ʌnˈtɪl / tɪl until / till: up to the time of (an event); during the whole time before So I was perusing the pre-operative fasting guidelines for a local hospital the other day (as you do), when I discovered a heartening bit of text: Once in hospital the ward staff will allow you to sip … Continue reading Until / Till
Tag Archives: Etymology
Pretentious
prɪˈtɛnʃəs pretentious: professing or making claim to great merit or importance, especially when unwarranted among […a]nd amongst. Most such forms ending in -st, such as whilst and amidst, are archaisms in American English. Amongst is no exception: in American English it is pretentious at best. Bryan A. Garner, Garner’s Modern American Usage (2009) I bow … Continue reading Pretentious
Angel
ˈeɪndʒəl angel: One of an order of spiritual beings superior to man in power and intelligence, who, according to the Jewish, Christian, Islamic, and other theologies, are the attendants and messengers of the Deity And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.And, lo, the … Continue reading Angel
Sassenach
I must have gone for years without hearing or reading this word until the advent of the improbable television series “Outlander” in 2014 (based on Diana Gabaldon’s novels), which brought the word to the attention of (apparently) the entire English-speaking world, if not beyond. The first season of the series introduced a time-travelling twentieth-century nurse to Gaelic-speaking eighteenth-century Highland Scots, who call her a “Sassenach”. At which point, people started talking nonsense about the word on the Internet. So no change there.
Omnishambles
ˈɒmnɪʃæmblz omnishambles: a chaotic situation, especially in politics, brought about by multiple serious mistakes and a lack of basic understanding Malcolm Tucker: Not only have you got a [redacted] bent husband and a [redacted] daughter that gets taken to school in a [redacted] sedan chair, you’re also [redacted] mental. Jesus Christ, see you, you are … Continue reading Omnishambles
Phosphorus
The [Saharan] dust particles provide nuclei for the formation of ice crystals in clouds above the rain forest and so help to enhance or maintain precipitation over the Amazon rain forests. Equally important, trace elements within the dust such as nitrates, phosphorous [sic], and potassium are a major source of plant nutrients. Martin Williams, When … Continue reading Phosphorus
Epicaricacy: Part 2
ɛpɪkærˈɪkəsɪ / ɛpɪˈkærɪkəsɪ epicaricacy: malicious enjoyment of the misfortunes of others What a fearful thing is it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing. And yet in more than … Continue reading Epicaricacy: Part 2
Epicaricacy: Part 1
ɛpɪkærˈɪkəsɪ / ɛpɪˈkærɪkəsɪ epicaricacy: malicious enjoyment of the misfortunes of others What a fearful thing is it that any language should have a word expressive of the pleasure which men feel at the calamities of others; for the existence of the word bears testimony to the existence of the thing. And yet in more than … Continue reading Epicaricacy: Part 1
Keplerian Orbital Elements
1. All planets move in elliptical orbits, with the sun at one focus.2. A line that connects a planet to the sun sweeps out equal areas in equal times.3. The square of the period of any planet is proportional to the cube of the semimajor axis of its orbit. Kepler’s Laws of Planetary Motion (formulated … Continue reading Keplerian Orbital Elements
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Complimentary
kɒmplɪˈmɛntərɪ complimentary: 1) expressive of, or conveying, polite praise or commendation; 2) presented as a gift or gratuity So a guy’s sitting at the bar, drinking beer, when he hears a voice say, “You’re looking good tonight.” And he looks around, but there’s no-one there. After a while the same voice says, “That new haircut … Continue reading Complimentary