Today’s Words That Work: Bucolic
Bucolic (byoo-KOL-ik) – from the Greek for “herdsman” – refers to an idyllic rural life. Example (as used by Raymond Blanc): “I had the archetypal French bucolic upbringing, in a peasant village in deepest Burgundy.”
Bucolic (byoo-KOL-ik) – from the Greek for “herdsman” – refers to an idyllic rural life. Example (as used by Raymond Blanc): “I had the archetypal French bucolic upbringing, in a peasant village in deepest Burgundy.”
By Early To Rise | Wed, Jul 13, 2011
Temerarious (tem-uh-RARE-ee-us) – from the Latish for “rash/heedless” – means recklessly or presumptuously daring. Example (as used by H.G. Wells in The New Machiavelli): “I have confessed myself a temerarious theologian, and in that passage from boyhood to manhood I ranged widely in my search for some permanently satisfying Truth.”
By Early To Rise | Tue, Jul 12, 2011
Nefarious (nih-FARE-ee-us) – from the Latin – means extremely wicked; villainous. Example (as used by Mark Twain): “Only a government that is rich and safe can afford to be a democracy, for a democracy is the most expensive and nefarious kind of government ever heard of on earth.”
By Early To Rise | Mon, Jul 11, 2011
Predilection (pred’l-EK-shun) – from the Latin for “prefer” – is partiality; a tendency to think favorably of something in particular. Example (as used by Fyodor Dostoyevsky): “Man has such a predilection for systems and abstract deductions that he is ready to distort the truth intentionally, he is ready to deny the evidence of his senses only [...]
By Don Hauptman | Fri, Jul 8, 2011
A contentious issue among language enthusiasts is the use of the split infinitive. Before reviewing the arguments of the two sides, let’s look at a few examples: “It is even possible to legally download textbooks free, thanks to some new sites and services.” “This is a chance to constructively harness the idealism of thousands of Americans….” “In New [...]
By Early To Rise | Thu, Jul 7, 2011
Arrant (AR-unt) – from the Middle English – means complete; downright; flagrant. Example (as used by Bertrand Russell): “There is no nonsense so arrant that it cannot be made the creed of the vast majority by adequate government action.”
By Early To Rise | Wed, Jul 6, 2011
Desultory (DES-ul-tawr-ee) – from the Latin for “leaping” – means lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order; disconnected. Example (as used by Seneca): “Desultory reading is delightful, but to be beneficial, our reading must be carefully directed.”
By Early To Rise | Tue, Jul 5, 2011
To disport (dis-PORT) – from the French for “to divert” – is to frolic; to amuse oneself in a light or lively manner. Example (as used by Jacquelyn Mitchard in The Most Wanted): “I had to laugh, picturing Stuart and me in a red enamel tub, disporting ourselves among the suds.”
By Early To Rise | Mon, Jul 4, 2011
Paucity (PAW-sih-tee) – from the Latin for “few” – refers to something that is small or insufficient in number; scarce or scanty. Example (as used by Samuel Johnson): “It is very strange, and very melancholy, that the paucity of human pleasures should persuade us ever to call hunting one of them.”
By Early To Rise | Thu, Jun 30, 2011
A paean (PEE-un) – from “Paia,” a Greek title for the god Apollo – is a joyous song of praise, triumph, or thanksgiving. Example (as used by Hugo Young in This Blessed Plot): “If you look at what British writers were saying about England before and after the war, you read for the most part a [...]
By Early To Rise | Thu, Jul 14, 2011
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