The word for today is… idée fixe (noun) – A fixed idea; an obsession. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The term idée fixe is a 19th-century French coinage. French writer Honoré de Balzac used it in his 1830 novella Gobseck to describe an obsessive idea. By 1836, Balzac’s more generalized
The word for today is… futhark (noun) – 1. The common Germanic runic alphabet. 2. (also fu·thorc or fu·thork) The Old English runic alphabet. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The word futhark refers to a writing system used by Germanic peoples, and especially by the Scandinavians and Anglo-Saxons, from
The word for today is… exoteric (adj) – 1. Not confined to an inner circle of disciples or initiates. 2. Comprehensible to or suited to the public; popular. 3. Of or relating to the outside; external. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Exoteric derives from Latin exotericus, which is itself from Greek
As Australia’s greatest rock band, TISM, once said: “ain’t social change amazing?” Once upon a time, Vietnam was the war people wanted to forget about. “There were no D-Day heroes in 1973,” as Cold Chisel sang. But by the late 80s, a welcome turnaround had ensued and Vietnam
The word for today is… doyenne (noun) – A woman who is the eldest or senior member of a group. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “Leading or senior woman in a group or society,” 1905, from fem. of French doyen. As a type of pear, from 1731.
The word for today is… divulge (verb) – 1. To make known (something private or secret). 2. (Archaic) To proclaim publicly. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : It isn’t vulgar to make known the roots of divulge. The preceding sentence contains two hints about the origins of the word. Divulge was
Alex Haslam, The University of Queensland; Catherine Haslam, The University of Queensland, and Tegan Cruwys, Australian National University The ABC’s Australia Talks project aims to stimulate a conversation on a broad sweep of topics — from job security and sexual habits to national pride and personal finances. The project is
The word for today is… conceptualism (noun) – 1. Philosophy The doctrine, intermediate between nominalism and realism, that universals exist only within the mind and have no external or substantial reality. Also called mentalism. 2. A school of abstract art or an artistic doctrine that is concerned with the intellectual engagement
Simon Lilburn, University of Melbourne and Philip Smith, University of Melbourne You’re driving down an unfamiliar street on a clear spring evening. You’ve been invited to a friend of a friend’s party, at a house you’ve never been to before. Tracking the street numbers, you see
The word for today is… compromise (noun) – 1. (a) A settlement of differences in which each side makes concessions. (b) The result of such a settlement. 2. Something that combines qualities or elements of different things. 3. A weakening or reduction of one’s principles or standards. 4. Impairment, as
Meet Marcail Parkinson, today’s crybaby of the week and a normal teen, especially when it comes to wailing on about plastic. Walking down a supermarket aisle lined with plastic wrappers is enough to set off “massive anxiety” for Marcail Parkinson. The 17-year-old Auckland high school student feels dread, and
The word for today is… pursy (adj) – 1. Having a puckered appearance. 2. Proud because of one’s wealth especially in the absence of other distinctions. 3. (Pathology) short-winded. 4. (Archaic) Fat; overweight. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : There are two adjectives spelled pursy, each with its own etymology. The
The word for today is… caustic (adj) – 1. Capable of burning, corroding, dissolving, or eating away by chemical action. 2. Sarcastic or cutting; biting. 3. Given to making caustic remarks: Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : If you have a burning desire to know the origins of caustic, you’re already
The word for today is… blandish (verb) – To coax by flattery or wheedling; cajole. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The word blandish has been a part of the English language since at least the 14th century with virtually no change in its meaning. It ultimately derives from blandus, a Latin
The word for today is… belfry (noun) – 1. A bell tower, especially one attached to a building. 2. The part of a tower or steeple in which bells are hung. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Surprisingly, belfry does not come from bell, and early belfries did not contain bells at
The word for today is… amaranthine (adj) – 1. Of, relating to, or resembling an amaranth*. 2. Eternally beautiful and unfading; everlasting. 3. Deep purple-red. *amaranth – Any of various annual plants of the genus Amaranthus having dense green or reddish clusters of tiny flowers and including weeds, ornamentals, and species cultivated
