A Word to the Wise
354 articles filed under A Word to the Wise.
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A Word to the Wise
factotum
A factotum (fak-TOW-tum) – Latin for “do everything” – is an employee or official that has many different responsibilities; a handyman or jack-of-all trades hired to do all sorts of work around the house.
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A Word to the Wise
Anagnorisis
(an-ag-NOR-ih-sis) – from the Greek for “recognition” – is the point in the plot of a play at which the protagonist makes a critical discovery. As I used it above: “This little bit of anagnorisis has made its…
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A Word to the Wise
denouement
The denouement (day-NOO-mon) – from the French for the final part of a play, movie, or narrative in which the strands of the plot are drawn together and explained or resolved – literally means “untie the knot…
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A Word to the Wise
coup de grâce
A coup de grâce (koo duh GRAHS) – from the French – literally means “finishing blow.” It originally referred to a merciful action: putting a fatally wounded person out of their misery. But it has come to refer…
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A Word to the Wise
Bowdlerize
(BOHD-ler-ize) describes the early 19th century policy of some publishers to modify or delete passages of books that they considered to be objectionable, particularly for children. The term comes from Thomas…
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A Word to the Wise
Sciolism Versus Ultracrepidarian: A Neighborly Correction
A neighbor and book club friend called me on my use of the word sciolism at the bottom of each of my blog posts: “Were it not for hypocrisy, I’d have no advice to give.” “Were it not for sciolism, I’d have no…
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A Word to the Wise
soporific
A soporific (suh-puh-RIF-ik) is something – especially a drug – that induces sleep. As an adjective, it refers something that is boring or dull. I used it this way, above: “I subscribe to Grande’s website out…
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A Word to the Wise
Penultimate
refers to the next to the next to the last. As I used it above: “If wealth building is on your do-do list for 2023, these recommendations are a good place to start. (Including, by the way, the antepenultimate…
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A Word to the Wise
paraprosdokian
A paraprosdokian – from the Greek para (“beyond”) and prosdokia (“expectation”) – is a figure of speech in which the latter part of sentence or statement has an unexpected twist. The twist is often humorous…
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A Word to the Wise
tribulation
A tribulation – from the Latin tribulum (literally, a thing with teeth that tears) – is another way of saying adversity – i.e., a trying period or event. As I used it in the essay above: “I’ve been saying that…
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A Word to the Wise
Languid
– borrowed from the French languide (“fatigued, weak, indifferent”) – describes something that is heavy and slow, lacking in energy or strength. It can have a sensual/sexual connotation. As I used it today…
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A Word to the Wise
Sui Generis: The Latin Term For Unique
Sui generis (soo-wee-JEN-uh-ris) – from the Latin for “of its own kind” – is a fancy way of saying “unique.” As I used it in my review of Kleo, above: “Yes, Killing Eve was an inspiration. So was Kill Bill…
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A Word to the Wise
Feisty
describes someone who is lively, determined, and courageous. The word was originally applied to scrappy little hunting dogs. It also, oddly, seems to have something to do with farting. As I used it in my…
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A Word to the Wise
shibboleth
A shibboleth (SHIH-buh-leth) – from the Hebrew – is a custom, principle, or belief associated with a particular group of people, especially a longstanding one regarded as outmoded or no longer important. As I…
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A Word to the Wise
Pansophic
– from the Greek pan (“all”) plus sophy “knowledge”) – means “wise, all-knowing.” As I used it, above: “I only heard the first sentence. It was articulated clearly in his pansophic voice. ‘Mark. Are you aware…
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A Word to the Wise
foment
To foment – from the Old French fomenter, “to apply a hot compress (to a wound)” – is to encourage or instigate. As I used it, above: “Peacetime CEOs and Tenders allow for, and even encourage, deviations and…
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A Word to the Wise
Ipso facto
– Latin for “by that very fact or act” – means “as an inevitable result.” It’s usually used where a conclusion can be drawn from one fact, even where other facts could contribute to it. As I used it above…
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A Word to the Wise
Miscegenation
is a fancy word for “interracial marriage.” Now usually considered offensive or pejorative, it is derived from a combination of the Latin miscere (“mix”) and genus (“race”). As I used it above: “I’ve always…
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A Word to the Wise
Ontological
relates to the branch of metaphysics dealing with the nature of being. As I used it today: “I read [Men Without Women] while I was in the hospital last week, nodding in and out of consciousness. It was a…
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A Word to the Wise
Palaver
– from the Late Latin parabola (“speech”) – is idle talk; an unimportant discussion that goes on too long. As I used it today: “From his palaver with the nurses and aides after the doctor left, I learned that…
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A Word to the Wise
harrow
A harrow is an agricultural implement – a heavy wooden rake that is dragged over plowed land to break up and smooth the surface. In a figurative sense, we use harrowing to describe something that ravages…
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A Word to the Wise
Anosognosia
– a Greek word that roughly translates to “without knowledge of disease” – is a condition that affects how people view themselves and impairs their awareness of their health symptoms. (See “Interesting…” above…
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A Word to the Wise
denizen — September 2, 2022
A denizen – from the Latin for “from within” – is an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place. As I used it today: “At a total of 4,000 new denizens, New York City is not even close to giving sanctuary to…
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A Word to the Wise
Au fond
(oh FAWN) – a French term – literally means “at the bottom.” It’s used as a highfalutin synonym for “fundamentally,” “essentially,” or “in reality.” As used by Margaret Atwood in The Testaments: “Some days I…
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A Word to the Wise
a word to the wise — August 26, 2022
Scintillating – from the Latin scintilla, meaning “spark” – is another way to say glittering; brilliantly and excitingly clever or skillful. (See today’s P.S., below.)
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A Word to the Wise
Slumgullion
– believed to be derived from “slum” (an old word for “slime”) and “gullion” (“mud” or “cesspool”) – was used by miners during the California gold rush to describe the muddy slurry left behind after washing…
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A Word to the Wise
busker
A busker – possibly from the Spanish buscar, meaning “to seek” – is someone who makes a living by passing the hat while entertaining in the street or another public place, often by playing a musical instrument…
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A Word to the Wise
Verisimilitude
is the appearance of being true or real. As I used it today in my review of Argo. “The movie has a docudrama feeling that, while not overbearing, does add to the verisimilitude and urgency of every scene.”
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A Word to the Wise
behemoth
A behemoth (buh-HEE-moth) – from the Hebrew for “beast” – is something that is enormous, especially a big and powerful organization. In the Old Testament, the behemoth was a beast from the Book of Job – a…
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A Word to the Wise
auteur
An auteur (oh-TUR) – French for “originator” – is a filmmaker whose personal influence and artistic control are so great that he/she is regarded as the movie’s author. As I used it in my review of France…
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A Word to the Wise
Fricative
– from the Latin for “to rub” – refers to a hissing or buzzing sound produced by forcing air through a narrow space. In phonetics, a fricative is a consonant sound made by directing a stream of air with the…
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A Word to the Wise
Sentient
means able to perceive or feel things. As used in the news brief above: “Blake Lemoine, the Google researcher who publicly claimed the company’s LaMDA AI platform had become sentient, has been fired.”
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A Word to the Wise
Decorum
– from the Latin for “proper; decent” – is behavior that is controlled, calm, and polite. As I used it today: “I was unaware [during the meal with my business partners in Tokyo] that there is a decorum…
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A Word to the Wise
denizen
A denizen – from the Late Latin for “from within” – is an inhabitant or occupant of a particular place. As I used it today: “Apartment denizens that use coin-operated washing machines have noticed a ‘shortage’…
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A Word to the Wise
Rhetorical
– from the Ancient Greek for “concerning public speaking” – refers to the use of language as a means to persuade. As I used it today: “I expected to have my high assessment of these tragedies confirmed. And it…
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A Word to the Wise
Obstreperous
– from the Latin for “to make a noise” – means boisterous and difficult to control. As I used it today: “When [the grandkids] are irritable and obstreperous, I leave them to K or their parents to deal with…
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A Word to the Wise
Burgeon
from the Old French for “to put out buds or sprout” – means to grow or increase rapidly; flourish. As I used it today: “[The term ‘cultural appropriation’] did not catch on until the mid-1980s, when it popped…
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A Word to the Wise
palliative
A palliative – from the Latin for “to cloak” – is something that serves to soothe or alleviate pain. As I used it today: “I spent several hours on a strategy for managing my now-reduced cash flow – a Plan A, a…
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A Word to the Wise
chastise
To chastise – from the Latin for “to correct, set right; to purify” – is to severely criticize or reprimand. As I used it today: “I went back to the hotel, out of hope and empty-handed, and spent the next…
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A Word to the Wise
denigrate
To denigrate is to belittle, to treat or represent something as lacking in value or importance. As I used it today: “Before I experienced the churches of Rome, I had a common condescension towards Baroque art…
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A Word to the Wise
Lugubrious
– from the Latin for “mourn” – means gloomy, full of sadness or sorrow. As used in a NYT article about this year’s Westminster Dog Show: “Trumpet [the bloodhound that won Best in Show] had little to say. But…
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A Word to the Wise
Ersatz
– from the German for “substitute” – describes something that is a poor imitation of something better. As I used it today: “It used to be easy to spot ersatz Rolexes. Like Cohiba wrappers, their faces bore…
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A Word to the Wise
prostrate
To be prostrate is to be lying face down on the ground. As I used it today: “My first experience with tequila, about 50 years ago, left me prostrate at the door I couldn’t quite open where I spent the rest of…
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A Word to the Wise
Fatuity
is another way of saying stupidity or foolishness. As used by Theodore Dalrymple in “Empty Frames,” above: “Mr. Haaning, wittingly or unwittingly (I suspect the former), performed a useful social service by…
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A Word to the Wise
Assiduous
means working diligently at a task, showing great care and perseverance. As used by V.S. Naipaul in the above letter to his editor: “Every writer has his own voice…. An assiduous copy-editor can undo this very…
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A Word to the Wise
pied-à-terre
A pied-à-terre (pee-YAY-duh-tair) – French for “foot on the ground” – is a small apartment or house kept for occasional use. As I used it in today’s travel brief: “I was so enchanted by [Oaxaca] that I nearly…
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A Word to the Wise
Equanimity
is mental calmness and composure, especially in a difficult situation. As I used it in today’s essay: “I was – and am – as blind as the next person to seeing and seizing these small moments. I’ve been…
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A Word to the Wise
Understanding The Role Of Political Ideologues
An ideolog (AYE-dee-uh-log) is a person who promotes a particular ideology, especially as an official or the most eminent advocate. As I used it in today’s book review: “Dozens of books have been written about…
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A Word to the Wise
Manifold
means diverse, numerous in kind or variety. As I used it in today’s essay: “Although proving rape against an intimate partner has become more difficult, the damage caused by these accusations can be huge – and…
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A Word to the Wise
Michael Masterson On Confidence Versus Pride
“What you want in your career is the confidence that follows accomplishment, not the pride that precedes a fall.” – Michael Masterson
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