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KINESIOLOGY [ki-nee-see-OL-uh-jee]: the study of the way in which one’s body structure determines movement

August 1, 2012

With all the visibility of the XXX Olympics it is hard to let an evening go by without thinking about the unbelievable capabilities of the human body.   Watching the athletes bend, stretch, reach, and twist in incredible feats of athleticism, one can only marvel at the creation of the body. None of this would be [...]

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DEFINITIVE: the standard, information upon which standards can be set

July 31, 2012

Those of you who know me well may remember that one of the most significant symbols in my thinking is that of the plumb line, which is pictured to the right.   It is used by carpenters and other builders to employ the force of gravity to establish a straight vertical line.  The plum bob is [...]

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TROOP: a collective noun indicating a band of soldiers, scouts, or other gatherings of people

July 30, 2012

When I was a kid I belonged to a Boy Scout troop.   It was a sizable gathering of boys who were divided into smaller units called patrols.  An individual who belonged to a troop was called a scout. State Police who are assigned to a specific segment of a state for service are called a [...]

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UNTOWARD [uhn-TAWRD]: inappropriate, unfavorable, unfortunate

July 29, 2012

Untoward is one of those words that makes you stumble over your tongue trying to pronounce it.  It looks like it should be pronounced [un-too-WARD.]  But for some reason the last two apparent syllables are slurred together to make one, [TAWRD.]   Maybe I’ve just been mis-pronouncing toward all my life.  Maybe it’s just one syllable.  [...]

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MOOT: of no practical importance

July 27, 2012

When I was in graduate school at Yale I was asked to be a part of a jury for a trial at the Yale Law School.  It was their annual moot court session, in which graduating (hopefully) scholars were tested on their courtroom skills.  It was a fascinating experience in which soon-to-be attorneys prepared a [...]

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OVERBEARING: dominating or dictatorial

July 26, 2012

This shouldn’t be a long posting today.  I doubt that there are many people “out there” who can’t identify with this term, overbearing.  It has to do with someone being overwhelmingly “on top of you” in the sense of being dictatorial, relentless, and generally a pain in the neck.  Is there anybody who has never [...]

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QUID PRO QUO: one thing in return for another.

July 25, 2012

Quid pro quo is commonly understood to mean “you scratch my back and I’ll scratch yours.”  That is to say, “you do me a favor and I’ll do one for you.”   The phrase comes from Latin, meaning “something for something.” In the business world, quid pro quo is an ordinary concept, in which one business [...]

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TRICKLE DOWN: a theory of economics which says that benefits come to the ordinary person from expansion of the wealth of corporations and their owners

July 24, 2012

The trickle down theory of economics is commonly attributed to President Ronald Reagan who championed the idea during his terms in the White House.   It is based upon the theory that if the nation intentionally nourishes the wealthy class the result will be benefits that will “trickle down” to the rest of the people in [...]

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CONTRAPTION: a mechanical device

July 23, 2012

Some people get a real kick out of building things.   If the object they build has a good function, all the better.  But for some people, just building something suffices.  Many times the object they build qualifies as a contraption.  That is to say, it is a mechanical device which may, or may not, have [...]

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IATROGENIC [ahy-a-truh-JEN-ik]: a medical disorder caused by the inadvertent diagnosis, manner, or treatment of a physician

July 22, 2012

“ Sometimes the cure is worse than the disease.” How many times have we heard this, or something like it?  There’s  no question that some therapies required as treatment for serious illnesses are painful, nauseating, debillitating, and just plain awful.   But the hope is that the therapy is temporary and the result is permanent. The [...]

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