The word for today is… confabulate (verb) – 1. To talk casually; chat. 2. (Psychology) To fill in gaps in one’s memory with fabrications that one believes to be facts. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Confabulate is a fabulous word for making fantastic fabrications. Given the similarities in spelling and
The word for today is… legerdemain (noun) – 1. Sleight of hand. 2. Deceitful cleverness; trickery. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : In Middle French, folks who were clever enough to fool others with fast-fingered illusions were described as leger de main, literally “light of hand.” English speakers condensed that phrase
The word for today is… histrionic (adj) – 1. Of or relating to actors or acting. 2. Excessively dramatic or emotional; affected. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The term histrionic developed from histrio, Latin for “actor.” Something that is histrionic tends to remind one of the high drama of stage and
Sir Bob Jones nopunchespulled.com American journalist Joshua Chaffin wrote a sentimental article in the Weekend Financial Times, in many folk’s eyes, the world’s best newspaper. Specifically, Joshua reminisced about what he missed about London after a two year absence. It was an enjoyable article touching on British
The word for today is… farrago (noun) – An assortment or a medley; a conglomeration. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Farrago might seem an unlikely relative of farina (the name for the mealy breakfast cereal), but the two terms have their roots in the same Latin noun. Both derive from far,
The word for today is… emulate (verb) – 1. To strive to equal or excel, especially through imitation. 2. To compete with successfully; approach or attain equality with. 3. (Computers) To imitate the function of (another system), as by modifications to hardware or software that allow the imitating system to accept
The word for today is… dolorous (adj) – Marked by or exhibiting sorrow, grief, or pain. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Circa 1400, “causing grief,” also “causing pain, painful” (a sense now obsolete), from Old French doloros “painful; sorrowful, wretched” (12th century, Modern French douloureux) from Late Latin dolorosus “painful, sorrowful,
The word for today is… deracinate (verb) – 1. To pull out by the roots; uproot. 2. To displace from one’s native or accustomed environment. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : There is a hint about the roots of deracinate in its first definition. Deracinate was borrowed into English in the
The word for today is… bromide (noun) – 1. (a) Univalent anionic bromine, or a compound of bromine, especially a binary compound of bromine with a more electropositive element. (b) Potassium bromide. 2. (a) A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude. See Synonyms at cliché. (b) A tiresome person; a bore.
Bryan Leyland MSc, DistFEngNZ, FIMechE, FIEE(rtd), MRSNZ Bryan Leyland is a Power Systems engineer with many years of experience in New Zealand and overseas. Power prices are higher than they should be because the gentailers control the supply and the price. Nothing less than a comprehensive rethink of the
Lindsay Mitchell lindsaymitchell.blogspot.com Michelle Duff claims in an ‘analysis’ for “trustworthy, accurate and reliable” Stuff: 90 per cent of those who have lost their jobs post-Covid are women Yesterday I quoted another source that debunked the number. The shocking revelation – that of the 11,000 fewer people
The word for today is… aphelion (noun) – The point on the orbit of a celestial body that is farthest from the sun. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Aphelion and perihelion are troublesome terms. Which one means a planet is nearest to the sun and which means it is farthest away?
Nathan Smith nzinitiative.org.nz “They” say a conspiracy theorist is someone who is correct ten years too early. What’s funny is this is the same definition of an economic forecaster. In fact, master Keynesian Paul Samuelson once joked that Wall Street has predicted nine of the last five
The word for today is… prosopagnosia (noun) – A disorder characterised by the inability to recognise people by their faces. In some cases it is present at birth, and in others it is the result of a brain injury. Also called face blindness. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : 1950, Medical Latin
Jeffrey A. Tucker aier.org The lockdown upheaval has affected every aspect of life, including intellectual life. People we have never heard of have become some of the most passionate and informative voices against government measures. I’m glad to meet them and interested in seeing how they grow through
The word for today is… yokel (noun) – A rustic; a bumpkin. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The origins of yokel are uncertain, but it might have come from the dialectal English word yokel used as the name for the green woodpecker (the nickname is of imitative origin). Other words for
