The word for today is… encomium (noun): : glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Kudos to encomium for being a marvelous, magnificent, must-have word for high praise for over four centuries—at least in formal speech and writing. Indeed, like its synonym panegyric, encomium (from the Greek word
If you’ve already voted, well done. If you haven’t yet, you should. Have a great day. Discuss it on The BFD. If you would like to access exclusive Member content or just remove the ads to make your reading experience more enjoyable click here to browse our Membership
The word for today is… feckless (adjective): 1: weak, ineffective 2: worthless, irresponsible Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Someone feckless is lacking in feck. And what, you may ask, is feck? In Scots—our source of feckless—feck means “majority” or “effect.” The term is ultimately an alteration of the Middle
David Fisher writes: Once more we return to the beautiful Bay of Islands where Winston Peters will balance the country’s future in his hands in the manner of a Wild West poker player – he’ll hold his cards close and likely have at least one ace up his sleeve.
The word for today is… environment (noun): 1: the circumstances, objects, or conditions by which one is surrounded 2a: the complex of physical, chemical, and biotic factors (such as climate, soil, and living things) that act upon an organism or an ecological community and ultimately determine its form and survival
Just when things were turning the corner for Chris Hipkins, the tyrant opens her big yawning yap hole and gives Labour the kiss of death. Former prime minister Dame Jacinda Ardern has broken her election silence, backing Labour during a near 11-minute Facebook live from the United States. Dame Jacinda,
The word for today is… preen (verb): 1 of a bird : to groom with the bill especially by rearranging the barbs and barbules of the feathers and by distributing oil from the uropygial gland 2: to dress or smooth (oneself) up : primp 3: to pride or congratulate (oneself) on an
A social media post from former All Black Sonny Bill Williams that compared Hamas militants to Ukrainian freedom fighters has sparked controversy and outrage. Stuff Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD. If you would like to access exclusive Member content or just remove the ads to make your
The word for today is… malaise (noun): 1: an indefinite feeling of debility or lack of health often indicative of or accompanying the onset of an illness 2: a vague sense of mental or moral ill-being Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Malaise, whose Old French ancestor was formed from the combination
The word for today is… desolate (adjective, verb): adjective 1: devoid of inhabitants and visitors : deserted 2: joyless, disconsolate, and sorrowful through or as if through separation from a loved one 3a: showing the effects of abandonment and neglect : dilapidated b: barren, lifeless c: devoid of warmth, comfort, or hope
Damien Grant gives Chris Hipkins a solid kicking as he heads for the exit: Can there be a more poetic end to this government than its Prime Minister, confined to his hotel room, the last soldier of a forgotten war stranded on an isolated island while the rest of his
The word for today is… debonair (adjective): 1a: suave, urbane b: lighthearted, nonchalant 2archaic : gentle, courteous Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : French has a certain cachet, a fanciness and prestige owing in part to its deep etymological, historical, and political connections with English. This extends to many French words that English
A recent report from Bloomberg revealed that in 2021 and 2022, just 6% of new jobs at S&P 100 companies went to white applicants. Considering that whites make up 77% of the labor force, that means that there was active discrimination taking place at these companies in order
The word for today is… gumption (noun): 1: enterprise, initiative 2 chiefly dialectal : common sense, horse sense Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : English speakers have had gumption (the word, that is) since the early 1700s. The term’s source isn’t known, but early examples of it are found in Scottish
Government agency Pharmac’s chief executive has been heavily criticised by the Health Minister, her own board chair and the Public Service Commissioner for “unacceptable” and “unprofessional” comments about journalist Rachel Smalley and her campaigning efforts to reform the drug-funding entity. Disdain for Smalley has been revealed in internal Pharmac
The word for today is… incarcerate (verb): 1: to put in prison 2: to subject to confinement Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Just as English is full of nouns referring to places where prisoners are confined, from the familiar (jail and prison) to the obscure (calaboose and bridewell), so we have
