Parsimony
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 3:11 pm
The most parsimonious explanation I've been able to invent for why certain GWotD are not posted to the Agora, is that our barbuto of a Good Doctor is one of those fortunate people who realise that life is short, and therefore avoids going to the office or engaging in that type of work on weekends («parsimony» received its apotheosis on 3 December, a day dedicated to one of the more unpleasant Graeco-Roman gods). Admittedly, there are certain phenomena not covered by my theory - «flimsy», for example, is a Thursday's child. Perhaps 8 December was a holiday in the US of which I was unaware - or maybe Dr Goodword just took a day off....
Henri
Henri
• parsimony •
Pronunciation: pah(r)-sê-mo-nee • [urlhttp://www.alphadictionary.com/sounds/parsimony.mp3]Hear it![/url]
Part of Speech: Noun, mass
Meaning: 1. Frugality, husbandry, economy, the judicious, even sparing, use of resources. 2. Tight-fisted stinginess.
Notes: The adjective of this Good Word is parsimonious [pah(r)-sê-mo-ni-ês] and the adverb, parsimoniously. A penurious person is usually stingy because of poverty. A parsimonious person is simply judicious in spending habits. The Law of Parsimony, on the other hand, also known as Occam's Razor, is a preference for the simplest explanation of the largest array of facts. Occam’s Razor cuts off the superfluous; in other words, it is best to explain the most you can in the fewest words—it's the law!
In Play: Today's Good Word reflects an attitude that often goes out the window this time of the year. Edmund Burke may have had the holidays in mind when he wrote, "Mere parsimony is not economy…. Expense, and great expense, may be an essential part in true economy;" which is to say, keep an eye on the long term. It is the case that today's word is not ineluctably wedded to finances: "Mom, don't be so parsimonious with the mashed potatoes; I'm a growing boy!"
Word History: Today's Good Word was taken from French, who got it from Latin parsimonia "parsimony". The Latin noun is built on parsus, the past participle of parcere "to be sparing". The root is probably related to the Greek word sparnos "rare, uncommon" and English spare. It is also tied to Latin parvus "small" and paucus "few." (We should not be parsimonious with our gratitude to Katy Brezger for suggesting today's very Good Word.)