Word of the Day

[Gail]

Word of the Day: Abstemious (adjective)

Pronunciation: [æb-'ste-mi-ês]

Definition: Temperate in consumption of food and drink; sparse or sparing in general.

Usage: This word answers the question, "Can you name an English word that contains all the vowels in their correct order?" What about "y"? The adverb is "abstemiously." There are several others such as "aerious," "facetious," and "parecious". The noun is "abstemiousness."

Suggested Usage: First and foremost this word is used in reference to temperance in food and drink, "Kirsten dines abstemiously throughout the week in order to gorge on the weekends." Another near synonym of today's word is "spartan": "Felix's apartment is modern and abstemious in its furnishings." Extending the metaphor, we might get, "Raymond leads a puritanically abstemious life resistant to most earthly pleasures."

Etymology: Latin abstemius from ab(s) "away from" + temum, a reduction of temetum "liquor." The prefix ab-s- derives from earlier *apo- which lost its [o] and turned up in English "of" and "off" but also "ebb" and "aft(er)." It may have kept the [o] in Russian, which has a possible descendent in po meaning "according to, about, around." "Temetum" is akin to temere "to profane, desecrate, pollute" that underlies our "temerity." The underlying root means "darkness," found in Sanskrit tamas "darkness," Russian t'ma "darkness," tuman "fog," and ten' "shadow."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

[D. Allan]

“The new passport requirements that have complicated travel this summer also have uncovered untold numbers of child support scofflaws and forced them to pay millions.” – Associated Press, Daytona Beach News Journal, Aug. 15,2007

scofflaw (skawf-law), noun

one who habitually ignores the law; one who refuses to pay fines or answer court summonses

scofflaw 1924, from scoff (q.v.) + law. The winning entry in a national contest during Prohibition to coin a word to characterize a person who drinks illegally, chosen from more than 25,000 entries; the $200 winning prize was split between two contestants who sent in the word separately, Henry Irving Dale and Miss Kate L. Butler. Other similar attempts did not stick, cf. pitilacker (1926), winning entry in Pennsylvania Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals contest to establish a scolding word for one who is cruel to animals (submitted by Mrs. M. McIlvaine Bready of Mickleton, N.J.). - Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

[Gail]

Word of the Day: Jeechet (verb)

Pronunciation: ['jee-chet?]

Definition: "Did you eat yet?" in hurried US English.

Usage: It is easy to believe that each word we say comprises one sound that conveys a meaning. Today's 'word,' however, is a single phonological word (linguistic sound) that corresponds to an entire sentence. This is not the result of random slurring; it is the result of regular English sound change rules. Rule 1: Since "did" is not ordinarily accented, the vowel tends to disappear, so that the two [d]s combine into one, just as "probably" becomes "probly," "suppose" becomes "s'pose," and "police" becomes "p'lice." Rule 2: [t] and [d] combine with [y] to become [j] and [ch], so "did you" reduces to [jê](elsewhere [dijê]) and "eat yet" become [eechet]. The same thing happens with "mature" [mêchur] and "verdure" [vêrjur] where a [y] sound follows the [t] and [d].

Suggested Usage: One reason we can't determine the number of words in a language is because a phonological word (the sound part) does not always directly correspond to a semantic word (the meaning). "I would have" comprises 3 distinct sounds and meanings but "I'd've" is a single two-syllable phonological word that matches the same three meanings—one word or three? Speaking a language involves a complex set of mental activities in different parts of the brain that follow rules that allow us to plot the output of one onto that of another in a surprising variety of ways.

Etymology: The etymological point of today's 'word' is that the sound changes you see in it are one of the sources of the historical changes in language. However, the central word in "jeechet?" is "eat," which shares a source with German "essen," Latin "edere" (whence our word "edible"), and Russian "est', ed-." The Russian word for "bear" is medved' from medu "of honey" + ed' "eat(er)."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

[D. Allan]

cosmopolitan (koz-muh-POL-i-tn), adjective

1. Pertinent or common to the whole world: an issue of cosmopolitan import.

2. Having constituent elements from all over the world or from many different parts of the world: the ancient and cosmopolitan societies of Syria and Egypt.

3. So sophisticated as to be at home in all parts of the world or conversant with many spheres of interest: a cosmopolitan traveler.

4. Ecology: Growing or occurring in many parts of the world; widely distributed.

noun, A cosmopolitan person or organism; a cosmopolite.

- American Heritage Dictionary

related words:

cosmopolitanism, noun

cosmopolite, noun

cosmopolitanly, adverb

[color:#993300] A cosmopolitan person may be sophisticated, urbane and worldly but never provincial and parochial.

Etymology: 1844, from cosmopolite "citizen of the world" (1614), from Gk. kosmopolites, from kosmos "world" + polites "citizen," from polis "city". Cosmopolitanism first recorded 1828.

- Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper

French: cosmopolite

Spanish: cosmopolita

Italian: cosmopolita

German: weltbürgerlich

Greek: κοσμοπολίτικος

Russian: многонациональный

Ms Rice, the USA's cosmopolitan secretary of state.

[D. Allan]

According to entry from "The Skeptics Dictionary," by Robert Todd Carroll, many of us Christian believers can be called agnostic fideists.

agnosticism

Agnosticism is the position of believing that knowledge of the existence or non-existence of God is impossible. It is often put forth as a middle ground between theism and atheism. Understood this way, agnosticism is skepticism regarding all things theological. The agnostic holds that human knowledge is limited to the natural world, that the mind is incapable of knowledge of the supernatural. Understood this way, an agnostic could also be a theist or an atheist. The former is called a fideist, one who believes in God purely on faith. The latter is sometimes accused by theists of having faith in the non-existence of God, but the accusation is absurd and the expression meaningless. The agnostic atheist simply finds no compelling reason to believe in God.

The term 'agnostic' was created by T. H. Huxley (1825-1895), who took his cue from David Hume and Immanuel Kant. Huxley says that he invented the term to describe what he thought made him unique among his fellow thinkers:

They were quite sure that they had attained a certain "gnosis" -- had more or less successfully solved the problem of existence; while I was quite sure I had not, and had a pretty strong conviction that the problem was insoluble.

'Agnostic' came to mind, he says, because the term was "suggestively antithetic to the 'gnostic' of Church history, who professed to know so much about the very things of which I was ignorant...." Huxley seems to have intended the term to mean that metaphysics is, more or less, bunk. In short, he seems to have agreed with Hume's conclusion at the end of An Enquiry Concerning Human Understanding:

When we run over libraries, persuaded of these principles, what havoc must we make? If we take in our hand any volume; of divinity or school metaphysics, for instance; let us ask, Does it contain any abstract reasoning concerning quantity or number? No. Does it contain any experimental reasoning concerning matter of fact and existence? No. Commit it then to the flames: for it can contain nothing but sophistry and illusion.*

Kant's Critique of Pure Reason resolved some of the main epistemological issues raised by Hume, but at the expense of rejecting the possibility of knowing anything beyond appearances of phenomena. We can't know God but the idea of God is a practical necessity, according to Kant.

[emphasises added by dAb]

These men (Huxley, Hume, Kant) evidently lacked 'faith' and the experience of 'relationship' with a higher power, one higher than reason - was it gnosis?[dAb]

available at http://skepdic.com/agnosticism.html

[D. Allan]

This toothy word contains the name of a fanged feline!

[color:#6600CC] dentigerous (den-TIJ-uhr-uhs) adjective

Having teeth.

[From Latin denti- (teeth) + -gerous (bearing), from gerere (to bear).]

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"For a man in his awkwardly dentigerous position, the order to 'flash those teeth' must doubly hurt." - Neville Marten and Jeff Hudson; Kinks; Bobcat Books; 2007.

A dentigerous jaw.

[D. Allan]

In our word for today hides another feline , - ready to pounce at you.

perihelion (per-i-HEE-lee-uhn_, -HEEL-yun) noun

The point in the orbit of a celestial body that is nearest to the sun.

[From Greek peri- (around, near) + helios (sun). The point farthest from the sun is called aphelion, from apo- (away).]

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

[color:#993300] "Come Jan. 3, Earth will reach perihelion, its closest approach to the sun at 91,399,727 miles." - Pete Zapadka; That Sun Feels Mighty Close During Summer. False!; Pittsburgh Post-Gazette; Jul 6, 2007.

[D. Allan]

manumit (man-yuh-MIT), transitive verb:

To free from slavery or servitude.

[color:#993300] The prime reason, I suspect, will be that we don't need any liberator to manumit our "corporate slaves" because we've never had any.

- Victor S. Navasky, "Time is money", The Nation, July 17, 1989

Mobilization difficulties led the government to manumit hundreds of slaves and scores of convicts to fight at the front.

- Peter M. Beattie, "Conscription versus penal servitude", Journal of Social History, June 22, 1999

Possessed of more than one hundred slaves, Tucker resisted the appeals of relatives to manumit in his will even favored household servants.

- Christopher Doyle, "Judge St. George Tucker and the case of Tom v. Roberts", Virginia Magazine of History and Biography, Autumn 1998

It even seemed possible that they could improve the conditions of slaves and persuade ever more planters to manumit their bondsmen.

- Larry Gragg, "A heavenly visitation", History Today, February 1, 2002

Manumit comes from Latin manumittere, "to emancipate a slave," from manu mittere, "to release from control," from manus, "hand" (hence "power of control") + mittere, "to let go; to send." The noun form is manumission.

- dictionary.com

“The term is Middle English and is derived from the Latin manumittere, literally to send off by hand, referring to the Roman ceremony of manumission (where the master liberated the slave with a symbolic slap).” - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manumission

“Greek slaves generally became metics upon being manumitted. That is, they became resident aliens, non-citizens in the city where they lived .” – ibid

“In Rome former slaves became freedman (liberti), usually taking the family name of their former master as their own, and though they were no longer seen as an object in the eyes of the law, they still did not gain all the rights of a Roman citizen.” – ibid

“In both societies ex-slaves required the permission of their former master to marry.” – ibid

“After manumission, a slave was legally converted from property to a free Roman citizen. Despite the benefits of this new status, manumitted slaves were typically looked down upon by the freeborn citizens of Rome. In addition to the stigma accompanying an ex-slave, the freedmen were required by Roman tradition to fulfill two post-manumission obligations .” http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~thurley/manumission.html

“After manumission was given freedom and released from all of his duties as a slave. Freedmen typically were not fully integrated into society. One way in which the law made it difficult for ex-slaves to become full citizens of Rome was through the practices of obseqium and operae. The act of obseqium required freedmen and women to openly grovel in the presence of their former masters. Whether in public or in the privacy of the household, freedmen were required to remove their hate, drop to their knees, etc. in front of their masters. Operae, on the other hand, was the custom whereby an ex-slave was required to return to their slave professions for a certain number of days annually for their masters. The number of days varied depending on the conditions of the manumission.” - http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/~thurley/legal.html

http://www.masshist.org/endofslavery/?queryID=55

[D. Allan]

And since Madonna first started singing Kabbalah's praises six years ago — literally, on her 1998 album Ray of Light— she has arguably become the practice's most prominent advocate. The 45-year-old pop priestess introduced Britney Spears to the discipline last year…. No doubt this brand of modern Kabbalah will face further scrutiny with the start this week of Madonna's Reinvention tour, which won't feature Friday night performances, reportedly so the star can observe the Sabbath. Still, Reinvention is an apt title: Madonna, who was raised Catholic, has credited Kabbalah with helping to quash her Material Girl persona and achieve spiritual clarity. – source: http://www.usatoday.com/life/lifestyle/2004-05-25-kabbalah-main_x.htm

cabala (KAB-uh-luh, kuh-BAH-)

kab•ba•lah or kab•ba•la or ka•ba•la also ca•ba•la or qa•ba•la or qa•ba•lah (kāb'ə-lə, kə-bä'lə)

n.

1. often Kabbalah A body of mystical teachings of rabbinical origin, often based on an esoteric interpretation of the Hebrew Scriptures.

2. A secret doctrine resembling these teachings.

[Medieval Latin cabala, from Hebrew qabbālâ, received doctrine, tradition, from qibbēl, to receive; see qbl in Semitic roots.]

kab'ba•lism n., kab'ba•list n.

Usage Note: There are no less than two dozen variant spellings of kabbalah, the most common of which include kabbalah, kabala, kabalah, qabalah, qabala, cabala, cabbala, kaballah, kabbala, kaballah, and qabbalah. This sort of confusion is frequently seen with Hebrew and Arabic words borrowed into English because there exist several different systems of transliterating the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets into Roman letters. Often a more exact or scholarly transliteration, such as Qur'an, will coexist alongside a spelling that has been heavily Anglicized (Koran). The fact that the Hebrew and Arabic alphabets do not as a rule indicate short vowels or the doubling of consonants compounds the difficulties. Spellings of kabbalah with one or two b's are equally "correct," insofar as the single b accurately reproduces the spelling of the Hebrew, while the double b represents the fact that it was once pronounced with a double b.

- The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

The Random House Unabridged gives an interesting definition:

“a system of esoteric theosophy and theurgy developed by rabbis, reaching its peak about the 12th and 13 centuries, and influencing certain medieval and Renaissance Christian thinkers. It was based on a mystical method of interpreting Scripture by which initiates claimed to penetrate sacred mysteries. Among its central doctrines are, all creation is an emanation from the Deity and the soul exists from eternity.”

“Originally, Kabbalistic knowledge was believed to be an integral part of the Judaism's oral law (see also, Aggadah), given by God to Moses on Mount Sinai around 13th century BCE, though there is a view that Kabbalah began with Adam.” – wikipedia.com

"A person who is capable of comprehending the Seder hishtalshelus (kabbalistic secrets concerning the higher spiritual spheres) - and fails to do so - cannot be considered a human being. At every moment and time one must know where his soul stands. It is a mitzvah (commandment) and an obligation to know the seder hishtalshelus." Rabbi Shmuel Schneersohn of Lubavitch - wikipedia.com

“When the Israelites arrived at their destination and settled in Canaan ‎, for a few centuries the esoteric knowledge was referred to by its aspect practice - meditation (“Hitbodedut” Hebrew: התבודדות), translated as “being alone” or “isolating oneself”, or by a different term describing the actual, desired goal of the practice - prophecy (“NeVu’a” Hebrew: נבואה‎). –Wikipedia.com

[Guest charis]

Kabbalah? On the outside, it looks like a very spiritual, very hopeful and self-empowering notion. It takes much, if not most, of its power from the Bible - the Old Testament, and the Zohar.

BUT it is a form of Magick..... great if you wish to do astral travel. (please don't)

It can only be trusted when

[D. Allan]

thanks charis - i ll keep that in mind. do you have any experience with kabbalism? jus' curious

[Guest charis]

thanks charis - i ll keep that in mind. do you have any experience with kabbalism? jus' curious

yes...that was one of my paths away from Jesus

[Morning Glory]

Charis,

Thank you for the brief description of Kabbalah. I was wondering if that were the case, now you have confirmed it for me. I found a book in the library called "the book of days." It uses "wisdom", for lack of a better word, from several sources which speak to the Jewish way of looking at their calander, seasons, etc. I have only read a few pages. So far it is interesting, on the other hand, guess I don't need to litter my mind with falshood.

Keep on walking towards Jesus, and take me with you.

Morning Glory

[D. Allan]

have you noticed authentic specimens of 'effrontery' crawling around lately? usually it engenders rage, one of the most telling attributes of the genuine natural human

effrontery (ih-FRUN-tuh-ree), noun:

Insulting presumptuousness; shameless boldness; insolence.

[color:#CC6600] Who would have the effrontery to treat the chairman in this way?

- Tom King, The Operator

Passionately she sang of Yoshitsune, her love and yearning for him, and her joy that he had successfully managed to evade his evil half-brother Yoritomo. Yoritomo was torn between rage at such effrontery and pleasure at the exquisite beauty of her voice.

- Lesley Downer, Women of the Pleasure Quarters

Effrontery is from French effronterie, ultimately from Late Latin effrons, effront-, "shameless," literally "without forehead" (to blush with), from Latin ex-, "out of" + frons, front-, "forehead."

[D. Allan]

theurgy (THEE-ur-jee), noun, plural – theurgies

1. the effect of supernatural or divine intervention in human affairs

2. white magic performed with the help of beneficent spirits (as formerly practiced by Neoplatonists)

-definitions from wordnet.com

Theurgy (from Greek: θεουργία) describes the practice of rituals, sometimes seen as magical in nature, performed with the intention of invoking the action of one or more gods, especially with the goal of uniting with the divine, achieving henosis, and perfecting oneself. - from wikipedia

Christian Theurgy:

Some regard the Roman Catholic mass as a form of theurgy, in which the being of Christ is called down into the Host and hence into the communicant. The practice of the Novena could also be interpreted as theurgy, although it borders more on practical folk magic.

In Greek Orthodox Christianity, many of the services, including even baptism may contain theurgy (as Vladimir Lossky refers to Christian theurgy) in a thaumaturgical way, similar to magic, but not considered such within the tradition. – from Wikipedia.com

RELATED WORDS:

theurgic adj.

theurgical adj.

theurgically adv.

theurgist n.

Christians no doubt would say that the life of Christ is the greatest theurgical event in human history, in the sense of the first definition. The life story of Moses who led his people forty years in the desert seem to have some theurgical events and many rituals. I an thankful that the influence of Jesus, the Christ, has freed us from those rituals; and we needn't be theurgists.

[Guest charis]

Quote:

2. white magic performed with the help of beneficent spirits (as formerly practiced by Neoplatonists)

Some people will say they practice "white magick" - benign, benevolent, helpful; truth is, there is no such thing as "white magick"... It would be akin to a "Christian occultist/witch/shaman" - mutually exclusive. It all has to do with from whence the invoked power comes. imho

[Guest charis]

Charis,

Thank you for the brief description of Kabbalah. I was wondering if that were the case, now you have confirmed it for me. I found a book in the library called "the book of days." It uses "wisdom", for lack of a better word, from several sources which speak to the Jewish way of looking at their calander, seasons, etc. I have only read a few pages. So far it is interesting, on the other hand, guess I don't need to litter my mind with falshood.

Keep on walking towards Jesus, and take me with you.

Morning Glory

Thanks MG..... Sure it is that I hope you and my other friends are with me .....although I do seem to traverse all bunny trails that I find..

[D. Allan]

gravitas (GRAV-uh-tahs), noun:

High seriousness (as in a person's bearing or in the treatment of a subject).

[color:#CC6600] " At first sight the tall, stooped figure with the hawk-like features and bloodless cheeks, the look of extreme gravitas, seems forbidding and austere, the abbot of an ascetic order, scion of an imperial family who has foresworn the world."

- John Lehmann, "T.S. Eliot Talks About Himself and the Drive to Create", New York Times, November 9, 1953

"And we want to tell our readers about sharp, clever books, utterly lacking in gravitas, that we know will delight them on the beach or the bus.

- Benjamin Schwarz, "(Some of) the best books of 2001", The Atlantic, December 2001

Gravitas is from the Latin gravitas, "heaviness, seriousness," from gravis, "heavy, serious."

from - www.dictionary.com

[D. Allan]

atelier (at-l-YAY), noun:

A workshop; a studio.

[color:#CC6600]

A garage in Montparnasse served as Leo's atelier, and there he labored on his huge triptychs, mixing his paints in buckets and applying them with a kitchen mop.

- Mordecai Richler, Barney's Version

After Groton, he would attend the Boston Museum of Fine Arts School, then settle in Paris, rent an atelier and paint.

- Benjamin Welles, Sumner Welles: FDR's Global Strategist

His atelier was the headquarters of a lively little cottage industry.

- Rollene W. Saal, "Listening for Voices That are Muted", New York Times, January 25, 1987

Atelier comes from French, from Old French astelier, "carpenter's shop," from astele, "splinter," from Late Latin astella, alteration of Latin astula, itself an alteration of assula, "a shaving, a chip," diminutive of assis, "board."

- www.dictionary.com

RIJCKAERT atelier

[D. Allan]

quixotic (kwik-SOT-ik), adjective:

1. Caught up in the romance of noble deeds and the pursuit of unreachable goals; foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals.

2. Capricious; impulsive; unpredictable.

[color:#CC6600] Some of his plans were quixotic and much too good for this world, but he never wavered in a cause that he considered just and he commanded the respect of all who opposed him.

- "Dr. John Dewey Dead at 92; Philosopher a Noted Liberal", New York Times, June 2, 1952

He is buying up commercial buildings in his hometown of Archer City and filling them with used books -- hundreds of thousands of used books gathered from all over the country -- as part of a quixotic scheme to turn this sleepy rural community into a mecca for book lovers.

- Mark Horowitz, "Larry McMurtry's Dream Job", New York Times, December 7, 1997

I was amazed to learn that he didn't have much experience climbing mountains and that he wasn't intending to do any intensive training for his quixotic expedition.

- Michael D. Eisner, Work in Progress

Quixotic refers to the eccentric, generous idealism of Don Quixote, the hero of a satiric romance by Miguel de Cervantes.

-Dictionary.com

[Gail]

Word of the Day: Hobbledehoy (noun)

Pronunciation: ['hah-bêl-dee-hoy]

Definition: (Colloquial) A youth at that awkward age between boyhood and manhood, a clumsy or unsophisticated youth.

Usage: There are two nouns, hobbledehoydom "the quality of a hobbledehoy, hobbledehoys collectively" (the most awkward boy in all hobbledehoydom) and hobbledehoyhood "the age or condition of a hobbledehoy, adolescence" (errors of one's hobbledehoyhood). An adult who has an awkward moment might be said to be hobbledehoyish, using the adjective.

Suggested Usage: Here is the word you have been looking for to describe nerds who can't add or plug in a computer: "Oh, mom, my blind date was a hobbledehoy who thought Chardonnay was a French actress!" You have to begin using the one noun simply because it is so fun to say, "I might have found her sophisticated in my hobbledehoyhood but not now that I am a suave, sophisticated man of the world."

Etymology: Today's word is of uncertain origin and form. Its current shape may well come from an association with "hobble," a device that would cause an awkward or clumsy gait. However, this word has assumed so many forms since its emergence in the 16th century, it would be difficult to decide which to track backwards: "hobbard de hoy," "hobidehoy," "hobberdy-hoy," "habberdehoy," "hobby de hoy," "ho-body hoy," or "hobberdehoy." It might just as easily be related to "hobby" or hoberd "hawk" as "hobble."

–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

[D. Allan]

irritable male syndrome n.

Anger and irritableness in men caused by a sudden drop in testosterone levels, particularly when brought on by stress. Also: IMS.

[color:#993300] Example Citation:

Feeling anxious? Irritable, too? Has the stamina that used to fuel days and burn up the nights hit the road? ... Check your engines, gentlemen. There are thousands of males out there in the same sorry state, but now — thanks to a research scientist in Scotland — the condition has a name. "Irritable Male Syndrome," that state of hypersensitivity, frustration and anger is now used to describe men who suffer from testosterone deficiency. And while the condition may have been around for ages, the diagnosis suggests that men may be just as vulnerable to the complexities of biology as women. "This is very common," said Dr. Philip Aliotta. "Low levels of testosterone manifest in irritability, depression, weak muscles, loss of self-esteem. Men have no interest in the joys of life. Their libido has dropped. Their interest in intimacy is declining. Sexual function diminishes. Work performance suffers. Oftentimes they are misdiagnosed as being depressed.

—Jane Kwiatkowski, "Goodbye, testosterone," The Buffalo News, January 28, 2003

Earliest Citation:

It has to be said that her husband, Prince Philip, hasn't helped the monarchist cause by asking an aboriginal leader: Do you still throw spears at each other? The Prince, bored by more than half a century in the passive role of royal consort, specializes in this kind of remark. On a visit to China, he once referred to the Chinese as slitty-eyed. The Australian tribal leader, William Brin, to whom he addressed the enquiry, said he wasn't offended but surprised. I just told him: 'No, we don't do that any more', he said. There has been the predictable outcry, but it doesn't seem an altogether unreasonable question, given the tendency of some Australian aboriginals to emphasize their tribal roots by dancing semi-naked, painting their bodies, and doing other old-fashioned things. Who knows? They might easily still throw spears at each other. But obviously it was unwise of the Prince to ask the question. It may be that he suffers from the newly identified irritable male syndrome.

—Alexander Chancellor, "The Good Prince," Slate Magazine, February 25, 2002

- found at WordSpy.com

Walter Matthau and Jack Lemon portrayed victims of IMS on the big screen and on TV.

[Gail]

Word of the Day: Orthorexia (noun)

Pronunciation: [or-thê-'rek-si-yê]

Definition: An uncontrolable obsession with eating the right food, especially health food. From orthorexia nervosa "right-appetite neurosis," parallel to "anorexia nervosa" or "no-appetite neurosis. "

Usage: The contemporary drive to eat the right food has reached the point that it is making some of us neurotic, so many, in fact, that we need a word for the neurosis. Those suffering from orthorexia are "orthorexics," based on the adjective from today's word, "orthorexic," as in "Gary Loop has a misguided orthorexic fixation on chicken and mashed potatoes."

Suggested Usage: If Gary truly suffered from orthorexia, he would eat a few lightly cooked vegetables with his meal, back away from the potatoes, and be careful to remove the skin from the chicken. And what about Sue? "Sue's orthorexia is such that she won't eat naturally fertilized vegetables unless she is sure the cows that produced the fertilizer were raised by a kind, enlightened farmer."

Etymology: Today's word is a recent combination of Greek orthos "right, true, straight" + orexis (orek-sis) "appetite," the noun from the verb oreg-ein "to reach out for." The Greek word is akin to Latin regere "to lead straight, guide, rule," the past participle or which is rectus "right, straight," found in English "rectitude," "direction," and "correct." The root of the verb is visible in "regulate," "regular," via regula "rod, ruler," which French helped us convert into "rule."

—Dr. Language, yourDictionary.com

[D. Allan]

Very useful word!

[Gail]

Very useful word!

Could be, in our circles!