Page 1 of 1

Defalcate

Posted: Wed Oct 16, 2013 10:48 pm
by Dr. Goodword

• defalcate •

Pronunciation: di-fahl-kayt, de-fêl-kayt • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Verb

Meaning: 1. (Intransitive) Embezzle, misappropriate property that is your fiduciary responsibility. 2. To cut or lop off, to deduct, diminish, subtract, abate. 3. (Law) Reduce a claim by deducting a counterclaim.

Notes: Today's Good Word, like all Latinate words ending on -ate, comes with an activity noun defalcation, a personal noun, defalcator, and an adjective, defalcational.

In Play: Unlike embezzle, the first sense of this word may not take a direct object; it is intransitive: "Les Cheatham defalcated from funds entrusted to him by the pastor of his church." The second sense is less often used, but is still usable in sentences such as this: "Noam Knott is known for defalcating those parts of his duty that do not please him."

Word History: Today's Good Word comes from defalcatus, the past participle of Medieval Latin defalcare, comprising de- "(away) from" + falx [falc-s] "sickle, scythe" + a verbal ending. English has several other words implying "sickle" that were taken from Latin or its descendant, French: falcate and falciform "sickle-shaped", and falchion "a curved knife". Falcon also seems also to be derived from falx, probably because of its curved bill, but there are several competing theories of the origin of this word. Evidence from the Celtic and Balto-Slavic languages points to falx originating in a Proto-Indo-European word meaning "needle". However, this PIE word seems not to have spread outside the few language families mentioned here. (Today's Good Word was recommended by Jeb Britton III, who loves the word, if not the act itself.)

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:31 am
by MTC
"Les Cheatham defalcated from funds entrusted to him by the pastor of his church."

Likewise,

Congress defalcated from responsibilities entrusted to it by the
voters.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:27 pm
by LukeJavan8
:lol:


but we must remember we are the ones who keep
electing them, some of them over and over and over and over.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 2:09 pm
by gwray
From a humorous poem by Robert Service "The Baldness Of Chewed-Ear"
The situation grew intense, so quietly one day,
He gave his share-holders the slip, an' made his get-a-way.
Jest like a criminal he skipped, an' aimed to defalcate
The Chewed-ear Jenkins Hirsute Propagation Syndicate.
http://www.robertwservice.com/modules/s ... itemid=158

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Thu Oct 17, 2013 10:51 pm
by MTC
From Apocrypha of MTC, "Tea Party Scatology:"

To defalcate is no big deal
Tea Party members loudly squeal.
Just drop "al," insert an "e."
It's easier than one, two, three!

The government's too big we say,
And we must have it all our way.
Let's bring it to a grinding halt.
No one can say that it's our fault.

The billions lost, the mouths unfed?
You think we're better in the red?
The nation's reputation's shot?
Who cares what happens. We do not!

To balance budgets is our goal,
No matter what the human toll.
Our eyes are fixed, our course is true.
You'll find us in the nearest loo.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 2:31 am
by Philip Hudson
Bravo MTC. You are always outdoing your previous posts. I will be chuckling over this bit of rhyme for a long time.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 11:06 am
by LukeJavan8
:lol:

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 4:36 pm
by Slava
MTC, thanks for coming up with Just drop "al," insert an "e." I'd been trying to come up with a way of finessing that one in.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 7:59 pm
by MTC
Thank you, Philip, Luke, and Slava.

Standing on my soapbox, shouting from the antipodes, it's good to know somebody is listening.

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 8:07 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Antipodes is a good word all by itself. I always want to pronounce it Aunty Powdees. ( She's from my mother's side of course.)

Re: Defalcate

Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2013 11:39 pm
by gailr
Very nice, MTC!