The word for today is… ombudsman (noun) – 1. A man who investigates complaints and mediates fair settlements, especially between aggrieved parties such as consumers or students and an institution or organisation. 2. A government official, especially in Scandinavian countries, who investigates citizens’ complaints against the government or its functionaries. Source
Zero Alpha Unless you’ve been living under a rock this year (or you’re already wrapped in tinfoil and sitting in a bunker, in which case you can probably skip this instalment) you’ll know that 2020 has been a bit of a prepper’s wet dream. First off,
The word for today is… midriff (noun) – 1. See diaphragm. 2. The middle outer portion of the front of the human body, extending roughly from just below the breast to the waistline. 3. (a) A section of a garment that covers the midriff. (b) A garment that exposes the midriff.
Igor and Grichka Bogdanoff: Extreme plastic surgery disasters and why they do it Read the full article here. Comment on it on The BFD.
The word for today is… malaise (noun) – 1. A vague feeling of bodily discomfort, as at the beginning of an illness. 2. A general sense of depression or unease. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Malaise, which ultimately traces back to Old French, has been part of English since the 18th
The word for today is… hotdog (also hot dog) (noun) – 1. A frankfurter, especially one served hot in a long soft roll. Also called red-hot. 2. (Slang) One who performs showy, often dangerous stunts, as in skiing or surfing. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “Sausage on a split roll,
The word for today is… grubstake (verb) – To supply with funds in return for a promised share of profits. (noun) – Supplies or funds advanced to a mining prospector or a person starting a business in return for a promised share of the profits. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Grubstake is
The word for today is… gender (noun) – 1. (Grammar) (a) A grammatical category, often designated as male, female, or neuter, used in the classification of nouns, pronouns, adjectives, and, in some languages, verbs that may be arbitrary or based on characteristics such as sex or animacy and that determines agreement
The word for today is… flimflam (noun) – 1. Nonsense; humbug. 2. A deception; a swindle. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Also flim-flam, 1530s, a contemptuous echoic construction, perhaps connected to some unrecorded dialectal word from Scandinavian (compare Old Norse flim “a lampoon”). From 1650s as a verb. If you
The word for today is… ferret (verb) – 1. (a) To hunt (rabbits, for example) with ferrets. (b) To drive out, as from a hiding place; expel. 2. To uncover and bring to light by searching. Often used with out. 3. To hound or harry persistently; worry. (noun) – 1. A domesticated
The word for today is… demure (adj) – 1. Modest and reserved in manner or behaviour. 2. Characterised by or suggestive of reserve or modesty. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : In the nearly four centuries that demure has been in use, its meaning has only shifted slightly. While it began solely
The word for today is… crone (noun) – 1. (Derogatory) An old woman considered to be ugly; a hag. 2. A woman who is venerated for experience, judgment, and wisdom. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Late 14th century, “a feeble and withered old woman,” in Middle English a strong term of
The word for today is… catch-22 (noun) – 1. A situation in which a desired outcome or solution is impossible to attain because of a set of inherently contradictory rules or conditions. 2. A contradictory or self-defeating course of action. 3. A tricky or disadvantageous condition; a catch. Source
Melbourne’s parking inspectors have long been renowned as right bastards. The “grey ghosts” are legendary for springing out of nowhere just as terrified car owners are sprinting to put another coin in the meter. They have been handing out tickets to hospital staff in their own car parks and,
Don’t you just love Jacinda Ardern’s election promises? She’s out on the campaign trail promising the same thing she promised last election, that they will look into supermarket pricing. Labour leader Jacinda Ardern says food prices are thought to be too high, but has stopped short of
The word for today is… beholden (adj) – Owing something, such as gratitude, to another; indebted. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Have you ever found yourself under obligation to someone else for a gift or favour? It’s a common experience and, not surprisingly, many of the words describing this condition
