flout \FLOWT\, transitive verb:
1. To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.
2. To mock, to scoff.
3. Mockery, scoffing.
The thorough training in the fine points of lyric writing that he has received from Hammerstein has made Sondheim highly critical of those lyricists who flout the basic techniques of the craft.-- "Sondheim: Lyricist and Composer", New York Times, March 6, 1966
Seth and Dorothy were completely mystified by Janis's determination to flout as many social conventions as she could.-- Alice Echols, Scars of Sweet Paradise
Showing posts with label vocabulary. Show all posts
Showing posts with label vocabulary. Show all posts
Monday, August 24, 2009
Sunday, August 23, 2009
A word a day.
reticent \RET-ih-suhnt\, adjective:
1. Inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.
2. Restrained or reserved in style.
3. Reluctant; unwilling.
His wispy eyebrows sit above eyes undimmed by more than forty years of serious scholarship; a tight-lipped smile suggests that there are many things he will not say about himself or his accomplishments. Indeed, he is almost painfully reticent about what most scholars now consider to be a monumental achievement in the field.
-- Marc K. Stengel, "The Diffusionists Have Landed", The Atlantic, January 2000
Within a circle of intimate friends, he's a very sociable person, says Russell Banks, another novelist, who has known Auster since 1977. "Outside of that circle, he's fairly shy and reticent."
-- "Case of the Brooklyn Symbolist", New York Times, August 30, 1992
1. Inclined to keep silent; reserved; uncommunicative.
2. Restrained or reserved in style.
3. Reluctant; unwilling.
His wispy eyebrows sit above eyes undimmed by more than forty years of serious scholarship; a tight-lipped smile suggests that there are many things he will not say about himself or his accomplishments. Indeed, he is almost painfully reticent about what most scholars now consider to be a monumental achievement in the field.
-- Marc K. Stengel, "The Diffusionists Have Landed", The Atlantic, January 2000
Within a circle of intimate friends, he's a very sociable person, says Russell Banks, another novelist, who has known Auster since 1977. "Outside of that circle, he's fairly shy and reticent."
-- "Case of the Brooklyn Symbolist", New York Times, August 30, 1992
Sunday, May 17, 2009
A word a day.
querulous \KWER-uh-luhs; -yuh\, adjective:
1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.
Querulous Oscar rattles on, never more or less than himself, but never much more than the content of his grumpy rattling.-- Sven Birkerts, "A Frolic of His Own", New Republic, February 7, 1994
Mam is a tragic figure when transported to New York by her successful sons -- querulous, unable to get a decent cup of tea.-- Maureen Howard, "McCourt's New World", New York Times, September 19, 1999
Men who feel strong in the justice of their cause, or confident in their powers, do not waste breath in childish boasts of their own superiority and querulous depreciation of their antagonists.-- James Russell Lowell, "The Pickens-and-Stealin's Rebellion", The Atlantic, June 1861
1. Apt to find fault; habitually complaining.
2. Expressing complaint; fretful; whining.
Querulous Oscar rattles on, never more or less than himself, but never much more than the content of his grumpy rattling.-- Sven Birkerts, "A Frolic of His Own", New Republic, February 7, 1994
Mam is a tragic figure when transported to New York by her successful sons -- querulous, unable to get a decent cup of tea.-- Maureen Howard, "McCourt's New World", New York Times, September 19, 1999
Men who feel strong in the justice of their cause, or confident in their powers, do not waste breath in childish boasts of their own superiority and querulous depreciation of their antagonists.-- James Russell Lowell, "The Pickens-and-Stealin's Rebellion", The Atlantic, June 1861
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
A word a day.
iridescent
adj.
adj.
- Producing a display of lustrous, rainbowlike colors: an iridescent oil slick; iridescent plumage.
- Brilliant, lustrous, or colorful in effect or appearance: "The prelude was as iridescent as a prism in a morning room" (Carson McCullers).
Friday, April 17, 2009
A word a day.
ephemeral \ih-FEM-er-ul\, adjective:
1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; as, an ephemeral flower.
2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.
Success is very ephemeral. You depend entirely on the desire of others, which makes it difficult to relax.-- Eva Green
In "Mississippi Mermaid," the planter character played by Belmondo, a fellow who has sought a safe, permanent love, is liberated when he chooses to follow the ephemeral.-- Vincent Canby, "Truffaut's Clear-Eyed Quest.", New York Times, September 14, 1975
Rather, we must separate what is ephemeral... from the things that are of lasting importance.-- Patrick Smith, Japan: A Reinterpretation
1. Beginning and ending in a day; existing only, or no longer than, a day; as, an ephemeral flower.
2. Short-lived; existing or continuing for a short time only.
Success is very ephemeral. You depend entirely on the desire of others, which makes it difficult to relax.-- Eva Green
In "Mississippi Mermaid," the planter character played by Belmondo, a fellow who has sought a safe, permanent love, is liberated when he chooses to follow the ephemeral.-- Vincent Canby, "Truffaut's Clear-Eyed Quest.", New York Times, September 14, 1975
Rather, we must separate what is ephemeral... from the things that are of lasting importance.-- Patrick Smith, Japan: A Reinterpretation
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
A Word a Day.
We thought this word would never come from an English dictionary... but hey, it does exists!!! In Singapore context, some of us unknowingly use this word as a local type of food, a form of meat dumpling. I've included this just so you know that you may use this word in your writing!
wanton \WON-tn\, adjective;The plural is faunas or faunae.:
1. reckless, heartless, or malicious; without reason or excuse
2. not moral; lewd, lascivious
"Such (a) stand and attitude are leading to the grave, wanton violation of all the north-south agreements," the report said.-- Kwang-Tae Kim, Denver Post, 2008-11-11
Ram raiders have smashed through the main admissions area of Royal North Shore Hospital, stealing the contents of an ATM and assaulting a man, in a rampage police have called "wanton bloody destruction".-- Dylan Welch, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2008-11-11
wanton \WON-tn\, adjective;The plural is faunas or faunae.:
1. reckless, heartless, or malicious; without reason or excuse
2. not moral; lewd, lascivious
"Such (a) stand and attitude are leading to the grave, wanton violation of all the north-south agreements," the report said.-- Kwang-Tae Kim, Denver Post, 2008-11-11
Ram raiders have smashed through the main admissions area of Royal North Shore Hospital, stealing the contents of an ATM and assaulting a man, in a rampage police have called "wanton bloody destruction".-- Dylan Welch, The Sydney Morning Herald, 2008-11-11
A Few Words a Day.
sallow \SAL-oh\, adjective:
having a sickly, yellowish color
"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put make-up on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.-- The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-10-17
Actually, Thompson looked old and sallow, as he faced the cameras for a few seconds before hopping into a waiting GMC Envoy.-- The Washington Post, 2007-04-19
********
vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:
1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty
The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.-- Don Frederick, LA Times
McCain's campaign has been mocking Obama on television and in speeches for weeks, attacking him personally as a vacuous celebrity.-- Ben Smith, Denver Post, 2008-08-29
********
acclaim \uh-KLEYM\, verb:
1. to welcome with loud approval; praise highly
2. a shout or show of approval
A day after abandoning his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Gov. Eliot Spitzer won the kind of wide acclaim from elected officials that he could not win for the proposal itself.-- Nicholas Confessore and Raymond Hernandez, New York Times, 2007-11-15
H. Igor Ansoff, a retired educator and author whose visionary theories on strategic business manage-ment inspired worldwide acclaim died Sunday in Escondido.-- Jack Williams, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2002-07-16
********
defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care
The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients.
having a sickly, yellowish color
"After several days of flying in space, the astronauts may look wan and sallow, so medical staff will put make-up on them to make them look ruddy," the newspaper said.-- The Sydney Morning Herald, 2005-10-17
Actually, Thompson looked old and sallow, as he faced the cameras for a few seconds before hopping into a waiting GMC Envoy.-- The Washington Post, 2007-04-19
********
vacuous \VAK-yoo-uhs\, adjective:
1. showing no intelligence or thought
2. having no meaning or direction; empty
The Pennsylvania campaign, which produced yet another inconclusive result on Tuesday, was even meaner, more vacuous, more desperate, and more filled with pandering than the mean, vacuous, desperate, pander-filled contests that preceded it.-- Don Frederick, LA Times
McCain's campaign has been mocking Obama on television and in speeches for weeks, attacking him personally as a vacuous celebrity.-- Ben Smith, Denver Post, 2008-08-29
********
acclaim \uh-KLEYM\, verb:
1. to welcome with loud approval; praise highly
2. a shout or show of approval
A day after abandoning his proposal to give driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, Gov. Eliot Spitzer won the kind of wide acclaim from elected officials that he could not win for the proposal itself.-- Nicholas Confessore and Raymond Hernandez, New York Times, 2007-11-15
H. Igor Ansoff, a retired educator and author whose visionary theories on strategic business manage-ment inspired worldwide acclaim died Sunday in Escondido.-- Jack Williams, The San Diego Union-Tribune, 2002-07-16
********
defalcate \di-FAL-keyt\, verb:
to steal or misuse money or property entrusted to one's care
The stockbroker defalcated millions from investment clients.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
A word a day.
magnanimous \mag-NAN-uh-muhs\, adjective:
1. noble in mind or soul; free from mean or petty feelings or acts
2. showing a generous spirit; generous in forgiving
But an even greater responsibility falls on Obama as the nominee. Losers have to be gracious, but winners have to be magnanimous.-- Michael Tomasky, The Guardian, 2008-06-02
From the architect's point of view, the ideal project is not one with a magnanimous absent client. It is one with a magnanimous thoughtful client.-- Witold Rybczynski, The Atlantic, 2002-09-01
1. noble in mind or soul; free from mean or petty feelings or acts
2. showing a generous spirit; generous in forgiving
But an even greater responsibility falls on Obama as the nominee. Losers have to be gracious, but winners have to be magnanimous.-- Michael Tomasky, The Guardian, 2008-06-02
From the architect's point of view, the ideal project is not one with a magnanimous absent client. It is one with a magnanimous thoughtful client.-- Witold Rybczynski, The Atlantic, 2002-09-01
Monday, January 12, 2009
A word a day.
daunt \dawnt, dahnt\, verb:
1. to frighten; overcome with fear
2. to discourage; lesson the courage of
"The huge size of a vessel does not seem to daunt the pirates," he said. "It shows their high degree of audacity and resources."-- Xan Rice, The Guardian, 2008-11-18
It's a job that can daunt grieving relatives or anyone who hasn't had experience digging through federal files.-- Jack Forgy, Miami Herald, 2008-10-22
********
fastidious \fa-STID-ee-uhs\, adjective:
hard to please; extremely refined or critical
For months, his tall, fastidious figure had prowled around the old city hall on Wall Street, examining its eighty-year-old brickwork, muttering to himself in French, or his syntactically challenged English, imagining-where others saw merely a tired old workhorse of a building-a blank canvas upon which to paint an architectural epic.-- Fergus M. Bordewich, The Making of the American Capital, 2008-05-16
Penske cannot say for sure that being fastidious off the racetrack results in being fast on it. What he can say, though, is that he has created a culture that has fostered loyalty.-- Dave Caldwell, New York Times, 2006-05-28
********
hapless \HAP-lis\, adjective:
unlucky; unfortunate
It might explain how, on consecutive Sundays, quarterback Jay Cutler and Co. could be crushed by the hapless Oakland Raiders, only to pick up the pieces and dominate a New York Jets team that looked unbeatable.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 2008-12-07
Matthew Broderick has gone from playing a hapless Broadway producer in the hit musical "The Producers" to a hapless movie writer-director in the new comedy "The Last Shot," which opens Friday.-- Susan King, LA Times, 2004-09-20
1. to frighten; overcome with fear
2. to discourage; lesson the courage of
"The huge size of a vessel does not seem to daunt the pirates," he said. "It shows their high degree of audacity and resources."-- Xan Rice, The Guardian, 2008-11-18
It's a job that can daunt grieving relatives or anyone who hasn't had experience digging through federal files.-- Jack Forgy, Miami Herald, 2008-10-22
********
fastidious \fa-STID-ee-uhs\, adjective:
hard to please; extremely refined or critical
For months, his tall, fastidious figure had prowled around the old city hall on Wall Street, examining its eighty-year-old brickwork, muttering to himself in French, or his syntactically challenged English, imagining-where others saw merely a tired old workhorse of a building-a blank canvas upon which to paint an architectural epic.-- Fergus M. Bordewich, The Making of the American Capital, 2008-05-16
Penske cannot say for sure that being fastidious off the racetrack results in being fast on it. What he can say, though, is that he has created a culture that has fostered loyalty.-- Dave Caldwell, New York Times, 2006-05-28
********
hapless \HAP-lis\, adjective:
unlucky; unfortunate
It might explain how, on consecutive Sundays, quarterback Jay Cutler and Co. could be crushed by the hapless Oakland Raiders, only to pick up the pieces and dominate a New York Jets team that looked unbeatable.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 2008-12-07
Matthew Broderick has gone from playing a hapless Broadway producer in the hit musical "The Producers" to a hapless movie writer-director in the new comedy "The Last Shot," which opens Friday.-- Susan King, LA Times, 2004-09-20
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
A word a day.
candor \KAN-der\, noun:
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity
2. fairness; impartiality
What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters.-- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03
But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose.-- The Guardian, 2008-01-27
1. honesty in giving one's view or opinion; frankness and sincerity
2. fairness; impartiality
What remains to be seen is whether the candor he offered in his early memoir will be greeted with a new-style acceptance by voters.-- Lois Romano, The Washington Post, 2007-01-03
But we know that real leadership is about candor and judgment and the ability to rally Americans from all walks of life around a common purpose, a higher purpose.-- The Guardian, 2008-01-27
Sunday, January 4, 2009
zealous \ZEL-uhs\, adjective:
full of zeal; actively enthusiastic
To remain obdurate before authority, to display one's loyalty to the collective, to be a zealous student wholeheartedly eager to deepen one's grasp of doctrine--these were qualities that bore witness precisely to the personal, to the individual.-- Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class
No one is more zealous than James Watt, 43, the lanky, brusque Secretary of the Interior.-- Time, 1981-03-30
full of zeal; actively enthusiastic
To remain obdurate before authority, to display one's loyalty to the collective, to be a zealous student wholeheartedly eager to deepen one's grasp of doctrine--these were qualities that bore witness precisely to the personal, to the individual.-- Milovan Djilas, Fall of the New Class
No one is more zealous than James Watt, 43, the lanky, brusque Secretary of the Interior.-- Time, 1981-03-30
Sunday, December 28, 2008
A word a day.
ramble \RAM-buhl\, verb, noun:
1. to wander about
2. a walk for pleasure without predetermined destination
3. to talk or write about one thing and then another without useful connection
As you ramble along them, it is difficult not to feel something of a peeping-tom; this is Surrey at its most intimate, with arches over garden gates framing views of tile-hanging and leaded lights.-- Clive Aslet, Telegraph.co.uk, 11/17/2008
Pierce and Carmen were on a northward walk markedly better organized than our own: having rambled throughout Europe, they had entrusted a local company to plan their trip.-- Gregory Dicum, New York Times, 2/3/2008
1. to wander about
2. a walk for pleasure without predetermined destination
3. to talk or write about one thing and then another without useful connection
As you ramble along them, it is difficult not to feel something of a peeping-tom; this is Surrey at its most intimate, with arches over garden gates framing views of tile-hanging and leaded lights.-- Clive Aslet, Telegraph.co.uk, 11/17/2008
Pierce and Carmen were on a northward walk markedly better organized than our own: having rambled throughout Europe, they had entrusted a local company to plan their trip.-- Gregory Dicum, New York Times, 2/3/2008
Saturday, December 27, 2008
A word a day.
paltry \PAWL-tree\, adjective:
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable
The Denver defense is in tatters, ranking among the worst in the league, surrendering 31 points to a Raiders team that had been averaging a paltry 12.8 per game.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 11/24/2008
It has long been acknowledged, for instance, that the British Secret Intelligence Service has compensated for its paltry size - it has about one-tenth the manpower of the CIA - by leveraging the reputation of its most famous fictional spy, James Bond.-- Kelly M. Greenhill, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2007
Almost everything on the vastly unimaginative happy hour menu contains pico de gallo and sour cream, including small, wizened potato skins containing a few paltry crumbles of bacon.-- Nikki Buchanan, The Arizona Republic, 11/25/2008
1. almost worthless; trifling
2. of no worth; contemptible, despicable
The Denver defense is in tatters, ranking among the worst in the league, surrendering 31 points to a Raiders team that had been averaging a paltry 12.8 per game.-- Mark Kiszla, Denver Post, 11/24/2008
It has long been acknowledged, for instance, that the British Secret Intelligence Service has compensated for its paltry size - it has about one-tenth the manpower of the CIA - by leveraging the reputation of its most famous fictional spy, James Bond.-- Kelly M. Greenhill, Los Angeles Times, 5/28/2007
Almost everything on the vastly unimaginative happy hour menu contains pico de gallo and sour cream, including small, wizened potato skins containing a few paltry crumbles of bacon.-- Nikki Buchanan, The Arizona Republic, 11/25/2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
A word a day.
jaded \JEY-did\, adjective:
worn out; tired, weary
The bad guys were potential Islamic extremists. But anywhere, at this jaded stage in the global war on terror, was literally and metaphorically off the map: a remote African laboratory for the long anti-terror struggles of the future.-- Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune, 11/18/2008
The dynamism of this U.S. election will have important ripple effects elsewhere. Voters in much of the developing world have become jaded about elections, especially those heavily promoted by the United States.-- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald, 11/9/2008
worn out; tired, weary
The bad guys were potential Islamic extremists. But anywhere, at this jaded stage in the global war on terror, was literally and metaphorically off the map: a remote African laboratory for the long anti-terror struggles of the future.-- Paul Salopek, Chicago Tribune, 11/18/2008
The dynamism of this U.S. election will have important ripple effects elsewhere. Voters in much of the developing world have become jaded about elections, especially those heavily promoted by the United States.-- Trudy Rubin, Miami Herald, 11/9/2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
A word a day.
fabricate \FAB-ri-keyt\, verb:
1. to make, build, or construct
2. to make up, invent
3. to fake or forge a document or signature
"I've had more people tell me that throughout my career: 'Man, we love to watch you play. Your enthusiasm and stuff like that.' I mean, it's not fabricated. I love to play the game …"-- Dennis Waszak Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2008
At the same time, Mr. Heinonen acknowledged that the agency "did not have sufficient information at this stage to conclude whether the allegations are groundless or the data fabricated."-- Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 10/9/2008
The complex-shaped crystals of calcite were fabricated using a technique that involves depositing the mineral in a way that creates intricate microscopic patterns.-- Sandeep Junnarkar, CNET News, 2/21/2003
1. to make, build, or construct
2. to make up, invent
3. to fake or forge a document or signature
"I've had more people tell me that throughout my career: 'Man, we love to watch you play. Your enthusiasm and stuff like that.' I mean, it's not fabricated. I love to play the game …"-- Dennis Waszak Jr., The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 11/19/2008
At the same time, Mr. Heinonen acknowledged that the agency "did not have sufficient information at this stage to conclude whether the allegations are groundless or the data fabricated."-- Elaine Sciolino, New York Times, 10/9/2008
The complex-shaped crystals of calcite were fabricated using a technique that involves depositing the mineral in a way that creates intricate microscopic patterns.-- Sandeep Junnarkar, CNET News, 2/21/2003
Monday, December 8, 2008
A word a day.
eminent \EM-uh-nuhnt\, adjective:
1. high in station, rank, or repute; prominent, distinguished
2. conspicuous; noteworthy
3. high; lofty
4. standing out above other things; prominent
Several others of the most eminent artists of our country had urgently requested Mr. Dickens to sit to them for his picture and bust, but, having consented to do so to Alexander and Dexter, he was obliged to refuse all others for want of time.-- G.W. Putnam, The Atlantic, October 1, 1870
Children who are to become eminent do not like schools or schoolteachers. Many famed men found their own homes more stimulating, preferred to skip school and read books omnivorously. Today's "regimented schools" would not consider them college material.-- Victor Goertzel, The Gifted Child Quarterly, December 1, 1960
********
incursion \in-KUR-zhuhn; -shuhn\, noun:
1. a sudden attack; invasion, raid
2. a running or flowing in
Jerina's bulwarks failed to protect Bosnia from the last great incursion against Europe from the East, the invasions of Ottoman Turk armies into the southeastern corner of the continent beginning in the fourteenth century.-- Chuck Sudetic, Blood and Vengeance
1. high in station, rank, or repute; prominent, distinguished
2. conspicuous; noteworthy
3. high; lofty
4. standing out above other things; prominent
Several others of the most eminent artists of our country had urgently requested Mr. Dickens to sit to them for his picture and bust, but, having consented to do so to Alexander and Dexter, he was obliged to refuse all others for want of time.-- G.W. Putnam, The Atlantic, October 1, 1870
Children who are to become eminent do not like schools or schoolteachers. Many famed men found their own homes more stimulating, preferred to skip school and read books omnivorously. Today's "regimented schools" would not consider them college material.-- Victor Goertzel, The Gifted Child Quarterly, December 1, 1960
********
incursion \in-KUR-zhuhn; -shuhn\, noun:
1. a sudden attack; invasion, raid
2. a running or flowing in
Jerina's bulwarks failed to protect Bosnia from the last great incursion against Europe from the East, the invasions of Ottoman Turk armies into the southeastern corner of the continent beginning in the fourteenth century.-- Chuck Sudetic, Blood and Vengeance
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
A word a day.
adulterate \uh-DUHL-tuh-rayt\, verb:
1. to add an inferior, impure, or improper substance to; lower the quality or purity of a food or other substance without greatly altering the appearance; corrupt
2. debased by adulteration; adulterated
It would seem as if some men considered it a sin ever to sell a pure article, if it be possible to adulterate it with something cheaper.-- Adulterated Drugs, Drinks, and Diet, New York Times, October 23, 1949
Industrial plant directors bent upon fulfilling the Plan adulterate their products to increase quantity.-- Lance Morrow, The Inscrutable Soviets, Time, May 9, 1972
The disciples also promised not to adulterate milk with water, or flour with powdered stone.-- Atomic Vows, Time, May 14, 1946
1. to add an inferior, impure, or improper substance to; lower the quality or purity of a food or other substance without greatly altering the appearance; corrupt
2. debased by adulteration; adulterated
It would seem as if some men considered it a sin ever to sell a pure article, if it be possible to adulterate it with something cheaper.-- Adulterated Drugs, Drinks, and Diet, New York Times, October 23, 1949
Industrial plant directors bent upon fulfilling the Plan adulterate their products to increase quantity.-- Lance Morrow, The Inscrutable Soviets, Time, May 9, 1972
The disciples also promised not to adulterate milk with water, or flour with powdered stone.-- Atomic Vows, Time, May 14, 1946
Sunday, November 16, 2008
A word a day.
frowzy \FROW-zee\, adjective:
1. dirty and untidy; slovenly
2. smelling bad; musty
"Lady," said a frowzy, spiritless panhandler, "c'n ya lemmee have a quarter to buy my little boy some milk?"-- The Bleatniks, Time, August 10, 1957
Based on an old apartment building in Spokane, Wash., it is complete with frowzy lobby and stains on the wall that you wouldn't want to analyze too closely.-- Jerry V. Haines, Minneapolis mind expansion, Los Angeles Times, August 13, 2001
The chief of staff's normally impeccable office had become a frowsy litter of coffee cups, cigarette butts, carbines and musette bags.-- Frank Gibney, Help Seemed Far Away, Time, July 9, 1946
********
ensconced \en-SKONST\, adjective:
1. sheltered comfortably and firmly
2. sheltered safely; hidden
Determined to make the continental crossing in style, Reed ensconced his wife and four children in an enormous, custom-built, two-story wagon, complete with sleeping bunks, upholstered seats and a built-in stove.-- Bruce Barcott, Meals on Wheels: A novel of the Donner Party," review of Snow Mountain Passage, by James D. Houston, New York Times, April 7, 1997
Hamish is our puppet millionaire: an aged plant-tub tycoon, ensconced in a country house of sprawling vulgarity, he remains the befuddled pawn of his wife Gemma.-- Martin Amis, Prose Is the Leading Lady," review of Words of Advice, by Fay Weldon, New York Times, October 1, 1973
Only when he was firmly ensconced in the prime minister's office, with the reins of power in his hands, did Atsuko Abe began to discuss his true agenda with his closest allies.-- Stephen Coonts, Fortunes of War
1. dirty and untidy; slovenly
2. smelling bad; musty
"Lady," said a frowzy, spiritless panhandler, "c'n ya lemmee have a quarter to buy my little boy some milk?"-- The Bleatniks, Time, August 10, 1957
Based on an old apartment building in Spokane, Wash., it is complete with frowzy lobby and stains on the wall that you wouldn't want to analyze too closely.-- Jerry V. Haines, Minneapolis mind expansion, Los Angeles Times, August 13, 2001
The chief of staff's normally impeccable office had become a frowsy litter of coffee cups, cigarette butts, carbines and musette bags.-- Frank Gibney, Help Seemed Far Away, Time, July 9, 1946
********
ensconced \en-SKONST\, adjective:
1. sheltered comfortably and firmly
2. sheltered safely; hidden
Determined to make the continental crossing in style, Reed ensconced his wife and four children in an enormous, custom-built, two-story wagon, complete with sleeping bunks, upholstered seats and a built-in stove.-- Bruce Barcott, Meals on Wheels: A novel of the Donner Party," review of Snow Mountain Passage, by James D. Houston, New York Times, April 7, 1997
Hamish is our puppet millionaire: an aged plant-tub tycoon, ensconced in a country house of sprawling vulgarity, he remains the befuddled pawn of his wife Gemma.-- Martin Amis, Prose Is the Leading Lady," review of Words of Advice, by Fay Weldon, New York Times, October 1, 1973
Only when he was firmly ensconced in the prime minister's office, with the reins of power in his hands, did Atsuko Abe began to discuss his true agenda with his closest allies.-- Stephen Coonts, Fortunes of War
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
A word a day.
soiree \swah-RAY\, noun:
an evening party or social gathering
Rose was reminiscing at a soiree I hosted on a recent sultry evening on Chicago's North Side.-- Laura Washington, World still watching -- but now it's a love fest, Chicago Sun-Times, August 10, 2004
The couple will be honoured guests at this week's soiree and the evening's success will matter more to them than anyone.-- Someone is saving your bacon, Daily Telegraph, April 5, 1998
an evening party or social gathering
Rose was reminiscing at a soiree I hosted on a recent sultry evening on Chicago's North Side.-- Laura Washington, World still watching -- but now it's a love fest, Chicago Sun-Times, August 10, 2004
The couple will be honoured guests at this week's soiree and the evening's success will matter more to them than anyone.-- Someone is saving your bacon, Daily Telegraph, April 5, 1998
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
A word a day.
resplendent \rih-SPLEN-duhnt\, adjective:
very bright or shining; splendid
A green and gold locomotive, resplendent with nickel-plated cylinder heads and carrying a brass plate reading "The Flying Yankee" at her front, will, some time this week, add to the distinctiveness of the Boston & Maine Railroad's crack, non-stop express as it races through Massachusetts.
-- 'Flying Yankee,' Resplendent in Green and Gold Colors, Ready for Business, Christian Science Monitor, June 29, 1926
All around the Pope glittered the gorgeous papal court, resplendent in a variety of colors.
-- Arnaldo Cortesi, 300,000 Hail Pope at Easter Service, New York Times, April 16, 1929
Queen Elizabeth II, amid the resplendent banners and bejeweled miters of ecclesiastical pageantry, came to Westminster Abbey today on its 900th anniversary and laid a bouquet of red roses at the shrine of its founder, Edward the Confessor.
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