The word for today is… insuperable (adj) – Impossible to overcome; insurmountable. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Insuperable first appeared in print in the 14th century, and as a close synonym to insurmountable, it still means now approximately what it did then. In Latin, superare means “to go over, surmount, overcome,
The word for today is… ineffable (adj) – 1. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. 2. Not to be uttered; taboo. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “Every tone was a testimony against slavery, and a prayer to God for deliverance from chains. The hearing of those wild notes always depressed
he word for today is… higgledy-piggledy (adv) – In utter disorder or confusion. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : We really have no idea where higgledy-piggledy came from, but we do know it’s a perfect demonstration of English speakers’ fondness for reduplication—that is, for forming new words by repetition of
The word for today is… flounce (noun) – A strip of decorative, usually gathered or pleated material attached by one edge, as on a garment or curtain. (verb) – 1. (a) To move in a lively or bouncy manner: The children flounced around the room in their costumes. (b) To move with
Having wandered into a community FB page one day I saw what I thought was a humorous way to get a certain message across. Now that clearly was not taken in the locality of the community page as there are no snowy mountains within sight, it actually doesn’t even
The word for today is… contraption (noun) – A mechanical device; a gadget. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : English has a number of words that can be used as general terms for mechanical or electronic devices, including gadget, gizmo, widget, and contraption. In addition to their meaning, these four words also
The word for today is… boilerplate (noun) – 1. Steel in the form of flat plates used in making steam boilers. 2. Journalistic material, such as syndicated features, made available by agencies in a form that is already typeset, originally in plate form, for easy incorporation into publications such as newspapers.
The word for today is… assiduous (adj) – Showing or characterised by persistent attention or untiring application Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Judges presiding over assizes (former periodical sessions of the superior courts in English counties) had to be assiduous in assessing how to best address their cases. Not only were
The word for today is… afflatus (noun) – A strong creative impulse, especially as a result of divine inspiration. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Inspiration might be described as a breath of fresh air, and so it is appropriate that inspire derives in part from a word meaning “to breathe”—Latin
The word for today is… acquisitive (adj) – 1. Characterised by a strong desire to gain and possess. 2. Tending to acquire and retain ideas or information: Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : While acquisitive is a useful synonym of the likes of greedy and avaricious, it’s relatively unknown compared to
The word for today is… stratagem (noun) – 1. A scheme or manoeuvre designed to achieve an objective, as in surprising an enemy or deceiving someone. See Synonyms at wile. 2. The devising or execution of such schemes or maneuvers: Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : A stratagem is any clever scheme—
The word for today is… shot-clog (noun) – A person tolerated only because he pays the shot, or reckoning, for the rest of the company, otherwise a mere clog on them. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The shot in shot-clog refers to a charge to be paid. It’s a cousin
The word for today is… annals (noun) – 1. A chronological record of the events of successive years. 2. A descriptive account or record; a history. 3. A periodical journal in which the records and reports of a learned field are compiled. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “Chronicle of events year-by-year,
The word for today is… scavenger (noun) – 1. An animal, such as a vulture or housefly, that feeds on dead or decaying matter. 2. One that scavenges, as a person who searches through refuse for useful items. 3. (Chemistry) A substance added to a mixture to remove or inactivate impurities.
By the Blonde This advertisement, full page, on the back of this morning’s Canvas magazine which comes with the Herald, is almost beyond belief! How many people would have been involved with the making of the ad? And, no-one picked up the error? ‘Your‘, when it should have been
