Word of the Day for Thursday, March 11, 2010

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salient \SAY-lee-unt; SAYL-yunt\, adjective:

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1. Shooting out or up; projecting.

2. Forcing itself on the attention; prominent; conspicuous; noticeable.

3. Leaping; springing; jumping.

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noun:

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1. An outwardly projecting part of a fortification, trench system, or line of defense.

2. A projecting angle or part.

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The most salient feature of all of the B.O.'s schemes is their extraordinary cost to the American taxpayers!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Salient derives from the present participle of Latin salire, to leap. Other words deriving from salire are sally, to leap forth or rush out suddenly; and perhaps salmon, the "leaping" fish.

Word of the Day for Wednesday, March 10, 2010

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phantasmagoria \fan-taz-muh-GOR-ee-uh\, noun:

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1. A shifting series or succession of things seen or imagined, as in a dream.

2. Any constantly changing scene.

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So I keep having this phantasmagoria about the B.O. which involves the Airborne Rangers, the Marines, radio stations, elections, dictators, coups, China, money, and the Soviet Union!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Phantasmagoria is from French phantasmagorie, from phantasme, "phantasm" (from Greek, from phantazein, "to make visible," from phantos, "visible," from phainein, "to show") + -agorie, perhaps from Greek agora, "assembly."

Word of the Day for Tuesday, March 9, 2010

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sachet \sa-SHEY\, noun:

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1. A small bag, case, or pad containing perfuming powder or the like, placed among handkerchiefs, etc., to impart a pleasant scent.

2. Also, sachet powder, the powder contained in such a case.

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It will take more than a sachet of sweet smelling powder to get the stink off of the B.O.'s policies!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Sachet can be confused with sashay, "to move, easily or nonchalantly."

Word of the Day for Monday, March 8, 2010

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languor \LANG-guhr; LANG-uhr\, noun:

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1. Mental or physical weariness or fatigue.

2. Listless indolence, especially the indolence of one who is satiated by a life of luxury or pleasure.

3. A heaviness or oppressive stillness of the air.

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Hearing the B.O. drone on and on about his wonderful socialist programs will put all but his most ardent toadies into a terminal state of languor!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Languor is from Latin languor, from languere, "to be faint or weak." The adjective form is languorous.

Word of the Day for Friday, March 5, 2010

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fealty \FEE-uhl-tee\, noun:

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1. Fidelity to one's lord; the feudal obligation by which the tenant or vassal was bound to be faithful to his lord.

2. The oath by which this obligation was assumed.

3. Fidelity; allegiance; faithfulness.

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The B.O.'s motto is "Party fealty, not reality!"

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Fealty comes from Old French fealté, from Latin fidelitas, "fidelity," from fidelis, "faithful," from fides, "faith," from fidere, "to trust."

Word of the Day for Thursday, March 4, 2010

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didactic \dy-DAK-tik; duh-\, adjective:

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1. Fitted or intended to teach; conveying instruction; instructive; teaching some moral lesson; as, "didactic essays."

2. Inclined to teach or moralize excessively; moralistic.

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The B.O.'s "House Mouthpiece in Chief", one Ms. Nancy Pelosi, has hitherto been didactic in her promise to preside over the most ethical House of Representatives in history; so, Nancy, how's that working out for you?

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Didactic comes from Greek didaktikos, "skillful in teaching," from didaktos, "taught," from didaskein, "to teach, to educate."

Word of the Day for Wednesday, March 3, 2010

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eructation \ih-ruhk-TAY-shuhn\, noun:

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The act of belching; a belch.

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The offer by the B.O. to the GOP to ostensibly add their ideas to the health plan is nothing more than some annoying eructations - lots of hot air and stink!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Eructation comes from Latin eructatio, from eructare, from e-, "out" + ructare, "to belch."

Word of the Day for Tuesday, March 2, 2010

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temporize \TEM-puh-ryz\, intransitive verb:

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1. To be indecisive or evasive in order to gain time or delay action.

2. To comply with the time or occasion; to yield to prevailing opinion or circumstances.

3. To engage in discussions or negotiations so as to gain time (usually followed by 'with').

4. To come to terms (usually followed by 'with').

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It would seem that the B.O. is trying to temporize the vote on his ObamaCare by submitting his "much smaller" health care bill!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Temporize derives from Medieval Latin temporizare, "to pass the time," from Latin tempus, tempor-, "time." It is related to temporary.

Word of the Day for Monday, March 1, 2010

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pablum \PAB-luhm\, noun:

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1. Something (as writing or speech) that is trite, insipid, or simplistic.

2. (capitalized) A trademark used for a bland soft cereal for infants.

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All that the B.O. offers up at his speeches is just a bunch of political pablum; it numbs the mind and feeds the inner child within the voting public - "Yes, Sweetheart, Daddy B.O. will take care of you now, so don't you worry"!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Pablum comes from Pablum, a trademark used for a bland soft cereal for infants.

Word of the Day for Friday, February 26, 2010

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mulct \MULKT\, noun:

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1. A fine or penalty.

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transitive verb:

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1. To punish for an offense or misdemeanor by imposing a fine or demanding a forfeiture.

2. To obtain by fraud or deception.

3. To defraud; to swindle.

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The B.O. is the King of Mulct!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Mulct comes from Latin multa, "a fine."

Word of the Day for Thursday, February 25, 2010

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gregarious \grih-GAIR-ee-us\, adjective:

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1. Tending to form a group with others of the same kind.

2. Seeking and enjoying the company of others.

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The B.O. and his team of gregarious toadies are not unlike a highly active migratory swarm of locusts that have descended upon Washington and are devouring everything in sight!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Gregarious is from Latin gregarius, "belonging to a herd or flock," from grex, greg-, "herd, flock."

Word of the Day for Wednesday, February 24, 2010

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arcanum \ar-KAY-nuhm\, noun;

plural arcana \-nuh\:

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1. A secret; a mystery.

2. Specialized or mysterious knowledge, language, or information that is not accessible to the average person (generally used in the plural).

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The arcanum of the B.O.'s background is . . .

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

Arcanum is from the Latin, from arcanus "closed, secret," from arca, "chest, box," from arcere, "to shut in."

Word of the Day for Tuesday, February 23, 2010

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fructuous \FRUHK-choo-uhs\, adjective:

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Fruitful; productive.

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In the B.O.'s world, it is the government that will provide for a fructuous future!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Fructuous comes from Latin fructuosus, from fructus, "enjoyment, product, fruit," from the past participle of frui, "to enjoy."

Word of the Day for Monday, February 22, 2010

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fractious \FRAK-shuhs\, adjective:

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1. Tending to cause trouble; unruly.

2. Irritable; snappish; cranky.

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The B.O. considers the Republicans a bunch of fractious obstructionists that just won't tow his socialist line!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

Fractious is from fraction, which formerly had the sense "discord, dissension, disharmony"; it is derived from Latin frangere, "to break."

Word of the Day for Friday, February 19, 2010

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gastronome \GAS-truh-nohm\, noun:

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A connoisseur of good food and drink.

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While on his world-wide Apology Tours, the B.O. has become a bit of a gastronome!

--Spy Maker, JSA's Blog

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Gastronome is ultimately derived from Greek gaster, "stomach" + nomos, "rule, law."