From the monthly archives:

November 2009

GLYPH: a symbol, such as a stylized figure or arrow on a public sign, that imparts information nonverbally. (Dictionary.com)

November 30, 2009

—– I’m fascinated with the method of communication entailed in the concept of glyphs. They are symbols which are so visually accurate that they immediately convey the meaning of something without the use of words. In a society like ours where speed is king, glyphs play a huge role. The need for immediate access to [...]

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MYTH: a traditional or legendary story… with or without a determinable basis of fact or a natural explanation….(Dictionary.com)

November 29, 2009

——– The word myth is most commonly used to refer to ancient stories told by Greeks, Norsemen or Native Americans. The myths popularized by them are classic, and serve well to define the word. Deities who have supernatural powers to create the earth, regulate the weather, control the seas, and other feats of greatness capture [...]

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CRITIQUE: to review or analyze critically. (Dictionary.com)

November 28, 2009

It has become a holiday tradition for us to go to a movie on Thanksgiving and Christmas. We started this practice innocently when we found ourselves without a plan for a Christmas day, a houseful of family, and an inner need to do something other than crash on the sofa. Since then it seems like [...]

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BLACK FRIDAY: a day in which retail stores have enough sales to put them "in the black" (Dictionary.com)

November 27, 2009

——– I find it interesting that the name Black Friday applies so easily to this day, the day after Thanksgiving. (Does that make Thanksgiving the penultimate day to Black Friday?) Under ordinary circumstances, the term Black Friday refers to a specific day when the NY Stock Exchange dropped precipitously. In that case, black is used [...]

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GLUTTONY: excessive eating and drinking. (Dictionary.com)

November 26, 2009

——– Well, here we are at the most gluttonous holiday in the American calendar. Stop to think about it…it’s a holiday to commemorate a feast…or that’s what we have let Thanksgiving become. It started out (like many secular holidays) as a spiritual event, giving thanks for the blessing of new life in this amazing country. [...]

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SEDENTARY: accustomed to sit or rest a great deal or to take little exercise. (Dictionary.com)

November 24, 2009

————— Sedentary is a word I hear a lot when I’m in a physician’s office. He drops the word into conversations, not intentionally pointing to me, or referring to me, but being clear that he wants me to hear the word. It’s been made pretty clear to me that men get too sedentary after they [...]

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KNEECAP: to undermine a person or injure a person's reputation in a particularly vicious manner. (www.WordSpy.com)

November 24, 2009

———- A new word usually emerges out of an attempt to describe an action or activity which is prominent in the minds of the public. Keyboarding, for instance, has replaced typing in our vocabulary as the use of computers has replaced the use of typewriters for the most part. To kneecap is one of those [...]

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ROMAN A CLEF: a novel in which actual persons, places, or events are depicted in fictional guise. (Dictionary.com)

November 23, 2009

———- I love this word/phrase. It is pronounced rōmäN’ ä klā’. What I love about it is that it is something that happens intentionally to some authors, and unintentionally to many, many others. My suspicion is that it is a surprise to many authors to discover that their novel is more autobiographical than they expected. [...]

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ASSASSINATE: to kill suddenly or secretively, esp. a politically prominent person (Dictionary.com)

November 22, 2009

……….“I was at my daughter’s second birthday party.”“My staff and I were on company retreat on Long Island.”“I was in the hospital having heart surgery.”“We were travelling in Europe and had stopped at a cafe for dinner.” November 22, 1963, is one of those dates in American history which calls forth such comments. It was [...]

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GRATUITY: a gift of money given, above and beyond the payment due for service, as to a … waiter ; tip (Dictionary.com)

November 21, 2009

——We’ve all been there. That awkward moment at the end of a meal when it’s time to pay the check. The meal has been mediocre and the service has been less than wonderful. How do I calculate the tip, the gratuity? Under normal circumstances I add 20% of the total bill to the check without [...]

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