Gryphon's Word of the Day, March 6, 2007

The word of the day1 for March 6, 2007 is “temerity” — noun 1 : unreasonable or foolhardy contempt of danger or opposition : RASHNESS, RECKLESSNESS. 2 : an act or instance of temerity.

 

I’ve been reminding people all last week and this that I am not omniscient. That’s right; I cannot know everything. I have been lucky that, in my career as answer-person. When I don’t really know—or have forgotten—the answer, I’ve gotten really good at making up something plausible. Much of the time I do get it right. Still, I am very careful to preface any bogus response with “IN MY OPINION.”

 

Sometimes I have to think about it a bit, so I go off on a rambling discourse to help me think. If my querant’s eye begin to glaze over, I know they have heard enough. When I haven’t a clue, time to make up an answer, or time for research, I usually give the questioner the source I would use and tell them to let me know what they find out. I learn all sorts of things that way.

 

The quote2 for today is from Titus Livius (Livy) (59 B.C.–A.D. 17), Histories, XXVIII, 42:

 

Temerity is not always successful..

 

;^)  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: temerity, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

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

The word of the day1 for March 5, 2007 is “retrospective” — adjective 1 a (1) : of, relating to, or given to the act or process or an instance of surveying the past. (2) : based on memory <a retrospective report> b : being a retrospective <a retrospective exhibition>. 2 : affecting things past : RETROACTIVE <retrospective laws>. 3 : relating to or being a study (as of a disease) that starts with the present condition of a population of individuals and collects data about their past history to explain their present condition.

 

In honor of Lloyd’s birthday today, we went to watch Zodiac Sunday. It was very well done—a mystery and suspense movie. Actually, the main reason we went to see it was that the action took place mostly in San Francisco. There is one good shot of the Golden Gate Bridge, the main draw for Lloyd. They also had a nice sequence of the TransAmerica Tower going up to show passage of time.

 

Every time a date flashed on the screen, Lloyd and I said things to the effect of “That’s when we were living in San Bernardino. That’s when we lived in West Sacramento and were going down to San Francisco nearly every weekend.” Living in California had some very creepy moments, including the time we went out on a picnic with another couple and their child whom we had just met. He mentioned that they intended to move out to this ranch, which was owned by a guy named Spahn, with his friend Charley. Since we were not interested in furthering the acquaintance, Lloyd and I never saw them again. That was about six months before the Tate/La Biancamurders. Shudder!

 

The quote2 for today is from Vladimir Nabokov (1899–1977), Lolita: A Screenplay, foreword (1974).

 

Complacency is a state of mind that exists only in retrospective: it has to be shattered before being ascertained.

 

;^)  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.

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

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

The word of the day* for March 4, 2007 is “perilous”— adjective : full of or involving danger or risk <a perilous journey>.

It’s Claudia’s birthday. We had to send her present to her. Somehow one feels the mail will go through even when civilians don’t dare. I suppose it’s rather cavalier to not worry about the delivery people, but as Super Chicken used to say, “You knew the job was dangerous when you took it, Fred.”

One thing we sent to Claudia was not really a birthday present. It is a pair of rubber pliers that will take broken light bulbs out of the socket safely. She has had a non-functioning bulb in the dining room chandelier for some time, not wanting to break the bulb completely for fear of electrical repercussion. This little tool is supposed to take care of all that. I expect a full report soon.

The quote† for today is from Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882), “Wealth,” The Conduct of Life (1860).

     The sea, washing the equator and the poles, offers its perilous
     aid, and the power and empire that follow it.... “Beware of
     me,” it says, “but if you can hold me, I am the key to all the lands.”

;^)  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: perilous, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, March 3, 2007

The word of the day* for March 3, 2007 is “migratory” — adjective 1 : of, relating to, or characterized by migration 2 : wandering, roving.

 

We have seen several robins in the neighborhood, back from South America this past week. The cardinals have been threatening one another for rights to the maple out front and the neighbor’s walnut tree. The walnut is not quite as desirable because the squirrels, who are year round residents think of it as theirs.

 

Although we tried to make our annual birthday pilgrimage for Claudia and Lloyd to celebrate their birthdays (being Sunday and Monday this year) we were dissuaded by the weather. Wes said they only got a few inches of snow, but the wind was fierce. Claudia lives barely twelve miles north, but they got nearly a foot of snow. Jo didn’t go to Iowa this weekend for the same reason. I think the birds need access to the Weather Channel.

 

The quote† for today is from William Shakespeare (1564–1616), Lear, in King Lear, act 3, sc. 2, l. 1-3.

 

     Blow, winds, and crack your cheeks! rage, blow!
     You cataracts and hurricanoes, spout
     Till you have drenched our steeples, drowned the cocks!

 

;^)  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: migratory, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, March 2, 2007

The word of the day1 for March 2, 2007 is “vigilant” — adjective : alertly watchful especially to avoid danger.

 

When I went out to the car this morning, I waved at our across-the-street neighbor lady as she drove away, started the Mazda and took the paper inside so Lloyd wouldn’t have to brave the cold. I got in the car, shut the garage door and backed carefully into the street. As I drove away, I noticed car lights in the drive next door in my rear view mirror. This car came into the street following me, but slowly, as though the driver did not want to be noticed. I kept the head lights in view until I got to my turn.

 

Lloyd called me on my cell phone just after I made my usual second turn. He wanted to know if I had noticed the car. Seems he had looked out the front window to watch me leave and saw this mystery car. He didn’t get the license number because it was still dark, but he’s going to alert the neighbors to a stranger in the area. The neighbors next door—where the car came from—have not had a light on in the morning for the past few days. Our Neighborhood Watch committee will be glad to have something to do for a change.

 

The quote2 for today is from John Philpot Curran, in a speech July 10, 1790

 

The condition upon which God has given liberty to man is eternal vigilance.

 

;^)  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: vigilant, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphondear's Word of the Day, March 1, 2007

The word of the day1 for March 1, 2007 is “aeolian” — adjective 1 often capitalized : of or relating to Aeolus, 2 : giving forth or marked by a moaning or sighing sound or musical tone produced by or as if by the wind.

 

I don’t know what is going on with you who live in the north lands. All that wind and snow in March is not a good thing. Although I do remember having to walk to Easter Sunday services in the snow, it was not the usual weather for Iowa. Claudia said they not only got seven inches of snow (or twelve in some areas of Omaha) they also got lightning and thunder. That’s not a usual thing with snow.

 

In 1978 when we had just moved into our house, I was coming home from work at about 2:00 in the morning in the snow. As I drove down the street, I could see the electrical wires swinging in the wind and there was some electrical arcing between the wires. Then ball lightning formed just over the wires and swung down and across the road in front of the car—these pale green, softball sized orbs with no sound just floating over the wires, down to the ground and bouncing in slow motion. I hope never to see the like again.

 

The quote2 for today is from Henry David Thoreau (1817–1862), Walden (1854), in The Writings of Henry David Thoreau, vol. 2, p. 145, Houghton Mifflin (1906):

 

There was never yet such a storm but it was Æolian music to a healthy and innocent ear.

 

;^)  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: aeolian, word of the day, quote for the day, humor

Gryphon's Word of the Day, February 28, 2007

The word of the day* for February 28, 2007 is“dragoman” — noun : an interpreter chiefly of Arabic,Turkish, or Persian employed especially in the Near East.

Interpreters amaze me. Having taken Latin in high school and German in college, and having picked up a smattering of Spanish while living in Puerto Rico, I have to say that learning another language well enough to express one self, let alone the thoughts of another approaches the practice of magic.

Lloyd used to watch Un Chavo del Ocho, (a boy of eight) on Univision. (They aren’t airing it in our area at a reasonable time anymore.) The slapstick comedy was so broad that very little knowledge of Spanish was needed to be in on the jokes. I especially enjoyed the recurring romance between El Profesor and Doña Florinda. He would bring her flowers; she would be in curlers, hanging out the clothes. He would always ask if he might have a cup of coffee, if it wouldn’t be a bother. “No me molestari, it doesn’t bother me,” she would say as he dropped his hat or the flowers or both in order to lend her his elbow for the two steps to the door.



The quote† for today is from Richard Brinsley Sheridan (1751–1816), The Critic. Act i. Sc. 2:

     Egad, I think the interpreter is the hardest to be understood of the two!

;^)  Jan


* Unless otherwise attributed, the definition is from either Merriam-WebsterOnline, 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: dragoman, word of the day, quote for the day, humor