “eloquent” can have to do with speaking, it makes sense that it comes from the Latin verb loqui, which means “to speak.” “Loqui” is
The word for today is… facile (adjective): 1a(1) : easily accomplished or attained (2) : shallow, simplistic b : used or comprehended with ease c : readily manifested and often lacking sincerity or depth 2 archaic : mild or pleasing in manner or disposition Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Would you have guessed that “facile”
The word for today is… hector (noun, verb): noun 1 : capitalized : a son of Priam, husband of Andromache, and Trojan champion slain by Achilles 2 : bully, braggart verb : to behave in an arrogant or intimidating way : to play the bully : swagger : to intimidate or harass by bluster or personal pressure
The word for today is… placebo (noun): 1a : a usually pharmacologically inert preparation prescribed more for the mental relief of the patient than for its actual effect on a disorder b : an inert or innocuous substance used especially in controlled experiments testing the efficacy of another substance (such as a
The word for today is… mirage (noun): 1 : an optical effect that is sometimes seen at sea, in the desert, or over a hot pavement, that may have the appearance of a pool of water or a mirror in which distant objects are seen inverted, and that is caused by
Today’s example from New Zealand is a discriminatory and racist job advertisement. Let’s highlight the racism and discrimination inside New Zealand together because it is NOT OK! There is NOTHING positive about discrimination. If you enjoyed this article please share it using the share buttons at the top
Michael Flinn One of my favourite authors is J. R. R. Tolkien, and of his writings, The Lord of the Rings is the greatest. I first came across this book in the Rangitoto College library, on Auckland’s North Shore, where I spent my high school years. I’ve read
The word for today is… bogus (adjective): not genuine : counterfeit, sham Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : You may know bogus as a slang word meaning “uncool” or simply “no good,” but did you know that bogus has actually been a part of English since the early 1800s? Not only was the
The word for today is… devotion (noun): 1a : religious fervor : piety b : an act of prayer or private worship —usually used in plural c : a religious exercise or practice other than the regular corporate 2a : the act of dedicating something to a cause, enterprise, or activity b : the fact or
