The word for today is… adapt (verb): : to make fit (as for a new use) often by modification Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : “Nothing in this world is as reliable as change” is a common aphorism and one we can certainly attest to as lexicographers. English speakers adapted adapt, for example,
The word for today is… doctrinaire (adjective, noun): adjective : stubbornly or excessively devoted to a doctrine or theory without regard to practical considerations noun : one who attempts to put into effect an abstract doctrine or theory with little or no regard for practical difficulties Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology : The noun
The word for today is… carnival (noun, adjective): noun 1: a season or festival of merrymaking before Lent 2a: an instance of merrymaking, feasting, or masquerading b: an instance of riotous excess 3a: a traveling enterprise offering amusements b: an organized program of entertainment or exhibition adjective : suggestive of or
The word for today is… imminent (adjective): : ready to take place : happening soon – often used of something bad or dangerous seen as menacingly near Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Imminent bears a close resemblance to eminent, and native English-speakers can be excused if they sometimes have to check their spelling. No
The word for today is… plagiarism (noun): 1: an act or instance of plagiarizing 2: something plagiarized Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Plagiarize (and plagiarism) comes from the Latin plagiarius “kidnapper.” This word, derived from the Latin plaga (“a net used by hunters to catch game”), extended its meaning in Latin
Family First familyfirst.org.nz A prolific sperm donor from the Netherlands who allegedly fathered over 500 children worldwide now faces a lawsuit over the potential increased risk of accidental incest. “If I had known that he had already fathered more than a hundred children, I would never have chosen
The word for today is… wangle (verb): 1: to adjust or manipulate for personal or fraudulent ends 2: to make or get by devious means Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :You may have noticed a striking resemblance between wangle and wrangle, both of which have a sense meaning “to obtain or
Lawrence W Reed fee.org Lawrence W Reed is FEE’s President Emeritus, Humphreys Family Senior Fellow and Ron Manners Global Ambassador for Liberty, having served for nearly 11 years as FEE’s president (2008-2019). He is author of the 2020 book, Was Jesus a Socialist? as well as Real
The word for today is… knackered (adjective): : tired, exhausted Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :An apt synonym for knackered might be the phrase “dead tired” for more than one reason. Knackered comes from the past participle of knacker, a slang term meaning “to kill,” as well as “to tire, exhaust, or
The word for today is… marginalia (plural noun): 1: marginal notes or embellishments (as in a book) 2: nonessential items Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In the introduction to his essay titled “Marginalia,” Edgar Allan Poe wrote: “In getting my books, I have always been solicitous of an ample margin; this
The word for today is… balkanise (verb): 1: to break up (a region, a group, etc.) into smaller and often hostile units 2: divide, compartmentalize Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe is lapped by the Adriatic Sea in the west and the Black Sea in the
The word for today is… endemic (adjective, noun): adjective 1a: belonging or native to a particular people or country b: characteristic of or prevalent in a particular field, area, or environment 2: restricted or peculiar to a locality or region noun : an organism that is restricted or peculiar to a
The word for today is… short shrift (compound noun): 1: barely adequate time for confession before execution 2a: little or no attention or consideration b: quick work—usually used in the phrase make short shrift of Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :A rare entry this morning, a compound noun. The earliest
The word for today is… exacerbate (verb): : to make more violent, bitter, or severe Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :The Latin adjective acer, meaning “sharp,” forms the basis of a number of English words. Acerbic (“having a bitter temper or sour mood”), acrid (“having a sharp taste or odor”), and acrimony
The word for today is… vulpine (adjective): 1: of, relating to, or resembling a fox 2: foxy, crafty Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :In Walden (1854), Henry David Thoreau described foxes crying out as they hunted through the winter forest, and he wrote, “Sometimes one came near to my window, attracted
The word for today is… misanthrope (noun): : a person who hates or distrusts humankind Source : Merriam -Webster Etymology :Misanthrope comes from the Greek misanthropos “hating humankind” and was very likely popularized by the French playwright Moliere’s Le Misanthrope, which depicts a bitter critic of society who chooses exile over
