The word for today is… obloquy (noun) – 1. Abusively detractive language or utterance; calumny. 2. The condition of disgrace suffered as a result of abuse or vilification; ill repute. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : English speakers can choose from several synonyms to name a tongue-lashing. Abuse is a good
Google has used their vast amounts of data from users to show how dramatically the economy has been affected by the nationwide shutdown. It is sobering reading. These Community Mobility Reports aim to provide insights into what has changed in response to policies aimed at combating COVID-19. The reports
The word for today is… numismatic (adj) – 1. Of or relating to coins or currency. 2. Of or relating to numismatics. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The first metal coins are believed to have been used as currency by the Lydians, a people of Asia Minor, during the 7th century
Daylight saving ends when clocks go back by 1 hour at 3am on 5 April 2020. The Department of Internal Affairs advises us to take the time to check household emergency plans, survival items, and smoke alarms. “A house fire can kill in five minutes – go over an escape plan
The word for today is… judgment (noun) – 1. (a) The act or process of judging; the formation of an opinion after consideration or deliberation. (b) An opinion or estimate formed after consideration or deliberation, especially a formal or authoritative decision. 2. (a) The mental ability to perceive and distinguish relationships;
As we are all confined to barracks, it is a great opportunity to try new things. How about a virtual tour of a world famous museum or art gallery? Maybe you have already visited this place or maybe it was on your bucket list? Today’s tour is of the
The word for today is… gustatory (adj) – Of or relating to the sense of taste. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Gustatory is a member of a finite set of words that describe the senses with which we encounter our world, the other members being visual, aural, olfactory, and tactile. Like
The word for today is… eradicate (verb) – 1. To tear up by the roots. 2. To get rid of; eliminate. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Given that eradicate first meant “to pull up by the roots,” it’s not surprising that the root of eradicate means, in fact, “root.” Eradicate,
As we are all confined to barracks, it is a great opportunity to try new things. How about a virtual tour of a world famous museum or art gallery? Maybe you have already visited this place, maybe it was on your bucket list? Today’s tour is of the Guggenheim
The word for today is… bootless (adj) – Being without advantage or benefit; useless. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : This sense of bootless has nothing to do with footwear. The “boot” in this case is an obsolete noun that meant “use” or “avail.” That boot descended from Old English b?t
The word for today is… scumble (verb) – 1. To soften the colours or outlines of (a painting or drawing) by covering with a film of opaque or semiopaque colour or by rubbing. 2. To blur the outlines of. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The history of scumble is blurry, but
The word for today is… prognosticate (verb) – 1. To predict according to present indications or signs; foretell. 2. To foreshadow; portend. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Prognosticate, which comes from the Greek progn?stikos (“foretelling”), first appears in English during the 15th century. Since that time, prognosticate has been connected
Stephen E. Nash Stephen E. Nash is a historian of science and an archaeologist at the Denver Museum of Nature & Science. He studies a wide range of subjects, including dendrochronology (tree-ring dating), the history of museums, the archaeology of west-central New Mexico, and Russian gem-carving sculptures
The word for today is… parvenu (noun) – A person who has suddenly risen to a higher social and economic class and has not yet gained social acceptance by others in that class. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : French has been generous in providing us with terms for obscure folks who
The word for today is… macabre (adj) – 1. Upsetting or horrifying by association with death or injury; gruesome. 2. Constituting or including a representation of death. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : We trace the origins of macabre to the name of the Book of Maccabees, which is included in the
The word for today is… lenticular (adj) – 1. Shaped like a biconvex lens. 2. Of or relating to a lens. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “Lentil-shaped”—that’s the meaning of Latin lenticularis, the parent of English’s lenticular. It’s an appropriate predecessor because a double-convex lens
