Visual Vocabulary

Flummox

2011-01-03T06:07:00.003+05:30

Word meaning -

verb: confuse

Usage examples -

I'm flummoxed by ...

Etymological note - (from Merriam-Webster)

No one is completely sure where the word "flummox" comes from, but we do know that its first known use is found in Charles Dickens' 1837 novel The Pickwick Papers and that it had become quite common in both British and American English by the end of the 19th century. One theory expressed by some etymologists is that it was influenced by "flummock," a word of English dialectical origin used to refer to a clumsy person. This "flummock" may also be the source of the word "lummox," which also means "a clumsy person."

BBC's take on Hinglish

2008-12-09T09:14:00.003+05:30

Are you a "badmash"? And if you had to get somewhere in a hurry, would you make an "airdash"? Maybe you should be at your desk working, instead you're reading this as a "timepass".

Read the article It's Hinglish, innit?

Sophomoric

2008-10-06T15:13:00.004+05:30

conceited and overconfident of knowledge but poorly informed and immature

Mnemonic -
Sophomoric slogan
"Change the world"

Soporific

2008-10-06T14:34:00.003+05:30

Word meaning -
causing or tending to cause sleep

Usage examples -

Etymological note -

Additional note -

Mnemonic -

Storyteller slumps to soporific levels

Nosegay

2008-10-06T12:20:00.004+05:30

Synonyms -
Bouquet, Posy

Mnemonic -

Lugubrious

2008-10-05T21:01:00.002+05:30

exaggeratedly or affectedly mournful

Mnemonic -

Lugubrious Look

Fallow

2008-10-05T20:27:00.004+05:30

Word meaning -

1.of a light yellowish-brown color

Fellow deer

2. (of land) ploughed but left unplanted to resstore its fertility

Fallow fields
Usage examples -

By crop rotation farmers can keep their fields under continuous production, without the need to let them lie fallow.

Facsimile

2008-10-05T20:19:00.003+05:30

exact copy or reproduction or writing, painting, a picture etc.

Factotum

2008-10-05T19:49:00.002+05:30

Word meaning -
A factotum is a general servant or a person having many diverse activities or responsibilities. The word derives from the Latin command (imperative construction) fac totum ("do/make everything").

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Factotum

Usage examples -

I applied for a job there, as a factotum on a campsite

Frivolous

2008-10-05T19:21:00.005+05:30

Word meaning -
(of activities) silly or wasteful

lacking in seriousness

Usage examples -

Wasting time with a frivolous complaint

Consumers should avoid filing frivolous cases in court.

Frivolous litigation, as used in colloquial and political terms in the United States, refers to lawsuits that are based on a theory that seems absurd, or where the claim results in damages that greatly exceed what one would expect from reading

a brief summary of the case. Awards for medical malpractice are sometimes derided as frivolous (in this sense of meaning "excessive").

Additional note -

Mnemonic -

Frivolous fun

The Frivolous Fun Finale Fling

Fables for the Frivolous

dunce

2008-10-05T12:41:00.003+05:30

Word meaning -
a slow-witted or stupid personUsage examples -
Give Dunce's Cap to the Examination Markers

scrupulous

2008-10-04T12:21:00.005+05:30

Word meaning -
1 : having moral integrity : acting in strict regard for what is considered right or proper
2 : punctiliously exact
http://www.aolsvc.merriam-webster.aol.com/dictionary/scrupulous
Usage examples -
Scrupulous cleanliness

Mnemonics -

1.
However, this does not mean that a civilized and scrupulous society can adopt violent means to resolve these problems

2.
Scrupulous Scholar

3.

Scrupulous Selection

requiem

2008-10-04T12:10:00.003+05:30

Word meaning -
1: a mass for the dead

2 a: a solemn chant (as a dirge) for the repose of the dead

b: something that resembles such a solemn chant

3 a: a musical setting of the mass for the dead

b: a musical composition in honor of the dead

Mozart conducts a rehearsal of his Requiem in this romanticized image of his last day.

Usage examples -

Etymological note -

Additional note -

Mnemonic -

scruple

2008-10-04T11:55:00.003+05:30

Word meaning -
a minute part or quantity

Tote

2008-10-04T10:20:00.005+05:30

Word meaning -

to carry by hand
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/tote

Tote bags

More tote bags

PAIL

2008-10-04T10:00:00.004+05:30

Word meaning -

a usually cylindrical container with a handle

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pail

More Pails

Belligerent

2008-05-30T14:03:00.008+05:30

Word meaning -
http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent
1. waging war; specifically : belonging to or recognized as a state at war and protected by and subject to the laws of war
2: inclined to or exhibiting assertiveness, hostility, or combativeness

Usage examples -
In 1896 Alfred Nobel, a Swedish industrialist who had grown super-rich by inventing dynamite and developing it into a universal tool for both beneficial and belligerent purposes, died at the age of 63.

Mnemonics -
Beneficial and belligerent sound like opposite terms.

Belligerent Bulldog with an Array of Assorted Weaponry
Belligerent Bush calls Iranian Leader Belligerent

Additional notes -
Taken from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/belligerent

synonyms belligerent, bellicose, pugnacious, quarrelsome, contentious mean having an aggressive or fighting attitude. belligerent often implies being actually at war or engaged in hostilities . bellicose suggests a disposition to fight . pugnacious suggests a disposition that takes pleasure in personal combat . quarrelsome stresses an ill-natured readiness to fight without good cause . contentious implies perverse and irritating fondness for arguing and quarreling .

Belligerent God -

scupper

2008-05-28T14:31:00.007+05:30

Word meaning -
http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/scupper
NOUN -
1. A drainage hole on the deck of a ship.
2. (architecture) A similar opening in a wall or parapet that allows water to drain from a roof.

Scupper SeriesVERB -
to scupper
1. (UK) thwart, destroy
Quotations
"We can't allow US tantrums to scupper global justice".
This bad media coverage scuppered his chances of being elected.
Usage examples -
We can't allow US tantrums to scupper global justice
This bad media coverage scuppered his chances of being elected.

scum

2008-05-28T12:05:00.002+05:30

Word meaning -

http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scum

1 a: extraneous matter or impurities risen to or formed on the surface of a liquid often as a foul filmy covering —

pond scum

b: the scoria of metals in a molten state : dross

c: a slimy film on a solid or gelatinous object

2 a: refuse
b: a low, vile, or worthless person or group of people

adjective - scummy

Usage examples -

Etymological note -

Additional note -

Mnemonic -

Two word (.doc) files describing few words

2006-12-12T11:26:00.000+05:30

Download following files -

Word-list-4.doc This files has pictures for words - Lop, Sartorial, Citadel, Cauterize and Lair

Word-Risible-Argus-eyed-Brook-Phalanx-Oeuvre.doc

Salve

2006-12-04T12:24:00.000+05:30

Pronunciation - Sav

Word meaning -
a medicinal ointment for healing or relieving wounds and sores.
In figurative sense it is used to describe anything that soothes, mollifies, or relieves.

Usage examples -

Apply salve to the open wound.
Seaside's 28-12 victory is salve for old wound.
Aiming to salve the sting of college costs

Additional note -
Learn one more word -
Unguent
This word also means ointment for healing
Unguent comes from Latin unguentum, from unguere, "to anoint."

Calumniate - slander; defame by making false and malicious statement about somebody

2006-11-28T09:52:00.002+05:30

Calumny - a false and malicious statement
Calumny is used more than calumniate.
Usage examples -

Spiritual Bouquet: Pray for those who persecute and calumniate you. St. Matthew 5:44
This spiteful calumny against us ...
It has been the ugliest, most calumny-ridden election season I've ever seen.

Mnemonic -
Campaign of calumny
(mudslinging during election campaign)

Other forms of the word -
calumnious
calumniation
calumniator

Additional note -
Read Calumny column of jaalmag.com here -
http://www.jaalmag.com/calumnycolumn.htm

Invidious - unfair/unjust which may cause envy/resentment

2006-11-24T09:21:00.000+05:30

Word meaning -

unpleasant and unfairly discriminating
likely to offend somebody or make them jealous i.e. causing or tending to cause animosity, resentment, or envy

This is a word is express unfair/unjust treatment of something by somebody which may cause resentment or envy to some people.

Usage examples -

Why do we need to measure who suffered more, a task that as well as being invidious is impossible as nobody can compare the pain of the two races.
The use of English, as the sole language throughout the electoral process, continues to be discriminatory and has a direct and invidious impact upon the ability of such populations (with limited ability to read English) to participate actively in the electoral process.
We were in the invidious position of having to choose whether to break the law or risk lives.
It would be invidious to single out any one person to thank.
Are you saying that it’s not possible for laws to be in place due to invidious ideas about gender (or race, or other things)? Of course you’re not. That would be idiotic.

Etymological note -

Words invidious and envious have the same Latin root. Invidious is used to refer to something unfair that causes envy.

Additional note -

This word is strongly related to the idea of unfair/unjust.

Unfair fight.

Unfair tug of war

Plebiscite - direct vote of people on important public issue

2006-11-22T12:17:00.000+05:30

Plebs + Scitius (Latin root which means resolution or decree)

Word meaning -

1. A direct vote of the qualified voters of a country/region on an important public issue
2. The vote by which the people of a political unit determine autonomy or affiliation with another country.

Usage examples -

Senior Kashmiri Hurriyat leader, Syed Ali Gilani has asked India to fulfil its commitment to hold a plebiscite in occupied Kashmir, as part of the UN resolution on the vexed issue, and allow the people to decide their fate.
Plebiscite will decide smoking issue.
Rebel leader denies nodding to plebiscite.

Pakistan in favor of plebiscite in Kashmir

Link to actual (big) map

Plebs

In ancient Rome population was split into three classes -
Plebs (lower class)
Equites (Middle Class)
Patricians (Nobility)

The term plebs is used to refer to the common people (the populace) in an informal way.
The use if this word considered a bit offensive.

Usage examples -

Hereditary nobility may be one of the more preposterous notions humanity has come up with, yet the less real-world power royalty wields, the more deeply appealing we plebs find it—not as a mechanism of practical politics, but as a collective dream, a fairy tale brought to life. And the most resonant dream, as countless fairy tales show, is the one about the imperiled princess.
I'd rather be boiling my willy in vinegar than stand here with you thick plebs.

Promulgate - To spread an idea, a belief & To announce a new law or system officially or publicly

2006-11-21T10:14:00.000+05:30

Word meaning -
To spread an idea, a belief, etc. among many people
To announce a new law or system officially or publicly

Usage examples -

The State Government is all set to promulgate ordinance to put down land mafia.
He perhaps fears that it would prepare the ground for the Centre to promulgate President’s rule in the state.
The campaign will promulgate heart attack symptoms through billboard posters, press, radio and online advertising.
It may be nice to think the quality of ideas - not those who promulgate them - determines their persuasiveness, but the reality is more complex.
I believe those that promulgate misleading information or misinformation can have an impact on individuals and parents.

Mnemonic -
Pope promulgating peace

John Paul II (1920-2005) of Roman Catholic Church.
White pigeon symbolizes peace.

Other forms of the word -

PROMULGATED
PROMULGATING
PROMULGATION
PROMULGATOR

Close relatives -

PROMULGE = To Promulge
PROMULGED
PROMULGING
PROMULGER

ADDUCE - To bring something forward (as proof/evidence/a point) in argument/discussion

2006-11-20T11:43:00.000+05:30

Word meaning -
To bring something forward (as proof/evidence/a point) in argument/discussion
Cite something as pertinent or conclusive

Usage example -

Court would be willing to permit the respondent to adduce any further evidence.
The facts they adduce are untrue.
No conclusive proof could be adduced.

Etymology -
ad- + ducere
Prefix Ad- means toward (Latin)
Latin root ducere (to lead) from which words Deduce and Reduce are also derived.
Adduce - to bring towards front (A leader is always in front)
Deduce - to conclude - to lead from
Reduce - to lead back to smaller extent

Additional Note -
Duce is Italian word for leader. Mussolini (Italian Fascist leader) adopted the name Duce (II Duce), as his de facto title in an attempt to elevate himself to a position as the nation's unquestioned supreme leader. The term II Duce is used only in reference to Mussolini.

II Duce (Benito Mussolini of Italy) and Führer (Adolf Hitler of Germany)
Meaning of both the words Duce and Führer is leader

Mnemonic -
Adduce all evidences in abduction case.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
In medical world words adduct and abduct are used in specific sense -

Adduct - To draw inward toward the median axis of the body or toward an adjacent part or limb.
Abduct - to move or draw away from the median axis of the body or away from an adjacent part or limb.

Prefixes -
Ad- toward
Ab- away from

Abduction (close relative of word abduct) = kidnap.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Senility = Dotage = Old age

2006-11-17T16:35:00.000+05:30

Senility
Usage examples -

A senile person.
A senile maturity of judgment.
Senility and Alzheimer's are two different things.
I am looking forward to my senility with a smile on my face.

Etymological note -
This word and and the word senior both has same Latin root sen (old man).
~~~~~~~~~~
Dotage
Usage examples -

Plant a fabulous tree for your dotage.
As retirement approaches, you focus more on preserving the wealth you've built up and intend to live on in your dotage.

Mnemonic -
Can we represent old man's brain as dot to display feebleness of mind due to old age?

Cavil, Pogrom, Scads, Prefatory, Runic, Slake, Congeal and Melee

2006-11-17T14:35:00.000+05:30

I have uploaded a word file(.doc format) describing following words -
Cavil, Pogrom, Scads, Prefatory, Runic, Slake, Congeal and Melee

You can download the file from following link -
http://groups-beta.google.com/group/visualvocabulary/files
The name of the file is -
Words-Cavil-Pogrom-Scads-Prefatory-Runic-Slake-Congeal-Melee.doc

Putative - believed to be the person or thing mentioned

2006-11-17T08:57:00.000+05:30

Usage examples -

The putative father of the child.
The administration was overjoyed that the Democrats had taken control of the Congress, an interesting situation given that the President is supposed to be the putative head of the Republican Party.
He has written a flimsy and supercilious book that does no justice to her putative subject.
North Korea's putative possession of nukes

Etymological note -
This word shares the same Latin root putare (to think) with word reputation.
Reputation = re (again) + putare.
A person considered reputed when everyone thinks(knows) about him.

Word putative is used to refer to something/somebody that is thought to be something/someone.

Conflagration

2006-11-16T10:22:00.000+05:30

A great and distructive fire

Latin root of conflagration is flagr. Flagr is a distant relative of word fulgur(Latin word for lightning).

The Latin root flagr and the word flame sound similar.

Stipple

2006-11-14T13:57:00.000+05:30

to paint, engrave, or draw by means of dots

Visit site for more stipples http://www.nolinovak.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A related word is pointillism
Dictionary.com:
a theory and technique developed by the neo-impressionists, based on the principle that juxtaposed dots of pure color, as blue and yellow, are optically mixed into the resulting hue, as green, by the viewer.

Flash Phrase: Pointillist Painter

Supercilious

2006-11-14T09:22:00.000+05:30

having or showing arrogant superiority to and disdain of those one views as unworthy

Usage examples -

Supercilious expression/lady.
John Harney gets infuriatingly supercilious about a recent addition to the UFO literature.
Americans are famously supercilious.

Flash phrase: Supercilious smile

"I have glasses. What do you have?"

Turgid and Flaccid

2006-11-13T09:18:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Turgid
swollen
In figurative sense it is used to describe boring, complicated and hard to understand.

A turgid game provided some welcome entertainment in the closing minutes
Residents on foot maneuvered their way over the undercut road as massive trees with intact root wads floated by in the turgid waters of Spring Creek.
After some 23 pages of turgid reasoning, they opined that "committed same-sex couples must be afforded on equal terms the same rights and benefits enjoyed by married opposite-sex couples."

Flash Phrase: Turgid tummy

~~~~~~~
Flaccid
soft and weak; not firm and hard
Usage examples:

For the most part, in this volume, the author is content with lazy and flaccid arguments, and the book fails as a result.
Flaccid effort/defense.

Flash Phrase: Flaccid film.
Usage example: This this flaccid film feels like an exercise in exasperation. No one is likeable, and they have nothing interesting to say.

Chagrin

2006-11-10T10:01:00.000+05:30

Feeling of being annoyed marked by disappointment/humiliation

Usage examples -

In 1956 Egypt nationalised the Suez canal, much to the chagrin of the Britain and France.

The ban on smoking in most public areas would include designated smoking rooms in bars and restaurants, much to the chagrin of some in the local hospitality industry.

Flash Phrase: To the chagrin of Churchill he was defeated heavily in General Election immediately after of the close of Wordl War II in Europe. The importance of Churchill's role in World War II was undeniable. Winston Churchill was the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during the Second World War.

Egregious

2006-11-10T09:36:00.000+05:30

Extremely bad

Usage examples -

Christian Zionism: An Egregious Threat to US and to Middle East Understanding
Christian Zionism, a belief that paradise for Christians can only be achieved once Jews are in control of the Holy Land, is gathering strength in the United States.
An egregious abuse of taxpayers' trust.
Egregious accounting errors.

Flash phrase: Egregious error

Hirsute

2006-11-09T10:55:00.000+05:30

Hairy
~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
(especially of a man) having a lot of hair on the face or body
~~~~~~~
Usage examples -

My Uncle's hirsute back.
His is not a hirsute masculinity.

Flash phrase: Hirsute history

Disport oneself

2006-11-09T10:41:00.000+05:30

amusing oneself in sportive/active/energetic manner

Usage examples -

Children disporting themselves -

Flash phrase: Dudes disporting themselves -

Cower

2006-11-09T10:21:00.000+05:30

Bend low or move behind in fear

Usage example -

Son and father cowering behind a concrete wall -

Man cowering -

He cowers in fear of her mighty pillow -

Flash phrase: Cowering coward

Tawdry

2006-11-08T18:16:00.000+05:30

This word can be used to describe that looks flashy/attractive but actually is cheap and of
low quality.

Usage examples -

The glory of tawdry romance

This word has a story associated with with.

There was one queen in ancient England. Here name was Saint Audrey. When she was young she was very fond of necklaces. Irony of here life is that she died of throat tumor. She was of the opinion that her throat developed tumor because she used to like necklaces very much.

The word tawdry is an alteration of her name - [Sain]t-audrey.

In figurative sense this word means low/mean/base/ignoble.
Usage examples -

Tawdry motives

In these tawdry times of entertainment great emphasis is given to sensual content.

~~~~~~~
Other words with similar meaning Gaudy, Shoddy, Cheapjack, garish

Apiary

2006-11-08T17:42:00.000+05:30

a place where bees are kept

Prolitarian and Bourgeoisie

2006-11-08T16:25:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Proletariat

It is derived from Latin word proles which mean offspring.

The proletariat is a term used to identify a lower social class; a member of such a class is proletarian. Originally it was identified as those people who had no wealth other than their sons; the term was initially used in a derogatory sense, until Karl Marx used it as a sociological term to refer to the working class.

Read more on Wikipedia

~~~~~~~
Bourgeoisie is a French word . In modern use it refers to the ruling class in a capitalist society.

~~~~~~~

Imbecile

2006-11-08T10:24:00.000+05:30

Stupid , Idiot

You can use the word imbecile in the same sense as you use the words stupid or idiot. This word is a rude way of describing a person who you think is stupid.

Usage examples -

He isn’t the complete imbecile he appears to be.
A Joke -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A JUDGE said to a Convicted Assassin:

"Prisoner at the bar, have you anything to say why the death- sentence should not be passed upon you?"

"Will what I say make any difference?" asked the Convicted Assassin.

"I do not see how it can," the Judge answered, reflectively. "No, it will not."

"Then," said the doomed one, "I should just like to remark that you are the most unspeakable old imbecile in seven States and the District of Columbia."

Source: http://bierce.thefreelibrary.com/Fantastic-Fables/9-1#imbecile
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

adj imbecilic
Few acts of imbecilic people -

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Other words for a stupid :-
Idiot, fool, dolt, dunce, blockhead, dope, ninny, simpleton
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

ingrate

2006-11-07T18:25:00.000+05:30

an ungrateful person

Usage Examples -

I don't want to sound like an ingrate or overly sentimental, but...
Ingrate Australia
What an ingrate!

Voracious Gluttonous Rapacious Ravenous

2006-11-07T11:12:00.000+05:30

These four adjectives are marked by boundless greed.
~~~~~~~
Voracious
craving or consuming large quantities of food

Voracious appetite

Exceedingly eager or avid

Voracious reader

adv voraciously
noun voracity
~~~~~~~
Gluttonous
Glutton is a person who eats too much

1.tending to eat and drink excessively; voracious.
2.greedy; insatiable.

Glutton for punishment/work
Person who enjoys doing difficult and unpleasant tasks

~~~~~~~
Rapacious
wanting more money or goods than you need or have a right to

This poster depicts a rapacious figure clad in the United States flag transforming the blood squeezed from the African continent into dollars.

adv rapaciously
noun rapacity
~~~~~~~
Ravenous
1 (of a person or an animal) extremely hungry syn starving.
2 (of hunger) very great: a ravenous appetite

adv ravenously
~~~~~~~

Copse

2006-11-06T18:22:00.000+05:30

a small area of trees or bushes growing together

This is derived from word coppice.
The Wikipdedia entry for coppicing explains everything about coppicing:

Quaint

2006-10-30T16:07:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
attractive in an unusual or old-fashioned way
~~~~~~~
MB:

Usage examples-

Quaint village/building/portrait
Quaint church
Quaint wooden signs.

Flash pharase: Quaint quarters of Varanasi

Varanasi is a famous Hindu holy city situated on the banks of the river Ganges (Ganga) in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is one of the oldest continually inhabited city in the world, dating back thousands of years.
The culture of Varanasi is deeply associated with the river Ganga and its religious importance; the city has been a cultural and religious center in northern India for thousands of yeaas

Ganga ghats in Varanasi

Indomitable

2006-10-25T15:44:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
not willing to accept defeat, even in a difficult situation; very brave and determined
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage Exmaples:

Indomitable spirit/will/courage

Indomitable instict of women for beauty

Laconic

2006-10-25T15:10:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
using only a few words to say sth
~~~~~~~
MB:
This word's history is interesting enough to peg this word into your memory.

Laconia was a region of ancient Greece.
Once upon a time there was a state with name Sparta whose territory included Laconia. Sparta was a city in Sparta state.
Sparta was, above all, a military state, and emphasis on military fitness began virtually at birth. Training in music and literature occupied a subordinate position. The tireless emphasis on physical training gave Spartans the reputation for being "laconic", economical with words, a word derived from the name of their homeland of Laconia.

In current Greece there is province named Lakonia/Laconia. In the following map Sparti the is modern city which was called Sparta in ancient Greece.

The flash phrase is laconic laconians

Recondite

2006-10-23T14:37:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
not known about or understood by many people
~~~~~~~
MB:
obscure, esoteric
Usage examples:

Recondite subjects/experience.
Most parents are tickled when their kids come home with recondite skills.

Recondite reasoning

Audacious

2006-10-23T12:53:00.000+05:30

extremely bold or daring
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage Examples

Audacious leader/move/adventures.

Audacious Woman

Flash Phrase: Audacious art

Erudite

2006-10-23T12:02:00.000+05:30

learned or scholarly
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage Exmaples:

Erudite novel/lecture/style/person.
Jerry Belson, an Emmy-winning comedy writer for "The Tracey Ullman Show" was so bright and so witty with not a very erudite background.

What will you call a bug who is reading a book? An Erudite bug.

Flash phrase: Erudite Einstein

Legerdemain

2006-10-18T14:14:00.000+05:30

French roots --
leger = light, de = of, main = hand
=> Lightness of hand

Legerdemain has following two exact synonyms:
Sleight(dexterity or deceptiveness) of hand
O
prestidigitation (Quick fingers)

All these three mean 'A show of skill or deceitful cleverness'

Many English words have French origin. Learn little french

Execrable

2006-10-18T12:38:00.000+05:30

very bad

MB:
Usage examples:

Execrable villain
Execrable remake of a film
Condemned prisoners await execution in execrable detention conditions.

Tip to remember this word:

The freak/demon elephant. I call him execrable (very bad) elephant.

Image Source: elfwood.lysator.liu.se

Modicum

2006-10-17T15:59:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
a fairly small amount, especially of sth good or pleasant
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage Examples -

modicum of peace/joy/truth/time/luck/common sense.
Everything else, so long as you maintain a modicum of decorum, is permissible
The newspapers have the opportunity of distributing some modicum of it.

Tip to remember the word: Modicum of mercy

A Mughal army's soldier receiving water from Bhai Kanhaiya. A modicum of mercy, in the
form of water was everything for wounded soldiers.

Bhai Kanhaiya was a sikh. During the clashes between Guru Gobind Singh ji' Sikhs and Mughal armies (1704-5 AD) he used to carry water in a Mashak (A pouch made of goat's skin to carry water) and serve water to wounded soldiers on the battlefield. He used to do this service with love and affection without any discrimination of religion.

Read about Bhai Kanhaiya

Mawkish

2006-10-17T15:33:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
expressing or sharing emotion in a way that is exaggerated or embarrassing
~~~~~~~
Dictionary.com: Mawkish
characterized by sickly sentimentality
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage Examples

mawkish sentimentality/heart/film.
Director jerks too hard on the heartstrings in mawkish drama of contagious kindness

A very mawkish painting of a dog. It show owner's sentimental attachment towards the dog.

Whenever you come across this word think of Mickey mouse in mawkish mood-
and try to think of why is he getting sentimental.

Diffident

2006-10-17T14:50:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
not having much confidence in yourself; not wanting to talk about yourself; shy
~~~~~~~
MB:
Diffident child

Diffident Smile

Tip to remember this word:

Diffident(shy) donkey

Insidious

2006-10-17T10:54:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
spreading gradually or without being noticed, but causing serious harm
~~~~~~~
MB:
Range of cuban missiles.
Cuban Missile Crisis - The insidious Soviet deployment of nuclear missiles in Cuba.

Usage examples:

The insidious disease plays a dirty trick on newborns, who seem healthy at first.
Our insidious plot will go unnoticed.

~~~~~~~

Inscrutable

2006-10-17T09:15:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
The American Heritage^® Dictionary of the English Language: Inscrutable
Difficult to fathom or understand; impenetrable
~~~~~~~
Oxford Advanced Learner’s Dictionary:
if a person or their expression is inscrutable, it is hard to know what they are thinking or feeling, because they do not show any emotion
~~~~~~~
MB:

Mona Lisa's Inscrutable Smile
The painting was analysed by a University of Amsterdam computer using "emotion recognition" software.
It concluded that the subject was 83% happy, 9% disgusted, 6% fearful and 2% angry, New Scientist magazine was told. BBC News Article: Mona Lisa 'happy', computer finds

The usage of this word -

Inscrutable Americans.
FUTURE IS INSCRUTABLE.

~~~~~~~
Google News: Inscrutable

Malfeasance

2006-10-14T18:38:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Dictionary.com:
–noun
the performance by a public official of an act that is legally unjustified, harmful, or contrary to law; wrongdoing (used esp. of an act in violation of a public trust).
~~~~~~~
My Comments:
The following site reports incidents of misconduct or wrongdoing by companies/officials
malfeasance.net

The best way to put this word in memory is to see malfeasance news.
Here are the latest malfeasance news strories: Google News: Malfeasance

Whenever you come across this word think of ENRON
Enron, Trust, and Malfeasance
~~~~~~~
Other related words: (Ref: Dictionary.com)
Misfeasance - Improper and unlawful execution of an act that in itself is lawful and proper.
Nonfeasance - the omission of some act that ought to have been performed

Cynicism Stoicism Hedonism

2006-10-14T17:44:00.000+05:30

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cynicism

Malediction

2006-10-13T21:33:00.000+05:30

PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: THE CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
Here is the name of the French version of the movie:
PIRATES DES CARAIBES - LA MALEDICTION DU BLACK PEARL

Prolix

2006-10-13T21:13:00.000+05:30

~~~~~
Dictionary.com: Prolix
-adjective:
1. Extending to a great length; unnecessarily long; wordy.
2. Tending to speak or write at excessive length.
~~~~~
MB:
The following blog has the right name.
http://pr0lix.blogspot.com/

Pulchritude

2006-10-13T20:58:00.000+05:30

beauty
~~~~~~~
Dictionary.com word of the day: pulchritude
~~~~~~~
MB:

Pulchritude Personified!

Few beatiful pictures defining pulchritude:

Gastronome or gastronomist

2006-10-13T20:48:00.000+05:30

A connoisseur of good food and drink.
A gourmet.

Plenary

2006-10-13T20:15:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Dictioanry.com word of the day: Plenary
-adjective
1. Full in all respects; complete; absolute; as, plenary authority.
2. Fully attended by all qualified members.
~~~~~~~
MB:

Plenary session,

Plenary audience

Recalcitrant

2006-10-13T19:59:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Dictionary.com:
–adjective

1.	resisting authority or control; not obedient or compliant; refractory.

2.	hard to deal with, manage, or operate.

–noun

3.	a recalcitrant person.

Word of the Day Monday April 8, 2002
~~~~~~~
MB:
The recalcitrant cow

~~~~~~~

Tutelary

2006-10-13T19:01:00.000+05:30

guardian; protecting
~~~~~~~
Disctioary.com:tutelary
It was the word of the day on Oct 5 on 2006
~~~~~~~
Wikipedia:tutelary
A spirit is a god, usually a minor god, who serves as the guardian or watcher over a particular site, person, or nation. Belief in tutelary gods or spirits often reflects a tradition of animism.
~~~~~~~
MB:
Usage examples:

Tutelary deities/shrine/spirit/godesses.

Tutelary God
Image source: corbis.com.

Tip to remember the word:
In the centrum of Nara, the Kofukuji Temple was tutelary temple of the Fujiwara family.

Nanendo Hall

Nanendo was originally one among many of the buildings at Kofukuji, the tutelary temple of the Fujiwara clan.
Nara is a Japanese city which was once capital of Japan.
Fujiwara family played a dominant role in Japan's politicts for more than 300 years. The Fujiwara dominated the government of Japan 794-1160

Read more about Fujiwara familly.

Braggadocio

2006-10-13T18:55:00.000+05:30

empty boasting
~~~~~~~
Answers.com:braggadocio

A braggart.
1. Empty or pretentious bragging.
2. A swaggering, cocky manner

~~~~~~~
MB:
Does this word have any relation to Braggadocio fonts
(none of the letters have hole in them).

Image Courtesy: www.identifont.com

Almanac

2006-10-13T18:17:00.000+05:30

~~~~~~~
Dictionary.com:Almanac
an annual publication containing a calendar for the coming year, the times of such events and phenomena as anniversaries, sunrises and sunsets, phases of the moon, tides, etc., and other statistical information and related topics.
~~~~~~~
MB:

There is one online almanac here:
http://www.almanac.com/