Thursday word of the day: hugger-mugger

This word made me laugh out loud this morning. Oh, if only I was an awesome illustrator! I may have to post a childlike drawing of a hugger meets a mugger later today:)

The true definition is:
1. A disorderly jumble; muddle; confusion.
2. Secrecy; concealment.

adjective:
1. Confused; muddled; disorderly.
2. Secret.
adverb:
1. In a muddle or confusion.
2. Secretly.
transitive verb: 1. To keep secret.
intransitive verb: 1. To act in a secretive manner.
straight from dictionary.com

Thursday word of the day : Cosset

cosset \KOSS-it\, transitive verb:

1. To treat as a pet; to treat with excessive indulgence; to pamper.
2. A pet, especially a pet lamb.

I think I need to hit the spa soon and enjoy such cosseting!

Thursday word of the day : Pulchritude

Our First Lady

pulchritude \PUL-kruh-tood; -tyood\, noun:

That quality of appearance which pleases the eye; beauty; comeliness; grace; loveliness.

Pulchritude comes from Latin pulchritudo, from pulcher, "beautiful." The adjective form is pulchritudinous.

Thursday word of the day : Bumptious

Some words mean exactly like they sound. I enjoy the silliness of this one and that it is difficult to take seriously when you say it.

bumptious \BUMP-shuhs\, adjective:
Crudely, presumptuously, or loudly self-assertive.

Bumptious is perhaps a blend of bump and presumptuous.

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Imbroglio

After a two week hiatus, the Thursday word of the day returns…

Roxana Saberi is an American journalist who has been sentenced to eight years in prison by the Iranian government after being convicted of spying for the United States.

imbroglio \im-BROHL-yoh\, noun:

1. A complicated and embarrassing state of things.
2. A confused or complicated disagreement or misunderstanding.
3. An intricate, complicated plot, as of a drama or work of fiction.
4. A confused mass; a tangle.

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : schadenfreude

schadenfreude [shahd-n-froi-duh] - noun

Satisfaction or pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune.

Origin: 1890–95; Schaden harm + Freude joy

In the small and catty world of advertising and design, Arnell's stumble has been cause for celebration. The schadenfreude on Madison Avenue hangs so thick you can practically taste it.
-- Newsweek-Mad Man, Brand genius Peter Arnell says one design flub won't tarnish his rep. Rivals aren't so sure

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Hackneyed

hackneyed \HAK-need\, adjective:

1. used too often; commonplace
2. habituated; experienced

from Merriam Webster:
1. lacking in freshness or originality

synonyms: trite

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Sanguine

Paul Gauguin
Self-Portrait, 1889

sanguine \SANG-gwin\, adjective, noun;
Also used as a noun, red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings:

1. cheerfully optimistic, hopeful, or confident
2. reddish; ruddy
3. (in old physiology) having blood as the predominating humor and consequently being ruddy-faced, cheerful, etc.
4. blood-red; red
5. Heraldry. a reddish-purple tincture.
6. a red iron-oxide crayon used in making drawings

by 1319, "type of red cloth," from Old French sanguin (feminine form, sanguine), from Latin sanguineus "of blood," also "bloody, bloodthirsty," from sanguis "blood." Meaning "blood-red" is recorded from 1382. Meaning "cheerful, hopeful, confident" first attested 1509, since these qualities were thought in medieval physiology to spring from an excess of blood as one of the four humors.

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day (on Monday) : Spoonerism

Last week got a little busy -you know how it goes: work, work, life, work right? I hope you like the fun word for the day:

spoonerism \SPOO-nuh-riz-uhm\, noun:
The transposition of usually initial sounds in a pair of words.

Examples:
A well-boiled icicle ["well-oiled bicycle"].
Let me sew you to your sheet ["show you to your seat"].

Spoonerism comes from the name of the Rev. William Archibald Spooner (1844-1930), a kindly but nervous Anglican clergyman and educationalist. All the above examples were committed by (or attributed to) him.

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Tetchy

I'm struggling today with a head cold and definitely feeling tetchy.

tetchy \TECH-ee\, adjective:
Peevish; testy; irritable.

Tetchy probably comes from Middle English tecche, "a bad habit," from Old French tache, teche, "a spot, stain, blemish, habit, vice."

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Tintinnabulation

I dare you to use this one at the next dinner party without laughing.

tintinnabulation \tin-tih-nab-yuh-LAY-shuhn\, noun:
A tinkling sound, as of a bell or bells.

Tintinnabulation derives from Latin tintinnabulum "a bell," from tintinnare from tinnire, "to jingle."

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Victuals

victuals \VIT-uhlz\, noun:

food or provisions, esp. for humans

c 1303, vitaylle (singular), from Anglo-French and Old French vitaille, from Late Latin victualia "provisions," noun use of plural of victualis "of nourishment," from victus "livelihood, food, sustenance," from base of vivere "to live." Spelling altered by 1523 to conform with Latin, but pronunciation remains "vittles."

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Pinchbeck

chain, chain, chain earrings, available on my etsy site, Effie Girlie Finerie
I'm sure there's some pinchbeck in this sweet little gold bead. There's less worry when it's not real gold!

pinchbeck \PINCH-bek\, noun, adjective:

1. an alloy of zinc and copper used to imitate gold in jewelry-making; by extension, something counterfeit; an imitation
2. not genuine; fake

by 1734, named for Christopher Pinchbeck (c1670-1732), London watchmaker, who developed the alloy

from dictionary.reference.com

Thursday word of the day : Toady

toady \TOH-dee\, noun, verb:

1. a fawning flatterer; humble dependent
2. to attempt to gain favor by fawning or being servile

c 1690 for noun, possibly shortened from toad-eater "fawning flatterer," originally referring to the assistant of a charlatan, who ate a toad (believed to be poisonous) to enable his master to display his skill in expelling the poison. The verb is recorded from 1827.

dictionary.com

Thursday word of the day : Vacuous

vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:

1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty

by 1561, from Latin vacuus "empty, void, free." Figurative sense of "empty of ideas" is from 1848.

Thursday word of the day : Pandiculation

photo by Swamo

pandiculation \pan-dik-yuh-LEY-shuhn\, noun:
An instinctive stretching, as on awakening or while yawning

by 1611 from French pandiculation from Latin pandiculari "to stretch oneself" and French suffix -ion.

from Word of the Day by Dictionary.com

Thursday word of the day : Elocution

elocution \el-uh-KYOO-shuhn\, noun:
the art of speaking or reading clearly in public, including gestures, pronunciation, and tones

by 1509, from Late Latin elocutionem "voice production, manner of expression," in classical Latin it meant "oratorical expression," and referred to Roman rhetoricians, from eloqui "to speak out."
dictionary.com

Soon the fine art of public speaking will be back in the United States White House. Thank goodness! George W. Bush made me want to scream every time he fumbled in his speeches, using the wrong words and poor grammar. Some of the president's more notable malaprops and mangled statements:

• "Rarely is the question asked, is our children learning?" — January 2000, during a campaign event in South Carolina.
  
  
• "There's an old saying in Tennessee — I know it's in Texas, probably in Tennessee — that says, fool me once, shame on — shame on you. Fool me — you can't get fooled again." — Sept. 17, 2002, in Nashville, Tenn.
  
  
• "Mr. Prime Minister, thank you for your introduction. Thank you for being such a fine host for the OPEC summit." — September 2007, in Sydney, Australia, where Bush was attending an APEC summit.
  
  
• "The fact that they purchased the machine meant somebody had to make the machine. And when somebody makes a machine, it means there's jobs at the machine-making place." — May 27, 2008, in Mesa, Ariz.

Okay, there's just too many. We all know at least 10 right? And I swear, just recalling them drops my IQ.

Well, finally, we're 5 days away from saying goodbye to Mr. Bush and hello to Mr. Obama and his proper elocution! Oh I'm so very excited!

Thursday word of the day : Yegg + Zanthous

Two random words for the day to make up for missing a few weeks in 08. I couldn't resist sharing yegg with you. It's so silly.

yegg \yeg\, noun:
a burglar who robs safes; safecracker

by 1903, underworld slang of unknown origin, possibly the name of an American burglar and safecracker

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xanthous \ZAN-thuhs\, adjective:
yellow; yellowish

by 1829, from Greek xanthos "yellow," of unknown origin. Prefix form xantho- is used in many scientific words.

Thursday word of the day : Beautific

"Twine" a new piece by the wonderful Yellena

Last Wednesday was my birthday. I had a fantastic day! I originally planned on flying to New York or California but decided to stay put and enjoy a more low-key celebration at home. It was calm but packed with lots of love, good food and fun. I have such amazing friends and am always taken back by their awesomeness. Thanks everyone!

Following my big day, I needed a few days off from blogging. I'm feeling energized today and am back to blogging goodness! Hope you are all well and staying warm! *a


beatific \bee-uh-TIF-ik\, adjective:

1. exaltedly happy; blissful
2. blessing or making exceedingly happy

Thursday word of the day : escutcheon

escutcheon \ih-SKUHCH-uhn\, noun:

1. a shield decorated with a coat of arms
2. the protective metal plate around a keyhole and lock, drawer handle or pull, light switch, etc.
3. the panel on a ship's stern bearing her name

by 1480, from Old North French escuchon, variant of Old French escusson, from Latin scutum "shield"

from dictionary.reference.com