The word for today is… touchstone (noun) – 1 : a fundamental or quintessential part or feature 2 : a test or criterion for determining the quality or genuineness of a thing 3 : a black siliceous stone related to flint and formerly used to test the purity of gold and silver by the
Nancy Valko Nancy Valko has been a registered nurse since 1969 and currently she is a spokesperson for the National Association of Prolife Nurses (www.nursesforlife.org). She has also been a past President of Missouri Nurses for Life and past co-chair of the St. Louis Archdiocesan Respect Life Committee.
Susan Short Secretary democracyaction@xtra.co.nz Anger has erupted around the country over the Government’s much stronger approach to protect indigenous biodiversity, as outlined in the Draft National Policy Statement for Indigenous Biodiversity (NPSIB). Due to take effect in July 2021, it contains a set of objectives and
The word for today is… adulation (noun) – : excessive or slavish admiration or flattery Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : If “adulation” makes you think of a dog panting after its master, you’re on the right etymological track; the word ultimately derives from the Latin verb adulari, meaning “to fawn on” (a
Joakim Book aier.org Joakim Book is a writer, researcher and editor on all things money, finance and financial history. He holds a masters degree from the University of Oxford and has been a visiting scholar at the American Institute for Economic Research in 2018 and 2019. It’s winter
The word for today is… purloin (verb) – : to appropriate wrongfully and often by a breach of trust Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The word purloin features in the title of a famous Edgar Allan Poe story in its past tense form: “The Purloined Letter” was included in Poe’s 1845 Tales,
chimera (noun) – 1 a capitalized : a fire-breathing she-monster in Greek mythology having a lion’s head, a goat’s body, and a serpent’s tail b : an imaginary monster compounded of incongruous parts 2 : an illusion or fabrication of the mind 3 : an individual, organ, or part consisting of tissues
The word for today is… lodestone (noun) – 1 : magnetite possessing polarity 2 : something that strongly attracts Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Lodestone is made up of distinctly English components, ones that have been part of our language since before the 12th century. “Lode” comes from the Old English “lad,” which means
The word for today is… weird (noun, adjective) – noun: 1 : fate, destiny 2 : soothsayer adjective: 1 : of strange or extraordinary character 2 : of, relating to, or caused by witchcraft or the supernatural Source : Online Etymology Dictionary Etymology : Noun. Middle English wird, werd, going back to Old English wyrd, going back
The word for today is… obstreperous (adjective) – 1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness 2 : stubbornly resistant to control Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The handy Latin prefix ob-, meaning “in the way,” “against,” or “toward,” occurs in many Latin and English words. “Obstreperous” comes from ob- plus strepere, a verb
The word for today is… folderol (noun) – 1 : a useless ornament or accessory 2 : nonsense Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Hogwash. Claptrap. Hooey. Drivel. Malarkey. English is rife with words that mean “nonsense,” and “folderol” is one of the many. Though not the most common of the words for nonsense, it’
discomfit (verb, noun) – verb: 1 : to put into a state of perplexity and embarrassment : 2a : to frustrate the plans of b archaic : to defeat in battle noun: the state of being confused, embarrassed, or upset Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Disconcerted by discomfit and discomfort? Here’s a little usage history
Roshaya Rodness University of Toronto Roshaya Rodness received their PhD from McMaster University in 2018 in the Department of English & Cultural Studies. Their research looks specifically to the history of queer film and visual culture to explore radical and promissory forms of social being that are unexpectedly revealed by
Magda Osman Queen Mary University of London The ethos of Magda Osman’s work has been to take a critical eye to well accepted views and challenge the status quo. As a result, her research interests cover a range of areas that include decision-making, learning, problem-solving, biases, risk and uncertainty,
Dunedin Mum I’m overweight. It’s my spoon’s fault, of course. Try as I might to be thin, that spoon keeps treating me badly, forcing me to fail my diet, forcing me to eat too much, then blaming me for my fatness. I am an innocent victim of
The word for today is… pristine (adjective) – 1 : belonging to the earliest period or state 2a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) b : fresh and clean as or as if new Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : When pristine was anglicized in the 16th century, people borrowed the meanings of
