Search found 125 matches

by gwray
Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:25 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Wit
Replies: 3
Views: 1394

Re: Wit

I was drawn to suggest this word by the intriguing phrasing in this stanza from a hymn "To show by touch and word" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm7ocV-AXug by Fred Kaan. Let love from day to day be yardstick, rule, and norm, and let our lives portray Your word in human form. Now come wi...
by gwray
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:39 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Firgun
Replies: 5
Views: 5880

Re: Firgun

Thanks Slava!
by gwray
Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:36 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: wit
Replies: 2
Views: 3515

Re: wit

Indeed, it is not a common phase. That is why it struck me; it is unusual to have a play on words in a hymn. This hymn is essentially a prayer so the "someone else" is God.
by gwray
Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:15 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Friable
Replies: 4
Views: 1689

Re: Friable

I often think of friable in the context of soil. Good soil for growing plants is friable—not too sandy (it does stick together) and not too much clay (it is easily crumbled).
by gwray
Fri Dec 30, 2022 11:34 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Nude
Replies: 2
Views: 1135

Re: Nude

I highly recommend a book—"Word by Word"— by Kory Stamper. https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/30781490-word-by-word . Kory describes her experience as a lexicographer at Merriam Webster. She is very insightful and has an irreverent sense of humour. Each chapter in Kory's book is titled wi...
by gwray
Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:32 pm
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: wit
Replies: 2
Views: 3515

wit

So often this word seems to be applied to someone able to make quick and humorous banter. But I would like to focus on the meaning "astuteness of perception or judgment". I was drawn to suggest this word by the intriguing phrasing in this stanza from a hymn "To show by touch and word&...
by gwray
Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:39 pm
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Objurgate
Replies: 5
Views: 4697

Re: Objurgate

That is an interesting distinction, Slava, and it makes some sense to me. In keeping with the derivation of the word, I have always imagined excoriation as a tongue-lashing metaphorically as brutal as a flogging. As such, I would have characterized McConnell's recent speech as an excoriation of Trum...
by gwray
Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:12 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: decorum
Replies: 1
Views: 2595

decorum

Inspired by recent good word gravitas.
by gwray
Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:10 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Gravitas
Replies: 6
Views: 7274

Re: Gravitas

This is one of my favourite words. I think of it primarily in the context of public officials elected or otherwise. In Canada, the head of state is Queen Elisabeth II, but she is represented in Canada by a Governor General—an appointed position. This is a largely ceremonial role such as swearing in ...
by gwray
Sun Feb 21, 2021 8:46 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Objurgate
Replies: 5
Views: 4697

Re: Objurgate

Where does excoriate fit in. It seems to me to be the ultimate in tearing a strip off someones hide. Other synonyms per Merriam-Webster with various intensities are: abuse, assail, attack, bash, belabor, blast, castigate, jump (on), lambaste (or lambast), potshot, savage, scathe, slam, trash, vitupe...
by gwray
Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:18 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Hymeneal
Replies: 4
Views: 4684

Re: Hymeneal

Robert Service wrote a humorous ballad, The Baldness of Chewed Ear https://www.poemhunter.com/poem/the-baldness-of-chewed-ear/ , whose recent marriage is blamed for his losing hair. It contains the line But in old Hymen's jack-pot, it's a most amazin' thing, Them flowin' locks jest disappeared like ...
by gwray
Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:05 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Hymeneal
Replies: 4
Views: 4684

Re: Hymeneal

I wrote a hymeneal hymn text for a renewal of wedding vows for our our 25th wedding anniversary. The few hymeneal hymns in the hymn book tended to focus attention on a novice bridal couple. I wrote a hymn focused of the celebration of the community and their obligation to love one another. Kind Wedd...
by gwray
Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:40 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Flocculent
Replies: 3
Views: 3908

Re: Flocculent

I once took a tour of a water purification plant. One stage of the purification was called agglomeration and flocculation in which microscopic contaminants were aggregated into wool like tufts which could then be filtered out.
by gwray
Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:33 am
Forum: Good Word Suggestions
Topic: pull/root
Replies: 1
Views: 6829

pull/root

I was thinking of these words in the context of hoping for a good outcome. "I was sorry to hear about Paul's diagnosis; tell your husband that I am pulling for him".

They are both simple words, but often simple words have amazing power.
by gwray
Mon Sep 14, 2020 8:53 am
Forum: Good Word Discussion
Topic: Amortize
Replies: 4
Views: 4560

Re: Amortize

I was surprised that the write-up made no mention of 'mortgage'. I have heard this word most frequently with mortgages and thought that the words were intimately related. I thought that the original meaning was "to pay off a mortgage in periodic installments" and that any other meaning was...

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