Category: word for the day

The word for today is pulchritude. It is a noun meaning great physical beauty and appeal especially in women.

Perhaps we have overlooked the pulchritude of the zaftig woman. (look it up yourself!)

The word “seder” comes from the Hebrew meaning order. At a seder you have a booklet called a haggadah telling the story of the Jews’ departure from Egypt. There are several ceremonial foods including matzoh, haroses (a mixture of wine, nuts, and apples), horseradish and parsley. The significance of each of these are explained in the book; such as, “this matzoh, why do we eat it?” I’ve often thought it would be great if Thanksgiving had a similar book with lines such as, “these creamed onions, why do we eat them?” or “what does this cranberry sauce mean to you?”

seder – The feast commemorating the exodus of the Jews from Egypt, celebrated on the first night or the first two nights of Passover.

Kismet – fate or fortune

Kismet comes, via Turkish, from Arabic qismah, portion, lot.

About Will Shortz, from his NPR bio –
Will Shortz, born in 1952, has been the puzzle master for NPR’s Weekend Edition Sunday since the program’s start in 1987. He’s also the crossword editor of The New York Times, the former editor of Games magazine, and the founder and director of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (since 1978).

Will sold his first puzzle professionally when he was 14 — to Venture, a denominational youth magazine. At 16 he became a regular contributor to Dell puzzle publications. He is the only person in the world to hold a college degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles, which he earned from Indiana University in 1974.

This is a word I ran across this morning while doing a crossword puzzle out of a Sunday NY Times Crosswords compilation.

auteur – A filmmaker, usually a director, who exercises creative control over his or her works and has a strong personal style.

I was confused when I saw the flag being flown at half-staff last weekend and this week. I wondered if it were for the Pope. I didn’t think that foreign leaders or religious leaders were accorded this great American honor. However, from searching flag etiquette sites on the internet, I found that the president can direct that the flag be flown at half-staff as a symbol of respect for other officials and foreign dignitaries. Traveling through Arizona, Utah and Nevada this past week, I found that that there was some inconsistency in lowering the flag. Some flags were up and some at half-staff. I wonder if this was intentional or not.

With the death and subsequent funeral for Pope John Paul II, there is a lot of ecclesiastic jargon being thrown about. If you are not Catholic, you might not know what it all means.

ecclesiastic – of or associated with a church (especially a Christian Church)

see – the official seat, center of authority, jurisdiction, or office of a bishop

pontiff – the head of the Roman Catholic Church

cardinal – a high church official, ranking just below the pope, who has been appointed by a pope to membership in the College of Cardinals

If you’ve got something that you are afraid of, chances are its got a name. Afraid of cats? That’s ailurophobia. The number 13? Triskaidekaphobia. The idea of working give you the willies? I think you’ve got ergophobia. And, of course, my favorite –

acrophobia – a morbid fear of heights

Even though I know that a phobia is “a persistent, abnormal, and irrational fear of a specific thing or situation that compels one to avoid it, despite the awareness and reassurance that it is not dangerous,”
it is very, very difficult to overcome it.

My sister, Peggy, sent this to me. I am sure that many of you got this as one of those “forwards” that you despise in your inbox. But I thought these words were so funny that I actually laughed out loud while sitting alone at the computer. Another day I’ll rant about “forwards” but not today.

The Washington Post’s Mensa Invitational once again
asked readers to take any word from the dictionary,
alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and
supply a new definition. Here are this year’s winners. None of them get through spellcheck.

1. Intaxication: Euphoria at getting a tax refund,
which lasts until you realize it was your money to
start with.

2. Reintarnation: Coming back to life as a hillbilly.

3. Bozone (n.): The substance surrounding stupid
people that stops bright ideas from penetrating. The
bozone layer, unfortunately, shows little sign of breaking down in
the near future.

4. Foreploy: Any misrepresentation about yourself
for the purpose of getting laid.

5. Cashtration (n.): The act of buying a house,
which renders the subject financially impotent
for an indefinite period.

6. Giraffiti: Vandalism spray-painted very, very high.

7. Sarchasm: The gulf between the author of
sarcastic wit and the person who doesn’t get it.

8. Inoculatte: To take coffee intravenously when
you are running late.

9. Hipatitis: Terminal coolness.

10. Osteopornosis: A degenerate disease.

11. Karmageddon: It’s like, when everybody is
sending off all these really bad vibes, right? And
then, like, the Earth explodes and it’s like, a serious bummer.

12. Decafalon (n.): The grueling event of getting
through the day consuming only things that are good
for you.

13. Glibido: All talk and no action.

14. Dopeler effect: The tendency of stupid ideas to
seem smarter when they come at you rapidly.

15. Arachnoleptic fit (n.): The frantic dance
performed just after you’ve accidentally walked
through a spider web.

16. Beelzebug (n.): Satan in the form of a
mosquito, that gets into your bedroom at three in
the morning and cannot be cast out.

17. Caterpallor (n.): The color you turn after
finding half a worm in the fruit you’re eating.

And the pick of the literature

18. Ignoranus: A person who’s both stupid and an
asshole.

Kosher is a word that comes from a Hebrew root meaning fitting or proper. In Judaism it refers to the following of dietary laws. In modern parlance, it has taken on new meaning which reflects its root.

Kosher
In Judaism – Conforming to dietary laws; ritually pure: kosher meat.
Selling or serving food prepared in accordance with dietary laws: a kosher restaurant.

In slang – Legitimate; permissible
Genuine; authentic