Word Of The Day

[Altobelli]

FEINSCHMECKER noun (fahyn-shmek-uh r)

noun
1. German. gourmet.

Quotes
Our haute feinschmecker takes time off to sample the lowly delights of the hamburger joint.
--*“Contents: Restaurants: Grind House Glories," New York, March 9, 1970

He's light-years ahead of you, a true scientist in the making and a feinschmecker of the highest order.
--*Anne Landsman,*The Rowing Lesson, 2007


Origin
The German noun Feinschmecker literally means ”fine-taster” from fein “fine” and Schmecker “taster.” The word entered English in the late 19th century.

[Altobelli]

PARALOGIZE noun (puh-ral-uh-jahjz)

verb
1. to draw conclusions that do not follow logically from a given set of assumptions.

Quotes
"A brick," he retorted, "is a parallelogram; I am not a parallelogram, and therefore not a brick ..." "Charley Lightheart, you paralogize."
--*Stewart Edward White and Samuel Hopkins Adams,*The Mystery, 1907

Whether, moreover, in seeking to find an analogy between the laws of nature, and municipal laws, he does not paralogize, may perhaps be questioned.
--*Abraham Coles,*Abraham Coles: Biographical Sketch, Memorial Tributes, Selections from His Works (Some Hitherto Unpublished), 1892


Origin
Paralogize entered English from Medieval Latin paralogizāre, from Greek paralogÃ*zesthai meaning “to reason falsely.” It's been used in English since the late 1500s.

[alfinyalcabo]

ARROGANCE
ˈarəɡ(ə)ns/
noun
the quality of being arrogant.
"the arrogance of this man is astounding"
synonyms: haughtiness, conceit, hubris, self-importance, egotism, sense of superiority; More

TEC says Lincoln will be brushed aside with ease

[Altobelli]

BEASTIE noun (bee-stee)


noun
1. Chiefly Literary. a small animal, especially one toward which affection is felt.
2. Facetious. an insect; bug.
3. Canadian Slang (chiefly Alberta). construction worker.

Quotes
... John Silence watched the performance of the cat with profound attention and without interfering. Then he called to the animal by name. "Smoke, you mysterious beastie, what in the world are you about?"
--*Algernon Blackwood,*John Silence: Physician Extraordinary, 1908

I've found a wee beastie and he's hurt. May I keep him?
--*Joanne Bertin,*Bard's Oath, 2012


Origin
Beastie is best known from two Scottish sources: Robert Burns’s poem Tae a Moose (To a Mouse), “Wee sleekit, cow’rin, tim’rous beastie…”; and the traditional Scottish poem or prayer Things That Go Bump in the Night ”From ghoulies and ghosties / And long-leggedy beasties / And things that go bump in the night, / Good Lord, deliver us.” The word entered English in the late 18th century.

[SERVERNOTRESPONDING]

Barmecide
ADJECTIVE

Illusory or imaginary and therefore disappointing.

[outwoodclaret]

Barmecide
ADJECTIVE

Illusory or imaginary and therefore disappointing.

And I thought this was the murderous slaughter of a bread roll.

[The Bedlington Terrier]

Lol!

[Altobelli]

SCAPEGRACE noun (skeyp-greys)

noun
1. a complete rogue or rascal; a habitually unscrupulous person; scamp.

Quotes
Tommy Bangs was the scapegrace of the school, and the most trying little scapegrace that ever lived. As full of mischief as a monkey, yet so good-hearted that one could not help forgiving his tricks ...
--*Louisa May Alcott,*Little Men, 1871

There was a mark of dignity, of silent power, on this tall scapegrace of a son of Hilary Vane that the railroad president had missed at first--probably because he had looked only for the scapegrace.
--*Winston Churchill,*Mr. Crewe's Career, 1908




Origin
Scapegrace literally means “one who has escaped or avoided God’s grace.” It derives from the archaic verb scape or ’scape “to escape.” The word entered English in the early 19th century.

[Altobelli]

RUNNEL noun (ruhn-l)

noun
1. a small stream; brook; rivulet.
2. a small channel, as for water.

Quotes
It took me the whole day to reach the patch,--which I found indeed a forest--but not a rudiment of brook or runnel had I crossed!
--*George MacDonald,*Lilith, 1895

Fastening their boat to a willow, the friends landed in this silent, silver kingdom, and patiently explored the hedges, the hollow trees, the runnels and their little culverts, the ditches and dry waterways.
--*Kenneth Grahame,*The Wind in the Willows, 1908




Origin
Runnel entered English in the 1570s and combines the noun run (in the sense “small stream”) with the diminutive suffix -el.

[Altobelli]

MERITORIOUS adjective (mer-i tawr-ee-uh s)

adjective

(1) Deserving praise, reward, esteem, etc; praiseworthy: to receive a gift for meitorious service.

Quotes:

It wasn't exactly a misdemeanor to be late to breakfast-it began promptly at eight o'clock-but it was distinctly meritorious not to be. Henry Kitchell Webster, The Real Adventure, 1916