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

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.

 

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

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.

NOTICE: Unique Reclamation Project yard art for sale.

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