Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 27, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 27, 2007 is “amazon” — noun 1 capitalized : a member of a race of female warriors of Greek mythology. 2 often capitalized : a tall strong often masculine woman. 3 often capitalized : any of a genus (Amazona) of tropical American parrots typically having green plumage marked with other bright colors.

 

The question from my son when I told him of my mastectomy was recently echoed by my friend Anne. “Are you an Amazon woman now?” Well, I have had to give up my dream of the Olympic gymnastics gold. However, I get an out when the plotter needs a new (heavy) roll of paper. Sometimes the compensations are worth it.

 

I sympathize with my sisters for whom breast cancer is a devastating ego blow. Yet, for me, the disease and the operation have never caused me any serious mental or emotional problems. This is partially because my husband has been so supportive. Also, because Mother was so cheerful most of the last year of her life, I have determined that I can be cheerful, knowing that I intend to live. April will be my fifth year after chemotherapy. I intend to get my oncologist and his staff a cookie bouquet to celebrate.

 

The quote2 for today is from Angela Carter (1940–1992), repr. Penguin. Nights at the Circus, part 3, ch. 10, Chatto & Windus (1984):

 

Home! Yes! she would see Trafalgar Square, again; and Nelson on his plinth; and Chelsea Bridge as it dissolved into the Thames at twilight ... and St. Paul’s, the single Amazon breast of her beloved native city.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 26, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 26, 2007 is “caustic” — adjective 1 : capable of destroying or eating away by chemical action : CORROSIVE. 2 : marked by incisive sarcasm. 3 : relating to or being the surface or curve of a caustic.

 

Yesterday I was involved in a series of e-mails asking for help from another group. This group makes changes to the same drawings we use, and there is a system to track these changes so we don’t trip over one another. The other group apparently has more rigid rules about who can do input to this system. When the input person doesn’t enter the information on their changes, we end up doing our work twice to straighten out the change numbers.

 

Anyway, because I was writing scathing messages all day yesterday, I was not up to getting out the Word of the Day. Today you will get two to compensate.

 

The quote2 for today is from

ATTRIBUTION: Anthony Trollope (1815–1882), Autobiography, ch. 10 (1883):

 

The satirist who writes nothing but satire should write but little—or it will seem that his satire springs rather from his own caustic nature than from the sins of the world in which he lives.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.  

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

Tags: caustic, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 25, 2007

The word of the day* for February 25, 2007 is "integral" - adjective 1 a : essential to completeness : CONSTITUENT <an integral part of the curriculum>. b (1) : being, containing, or relating to one or more mathematical integers. (2) : relating to or concerned with mathematical integrals or integration. c : formed as a unit with another part <a seat with integral headrest>. 2 : composed of integral parts. 3 : lacking nothing essential : ENTIRE.

Since we washed the car yesterday, and then stopped for greasy burgers and got rained on, today we went to Terebithia. The movie was well done. Lloyd stayed awake through the whole thing. He said afterward that it was not what he was expecting, but it was good anyhow.

I was afraid of full-blown Disneyfication. As the fantasy element is integral to The Bridge to Terebithia, I was anxious that it might be overdone. However, the special effects were kept in their place and did not get in the way of the story. If you tend to weep during movies, take an extra hanky.

The quote† for today is from Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862), Journals, "entry for Nov. 13, 1839" (1906):

Make the most of your regrets; never smother your sorrow, but tend and cherish it till it come to have a separate and integral interest. To regret deeply is to live afresh

;^)  Jan

* Unless otherwise attributed, the definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† Unless otherwise attributed, the quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.:  Comments and word requests are welcome.

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Tags: integral, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 24, 2007

The word of the day* for February 24, 2007 is “indecisive” — adjective 1 : not decisive : INCONCLUSIVE <an indecisive battle>. 2 : marked by or prone to indecision : IRRESOLUTE <an indecisive state of mind>. 3 : not clearly marked out : INDEFINITE.

 

The sky is a beautiful deep blue—very welcome after last night’s thunder-boomy. Lloyd said that the especially loud crack was a lightning strike in the middle of the street that skittered off down the puddles in the gutters.

 

They are predicting 1-3” of snow here this evening, so in spite of the gorgeous day outside, Lloyd can’t decide whether he wants to wash his car or go to the movies. I’m voting for both, but we’ll see what happens.

 

The quote† for today is from Ivan Sergeevich Turgenev (1818–1883), Russian author. Narrator, “Andrei Kolosov,” (1852):

 

The word “tomorrow” was invented for indecisive people and for children.

 

;^)  Jan

 

* Unless otherwise attributed, the definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.

† Unless otherwise attributed, the quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.:  Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: indecisive, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 23, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 23, 2007 is “masticate” — transitive verb 1 : to grind or crush (food) with or as if with the teeth : CHEW. 2 : to soften or reduce to pulp by crushing or kneading. intransitive verb : CHEW.

 

My husband is a movie fan, big time. When we were first married, we would go to the movies every weekend. We usually attended the $1.50/car load drive-in to see a couple of cartoons and anywhere from three to five movies at a sitting. Some of these movies were good, some abysmal. Some of them were much better than their publicity (Pickup on Highway 101) and others were praised beyond their capacity (John and Mary).

 

One thing I have gotten from all this movie watching is that fashions in special effects change not only with the technology available, but also with the times. For instance, when Bela Lugosi as Dracula bit a girl, he left two round puncture marks. Even given the fangs, sucking blood would never have made such a neat brace of wounds. Then we get Coppola and Carpenter’s vampires who practically rip out their victims’ throats. Somewhere in between is Anne Rice’s Claudia who had no fangs, thus used a knife on her victims or had someone else do the biting/chewing.

 

This morbid thought is all brought on by a trip to the periodontist. I’m thinking of getting a implant to replace a missing eyetooth. I’ve given up my dream of becoming a vampire.

 

The quote2 for today is from Jean Paul Gaultier on 1950s influence on his 1980s designs, NY Times 31 Oct 86:

 

I am 1952…. I masticate. I am like a big stomach.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Tags: masticate, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 22, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 22, 2007 is “orogeny” — noun : the process of mountain formation especially by folding of the earth's crust.

 

I think I’m going to have to call the repair service and have someone fix all my large appliances. The washing machine has decided several months ago that it doesn’t need to spin all the water out unless it’s on the heavy duty cycle. The dryer decided last night that it wants to air-dry the clothes. The downstairs fridge needs to have the thermostat recalibrated and probably new refrigerant, yada, yada.

 

Although I understand the principle of entropy—realize that nothing lasts forever—I just wish the appliances wouldn’t go bad all at once. Further, I know that if we were to decide to buy new instead of repairing these things, then the stove and the dishwasher would quit either from envy or sympathy so I’d have to replace them, too. Not only that, but the cars, seeing new machines taken into the house, would start to complain in their own fashion with disintegrating wipers, broken belts, etc.

 

The quote2 for today is from Rev. Fred Pinkerton:

 

It’s a matter of faith. If we’d wanted mountains in Kansas, we would have left them here.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Tags: orogeny, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 21, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 21, 2007 is “embellishment” — noun 1 : the act or process of embellishing. 2 : something serving to embellish. 3 : ORNAMENT.

 

My sister reminded me after Monday’s diatribe that not only the seasons and holidays are bleeding into one another, but also that decorations for holidays are all starting to look like Christmas. Mother used to have a green crochet “Christmas tree” that someone gave her. At first she decorated it with red bows and ornaments that didn’t make to cut for the “real tree.” Soon, however, she was hanging Easter eggs on it. Then other decorations for other holidays. And this was after the Christmas tree in March to celebrate my brother coming home from Air Force duty overseas to late for the appropriately-timed celebration.

 

Nowadays we have ornaments made specifically to hang in trees for every holiday of the year. They also have strings of lights in colors and shapes for any holiday you can imagine. Confetti is made in all shapes to strew decoratively around. This is for the more personal holidays—like birthdays and weddings—as well as the public ones. Not only that, but we now have the opportunity to buy geese, flamingos, dogs and heaven knows what kind of figures to dress holiday appropriately and inflict on our neighbors.

 

The quote2 for today is from Wallace Stevens (1879–1955), “The Auroras of Autumn.”:

 

The stars are putting on their glittering belts.
They throw around their shoulders cloaks that flash
Like a great shadow’s last embellishment.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

Tags: embellishment, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 20, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 20, 2007 is “shrive” — transitive verb. 1 : to administer the sacrament of reconciliation to. 2 : to free from guilt. intransitive verb, archaic : to confess one's sins especially to a priest.

 

Happy Mardi Gras or Carnivale or Shrove Tuesday. They all describe the same day, 41 days, excluding Sundays, before the first Sunday after the first full moon after the Vernal Equinox. For Christians, tomorrow is the first day of Lent.

 

It makes sense, in a way that one should fast for the last of February and all of March. The beast(s) one salted away in October is scraped to the bones. The spring vegetables haven’t poked their noses out of the ground. One is down to roots and nuts and the occasionally imprudent rabbit or squirrel. So make a virtue of necessity: starve yourself intentionally and declare it good for your soul. It’s always easier to comply when you can say, “Because God wants it that way.”

 

The quote2 for today is from Benjamin Disraeli (1804–1881), Speech in the House of Commons on Denmark and Germany, vote of censure, July 4, 1864, Hansard’s Parliamentary Debates, 3d series, vol. 176, col. 743:

 

“The Conference lasted six weeks. It wasted six weeks. It lasted as long as a Carnival, and, like a Carnival, it was an affair of masks and mystification. Our Ministers went to it as men in distressed circumstances go to a place of amusement—to while away the time, with a consciousness of impending failure.”

 

;^)

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Tags: shrive, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 19, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 19, 2007 is “politicize” — transitive verb : to give a political tone or character to <an attempt to politicize the civil service>.

 

Happy Presidents’ Day. Lloyd asked me, “Do you get the day off?” I don’t: the Unions have given up our minor holidays in favor of the winter recess (formerly known as Christmas Break). Now that the children are out of the house, I’m not sure whether that’s such a good thing. All those little holidays kept us tracking on the year. January was New Year’s and MLK Day; February had a wealth of Valentine’s, Lincoln and Washington; March coming in like a lion and out like a lamb had St. Patrick’s Day (and St. Urho’s). Then we had April which was usually Easter; May was Mother’s Day and June for Father’s Day and graduations. July rolled in Independence Day; poor August had to be content with summer vacation and September was Back to School. October brought Halloween and November, Thanksgiving. Christmas in December rounded out the year.

 

Now we have Presidents’ Day and other Monday observances of federal and state holidays. And we’re losing perspective on the year. School starts in August heat and graduation is in May. Christmas displays go up before the Halloween costumes are on the racks. Presidents’ Day sales start in January and last the entire month of February. Football starts in August and ends in February; baseball is started and ended in snow drifts. Basketball and golf are year-round. Since hockey is now an indoor sport, it’s year-round or nearly so. Kids in soccer never have a free weekend. And grandma can’t keep track. I’d be in favor of Congress doing something, but as with the Monday observances, it would surelynot end well.

 

The quote2 for today is from John Arbuthnot (1667–1735), Quoted in Richard Garnett, Life of Emerson, ch. 7 (1888):

 

All political parties die at last of swallowing their own lies..

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

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Tags: politicize, word of the day, quote of the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 18, 2007

The word of the day* for February 18, 2007 is “porcine” — adjective : of, relating to, or suggesting swine : PIGGISH.

 

Gung Hai Fat Chow! Or however that’s spelled. Happy Lunar New Year, Chinese style. This is the first day of the Year of the Pig. Of course, the Vietnamese, Cambodians, Thai, etc. whose ancestors hale from the continent of Asia, also celebrate a lunar new year about this time of year. Usually their yearly mascot coincides with the Chinese. Usually their yearly mascot coincides with the Chinese. However, the Chinese hare gets translated somehow into a Vietnamese cat. They don't translate the pig, though, so have a happy.

 

For those of you who eat pork, Carm provides this recipe from the National Pork Producers. I have to admit, I haven’t taste tested, but it sounds yummy.

 

The quote† for today is from William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Launcelot Gobbo, in The Merchant of Venice, act 3, sc. 5, l. 23-6:

 

This making of Christians will raise the price of hogs. If we grow all to be pork-eaters, we shall not shortly have a rasher on the coals for money.

 

;^)  Jan

 

* Unless otherwise attributed, the definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.

† Unless otherwise attributed, the quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

Tags: porcine, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

The word of the day* for February 17, 2007 is “incendiary” — noun 1 a : a person who commits arson. : ARSONIST. b : an incendiary agent (as a bomb). 2 : a person who excites factions, quarrels, or sedition : AGITATOR.

 

We went to the movies again today. This time to see Nicolas Cage in Ghost Rider—talk about a pyromaniac’s wet dream! Actually, it was a fun movie. Lloyd stayed awake through the whole thing. Nicolas Cage did his dead-calm-to-incendiary-rage-in-less-than-ten-seconds very well. Peter Fonda is getting old enough to look vaguely like his father. Sam Elliot does Sam Elliot with style.

 

The movie is based on a Marvel comic book. Like most comic books that I have read out of Marvel, there is a strong moral streak to this one. When the Ghost Rider prevails because of the bad guy’s mistake, I said to Lloyd, “That’ll teach him.” And the moral to the story was basically that “you can’t live with fear.”

 

The quote† for today is from Rafe Esquith, Teach Like Your Hair's on Fire: The Methods and Madness Inside Room 56:

 

For that one moment, the only thing that mattered to me was that this girl should have a successful experiment. She was going to go home that day with a smile on her face.

 

;^)  Jan

 

* Unlessotherwise attributed, the definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.

† Unless otherwise attributed, the quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Tags: incendiary, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 16, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 16, 2007 is “electrify” — transitive verb 1 a : to charge with electricity. b (1) : to equip for use of electric power. (2) : to supply with electric power. (3) : to amplify (music) electronically. 2 : to excite intensely or suddenly <the news electrified the nation>.

 

My daughter had to get a new car battery. It’s been so cold the past couple of days that the old one just didn’t want to turn over. I’m glad that her fiancé was able to transport her to and from work, and to help her get the new battery installed. Otherwise, Lloyd would have wanted to do the hover thing, thus driving everyone else batty.

 

He’s getting better at letting go, but given a chance he would have all his kids moving in with us so he could solve all their problems for them. I’m not much better than he at letting go of the kids, but I hope I manage to hide it better. There are many days that I wish I had Mother’s button box to push the buttons so that people would do as I know they ought.

 

The quote2 for today is from Thomas Campbell (1777–1844), “Ode to the Memory of Burns”:

 

Whose lines are mottoes of the heart,
Whose truths electrify the sage.

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

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Tags: electrify, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 15, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 15, 2007 is “expunge” — transitive verb  1 : to strike out, obliterate, or mark for deletion. 2 : to efface completely : DESTROY. 3 : to eliminate (as a memory) from one's consciousness.

 

I’ve been reading way too many Georgette Heyer novels lately. Many of her characters live “on tick,” meaning credit. When they can’t or won’t pay up, their creditors threaten to have them sent to “sponging houses.” For those of you who do not read Regency romance novels or Charles Dickens, these are a sort of privatized, low security prison. The United States’ revolution was conducted by landowners and artisans, but was carried out by former denizens of sponging houses and other petty criminals who were transported for their crimes. One of my high school teachers once told me that the first of his ancestors to reach American shores had changed his name because he was transported as either a political agitator or a horse thief. My teacher strongly suspected the latter.

 

Our immigration policies since the Constitution was finally agreed upon have not improved much. Indeed, the Emma Lazarus “Give me your tired, your poor, / Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free…” never really settled into our collective conscience. Maybe we need to review the histories of our early immigrants a bit more closely as we struggle with securing our borders.

 

The quote2 for today is from Emma Lazarus (1849–1887), “ The New Colossus” (1886).:

 

“Keep, ancient lands, your storied pomp!” cries she
With silent lips. “Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed, to me;
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.”

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: expunge, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 14, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 14, 2007 is “valentine”— noun 1 : a sweetheart chosen or complimented on Valentine's Day. 2 a : a gift or greeting sent or given especially to a sweetheart on Valentine's Day; especially : a greeting card sent on this day b : something (as a movie or piece of writing) expressing uncritical praise or affection : TRIBUTE.

 

The ancient Romans believed that today was the day for the birds to choose their mates. That’s probably why St. Valentine got saddled with all the hearts and flowers biz. As the Romans also thought that February was an unlucky month that lends a fatalistic strand to the proceedings.

 

When Lloyd asked me what I wanted for Valentine’s Day I told him a lug wrench. I hear you ladies crying, “This is not a romantic gift.” True, for Valentine’s or Mother’s Day a fellow ought not to buy his sweetie anything that has an electrical plug or that is sold in the hardware section. However, if the lady asks specifically for something like that, the fellow should get a big bow and a mushy card to go with his very practical gift.

 

The quote2 for today is from William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Theseus, in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, act 4, sc. 1, l. 139-40:

 

Good morrow, friends. Saint Valentine is past;

Begin these woodbirds but to couple now?

 

;^)  Jan

 

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

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Tags: valentine, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 12, 2007

The word of the day* for February 12, 2007 is “morbid” — adjective: 1 a : of, relating to, or characteristic of disease <morbid anatomy>. b : affected with or induced by disease <a morbid condition>. c : productive of disease <morbid substances>. 2 : abnormally susceptible to or characterized by gloomy or unwholesome feelings. 3 : GRISLY, GRUESOME <morbid details> <morbid curiosity>.

 

I am in complete agreement with my sister on one point: if they show that picture of Anna Nicole Smith smooching late husband, J. Howard, I may just have to vomit. Aside from the fact that the old guy was waaay past his expiration date, there’s just something wrong about trying to buy happiness. Of course, if I had money, I’d probably have an entirely different view of what money can buy.

 

The whole Anna Nicole situation is turning into an old-fashioned melodrama. The principles have died, some mysteriously. The in-laws and out-laws are after the money. More people are claiming paternity of Dannielynn. And the poor, little princess will, likely as not, be left out in the cold.

 

The quote† for today is from D.H. (David Herbert) Lawrence (1885–1930), In The Short Novels, vol. 2 (1979). St. Mawr (1925):

 

Always this same morbid interest in other people and their doings, their privacies, their dirty linen, always this air of alertness for personal happenings, personalities, personalities, personalities. Always this subtle criticism and appraisal of other people, this analysis of other people’s motives. If anatomy presupposes a corpse, then psychology presupposes a world of corpses. Personalities, which means personal criticism and analysis, presuppose a whole world laboratory of human psyches waiting to be vivisected. If you cut a thing up, of course it will smell. Hence, nothing raises such an infernal stink, at last, as human psychology.

 

;^)  Jan

 

* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or TheAmerican Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

 

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

  

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: morbid, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 11, 2007

The word of the day* for February 11, 2007 is “frugal” — adjective  : characterized by or reflecting economy in the use of resources.

 

I saved the plastic bags from both last week and today’s Sunday paper. The weekday papers come in slightly narrower bags, which get used for tying the lilac bush and the coneflowers to trellises during the growing season. The Sunday bags, however, are wide enough to pull onto my legs as boot liners. The boots leak; they always did. Still the boots are warm if I have that plastic barrier between the leak and me.

 

Tim always used to complain that I would work too hard to get the last bit of butter out of the container. Lloyd complained that there was no sense in taking a quarter cup of laundry soap when we moved to a new place. All I can say is that Grandma was the daughter of German immigrants, and she brought up eight children during the Depression. The little thrifts got passed down to her grandchildren unevenly. I’ll splurge on books, but will wear pantyhose until they are more run than knit.

 

The quote† for today is from Vice President THOMAS JEFFERSON, letter to Elbridge Gerry, January 26, 1799.—The Writings of Thomas Jefferson, ed. Paul L. Ford, vol. 7, p. 327 (1896):

 

I am for a government rigorously frugal & simple, applying all the possible savings of the public revenue to the discharge of the national debt; and not for a multiplication of officers & salaries merely to make partisans, & for increasing, by every device, the public debt, on the principle of it’s being a public blessing.

 

;^)  Jan

* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.:  Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: frugal, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 10, 2007

The word of the day* for February 10, 2007 is "morass" - noun : 1 : MARSH, SWAMP. 2 a : a situation that traps, confuses, or impedes <a legal morass>. b : an overwhelming or confusing mass or mixture <a morass of traffic jams - Mary Roach>.

On the way to Kansas City from our house we have to cross the Marais des Cygnes River. This is a pleasant little river where I-35 crosses it: not dry most of the year nor yet fast running most of the time. So many of our Kansas place names have Spanish or Native American names like El Dorado and Wichita. The towns and rivers have names that are pure history.

Sometimes I wonder at the way that names have persisted from one generation to the next, from one country to another. Caesar becomes Kaiser; Moishe, Moses. El dorado becomes El Dorado (pronounced  Eldoraydo) and then-facetiously-Eldora-doo. Where I'm from Tripoli and Missouri are pronounced as though they ended with an "ah" rather than a long "e" sound and the town of Nevada is pronounced with the first "a" a long vowel: Nevayda. Such fun with words.

The quote† for today is from John Ashbery (b. 1927), "A Wave":

     One idea is enough to organize a life and project it
     Into unusual but viable forms, but many ideas merely
     Lead one thither into a morass of their own good intentions.

;^)  Jan

* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: morass, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryhphon's Word of the Day, Feb 9, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 9, 2007 is “ennui”— noun : a feeling of weariness and dissatisfaction : BOREDOM.

 

A gray sort of day—happy not to live in Oswego, NY. My friends in the Denver area still have the residue from January’s storms—and they are not happy about it in the least. We’re fighting Cabin Fever; Lloyd has spent the past three weekends in the house because of the weather. Fortunately for him we need to go up to KC this weekend. He’ll be able to deal with his white-line-fever then.

 

He was saying yesterday that he’d like to take a trip somewhere warm. Unfortunately, no where within a day’s drive is particularly warm. Also, all the trips we need/want to take are to the north. I keep showing him the railroading DVD showing the LA to San Diego Surfliner. At least it’s warm in the video.

 

The quote2 for today is Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900), “The Wanderer and His Shadow”, aph. 200, Human, All-Too-Human.(1880)

 

One receives as reward for much ennui, despondency, boredom—such as a solitude without friends, books, duties, passions must bring with it—those quarter-hours of profoundest contemplation within oneself and nature. He who completely entrenches himself against boredom also entrenches himself against himself: he will never get to drink the strongest refreshing draught from his own innermost fountain.

 

;^)  Jan

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: ennui, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 8, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 8, 2007 is “reincarnation”— noun 1 a : the action of reincarnating : the state of being reincarnated b : rebirth in new bodies or forms of life; especially : a rebirth of a soul in a new human body. 2 : a fresh embodiment.

 

For Mahayana Buddhists today is Parinirvana, the observance of the death of Buddha, the date that he escaped the cycle of rebirth. Feasts and solemn prayers will be held. The holiday description on beliefnet sounds a bit like Dia El Muerte.

 

I sometimes think the idea of reincarnation sounds good: an infinite number of lifetimes to get it right. However, I know it is substantially better for me to follow Jesus Christ, the God of Second Chances. The payback of immediate forgiveness is personally more satisfying.

 

The quote2 for today is Harrison Ford (1942 - ), quoted by Garry Jenkins in ‘Harrison Ford: Imperfect Hero’:

 

We all have big changes in our lives that are more or less a second chance.

 

;^)  Jan

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: reincarnation, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 7, 2007

The word of the day1 for February 7, 2007 is “incandescent”— adjective 1 a : white, glowing, or luminous with intense heat. b : strikingly bright, radiant, or clear. c : marked by brilliance especially of expression <incandescent wit>. d : characterized by glowing zeal : ARDENT <incandescent affection>. 2 a : of, relating to, or being light produced by incandescence. b : producing light by incandescence.

 

My desk lamp bulb blew this morning when I turned the lamp on—not quite an electrifying experience. Shortly after I changed the bulb, one of my co-workers offered me a fluorescent desk lamp that someone is leaving behind.

 

I used to have a company owned task lamp with fluorescent tubes inherited from a retiring employee. It took Facilities six months to replace the bulbs the first time I asked. The second time I put in a request for new bulbs, the repair guys came when I was away from the desk and took the lamp away with them. After a year of monthly calls along the line of “Do you have my lamp yet and why not?” I got my own $14.95 UL approved desk lamp from WalMart along with some extra bulbs.

 

The quote2 for today is Hilda Doolittle (1886–1961), “Gift.”: 

 

Under that rock that holds
the first swift kiss
of the spring-sun’s white, incandescent breath,
I’d seek
you flowers.

 

;^)  Jan

1 The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
2 The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

Tags: incandescent, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 5, 2007

The word of the day* for February 5, 2007 is “sesquipedalia” — noun plural : very long words.

 

OK, I admit that I am not the world’s best Scrabble player. I’m also not the nicest. I will call a word I think is incorrect. One of the fun things about the game is that my husband will make up words. I won’t say he cheats, but I think the challenged player ought to define the word when challenged before the challenger looks the word up in the dictionary. How Lloyd can get the “q” and the “x” and use them to spell a seven letter word across the triple word square consistently, I’ll never know.

 

The worst argument we have had in our entire married life was over a game of Scrabble. A friend happened to come over just as we were at the outskirts of fist city. He made us put the game away—on the top shelf of the closet.

The quote† for today is from Wallace Stevens (1879–1955), “Variations on a Summer Day”:

Words add to the senses. The words for the dazzle
Of mica, the dithering of grass,
The Arachne integument of dead trees,
Are the eye grown larger, more intense.

 

;^)  Jan

* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: sesquipedalia, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 4, 2007

The word of the day* for February 4, 2007 is "attrition" -  noun 1 : sorrow for one's sins that arises from a motive other than that of the love of God. 2 : the act of rubbing together : FRICTION; also : the act of wearing or grinding down by friction. 3 : the act of weakening or exhausting by constant harassment, abuse, or attack <a war of attrition>. 4 : a reduction in numbers usually as a result of resignation, retirement, or death <a company with a high rate of attrition>.

The snow is slowly melting around the edges of the packed snow/ice. It freezes up again once the sun goes down. The car wash was full when we went past this morning. Lloyd said that it was better to wash in sub-freezing temperatures because the frozen streets are not sloppy, allowing one to get home before the car gets dirty again.

He's watching That's So Raven at the moment. I think the real reason he watches is for the glimpses of San Francisco, where it is set. They show the same clips over and over. I'm going to get out our vacation album so he'll be able to look at the Golden Gate Bridge all he wants.
The quote† for today is from Helen Hayes (1900-1993), On Reflection, An Autobiography, ch. 12, Evans (1968):

     Marriage is like a war. There are moments of chivalry and
     gallantry that attend the victorious advances and strategic
     retreats, the birth or death of children, the momentary
     conquest of loneliness, the sacrifice that ennobles him who
     makes it. But mostly there are the long dull sieges, the
     waiting, the terror and boredom. Women understand this
     better than men; they are better able to survive attrition.

;^)  Jan

* The definition is from either Merriam Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

Tags: attrition, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, Feb 1, 2007

The word of the day* for February 1, 2007 is “salutation” noun 1 a : an expression of greeting, goodwill, or courtesy by word, gesture, or ceremony b plural : REGARDS. 2 : the word or phrase of greeting (as Gentlemen or Dear Sir or Madam) that conventionally comes immediately before the body of a letter.

Happy Children’s Dental Health Month, also Black History Month. It’s amazing how many groups want to have February as their month. February has always been the “red-headed, left-handed stepchild” of the calendar. The Romans considered it unlucky.

 

When Julius Caesar had the calendar redone in his honor, he stole the 30th of February to make July 31 days long. Augustus Caesar, not to be outdone by his predecessor, moved February 29th to August for the same reason. Both of them realized that February, having such bad weather and evil reputation, would be better off shorter than the other months.

The quote† for today is from Bugs Bunny:

Thirty days hath September, April, June and Montana.

All the rest have nasty weather…

 

;^)  Jan

* The definition is from either Merriam-Webster Online, 10th Edition or The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language: Fourth Edition and is used by permission.
† The quote is from either Bartleby: Great Books on Line or The Quotation Pages and is used by permission.

P.S.: Comments and word requests are welcome.

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

 

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Tags: salutation, word ot the day, quote for the day, humor