The super-fit 92-old [Jim Blair] – born in 1931, he turns 93 in May – will be competing in the New Zealand Masters Games starting in Dunedin on Saturday, but moves better than some 40-year-olds and can recall decades-old facts and anecdotes (such as a trial offer with Aston Villa in the
The word for today is… authentic (adjective): 1: not false or imitation : real, actual 2: true to one’s own personality, spirit, or character 3a: worthy of acceptance or belief as conforming to or based on fact b: conforming to an original so as to reproduce essential features c: made
The government is proposing changes to fast-track resource consents in a new bill set to go before Parliament in early March. The minister charged with resource management reform, Chris Bishop, said high costs and long wait times were stifling economic growth. The current system was costing infrastructure projects around $1.
The word for today is… kinetic (adjective): 1: of or relating to the motion of material bodies and the forces and energy associated therewith 2a: active, lively b: dynamic, energizing 3: of or relating to kinetic art Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Ever watch a top spin? Or see one snooker
Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick has announced she will run for the Green Party’s leadership. Swarbrick confirmed she would contest the co-leadership position from Parliament today, saying that in the three days since James Shaw announced he was stepping down from the role, people had asked her to put her
The word for today is… culprit (noun): 1: one accused of or charged with a crime 2: one guilty of a crime or a fault 3: the source or cause of a problem Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Culprit is related to culpable, which itself comes (via Middle English and Anglo-French)
Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has said parents need to “wake up” and tackle low school attendance. The comments follow a ministerial briefing which revealed “high levels of disassociation from school”. He said National had done its bit to improve school performance by introducing a cellphone ban. Luxon made the comments
The word for today is… olfactory (adjective): : of or relating to the sense of smell Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Olfactory comes from the Latin word olfacere (“to smell”), which in turn combines two verbs, olere (“to give off a smell”) and facere (“to do”). It often appears in scientific contexts
Former Green MP Golriz Ghahraman is accused of stealing nearly $10,000 of goods from two boutique stores and if convicted could face up to seven years in prison. Charge sheet information relating to the alleged thefts has just been released to the Herald. Ghahraman faces three charges of shoplifting.
The word for today is… panjandrum (noun): 1- a pompous self-important official or person of rank 2 – Secret WWII rocket propelled rolling bomb project designed to be used at beach assaults. It was an abject failure and was never deployed in action. Source : Interesting literature.com; Youtube Etymology : One of
Friends and family of Jarreth Colquhoun have expressed their sadness and shock at his death after jumping into Wellington harbour on Friday. Brief messages posted on Facebook by relatives from Colquhoun’s home town of Wairoa express love for him and his parents. Colquhoun, 33, died after jumping from the
The word for today is… abnegate (verb): 1 formal : deny, renounce 2 formal : surrender, relinquish Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : There’s no denying that the Latin root negare, meaning “to deny,” has given English some useful words, among them abnegate, which is used in formal settings to mean “to deny
The word for today is… nebbish (noun): : a timid, meek, or ineffectual person Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Nebbish comes from the Yiddish word nebekh, meaning “poor” or “unfortunate.” In keeping with the term’s semantic timidity, its journey from Yiddish to English wasn’t accomplished in a single bold leap.
Consumer NZ, Lawyers for Climate Action NZ and the Environmental Law Initiative have gone to the High Court to accuse Z Energy of greenwashing about its attempts to decarbonise. The energy company reports the second-highest emissions of any New Zealand company, but says it’s trying to diversify away from
The word for today is… tranche (noun): : a division or portion of a pool or whole Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In French, tranche means “slice.” Cutting deeper into the word’s etymology, we find the Old French word trancer, meaning “to cut.” Tranche emerged in the English language in the
Marica S Tacconi Penn State theconversation.com Imagine Lady Gaga or Elton John teaching at an orphanage or homeless shelter, offering daily music lessons. That’s what took place at Venice’s four Ospedali Grandi, which were charitable institutions that took in the needy – including orphaned and foundling girls – from
