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
The word for today is… minatory (adjective) – having a menacing quality Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Knowing that minatory means “threatening,” can you take a guess at a related word? If you’re familiar with mythology, perhaps you guessed Minotaur, the name of the bull-headed, people-eating monster of Crete. Minotaur is
The word for today is… bunkum (noun) – : insincere or foolish talk Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Some words in our language have more colorful histories than others, but in the case of bunkum, you could almost say it was an act of Congress that brought the word into being. Back in
Jeff Thomas internationalman.com Traditionally, inflation has been defined as “an increase in the amount of currency in circulation.” Such an increase almost always causes an increase in the cost of goods and services, since, more plentiful currency units lowers their rarity, as compared to the supply of goods and
The word for today is… brusque (adjective) – 1 : markedly short and abrupt a brusque reply 2 : blunt in manner or speech often to the point of ungracious harshnes Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : We borrowed “brusque” from French in the 1600s. The French, in turn, had borrowed it from Italian, where
Rodney Hide bassettbrashandhide.com Rodney Hide is former ACT Party leader, and Minister in the National-ACT Government from 2008 to 2011 It turns out numbers can be racist. Not just people. Or laws. But numbers. That’s now the size of the racism hammer. Racism explains everything. It justifies anything.
The word for today is… vendetta (noun) – 1 : blood feud 2 : an often prolonged series of retaliatory, vengeful, or hostile acts or exchange of such acts Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Vendetta has been getting even in English since the mid-19th century. English speakers borrowed vendetta, spelling and all, from Italian,
Shannon Schmoll Michigan State University Shannon Schmoll has a PhD in astronomy and science education. Her dissertation was titled “Toward a Framework for Integrating Planetarium and Classroom Learning” and was aimed at better understanding how planetarium field trips can effectively fit into formal astronomy curriculum. The first lunar eclipse of
The word for today is… dirge (noun) – 1 : a song or hymn of grief or lamentation especially one intended to accompany a funeral 2 : a slow, solemn, and mournful piece of music 3 : something (such as a poem) that has the qualities of a dirge Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The
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John Ling wealthmorning.com John is the Chief Marketing Officer at Wealth Morning. His responsibilities include marketing, customer service, and compliance. He is an experienced investor and portfolio manager, trading both on his own account and assisting with high net-worth clients. In the old days, there was a strict rule.
The word for today is… prudent (adjective) – : characterized by, arising from, or showing prudence: such as a : marked by wisdom or judiciousness b : shrewd in the management of practical affairs c : marked by circumspection Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Prudent arrived in Middle English around the 14th century and traces back,
