Word of the Day for Saturday, December 31, 2011

anamnesis \an-am-NEE-sis\, noun:

1. The recollection or remembrance of the past.

2. Platonism. Recollection of the Ideas, which the soul had known in a previous existence, especially by means of reasoning.

3. The medical history of a patient.

4. Immunology. A prompt immune response to a previously encountered antigen, characterized by more rapid onset and greater effectiveness of antibody and T cell reaction than during the first encounter, as after a booster shot in a previously immunized person.

5. (Often initial capital letter) a prayer in a Eucharistic service, recalling the Passion, Resurrection, and Ascension of Christ.

Now as the clock struck 3:00 a.m. the B.O. knew that on the last bell another ghost would present himself; and as much as he wanted to be disappointed at a no-show ghost, the ghost of Presidents Future suddenly appeared before him.

"All right, ghost, let's get this stupid nonsense over with," the B.O. sneered with great disdain.

"B.O., you are a real piece of work. Maybe by seeing what will happen if you continue on the current path you are on you will consider changing your ways," the ghost retorted.

"Give me a break, I am the greatest President there ever has been or will be. I passed all of that legislation in my first two years in office, more than any other President in history."

"Maybe so, but let's look at the future, now that you have had a glimpse at the anamnesis of the past." They instantly were transported to future New York City, where they witnessed closed store after closed store. Soup lines were everywhere, and fires burned in old corporate buildings that used to house many of the great financial institutions. Then they went to city after city and witnessed the same thing - fires, roaming gangs, soup lines, broken down vehicles of all sorts abandoned on the roadsides.

"Take me to Washington D.C., you idiot. I want to see what's going on there," the B.O. snapped. "It couldn't be all that bad."

"That's a bad idea, B.O." the ghost said, but the B.O. was not to be dissuaded.

So they instantly appeared in front of the White House; it was more beautiful than he had remembered it, with the lawns perfectly manicured, trees and bushes trimmed, a fresh coat of paint on the house itself. They went to all of the government centers in D.C. where there was much hustle and bustle, with big new limos dropping off the workers at their places of work. There was no sign of the despair that he witnessed at the other cities, and the B.O. smiled.

"You sneaky ghost, you didn't want me to see how it really is here, did you?" the B.O. gleefully asked the ghost.

"But, B.O., what you saw in the other cities is how it really is. What you have seen here is not reality for the rest of America. This is an abomination of what the government should be. The government here is living in a bubble, not reality. If you don't change the course of this government now, what you have seen tonight in the other cities in America will become reality. Take heed, B.O." And with that the B.O. was back in the White House, still alone. "Gees, I'm glad that character is gone," he said as he dozed off in bed.

"The next morning he woke up, totally refreshed and invigorated. He hadn't felt this good since he had won the Presidency in 2008. The B.O. bounced out of bed and rushed over to the window and threw open the blinds. There were actually people walking around outside again, and things appeared to be back to normal.

"What day is today?" he yelled out the window to the gardener.

"Why, it's New Years Day, Mr. President.

"Splendid!" he yelled back down to the gardener.

The B.O. immediately went to his office and got his Chief of Staff on the phone. "Daley, get that engineer that designed the ObamaStar down in the Oval Office ASAP, I need to get a new one built that can withstand the gravitational pulls imposed on it by the earth, moon, and sun. It's a great day in the neighborhood, and an even better day to be the Emperor of the World!" And with that, the B.O. went away whistling and headed down to the gym to get some basketball time in before breakfast!
--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

When I was writing a novel about a fourteen-year-old girl, I must remember what I was like at fourteen, but this anamnesis is not a looking back, from my present chronological age, at Madeleine, aged fourteen.-- Madeleine L'Engle, The Irrational Season

The narrator of Dostoevsky's Dream of a Ridiculous Man visits in his sleep, in a state of anamnesis perhaps, a humanity living in the Golden Age before the loss of innocence and happiness.-- Czesław Miłosz, To Begin Where I Am: Selected Essays

Anamnesis is derived from the Greek roots ana (meaning “re”) and mimnḗskein (meaning “to call to mind”).

Word of the Day for Friday, December 30, 2011

lave \leyv\, verb:

1. To wash; bathe.

2. (Of a river, sea, etc.) to flow along, against, or past; wash.

3. Obsolete. To ladle; pour or dip with a ladle.

4. Archaic. To bathe.

noun:

1. The remainder; the rest.

adjective:

1. (Of ears) large and drooping.

By 2:00 a.m. the B.O. was quite worked up, not knowing what was going to happen next. He could scarcely believe that all of these bizarre occurrences had actually happened - first the ObamaStar falling out of the sky, then no one was home at the White House, and now ghosts! As the clock struck the second gong at 2:00, sure enough another ghost appeared.

"Hey, you look a lot like President Reagan."

The ghost ignored his comment, and then said "Oh stinky B.O., you need to lave yourself as you are truly living up to your initials! But enough of that, I need to show you a few things from the Presidents Present." And with that they were suddenly in the midst of a Chinese Central Committee meeting. The committee was presently discussing China's relationship with the United States.

"We need not fear them any longer, comrades. The B.O. has weakened them militarily so much that we can now fill the power vacuum left in the world. They have turned into a paper tiger. We must now build our own fleet of aircraft carriers that will soon rule the seven seas, just like the Americans used to do," scoffed Hu Jintao.

"Hey, they can't talk about us like that," the B.O. exclaimed.

"You need to see more, B.O." the ghost rejoined, and they now found themselves at a meeting between Putin and Medvedev.

"It looks like the game is back on, Dmitri. Those idiot Americans and their sniveling teleprompter president couldn't fight their way out of a wet paper bag. Their leadership in the world is non-existent, and I see our fortunes and leadership of the world rising. What a joke that B.O. is! Ha ha ha," he laughed with great contempt.

"Alright, ghost boy, I've had enough of this nonsense. I'm better and smarter than any of those jokers. Get me back to the White House - now," the B.O. demanded.

"Oh stinky B.O., you still haven't learned your lesson. You are in deeper dog doo than I thought!" exclaimed the ghost. And again the B.O. suddenly found himself back in his bedroom - alone!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

One must have a freshness of mind, a cleanliness of body. One must lave oneself in sparkling springs—-- Vikram Seth, A Suitable Boy

And sit on the hearthstone so I may lave your alabaster skin with my own hands.-- Güneli Gün, On The Road to Baghdad

Lave may come from an Old English word gelafian meaning “to wash by pouring” or from the Latin word lavare meaning “to wash.”

Word of the Day for Thursday, December 29, 2011

interpolation \in-tur-puh-LEY-shuhn\, noun:

1. The act or process of introducing something additional or extraneous between other parts.

2. Something interpolated, as a passage introduced into a text.

3. Mathematics. A. The process of determining the value of a function between two points at which it has prescribed values. B. A similar process using more than two points at which the function has prescribed values. C. The process of approximating a given function by using its values at a discrete set of points.

"That was totally weird," the B.O. contemplated as he went into the White House. "As if I'M going to have 'A Christmas Carol' moment! I mean really!! But where is everybody, anyway? No one is here, all the lights are off, and the doors are all locked. I may be the Emperor of the World, but I am still the President of the United States, too."

The B.O. tried the phones and nothing was working. As it was now quite late, he decided to get some rest and sort it all out in the morning. He went upstairs to his bedroom and as he plopped himself down on his bed, an apparition appeared before him just as the clock was striking 1:00 a.m.

"Stinky B.O., I am the ghost of Presidents Past, and I am going to show you some things that you need to consider. You have ignored your country's history, and that has affected everyone's future. Come, let us go now."

The B.O. sat straight up and was in shock as he listened to the ghost of Presidents Past. "Who are you, really?" the B.O. demanded.

"Come, let us go now," the ghost said again, and all of a sudden they were standing before all of the Founding Fathers as they were all gathered around discussing the formation of the United States and getting ready to sign the Constitution. There they were, John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and of course the great George Washington.

As they listened to and observed the proceedings, the ghost commented that there was little interpolation and nothing extraneous that was being added to the Constitution. Their concept of the Constitution was that it would be kept as simple as possible, thus keeping the federal government in check and not letting it get too big and powerful.

The B.O. scoffed at the very notion of keeping any government in check, and he commented as such to the ghost. "Oh, B.O., you still don't get it, do you? Perhaps the ghost of Presidents Present will help you to understand where you have gone wrong." And with that, the B.O. suddenly found himself back in his bedroom - alone!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

When men interpolate, it is because they believe their interpolation seriously needed.-- Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason

"I am inclined to think," he added after a moment, once he had their attention again, "that if some pages were interpolated it was either done around the time of the original edition, or now, in our time.-- Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Dumas Club

Interpolation is derived from the Latin word interpolātus, meaning “to refurbish or touch up.”

Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 28, 2011

fusty \FUHS-tee\, adjective:

1. Having a stale smell; moldy; musty.

2. Old-fashioned or out-of-date, as architecture, furnishings, or the like.

3. Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.

"I asked you a question, old man. Who are you, and what are you doing in my house?" the B.O. demanded once again.

"Oh, stinky B.O., you have much to learn. This beautiful White House doesn't belong to you, it belongs to the people," the old man rejoined.

"Whatever. This is an old fusty mausoleum as far as I'm concerned, just like that old piece of crap known as the Constitution that all those crazy Tea Party people are so worked up over. Anyway, you still didn't answer my question," the B.O. sneered.

"Like I said, you have much to learn. Tonight you will be visited by the ghosts of Presidents Past, Present, and Future. From them you will learn what you must do to stay in power."

"You're crazy, old man. I am the Emperor of the World and no one comes before me! Whatever I decree, it shall happen. By the way, where is everybody?"

"Never mind that, B.O., just know that you will be visited tonight. Take heed, for your very existence depends on it." And with that last admonition, the old man disappeared into thin air!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

He could even smell the old woman in the buggy beside him, smell the fusty camphor-reeking shawl and even the airless black cotton umbrella in which (he would not discover until they had reached the house) she had concealed a hatchet and a flashlight.-- William Faulkner, Absalom, Absalom!

I won't stop accusing you of being fusty if you don't stop acting that way. For God's sake, what is wrong with seeing what a rock concert is like? I'd like to find out.-- Lionel Shriver, The Female of the Species

Fusty comes from the Old French word fust, meaning a “wine cask.” As wine casks are stuffy and smelly, the adjective is a logical association.

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 27, 2011

adventive \ad-VEN-tiv\, adjective:

1. Not native and usually not yet well established, as exotic plants or animals.

noun:

1. A not native and usually not yet well established plant or animal.

The B.O. was stunned at the sudden change of events. He had never envisioned the ObamaStar, HIS ObamaStar, crashing down to earth like so much space rubble. Yet, here he was standing on the south lawn of the White House wondering what to do next. Things were looking bleak - no teleprompters, no Chief of Staff to tell him what to do, no SEIU to protect him, and now here he was standing out in the open at the place that he had escaped from and feeling a bit adventive since he had rarely been there even from the beginning. He missed his vacations in Hawaii, France, Germany, Switzerland, Botswana, Iraq, Dubai, Venezuala, North Korea, China, Viet Nam, Iran, and especially his Fatherland. "Oh well," he mused as he headed off toward the White House. "Say, I wonder where everyone is, anyway. There should be someone here to greet me." He walked over to the door by the dining room and it was locked; he then tried several other doors and they were all locked. Next he went to the front door and rang the door bell. To his amazement, someone opened it, but he didn't recognize him. In fact, he could sort of see through him. "Who are you?" the B.O. demanded!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

I'm sure it's hard to be adventive, temporarily naturalized, that is.-- Gish Jen, World and Town

Carrion beetles usually avoid competition with blowflies by visiting the carcasses at a later, dried stage of decomposition. Next come the omnivores, such as wasps and ants, and finally there are the adventive insects, like spiders.-- David Shobin, The Provider

Adventive, like adventure, is derived from the Latin word adventus meaning “an advance.” The suffix -ive denotes a noun that comes from an adjective, like detective or active.

Word of the Day for Friday, December 23, 2011

swaddle \SWOD-l\, verb:

1. To bind an infant with long, narrow strips of cloth to prevent free movement.

2. To wrap (anything) round with bandages.

noun:

1. A long, narrow strip of cloth used for swaddling or bandaging.

Being thoroughly annoyed with having been drawn away from his quarters while watching T.V., the B.O. bounded into the main deck's control center and demanded to know what was so important that he had to be called away in such a curt manner. "B.O., we're so glad you're here. You must save us, and save the ObamaStar," exclaimed his Chief Engineer in a most desperate manner. "Alright, where's my teleprompter? I'll make a speech to the world about hope and change, maybe swaddle my left arm in bandages for some sympathy from the masses," the B.O. responded. "No, you idiot. There's going to be some change, no doubt, but it won't be the kind you're thinking of," the Chief Engineer sarcastically retorted. "How dare you speak to your Emperor that way!" the B.O. decried. "Listen, B.O., the ship is starting to break up, it's disintegrating as we speak. It has become too large to sustain itself, and the constant gravitational pull from the moon, the earth, and the sun has become too much on the infrastructure of the ship and now it is starting to fall apart. We're doomed! Oh, the humanity!!" the Chief Engineer wailed. "Well, you may be doomed, but I have to vote with my feet on that matter. I'm outta here!" And with that, the B.O. charged out of the control room and raced down to the escape shuttle, where he immediately secured himself in the Captain's chair, hit the eject button, and flew back to the safety of the earth. As the shuttle safely touched down on the White House lawn, he saw his precious and invincible ObamaStar sink precipitously below the horizon and he soon felt the shutter of the earth as his prized possession hit in the vast wasteland of Russia. "Well, that was unexpected, indeed," he thought. "Hmm, I wonder what I should do now?"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

A child is our natural company; it is a delight to us to make a fright of it, to fondle it, to swaddle it, to dress and undress it, to cuddle it, to sing it lullabies, to cradle it, to get it up, to put it to bed, and to nourish it...-- Honoré de Balzac, Droll Stories

But that was a little later—just now Narlikar and Bose were tending to Ahmed Sinai's toe; midwives had been instructed to wash and swaddle the newborn pair; and now Miss Mary Pereira made her contribution.-- Salman Rushdie, Midnight's Children

Swaddle is related to the Old English word swath meaning “a bandage or wrap.”

Word of the Day for Thursday, December 22, 2011

calvous \KAL-vuhs\, adjective:

Lacking all or most of the hair on the head; bald.

As the B.O. was enjoying reruns of his favorite speeches that he had given in the past, his rather odd looking and calvous Executive Officer came rushing into his quarters. "Your Eminence," Carville decried, "there is a, um, 'situation' that requires your immediate attention on the main deck." "Out with it, man, what's the problem that you can't just speak it outright? Why must you always talk like a Democrat? Oh, wait, never mind. Anyway, what's so urgent?" the B.O. rejoined. "Oh, your Highness, you must come and see for yourself. It is not good." And with that, the B.O. rushed out of his room and down to the main deck of the ObamaStar to see for himself just what in the name of the Almighty B.O. was happening!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

The wit's voluminous neckerchief unraveled and slipped to the mold, and the spangled silver wig fell from the telltale calvous head.-- D. M. Cornish, Lamplighter

Admittedly most old, bloated, calvous Germans could double for me, and even if he hadn't been doppelganger material, with the beard I had started growing and the two black eyes, you'd need x-rays to spot the difference.-- Tibor Fischer, The Thought Gang

Calvous is derived from the Latin word calvus which meant simply “bald.”

Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 21, 2011

brogue \brohg\, noun:

1. Any strong regional accent.

2. An Irish accent in the pronunciation of English.

3. A durable, comfortable, low-heeled shoe, often having decorative perforations and a wing tip.

4. A coarse, usually untanned leather shoe once worn in Ireland and Scotland.

5. Brogan.

6. A fraud; trick; prank.

The B.O. is a rogue brogue!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

“Nothing like hair of the dog that bit ya, as long as it's green hair,” he said in that brogue that was getting old.-- Michael Connelly, The Lincoln Lawyer

His brogue grew less heavy, his speech more formal, tailoring it to his audience.-- James Rollins, The Doomsday Key

Brogue originally referred to a type of shoe worn by rural Irish and Scottish highlanders. The word came to be associated with the accent of these people by the early 1700s.

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 20, 2011

lucent \LOO-suhnt\, adjective:

1. Shining.

2. Translucent; clear.

As the ObamaStar continued to circle the earth, it would alternately appear to be this otherworldly lucent star and then turn deathly dark, depending on how the sun was shining off of it or when it was blocking out the sun during its daily eclipses. There was despair among the people on earth as they continued to observe the ObamaStar. "After all," they thought, "how can we ever gain control back from the B.O.; he is all powerful now and we don't have the means to stop him any longer." But there were unknown and unseen forces at work...!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

The film of evening light made the red earth lucent, so that its dimensions were deepened, so that a stone, a post, a building had greater depth and more solidity than in the daytime light...-- John Steinbeck, The Grapes of Wrath

His lucent top-hat, his dark frock-coat, indeed, every detail, from the pearl pin in the black satin cravat to the lavender spats over the varnished shoes, spoke of the meticulous care in dress for which he was famous.-- Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Complete Sherlock Holmes, Vol. 1

Lucent comes from the Latin word lucentum meaning “to shine.”

Word of the Day for Monday, December 19, 2011

ectype \EK-tahyp\, noun:

A reproduction; copy.

The B.O.'s ObamaStar was not a mere ectype of the Death Star, although it certainly was inspired by the Death Star. The ObamaStar was larger than the Death Star by a magnitude of 2.5 and had all the laser weapons, hangars containing assault shuttles, blastboats, Strike cruisers, land vehicles, support ships, SEIU Storm Troopers, and SBO fighters needed to keep the Rebellion in check. As it circled the earth, the orbit was set to provide a total eclipse of the sun twice a day, thus sending an eerie reminder to all those down on earth who was really in charge and who was watching over them on a constant basis!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

Were it not for the existence of the prototype, the ectype would not exist. And the characters of the ectype are determined entirely by those of the prototype, being again simply their reflections.-- Robert W. Jenson, The Knowledge of Things Hoped For

The development of ectype from prototype occurs as a concatenation, so that each dimension arises out of the previous one without wholly seperating itself.-- Martin Wallen, City of Health, Fields of Disease

As opposed to prototype, ectype originally meant “wrought in relief” in Greek. Its roots are ec, a variant of “ex,” and týpos, a “figure on a wall.”

Word of the Day for Friday, December 16, 2011

abrade \uh-BREYD\, verb:

1. To scrape off.

2. To wear off or down by scraping or rubbing.

As the ObamaStar circled the earth, there were forces down below that were plotting against the new ruler. The B.O. had abraded their liberties too far, and it was time to stop him. They were tired of his incessant televised broadcasts from the ObamaStar showing him reading from his teleprompters to his amassed Imperial Guards, telling his subjects below how they should live out their pathetic lives, and how they could and could not do certain things, and how they risked life and limb if they dared to defy him. But defy him they would, and a new leader finally emerged from the six-pack of contenders to lead them in their rebellion!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

The cuff digs into Landsman's wrist, sharp enough to abrade the flesh.-- Michael Chabon, The Yiddish Policemen's Union

He was shorter than Lloyd but heavier in the chest, a wiry-limbed man with bristling dark hair and a quick harsh laugh and a way of crinkling his face so you knew he would say something to abrade your skin like sandpaper.-- Joyce Carol Oates, High Lonesome

Related to abrasion, abrade is from the Latin roots ab meaning “away from” and rādere meaning “to scrape.”

Word of the Day for Thursday, December 15, 2011

veriest \VER-ee-ist\, adjective:

1. Utmost; most complete.

2. Superlative of very.

The B.O.'s channeling of Saul Alinsky had made him the veriest of happy. He had now received confirmation from one of his greatest heroes, ranking right up there with Mao, Lenin, Stalin, and Marx, that his actions were the right actions. He now knew that he had, indeed, ceased being Barry Soetoro The Hapless and now become The B.O. His next steps must be plotted carefully. "I must face my destiny and my future head on. I cannot let the Rebellion win. I am superior in intellect, cunning, and strategy," he cogitated. "I know, I will build a new command post and have it circle the earth, and I shall call it the ObamaStar." So he set forth a decree, as was now his custom to do, that the ObamaStar shall be built with great dispatch and alacrity. It shall be big enough to be seen by his minions on earth, and it shall be as intimidating as possible. Oh yes, he was, indeed, the veriest of happy!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

Abagail had held her tongue when Molly said that—Molly and Jim and the others were young and didn't understand anything but the veriest good and the veriest bad.-- Stephen King, The Stand

Though in the course of his continual voyagings Ahab must often before have noticed a similar sight, yet, to any monomaniac man, the veriest trifles capriciously carry meanings.-- Herman Melville, Moby-Dick: Or the Whale

Veriest is obviously related to the word very, which derives from the Old French word verai meaning “true, real or genuine.” The suffix -est makes a word a superlative, like fastest.

Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 14, 2011

cleave \kleev\, verb:

1. To adhere closely; stick; cling.

2. To remain faithful.

3. To split or divide by or as if by a cutting blow, especially along a natural line of division, as the grain of wood.

4. To make by or as if by cutting.

5. To penetrate or pass through (air, water, etc.).

6. To cut off; sever.

7. To part or split, especially along a natural line of division.

8. To penetrate or advance by or as if by cutting.

As he continued to ponder his new-found power as the Emperor of the Global Community, the B.O. thought about how so many of his pathetic subjects would continue to cleave to their old, archaic ways. He knew that they would not easily go away, so he decided on a diabolical scheme to somehow collect his opponents email addresses. "Yes," he thought, "in celebration of this holiday season it will be sort of like my own 'naughty and nice' list. Using their emails I'll be able to hunt them down and 'convince' them that their ways should be my ways. Plus," he continued to ponder, "we have lots of land out in the various deserts around the world that we could relocate them in - if we had to go that far, which I suspect we will; after all, they are a pernicious group." So he channeled his now dead mentor Saul Alinsky and asked him how best to go about wreaking the most havoc upon these foes. Saul replied, "Oh stinky B.O., you have made me proud, even though I am dead. You are right, the best way is to divide and conquer. Use the skills you have learned as a young community organizer. Feel the power within you. The Dark Side of the Force is more powerful than even you can imagine. You once were just Barry Soetoro, hapless little emigrant boy, but now you have become - The B.O. Use and abuse your power with impunity, and may the Force be with you!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

It bothers him as much as it bothers you, but he is a man of faith and the Bible says that a man should leave his mother and father and cleave unto his wife.-- H.O. Fischer, For This Land

I will confide in thee. But if you betray my confidence, a father's curse shall cleave to you.-- Sir Walter Scott, Peveril of the Peak

Cleave is actually related to two separate but similar Old English words. Cleofan meant “to split,” while clifian meant “to adhere.” Today the same word carries both meanings.

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 13, 2011

cortege \kawr-TEZH\, noun:

1. A procession, especially a ceremonial one.

2. A line or train of attendants; retinue.

As the cortege approached, the crowd started to stir and there was a palpable excitement that was in the air. Everyone knew that the B.O. had confiscated the PopeMobile, and this was his inaugural appearance in it. He had appropriately chosen a European tour, beginning in Rome and then moving up into France and Germany. This was his moment, his coup d'etat, his putsch, as he was now both the head of the United Nations and the United States. He had quickly consolidated his powers and forces and he would now see the dreams from his father come true. The world stood still as he passed, waving to the amassed adoring crowds. They loved him, and he would make them proud as the new leader of the world. He knew what they wanted, and he would give it to them. He didn't need money because he had banished the use of money in the world as one of his first proclamations of power. The world was now a true Worker's Paradise, and he was their leader. He was invincible now, and he knew it. No one could, nor would, dare challenge him and his newly minted Global Community, as he had access to all manner of nuclear, military, and economic power throughout the world. "Welcome to my world," he mused out loud while passing his subjects!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

From her parlor window, Susan Kidwell saw the white cortege glide past, and watched until it had rounded the corner and the unpaved street's easily airborne dust had landed again.-- Truman Capote, In Cold Blood

As the cortege neared the downtown section more cars joined it. The hearse was followed by six Packard touring cars with tops back, driven by liveried chauffeurs and filled with flowers.-- William Faulkner, Sanctuary

Cortege is related to the Old French word curt meaning “an enclosed yard.” By the 1600s, it referred to “a train of attendants.”

Word of the Day for Monday, December 12, 2011

felonious \fuh-LOH-nee-uhs\, adjective:

1. Wicked; base; villainous.

2. Law. Pertaining to, of the nature of, or involving a felony: as in, felonious homicide; felonious intent.

If there were such a thing as felonious stupidity, the B.O. would be found guilty in a court of law!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

Now, there was much in your manuscript and the accompanying material which was evidence of indiscreet, and possibly criminal, and in some cases undeniably felonious behavior.-- Richard S. Prather, The Cheim Manuscript

Felonious malfeasance. Jimmy, you never talked like that when you were a cop. The term is—crooked scams.-- Jeff Sherratt, Six to Five Against

Felonious dates back to the the 1500s. The word felon is from the Old French meaning “villan” and the suffix -ous which applies a quality to a general sense, as in nervous or glorious.

Word of the Day for Friday, December 9, 2011

bough \bou\, noun:

A branch of a tree, especially one of the larger or main branches.

So as the B.O. was contemplating his recent spate of surreal events while helping his family decorate the boughs of their Christmas tree, he turned to his wife and asked her, "Honey, are you proud of what I have accomplished while I have been the President?" The Mrs. B.O. responded, "Oh, yes, stinky B.O., you have taken our country on a path headlong into socialism unlike any other U.S. President. For only the second time in my life I can now say that I am proud to be an American - socialist, that is!" The B.O. rejoined, "Oh, my sweet chubkins, my little Nikita, my darling babushka, you make me complete!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

In the background, behind the pool and beneath the dramatic sidereal display, there is a little tree with a bird perched in its uppermost bough, exactly as there is on the Star card.-- Tom Robbins, Half Asleep in Frog Pajamas

He ran up the creeper as easily as though it had been a ladder, walked upright along the broad bough, and brought the pigeon to the ground. He put it limp and warm in Elizabeth's hand.-- George Orwell, The Orwell Reader: Fiction, Essays, and Reportage

Bough can be traced back to the Sanskrit word bāhu, meaning “shoulder.”

Word of the Day for Thursday, December 8, 2011

copse \kops\, noun:

A thicket of small trees or bushes; a small wood.

After the B.O.'s thorough thumping that he received on the other side, the dark side, he decided to take a few days off and go out to Camp David. While he was taking a stroll through a maple copse, contemplating his strategy for getting SEIU to foil his next Presidential candidate target, the alternate B.O., having found out about how to cross over to the other side, suddenly appeared before the stinky B.O. and told him that he was headed down the wrong path. Upon realizing that the alternate B.O. was bent on changing him, the stinky B.O. cried out, "Alternate B.O., why do you persecute me like this? I've done nothing wrong! All I want is to lead our country down the road to mediocrity. All our subjects, I mean citizens, should aspire to rise to the middle class. You know that it is best for them to be happy with mediocrity; they shouldn't try to go beyond that as they may become disappointed and unhappy. We, their leaders, can provide them with all they need, like free homes, free health care, free gasoline, free cars, free education, and free food. If we do that, we will be in power forever! Besides, they're too stupid to make their own decisions in life, we need to do that for them. So leave this universe and go back to yours. You don't deserve to be in the same universe as me." So the alternate B.O. responded, "Oh, stinky B.O., it saddens me to know that you are my evil counterpart. Unlike you, I have faith in the American public, I know that they can and will rise to the occasion. We have seen that in my universe. I will leave you now, but mark my words, your path is a path to perdition, not prosperity!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

The sun was setting behind a thick forest, and in the glow of sunset the birch trees, dotted about in the aspen copse, stood out clearly with their hanging twigs, and their buds swollen almost to bursting.-- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina

Despite the December afternoon sunlight, the interior of the copse looked dark and impenetrable. The fact that none of the trees were covered in snow appeared to him to be improbable but welcome.-- John Berger, Once in Europa

Copse is derived from the Old French word copeiz meaning “a cut-over forest” which originates in the Latin word colpaticum meaning “having been cut.”

Word of the Day for Wednesday, December 7, 2011

boscage \BOS-kij\, noun:

A mass of trees or shrubs.

So once the B.O. on this side saw the video from the alternate parallel universe , he immediately ordered NASA to give him access to the other side for one hour. While the Secret Service agents reluctantly balked at allowing him to cross over, his continued insistence and whining and threat of losing their jobs finally convinced them to let him go. So the B.O. says, "I'm going over to the other side, to the dark side, and convince that conservative miscreant of an impostor B.O. that he is dead wrong in what he is doing. I may even have to dust him up a bit, but he'll get the message." So an hour goes by and finally the B.O. steps back through the portal, all beaten up and disheveled. "What in the other world happened?" the still employed Secret Service agent asked. "Well," retorted the B.O., "I got over there and hid behind a boscage that was conveniently located adjacent to the weald that he was walking in. When I jumped out from my hiding spot, I must have scared him as he was not expecting someone to confront him, especially another B.O., so he fainted straightaway and then his body guards beat me up thinking that I was trying to harm him. It was all very confusing and happened so fast, and then all of a sudden I came back to this universe. What a relief to be back; we need to close that portal so no one can cross over again and see what is happening over there. That kind of change is too scary for me!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

In places the park and the site itself were edged right up to its rubble and boscage by the rear of buildings...-- China Miéville, The City & the City

Plunging along a narrow path thick-set on each side with leafy boscage, Paul caught sight of the two retreating figures a few yards only in front of him.-- John R. Carling, The Shadow of the Czar

Boscage comes from the Middle French word boscage, from the roots bosk meaning “a small wood or thicket” and -age, a suffix that denotes a general noun, like voyage and courage.

Word of the Day for Tuesday, December 6, 2011

weald \weeld\, noun:

1. Wooded or uncultivated country.

2. A region in SE England, in Kent, Surrey, and Essex counties: once a forest area; now an agricultural region.

In a shocking new scientific development, it has been discovered that there is, indeed, an alternate parallel universe that mimics much of our world, not unlike the episodes seen recently on the show "Fringe". In a dramatic glimpse into that world, the scientists somehow provided our world with a video of the other world in which the alternate B.O. was seen strolling through a weald while talking with his advisers about his re-election campaign. The following transcript of that conversation follows: "OK, our conservative agenda has worked splendidly these last three years. By getting back to our founding fathers and their vision for our country, and by embracing both the U.S. Constitution as it was originally written and intended, as well as supporting capitalism, especially for our very important small businesses, we have eliminated our national debt, once again become the envy and shining light of the world, and our government has shrunk to its smallest level since before the Great Depression. Nice job everyone. I think that since our mission has been accomplished, we should forego my re-election campaign and just step aside for the next President to continue our legacy. After all, I never wanted to be a career politician. I shall retire and go back to Hawaii and walk those beautiful sandy beaches for the rest of my life!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

I am tempted to give one other case, the well-known one of the denudation of the Weald.-- Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species

And your advertisements must refer to the other, which is Great Willingden or Willingden Abbots, and lies seven miles on the other side of Battle. Quite down in the weald.-- Jane Austen, Sanditon

Related to the word wild, weald comes from the Old English word weald meaning “forest.”

Word of the Day for Monday, December 5, 2011

frondescence \fron-DES-uhns\, noun:

1. Leafage; foliage.

2. The process or period of putting forth leaves, as a tree, plant, or the like.

While on his most recent 17 day vacation in Hawaii, the B.O. was strolling through the abundant frondescence of the rain forest high above Oahu where he was overheard saying, "Alright, we finally got Cain out of our hair thanks to some amazing character assassination by our operatives; those idiot Americans will believe anything if you make it sound plausible; now let's see, we need to start working harder on Romney and Gingrich; Faheem, contact our bootlickers over at CBS and get a couple of hit pieces on them; don't worry about the cost or the sources; remember, we have a billion dollars to spend and plenty of sycophants and useful idiots on staff there, just make it sound good; oh, and don't use the same group over there that did the Bush hit piece; they're damaged goods now and we have to make it sound credible!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

What we found were three hundred pristine, mostly level acres with a forty-five-acre pond, completely undeveloped, covered with exquisite wildflowers and frondescence.-- Paul Newman, In Pursuit of the Common Good

I now become aware of the sound of rumbling water, emanating from somewhere inside the rain forest next to my tropical rest stop. I approach the wet and abundant frondescence of the forest.-- Richard Wyatt, Fathers of Myth

Frondescence is from the Latin root frondēre meaning “to have leaves.” It is clearly related to frond meaning “leaves.”

Word of the Day for Friday, December 2, 2011

bobbery \BOB-uh-ree\, noun:

A disturbance or a brawl.

The B.O. is in his zone when there is a bobbery involving SEIU union thugs beating down anyone disagreeing with them!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

“Allow me, Mr. Ivolgin,” Ippolit suddenly interrupted, irritably, “what's all this bobbery for, if I may ask...”-- Fyodor Dostoyevsky, The Idiot

Kicked up the most delightful bobbery that had ever been witnessed!-- Anthony Trollope, Is He Popenjoy? A Novel

Bobbery, unexpectedly, is from the Hindu phrase bap re meaning “O father!” It was first recorded in print in 1816 in The Grand Master.

Word of the Day for Thursday, December 1, 2011

altruistic \al-troo-IS-tik\, adjective:

1. Unselfishly concerned for or devoted to the welfare of others.

2. Animal Behavior. Of or pertaining to behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, often its close relatives.

The B.O.'s motives for punitive taxation of the rich, redistribution of wealth, and blind allegiance to the labor unions are strictly altruistic!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

I thought you were an altruistic banker, nothing more, nothing less. A civic-minded altruistic banker.-- Inman Majors, The Millionaires: A Novel

An altruistic act is an act performed for the welfare of others. It is unselfish, as opposed to an act performed for self, which is selfish.-- Jack London, The Sea-Wolf

Altruistic was coined in 1830 by philosopher Auguste Comte. It originates in the French word altrui meaning “of or to others” from the Latin word alteri meaning “other.”