In a paywalled opinion piece yesterday, Steven Joyce took aim at centralisation. Those who supported the change of government will be happy with the early signs, while those who voted for the losing side are proving to be loud in their grief. Such is democracy. […] Wellington’s story is one
The word for today is… fervid (adjective): 1: very hot : burning 2: marked by often extreme fervor Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Fervid comes from the Latin verb fervere, meaning “to boil” or “to glow,” as well as, by extension, “to seethe” or “to be roused.” In English, this root gave
Shane MacGowan, the sandpapery-voiced former Pogues frontman who served as the bridge between traditional Irish folk music and punk rock, died on Thursday at the age of 65. MacGowan’s wife, Victoria Clarke, confirmed the musician’s death in a statement. The BBC wrote that MacGowan “died peacefully at
The word for today is… nepotism (noun): : favoritism (as in appointment to a job) based on kinship Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Nepotism is favoritism based on kinship, especially in professional contexts. English speakers have kept nepotism in the family since the late 1600s, having adopted it from the French, who
Explaining is losing: Wellington mayor Tory Whanau has admitted she has a drinking problem after another incident of drunken behaviour in public. The admission follows questions by RNZ about what happened at an inner-city bar two weekends ago. In a written statement to RNZ, the mayor said she had
The word for today is… grok (verb)): : to understand profoundly and intuitively Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Grok may be the only English word that derives from Martian. Yes, I do mean the language of the planet Mars. No, I’m not getting too weird; we’ve just ventured into the
Former prime minister Chris Hipkins is giving his first press conference as leader of the Opposition, as the Labour Party gets stuck into the new National-led Government with new claims of a “growing fiscal hole”. “I said during the election campaign I was expecting this coalition to be a
The word for today is… lionise (verb): : to treat as an object of great interest or importance Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : It is perhaps no surprise that humans have long projected qualities of bravery and regality upon the proverbial “king of the beasts.” It is precisely those and similar admirable
A Tauranga art gallery showcasing Palestinian artists in an exhibition, From the River to the Sea, was told to remove material from its window by its real estate agent, who says there should be “no political stuff in the tenancy”. SunLive Read more here. Discuss it on The BFD. If
The word for today is… tenebrous (adjective): 1: shut off from the light : dark, murky 2: hard to understand : obscure 3: causing gloom Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Tenebrous can mean both “obscure” and “murky,” but its history is crystal clear. Etymologists know that the word comes from the Latin noun
After he and his ministry were sworn in this morning at Government House, Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said their first focus would be to polish off National’s 100-day plan to put it into action this week. The 100-day plan covered a range of topics, from health to
The word for today is… mesmerise (verb): 1: to subject to mesmerism. Also : hypnotise 2: spellbind Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Experts can’t agree on whether Franz Anton Mesmer (1734-1815) was a quack or a genius, but all concede that the Swabian physician’s name is the source of
Speaking to Q+A, the new finance minister suggested the outgoing Labour Government had left “some nasty surprises” in the form of “pretty significant” fiscal risks. “It’s fair to say that the outgoing government has left us with some nasty surprises. There are some fiscal risks that are pretty
The word for today is… regimen (noun): 1a: a systematic plan (as of diet, therapy, or medication) especially when designed to improve and maintain the health of a patient b: a regular course of action and especially of strenuous training 2: government, rule Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : Regimen, which usually
The word for today is… churlish (adjective): 1: of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar 2: marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : surly 3: difficult to work with or deal with : intractable Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : In Old English, the word ceorl referred to a free peasant—
The word for today is… inspire (verb): 1a: to spur on : impel, motivate b: to exert an animating, enlivening, or exalting influence on c: affect d: to influence, move, or guide by divine or supernatural inspiration 2a: bring about, occasion b: incite 3a: to draw forth or bring out b:
