The article offers suggestions on how to gamify quotidian [kwoʊˈtɪd.i.ən] tasks.quotidian [kwoʊˈtɪd.i.ən]
adj
Something described as quotidian occurs every day or occurs routinely or typically. More broadly, quotidian is used as a synonym of commonplace and ordinary.
from a Latin word, quotidie, which means "every day." English cowpoke
Fundraising events are his bailiwick [ˈbeɪlɪwɪk].bailiwick [ˈbeɪlɪwɪk]
noun
Bailiwick refers to the domain or sphere in which someone has superior knowledge or authority.
The first half of the word bailiwick, baili... utimately from the Medieval Latin verb bajulare, meaning "to care for" or "to support."
The second half of bailiwick comes from wik, a Middle English word for "dwelling place" or "village," which ultimately hails from the Latin word vicus, meaning "village." English cowpoke
"An entity that feigns human emotions is arguably a worse object of affection than a cold, computational device that doesn't emote [ɪˈmoʊt] at all." — Virginia Heffernan, WIRED, 26 Sept. 2023emote [ɪˈmoʊt]
verb
To emote is to express emotion in a very dramatic or obvious way.
Emote is an example of what linguists call a back-formation—that is, a word formed by trimming down an existing word. In this case, the parent word is emotion, which came to English by way of Middle French from the Latin verb emovēre, meaning "to remove or displace" (making the "removal" of the suffix -ion to form emote quite fitting). English cowpoke
"Vanilla is earthy. It’s ethereal. It’s exotic. It’s indispensable in some recipes and, when added to others on a whim, seems essential. … The ne plus ultra [ˌneɪ ˌplʌs ˈʌltrə] of flavoring." — Dorie Greenspan, Food52.com, 25 Feb. 2022ne plus ultra [ˌneɪ ˌplʌs ˈʌltrə]
noun
Ne plus ultra refers to the highest point of development or success that something may achieve; it is a synonym of acme.
It is the height, the zenith, the ultimate, the crown, the pinnacle. It is the peak, the summit, the crest, the high-water mark. All these expressions, of course, mean "the highest point attainable."
The New Latin version ne plus ultra, meaning "(go) no more beyond," found its way into English in the early 16... English cowpoke
Though the professor feared a rowdy incoming class, he found that his new students were docile [ˈdɑsaɪl] and eager to learn.docile [ˈdɑsaɪl]
adj
Docile is used to describe those who are easily taught, led, or managed.
Today calling students "docile" indicates that they aren't trouble-makers, but there's more than just good behavior connecting docility to teachability. Docile comes from the Latin verb docēre, which means "to teach." English cowpoke
The biographer has been given unfettered [ʌnˈfɛtərd] access to the family's collection of personal correspondence.unfettered [ʌnˈfɛtərd]
adj
Unfettered describes what is not controlled or restricted. It is a synonym of both free and unrestrained.
A fetter is a chain or shackle for the feet (such as the kind sometimes used on a prisoner), or, more broadly, anything that confines or restrains.
Fetter and unfetter both function as verbs in English with contrasting literal meanings having to do with the putting on of and freeing from fetters; English cowpoke
Be careful not to conflate [kənˈfleɪt] gossip with real news.conflate [kənˈfleɪt]
verb
Two closely related meanings of the verb conflate are “to confuse,” i.e. “to fail to differentiate,” and “to blend or bring together.”
from conflatus, a form of the Latin verb conflare (“to blow together, to fuse”), which was formed by combining the prefix com-, meaning “with” or “together,” with the Latin verb flare, meaning “to blow.” English cowpoke
I believe she and I are kindred [ˈkɪn.drɪd] spirits.kindred [ˈkɪn.drɪd]
adj
To say that two people or things are kindred is to say that they are of a similar nature or character, or that they have the same ancestry.
Family—both ancestral and in spirit—is what puts the “kin” in kindred. This word comes from the Old English noun for “kinship,” cynrǣden, which combines cynn (meaning “kin”) and ræden, meaning “condition.”
Other words akin to kin include kinfolk (and kinsfolk), kinship, kinsman, and kinswoman. English cowpoke
“‘You’re better off’ is a hard pill when you’re grieving a breakup. But it’s axiomatic [ˌæk.siˈəˈmæt.ɪk]: Someone who doesn’t want you as-is isn’t the person you want.” — Carolyn Hax, The Washington Post, 24 Feb. 2023axiomatic [ˌæk.siˈəˈmæt.ɪk]
adj
Formal adj - describes something—usually a statement—that is understood as obviously true, such that it is or should be taken for granted.
An axiom is a principle widely accepted for its intrinsic merit, or one regarded as self-evidently true.
Axiomatic from the New Latin word axiōmaticus, and like axiom, it comes ultimately from the Greek word axíōma, meaning (among other things) “that which is reasonable (though not demonstrated to be true). English cowpoke
Everyone at the pub was whinging [wɪndʒ] about the television not working.whinge [wɪndʒ]
verb
Whinge is a verb used especially in British English to mean "to complain fretfully [ˈfrɛtfəli - feeling or expressing distress or irritation]."
Whinge, on the other hand, comes from a different Old English verb, hwinsian, meaning "to wail or moan discontentedly."
English language is the nuance it exhibits when called upon to supply words for every possible kind of whining and complaining. We English users vent, we lament, we fuss and grouse and... English cowpoke
As usual, the politician let out a load of bunkum [ˈbʌŋkəm] during his speech.bunkum [ˈbʌŋkəm]
noun
Bunkum is an old-fashioned and informal word that refers to foolish or insincere talk or ideas.
From s story: Back in 1820, Felix Walker, who represented North Carolina's Buncombe County in the U.S. House of Representatives English cowpoke
"The poem operates by a kind of fairy logic: mesmerizing, oneiric [oˈnɪərɪk], enchanted, with language that surprises and clauses that seem to magnetically adhere." — Verity Spott, The New York Times, 13 Apr. 2023oneiric [oˈnɪərɪk]
adj
an adj meaning "of or relating to dreams."
The notion of using the Greek noun oneiros (meaning "dream") to form the English adjective oneiric wasn't dreamed up until the mid-19th century.
In the 17th century, English speakers also melded Greek oneiros with the combining form -mancy ("divination") to create oneiromancy, meaning "divination by means of dreams." English cowpoke
Some of the exchange students were creeped out by all the gargoyles [ˈɡɑrˌɡɔɪl] they passed during their walking tour of the old European town.gargoyle [ˈɡɑrˌɡɔɪl]
noun
A gargoyle is a strange or grotesque human or animal figure that sticks out from the roof of a building (such as a church) and is used to cause rainwater to flow away from the building's sides.
came to Middle English from the Old French word gargoule English cowpoke
"The secret to its longevity, then and now, is a steadfast commitment to the idea of dolce far niente ([ˈdɔl.tʃe far njen.te] in Italian - pleasant relaxation in carefree idleness), the elysian [ɪˈlɪʒən] pleasantness of doing absolutely nothing except enjoying yourself." — Spencer Bailey, Town & Country, 28 Mar. 2021Elysian [ɪˈlɪʒən]
adj
Something described as elysian is blissful or delightful in a way that evokes something otherworldly. Elysian is also used to mean "of or relating to Elysium"—that is, an eternal paradise for the souls of the heroic and pure in classical mythology.
In classical mythology, Elysium, also known as the Elysian Fields, was the paradise reserved for the heroes immortalized by the gods. English cowpoke
Half-remembering a joke from her favorite sitcom, Ally mangled [ˈmæŋɡəl] the punch line, but honestly this made it even funnier.mangle [ˈmæŋɡəl]
verb
To mangle something is to ruin it due to carelessness or a lack of skill. Mangle can also mean “to injure or damage something or someone severely by cutting, tearing, or crushing.
This meaning comes from Anglo-French.
This other meaning: noun mangle (“a machine for ironing laundry by passing it between heated rollers”) or its related verb (“to press or smooth with a mangle”) English cowpoke
On her first day at the fashion institute, Marta learned the basic tenets [ˈtɛnɪt] of the fashion industry.tenet [ˈtɛnɪt]
noun
A tenet is a principle, belief, or doctrine that is held to be true by members of an organization, movement, or profession.
Tenet holds a centuries-long tenure in the English language, but its hometown is Latin. In that language, tenet is a form of the verb tenēre ("to hold") and means "s/he holds." Tenet was borrowed into English around 1600... English cowpoke
We love having her in our study group because she's good at ferreting [ˈfɛrɪt] out the answers to the study guide.ferret [ˈfɛrɪt]
verb
To ferret means to find something, such as information, by careful searching. It is usually followed by the word out.
The word came to us by way of Anglo-French and can be traced back to the Latin word fur, meaning "thief." English cowpoke
They are circumspect [ˈsɜːrkəmˌspɛkt] in all their business dealings.circumspect [ˈsɜːrkəmˌspɛkt]
adj
Someone described as circumspect is careful to consider all circumstances and risks before doing or saying something.
it combines two major players in the Latin branch of the English language's pedigree: circum-, meaning "around," and specere, meaning "to look." English cowpoke
The cat often skulks [skʌlk] around the entryway, waiting for someone to open the front door so it can sneak out.skulk [skʌlk]
verb
To skulk is to move around or hide in a stealthy or secretive way.
A person or animal that is said to be skulking is often assumed or considered to be up to some form of wrongdoing or mischief.
Scandinavian origin. As for skulk specifically, its closest known Scandinavian relative is the Norwegian dialect word skulka, which means “to lie in wait” or “to lurk.” English cowpoke
He and his posse [ˈpɒsi] met after school to catch the newly released sequel to their favorite movie.posse [ˈpɒsi]
noun
A posse is a group of friends, or a group of people who are gathered together for a particular purpose.
Posse also refers to a group of people who were gathered together by a sheriff in the past to help search for a criminal.
Posse started out in English as part of a term from common law, posse comitatus, which in Medieval Latin translates as “power or authority of the county.” Posse comitatus referred to a group of citizens summoned by a reeve (a medieval official) English cowpoke