From the category archives:

WORDS & GRAMMAR

HEARTY/HARDY: similar and easily confused adjectives

April 15, 2012

It’s very easy to confuse the adjectives hearty and hardy.   Many people seem to have given into the confusion, using the terms interchangeably.  However, they really do have different meanings, although they both have to do with levels of application.  Let’s deal with them separately at first. Hearty has to do with enthusiasm.  One gets [...]

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SHIBBOLETH: a phrase, gesture, tradition, or other factor that identifies a member of group or population

April 14, 2012

“Gilead then cut Ephraim off from the fords of the Jordan, and whenever Ephraimite fugitives said, ‘Let me cross,’ the men of Gilead would ask, ‘Are you an Ephraimite?’ If he said, ‘No,’ they then said, ‘Very well, say “Shibboleth” (שבלת).’ If anyone said, “Sibboleth” (סבלת), because he could not pronounce it, then they would [...]

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CRYPTIC: hidden, secret, ominous

April 13, 2012

Just saying the word “cryptic” has a chilling effect.   Maybe it’s because it contains the word “crypt”  which has to do with death and burial in a secluded, hidden place.  The crypt in a cathedral, for instance, is the place beneath the main floor of the cathedral where the coffins of former Bishops and dignitaries [...]

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TRIBE: a term to describe a sociological group, usually descended from a common ancestor…but not always!

April 12, 2012

  I suspect that most people think of the word tribe as being associated with American Indian or African nations.   Maybe, if you are so inclined, you might associate the word with the teams that compete on the reality show, The Survivor.    In both cases the word is being used to define a designated group, [...]

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VICARIOUS: the act of emotionally taking the place of another person

April 10, 2012

Why is it that Red Sox fans get pleasure from watching Jon Lester hurl the baseball?  Is it just that Jon is a great guy, a man with a remarkable story, or a good looking young man in a uniform?   There are obviously hundreds of fans who watch him and fantasize that they are out [...]

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CAVEAT EMPTOR: let the buyer beware

April 9, 2012

There are people who are good at purchasing items.  And there are people who are not good at purchasing items. It sounds easy enough. Find the item. Pay for the item. Take it with you and use it. But in this frantic world of commerce, it isn’t all that easy.  The proliferation of methods of [...]

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PHLEGMATIC (fleg-MAT-ik): apathetic, sluggish, not known to exhibit excitement

April 6, 2012

Everybody isn’t “wired.”   While we are used to focusing on people who are multi-tasking, energized, alpha, there are fascinating people who are on the other end of the spectrum who are equally interesting.  They don’t garner as much attention as the caffeine-loaded types.  But that doesn’t mean that they are not worth watching.  In fact, [...]

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VOLUPTUARY: a person whose life is devoted to pleasure

April 4, 2012

In an age where economics favor the wealthy in our society it’s not hard to imagine a person who is called a voluptuary.   It’s a person who relishes the “good things” in life and has the ability to purchase them, embrace them, and become addicted to them.  As a matter of fact, the people of [...]

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EPONYMOUS: giving one’s name to a site, building, or item

April 3, 2012

THE CHUCK SCHUMER SUBWAY DELI SANDWICH>>>>> The outspoken and well-liked Senator from New York was honored by Subway by naming this humongous sandwich after him.   It’s a typical New York City deli sandwich, representing the city and the people he serves in the U.S. Senate. I suspect that this may mean as much to Senator [...]

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BELLICOSE: belligerent, hostile, aggressive

April 2, 2012

There are people who are on a short fuse.  They are primed, wired, and ready to strike out at the slightest provocation.  Sometimes it is a responsive thing, in which the person is generally peaceful and capable of participating in life situations on a “normal” level.  But when pushed, backed into a corner, or challenged, [...]

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