Search found 125 matches
- Wed Feb 08, 2023 10:25 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Wit
- Replies: 3
- Views: 1469
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...
- Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:39 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Firgun
- Replies: 5
- Views: 5962
Re: Firgun
Thanks Slava!
- Sun Feb 05, 2023 6:36 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: wit
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3752
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.
- Sat Jan 07, 2023 11:15 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Friable
- Replies: 4
- Views: 1840
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).
- Fri Dec 30, 2022 11:34 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Nude
- Replies: 2
- Views: 1176
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...
- Sun Jul 25, 2021 8:32 pm
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: wit
- Replies: 2
- Views: 3752
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&...
- Sun Feb 21, 2021 1:39 pm
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Objurgate
- Replies: 5
- Views: 4777
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...
- Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:12 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: decorum
- Replies: 1
- Views: 2642
decorum
Inspired by recent good word gravitas.
- Sun Feb 21, 2021 9:10 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Gravitas
- Replies: 6
- Views: 7391
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 ...
- Sun Feb 21, 2021 8:46 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Objurgate
- Replies: 5
- Views: 4777
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...
- Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:18 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Hymeneal
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4759
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 ...
- Sat Nov 21, 2020 10:05 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Hymeneal
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4759
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...
- Fri Oct 09, 2020 7:40 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Flocculent
- Replies: 3
- Views: 3999
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.
- Tue Oct 06, 2020 1:33 am
- Forum: Good Word Suggestions
- Topic: pull/root
- Replies: 1
- Views: 8008
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.
They are both simple words, but often simple words have amazing power.
- Mon Sep 14, 2020 8:53 am
- Forum: Good Word Discussion
- Topic: Amortize
- Replies: 4
- Views: 4622
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...