I wonder if parlance is in a parlous position these days. I don't have any research to back it up, but it does seem to be quite rare. I can't recall even seeing it in a crossword puzzle.
Just to put in my two cents here, but in Meaning 2, the involuntary response is not necessarily 'unlearned'. Think of the beaten dog that cowers at a raised voice. It took some teaching to get there.
Our gratitude may not be ineffable, but in general, especially with a qualifier, it could be: "the extent of our gratitude is ineffable". Interesting that the ineffability can be for both good and bad things. The ineffable name of God, and the ineffable name of "He Who Shall Not Be Na...
This is an old, old post, so I can't say I don't know I'm wrong, but I do find myself going for folk etymology on the inky definition of this word. I keep thinking of it as being from the repetitive pounding of the needle, beating a tattoo on the skin, to put a tattoo under the skin. Stab, stab, pok...
I wonder how the transitive/intransitive usages break down in numbers. I'm not sure I've ever seen arrogate used in the sense of assigning something to someone else. It's always 'to oneself'. So I arrogate to you the onus of looking that up. (Doesn't work, does it?)
Polite society may accept tuchus, but I wonder about the diminutives. They don't quite fit in there, do they? Too childish sounding?
Polite society may accept tuchus, but my spellchecker doesn't. It suggests schuss instead. I guess I'll have to add it, eh? Or just give it a kick in the schuss?
Good Word for 5/15/2024: • tabernacle • Pronunciation: tæ -bêr-næ-kêl • Hear it! Part of Speech: Noun Meaning: 1. A moveable dwelling or booth, a tent, a hut or lean-to. 2. (Tabernacle) A sacred moveable structure (tent) in which the Israelites transported the Ark of the Covenant. 3. (Tabernacle) A...
Nice coincidence just now; I turned on my local classical station and opened this word at the same time. The music playing was the tail end of Mussorgsky's 'Night on Bald Mountain', a very delicate and beautiful coda.