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Word of the Day |
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Word of the Day |
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January 1st
subversive (sub VUR siv) one intent on overthrowing or destroying an established principle or way of doing things; a corrupter, as in morals
January 2nd
vicarious (vi CAR i ous) 1. taking the place of another; 2. endured or performed by one person in place of another; 3. shared in by imagined participation in another's experience
January 3rd
extrude (ex TRUDE) to force out, as through a small opening (usually with the intent to give shape... think Play-Doh)
January 4th
foment (fo MENT) to incite; to stir up trouble
January 5th
exfoliate (eks FO li ate) to remove hair; the process of removing hair
January 6th
salubrious (suh LOO bree us) adj. beneficial to health; wholesome
January 7th
extemporaneous (ex TEM por an e ous) done or spoken with little preparation; offhand
January 8th
pathos (PA thos) the quality in something which arouses great sorrow, pity, sympathy, etc.
January 9th
timorous (TIM or us) full of fear, timid, afraid.
January 10th
canonical (ka NON ik al) 1. an official list; 2. a basic law or principle; a criterion; 3. a law or body of laws of a church
January 11th
escutcheon (i SKUCH en) a shield bearing a coat of arms
January 12th
discreet (dis KREET) caution around ones actions and words
discrete (dis KREET) separate and distinct; unrelated
January 13th
hyperbaric (hi per BAR ik) of, relating to, or utilizing greater than normal pressure (as in oxygen)
January 14th
corpulent (COR pu lent) overweight, obese
January 15th
truculent (TRU ku lent) fierce; savage; cruel
January 16th
neologism (ne AL o jism) a new word; a new meaning for an existing word
January 17th
arcane (AR kane) secret or esoteric
January 18th
esoteric (e SO ter ik) meant for or understood only by a chosen few
January 19th
niggardly (NIG gard ly) a stingy person; a miser
January 20th
petulant (PECH oo lent) impatient or irritable, especially over a petty annoyance
January 21st
heuristic (hyoo RIS tik) helping to learn, as by a method of self teaching
January 22nd
serendipity (se ren DIP it y) an apparent aptitude for making accidental fortunate discoveries
January 23rd
eruct (I rukt) to belch
January 24th
ensconce (in SKANS) to place or settle snuggly or securely
January 25th
exegesis (EK se je sis) interpretation of a word or passage, especially in the Bible
January 26th
easement (EZ ment) in law: a right one may have on another's land
January 27th
panache (pe NASH) 1. a plume, especially on a helmet; 2. dashing elegance of manner or style
January 28th
insouciant (in soo se ANT) calm and unbothered; carefree
January 29th
matriculate (mah TRIK yoo late) to enroll especially as a student in college
January 30th
masticate (MAS te kate) to chew up.
January 31st
ameliorate (UH MEEL yah rate) to make better, improve, relieve or soothe
February 1st
quisling (KWIZ ling) traitor (in several languages) derivative: from the name of a former Norwegian Defense Minister, Vidkun Quisling, who sold out his country to the Nazis in 1940.
February 2nd
plutocracy (ploo TAK ra see) 1. government by the wealthy; 2. a group of wealthy individuals who control a government
February 3rd
oligarchy (OL e GAR key) 1. government in which only a few persons have ruling power; 2. the ruling persons
February 4th
dauphin (dow FAN) the eldest son of the King of France (the title was used from 1349 to 1830)
February 5th
prexy (PREK see) the president, especially of a college
February 6th
polyglot (POL ee glot) speaking or writing in several languages
February 7th
monstrance (MON strans) a receptacle for displaying the consecrated host
February 8th
mordant (MOR d'nt) adj. caustic, sarcastic; n. a substance that fixes colors in dyeing
February 9th
moraine (MO rane) a mass of rocks, sand, etc. left by a retreating glacier
February 10th
kaolin (KAY oh lin) a white clay used in porcelain (named after a hill where the clay is found)
February 11th
karakul, caracul (KAR ah kel) 1. a sheep of central Asia; 2. the curly black fur from the fleece of its lambs
February 12th
itinerant (I tin er ent) a traveler
February 13th
prink (PRINK) as in prink up; 1. to smarten (oneself) up; 2. to dress oneself up; 3. (of a bird) to preen
February 14th
sententious (SEN ten chuss) 1. pompously moralizing; 2. affectedly formal in style; 3. aphoristic; using maxims
February 15th
aphorism (a FOR ism) short, pithy maxim
February 16th
maxim (MAK sim) a general truth or rule of thumb briefly expressed
February 17th
pithy (PITH ee) adj. terse and forcible
February 18th
shemozzle (shem OZ el) slang [Yiddish] 1. brawl or commotion; 2. muddle
February 19th
nihilism (Ni el ism) n. 1. a rejection of all religious and moral principles; 2. the belief that nothing really exists
February 20th
incunabulum (IN cun a BU lum) n. 1. an early printed book especially before 1501; 2. in pl. early stages of a thing.
February 21st
ubiquitous (u BIK wit us) adj. existing or being everywhere at the same time; constantly encountered
February 22nd
propinquity (pro PIN kwit ee) n. 1. kinship; 2. proximity
February 23rd
cachet (ka SHAY) n. 1a. a seal used especially as a mark of official approval; 1b. an indication of approval carrying great prestige 2. a characteristic feature or quality conferring prestige; 3. a medicinal preparation for swallowing consisting of a case usually of rice-flour paste enclosing a medicine; 4a. a design or inscription on an envelope to commemorate a postal or philatelic event; 4b. an advertisement forming part of a postage meter impression; 4c. a motto or slogan included in a postal cancellation
February 24th
hagiography (HAJ ee og RAF ee) n. pictures of saints
February 25th
pariah (pah RI yuh) n. 1. outcast; 2. member of a low caste of southern India
February 26th
abtruse (ab TROOS) adj. difficult to understand
February 27th
alacrity (uh LAK ruh tee) n. cheerful, promptness, quickness
February 28th
capricious (kuh PRISH us) adj. unpredictable, guided by chance or by sudden flights of fancy
February 29th
contrite (kon TRITE) adj. thoroughly sorry for a wrongdoing
March 1st
dogmatic (dog MAT ik) adj. arrogantly inflexible in insisting upon's one's own arbitrary opinions; dictatorial
March 2nd
ephemeral (ee FEM uh ruhl) adj. lasting for a very short time
March 3rd
fetid (FET ud) adj. foul smelling, stinking, having an offensive odor
March 4th
fetter (FET ur) v. or n. a chain or shackle which restricts motion; to put on shackles or to restrict motion
March 5th
innate (in ATE) adj. existing within the individual before birth, rather than something that developed over time from life experiences
March 6th
innocuous (in AWK yoo us) adj. harmless; unlikely to arouse strong feelings; useless
March 7th
lament (luh MENT) n. or v. a verbal expression of regret or grief; wailing; to express grief aloud
March 8th
obliterate (ub BLIT uh rate) v. to destroy or wipe way (can be mental or physical)
March 9th
plethora (PLETH uh ruh) n. over abundance
March 10th
prodigal (PRAWD ih gul) n. or adj. extravigant; wasteful
March 11th
rend (REND) v. to violently tear apart or split inot pieces
March 13th
taciturn (TAS uh turn) adj. reluctant to converse; not expressive or sociable
March 14th
vapid (VAP ud) adj. lacking flavor, zest, liveliness or spirit; having lost appeal
March 15th
font (FONT) n. 1. a receptical for baptismal water or holy water; 2. a printer's style and size of type
March 16th
assuage (a SWAJ) v. to lessen the intensity of (something that pains or distresses); to ease
March 17th
recondite (rec ON dite) adj. 1. concealed; 2. difficult or impossible for one of ordinary understanding or knowledge to comprehend; 3. of, relating to, or dealing with something little known or obscure
March 18th
assume (as OOM) v. to take for granted
subsume (sub SOOM) v. to include in a broader category or group
presume (pre ZOOM) adj. to beyond what is proper or right
March 19th
enigma (en IG ma) n. an obscure speech or writing; something hard to understand or explain; an inscrutable or mysterious person
March 20th
lucid (LOO sid) adj. luminous, translucent; having full use of one's faculties; clear to the understanding
March 21st
manifest (MAN if est) adj. readily perceived by the senses and
especially by the sight;easily understood or recognized by the mind
v. to make evident or certain by showing or displaying
n. list of passengers or an invoice of cargo for a vehicle
(as a ship or plane)
March 22nd
calumny (CAL um nee) n. a misrepresentation intended to blacken another's reputation; the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to damage another's reputation
March 23nd
otolarygologist (oh TOE lair in goll oh gist) n. head and neck surgeons concerned with the medicial and surgical treatment of the ears, nose, throat and related structures of the head and neck.
March 25th
virulent (vir U lent)adj. 1. extremely poisonous or harmful, as a disease; 2. bitterly hostile.
March 26th
spurious (SPUR ee us)adj. 1. not authentic, false; 2. forged or interpolated; 3. illegitimate, bastard.
March 27th
coronate (cor ON ate) adj. having or wearing a crown
coronation (cor ON a shun) n. a ceremony where a regent is crowned
coronated (cor ON a ted) v. American only the act of crowning a regent (The verb form of coronate (i.e., coronated and
coronating) are only acceptable in American versions of the English language. The verb forms are not acceptable in either
England or Australia. We don't know about Canada or New Zealand.
March 28th
sommelier (SUM el ya) n. 1. [Fr. officer in charge of provisions, pack animal driver]. 2. A wine steward in a restaurant.
March 29th
endemic (en DEM ik) n. prevalent in, or peculiar to, a particular group, people or locality
epidemic (ep i DEM ik) n. affecting many individuals in the same area at the same time; widely prevalent
pandemic (pan DEM ik) n. widespread; general of all people in an area; med. an epidemic spread over a particularly wide area
March 30th
celerity (sel ER it ee) n. speed, swiftness
March 31st
dilatory (DIL a tor ee) adj. tending or intent to delay; marked by procrastination; proceeding at an undesirably slow rate
April 1st
indolent (IN dol ent) adj. disinclined to exert oneself; slothful conducive to inactivity or laziness; med. resulting in little or no pain
April 2nd
phlegmatic (fleg MAT ik) adj. having or indicating a calm, sluggish temperment
April 3rd
jocund (JO kund) adj. having a cheerful disposition
April 4th
munificent (mu NIF iss ent) adj. showing great generosity
April 5th
lassitude (LAS i tood) adj. listless weakness or exhaustion
April 6th
perfidious (PER fid ee us) adj. treacherous; deliberate breach of faith
April 7th
panegyric (pan ej er ik) n. a formal eulogistic composition intended as a compliment; elaborate praise
April 8th
mephitic (mef IT ik) adj. stench, an offensive smell; a foul-smelling poisionous gas emitted from the earth
April 9th
lachrymose (LAK rim ose) adj. weeping or given to weeping, tearful, sorrowful
April 10th
penurious (PEN ur ee us) adj. stingy, miserly, yielding little, barren, destitute
April 11th
temerity (TEM er it ee) n. excessive, arrogant self-confidence
April 12th
torpor (TOR per) n. mental of physical inactivity or insensibility; sluggishness, lethargy, apathy
torpid (TOR pid) adj. having been deprived of the power of motion or feeling; dormant, hibernating, lethargic, apathetic
December 26th
The following words will be added as time permits: , solicitude, sanguine, antipathy, rancor, vituperatative, truculent, bellicose, rankling, effrontery, cupidity, obstreperous, montebank, specious, paragon, exculpate, vituperate, venerate, didactic, pusillanimous, evanescent, noisome, redolent, felicitous, propitious, intrinsic, otiose, efficacious, elegy, pretentious, surfeit, penury, impecunious, modicum, hedonistic, temporate, parsimonious, ascetic, abstemious, contumacious, iniquitous, reprove, extol, adulate, approbation, pernicious, deleterious, probity, gelid, laconic, oquacious, garrulous, prolix, delustory, pallid, prosaic, punctilious.
December 27th
Idiom Addition
idiom (id EE um) n.phrases that have meanings that are dissociated from the words that comprise them. As Americans, idioms incredibly common and yet they are virtually invisible to us. It is nearly impossible to think of an idiom "on the spot".
| Idiom | Translation | |
| 1 | "24 7; 24 x 7; 24 - 7" | 24 hours a day, 7 days a week; at all times |
| 2 | "a cinch" | easy |
| 3 | "a steal" | a bargain |
| 4 | "ace" | to do perfectly (usually on a test) |
| 5 | "acid test" | an unarguable proof |
| 6 | "add fuel to the flame (or fire)" | to make a bad situation worse |
| 7 | "afraid of his own shadow" | excessively fearful |
| 8 | "all ears" | listening attentively |
| 9 | "all thumbs" | physically awkward, lacking physical coordination |
| 10 | "answer the door" | see who is at the door |
| 11 | "answer the mail" | respond to a specific problem, usually in a direct manner |
| 12 | "antsy" | nervous, anxious |
| 13 | "around the clock" | 24 hours continuously |
| 14 | "as the crow flies" | in a straight line |
| 15 | "assume room temperature" | dead |
| 16 | "at the end of his rope" | pushed to his limit; out of options |
| 17 | "at wit's end" | unable to solve a problem |
| 18 | "babe in the woods" | inexperienced |
| 19 | "be bent on doing something" | strong desire to do something |
| 20 | "bear hug" | a big hug; also a crushing wrestling hold |
| 21 | "beat around the bush" | to act or speak evasively |
| 22 | "beat one's brains out" | given great thought with minimal result |
| 23 | "beat one's head against the wall" | frustrate |
| 24 | "beat the bushes" | to search exhaustively |
| 25 | "bent out of shape" | angry |
| 26 | "best thing since sliced bread" | very, very good |
| 27 | "big deal" | (sarcasm) not really important |
| 28 | "big frog (or fish) in a little pond" | important person in a small position |
| 29 | "bite off more than one can chew" | to attempt more than one is able |
| 30 | "blabbermouth" | one who talks too much about the wrong things |
| 31 | "blow" | leave |
| 32 | "blow his doors off" | (in auto racing jargon) to decisively defeat |
| 33 | "blow in" | (slang) to arrive |
| 34 | "blow off" | ignore or disregard |
| 35 | "blow one's stack (or top)" | to become suddenly angry |
| 36 | "blow one's top" | to become enraged |
| 37 | "blow out" | explosive loss of air from a tire; when one team defeats another by a very wide margin |
| 38 | "blow up" | the act of creating an explosion; becoming angry |
| 39 | "blue" | sad |
| 40 | "blue blood" | aristocracy; high society |
| 41 | "blue in the face" | can say no more to convince |
| 42 | "born yesterday" | inexperienced, naïve |
| 43 | "break someone's heart" | anguish caused by a loved one |
| 44 | "broke" | without money |
| 45 | "brush up" | review (as in study) |
| 46 | "bug-eyed" | surprised |
| 47 | "bull-headed" | stubborn |
| 48 | "bulls eye" | the center of a target |
| 49 | "burn the midnight oil" | work or study late into the night |
| 50 | "bury the hatchet" | forgive each other |
| 51 | "bushed" | tired |
| 52 | "butterflies in the stomach" | nervous |
| 53 | "by the skin of one's teeth" | success by a slim margin |
| 54 | "call it a day" | quit work for the day |
| 55 | "can't make heads or tails of something" | do not understand |
| 56 | "catch one's eye" | notice |
| 57 | "catch some rays" | to sunbathe |
| 58 | "catch some Zs" | sleep, nap |
| 59 | "cause tongues to wag" | gossip; spreading rumors |
| 60 | "change one's mind" | to reverse a decision |
| 61 | "chew out" | to berate |
| 62 | "chew the fat" | talk together, informally |
| 63 | "chicken" | coward |
| 64 | "chow" | less than elegant food |
| 65 | "chow down" | eating with enthusiasm |
| 66 | "clam up" | suddently stop talking |
| 67 | "climb on the bandwagon" | join in because others do so |
| 68 | "clothes horse" | someone who likes clothes excessively |
| 69 | "coffin nail" | cigarette |
| 70 | "cold feet" | nervous to the point of reversing a previously made decision |
| 71 | "cool" | positive, highly acceptable |
| 72 | "cool it!" | stop |
| 73 | "cost (someone) an arm and a leg" | expensive |
| 74 | "couch potato" | someone who watches too much television |
| 75 | "crash course" | to learn quickly |
| 76 | "cry baby" | a reference to one (usually a child) who cries with only slight provocation |
| 77 | "cut in" | to interrupt; to take over |
| 78 | "cut it out!" | stop |
| 79 | "cut short" | end abruptly |
| 80 | "dealing from the bottom (of the deck)" | cheating |
| 81 | "deliver the mail" | to deliver with great reliability |
| 82 | "devil's advocate" | a person who champions the less accepted cause for the sake of argument |
| 83 | "dicey" | chancy; less than optimal expectation of success |
| 84 | "die down" | decrease |
| 85 | "dish it out" | to give abuse |
| 86 | "ditch" | to leave without permission; to leave in violation of a law or custom |
| 87 | "don't count your chickens until (before) they hatch (they're hatched)" | do not over-anticipate |
| 88 | "drop a line" | send a letter (or email) |
| 89 | "drop like a hot potato" | stop something immediately |
| 90 | "drop on in" | to call on unexpectedly |
| 91 | "dry up" | stop talking; to end |
| 92 | "eager beaver" | someone who is very eager |
| 93 | "eagle eyed" | very observant |
| 94 | "easy as pie" | very simple |
| 95 | "easy does it" | go slow |
| 96 | "eat a horse" | very hungry |
| 97 | "egghead" | someone very smart |
| 98 | "elbow grease" | physical work that takes considerable effort; rubbing |
| 99 | "eleventh hour" | time is running short; at the last minute |
| 100 | "eyes pop out" | look very surprised or impressed |
| 101 | "face the music" | to address the consequences of some deed |
| 102 | "fag" | (British) cigarette; homosexual |
| 103 | "fall on your sword" | (figurative speech) to be willing to die for rather than to accept the alternative |
| 104 | "fan the flames" | make things worse |
| 105 | "fed up" | had enough |
| 106 | "feel like a million" | in good spirits or health |
| 107 | "fender bender" | a minor car accident without injuries |
| 108 | "fiddle" | to tamper with |
| 109 | "firsthand" | direct; from the original source |
| 110 | "fit as a fiddle" | very fit, in good physical condition |
| 111 | "flew the coup" | left, usually in a hurry or unexpectedly |
| 112 | "fly" | a reference to the zipper on pants |
| 113 | "focused (euphemism)" | stubborn |
| 114 | "fool around" | play and joke; unfaithfulness to a mate or betrothed |
| 115 | "for ages" | a long time |
| 116 | "forty winks" | a night's sleep |
| 117 | "fringe benefit" | value beyond wages |
| 118 | "funny farm" | a sanitarium |
| 119 | "get a kick out of something" | to enjoy |
| 120 | "get down" | (depending upon context) to get very serious |
| 121 | "get going" | go |
| 122 | "get lost" | disappear, leave |
| 123 | "get on one's high horse" | become angry; a false sense of superiority |
| 124 | "get on one's nerves" | make nervous; aggravate |
| 125 | "get on the ball" | do better at the assignment |
| 126 | "get one's wires crossed" | confused |
| 127 | "get out of hand" | to lose control of a situation |
| 128 | "get up and go" | energy |
| 129 | "give a big hand" | to applaud by clapping with enthusiasm |
| 130 | "give a ring" | call on the telephone |
| 131 | "give someone a hand" | applaud; help |
| 132 | "go against the grain" | to annoy; to do something the hard way |
| 133 | "go ape" | to get excited, even possibly angry |
| 134 | "go Dutch" | each pays his/her own way |
| 135 | "go off the deep end" | to be rash or hasty; extreme reaction |
| 136 | "go postal (or nuclear)" | to become enraged |
| 137 | "go stag" | to attend an event without an escort of the opposite sex when an escort is normally expected |
| 138 | "go to bed with the chickens" | go to bed early in the evening |
| 139 | "go to the mat" | to fight or argue without intent of compromise |
| 140 | "go whole hog" | do completely; to give all one's attention to something |
| 141 | "go with the flow" | do as others are doing |
| 142 | "goose that laid the golden egg" | a major revenue source |
| 143 | "grab a bite" | have a quick meal |
| 144 | "gravy train" | a very good arrangement involving the continual influx of money |
| 145 | "grease monkey" | mechanic |
| 146 | "green thumb" | a reference to a capable flower grower |
| 147 | "greenback" | paper money |
| 148 | "grow on someone" | increase in favor; to become accustomed |
| 149 | "grow out of one's clothes" | get too large for clothes to fit |
| 150 | "handwriting on the wall" | a forecast or prediction, usually of something bad |
| 151 | "hard feelings" | emotions that border on revenge |
| 152 | "hassle" | make difficult |
| 153 | "have it in for" | seeking (petty) revenge |
| 154 | "have one's hands full" | to be busy; fully engaged |
| 155 | "have something down pat" | to know all alternatives completely |
| 156 | "have your ducks in a row" | to have everything organized and well-thought out |
| 157 | "head honcho" | boss; person in charge |
| 158 | "head in the clouds" | optimistic to the point of impracticality |
| 159 | "high five" | a type of handshake |
| 160 | "hit the books" | study |
| 161 | "hit the ceiling (roof)" | to become suddenly angry |
| 162 | "hit the deck" | get on the floor -- danger |
| 163 | "hit the hay (or sack)" | go to bed |
| 164 | "hitched" | married |
| 165 | "hold one's tongue" | keep still; stop talking |
| 166 | "hold your horses" | wait patiently; slow down |
| 167 | "horse (monkey) around" | unstructured aggressive play |
| 168 | "horse sense" | common sense |
| 169 | "hot water" | in trouble |
| 170 | "how come?" | why? |
| 171 | "if I had my druthers" | if I had my preferences |
| 172 | "in one ear and out the other" | not listening |
| 173 | "in tears" | crying |
| 174 | "in the black" | profitable |
| 175 | "in the doghouse" | in trouble, often with a spouse |
| 176 | "in the red" | a losing situation, usually financial |
| 177 | "in time" | within the allowed time frame |
| 178 | "it figures" | seems likely |
| 179 | "it's a breeze" | it's simple |
| 180 | "ivory tower" | a protected, unrealistic view (of a problem) |
| 181 | "jail bird" | a reference to a convict |
| 182 | "jump all over someone" | to berate |
| 183 | "jump the gun" | prematurely |
| 184 | "jump to conclusions" | to make a decision before all the facts are in |
| 185 | "junk mail" | unsolicited mail |
| 186 | "just what the doctor ordered" | exactly what is needed |
| 187 | "keep (stay) in touch" | call, write or visit occassionally |
| 188 | "keep a straight face" | to give no indication of one's situation or intent |
| 189 | "keep an eye on" | watch carefully |
| 190 | "keep an eye out for" | look for |
| 191 | "keep it under your hat" | keep it a secret |
| 192 | "keep the wolf from the door" | keep out hunger or starvation or destitution |
| 193 | "keep your chin up" | maintain enthusiasm, positive attitude |
| 194 | "keep your eyes peeled" | look for |
| 195 | "keep your fingers crossed" | hope all goes well |
| 196 | "keep your nose to the grindstone" | pay attention to your work |
| 197 | "kept his head (or cool)" | remained calm |
| 198 | "kick ass" | to do a superb job |
| 199 | "kick back" | relax |
| 200 | "kick the bucket" | die |
| 201 | "kick your ass" | to punish; to defeat in a conflict or competition |
| 202 | "kickback" | a (cash) benefit for doing something illecit |
| 203 | "kid" | joke; a child or someone very young |
| 204 | "kill time" | to find a way to make time pass quickly (pleasantly) |
| 205 | "kind of" | an approximation |
| 206 | "kit and caboodle" | all of something |
| 207 | "klutz" | someone who is awkward |
| 208 | "knee high to a grasshopper" | a reference to a small child |
| 209 | "knock it off" | stop or cease |
| 210 | "know it forwards and backwards" | to know something thoroughly |
| 211 | "know it inside and out" | to know something thoroughly |
| 212 | "know-it-all (sarcasm)" | a reference to someone who does not know something he claims to know |
| 213 | "left field" | from an unexpected direction, often but not always, wrong |
| 214 | "lend someone a hand" | help |
| 215 | "let it all hang out" | be yourself (without false airs) |
| 216 | "let it slide" | neglect duty; postpone |
| 217 | "let sleeping dogs lie" | don't look for trouble |
| 218 | "let-down" | did not meet expectations |
| 219 | "life of Riley" | a very relaxed (though not necessarily wealthy) life style |
| 220 | "little frog (or fish) in a big pond" | insignificant (usually a person) in a context |
| 221 | "live and let live" | forgive and forget |
| 222 | "live from hand to mouth" | poor, without resources to handle a crisis |
| 223 | "long face" | sad |
| 224 | "look down upon" | scorn |
| 225 | "look high and low" | look everywhere |
| 226 | "loose cannon" | great undirected and destructive energy (in reference to an individual) |
| 227 | "lose one's cool" | get angry |
| 228 | "lose one's head" | to panic |
| 229 | "lose one's nerve" | to over-react; to act prematurely |
| 230 | "lose track of" | forgot |
| 231 | "lousy" | unpleasant, disadvantageous or bad |
| 232 | "low blow" | an unfair assault, usually verbal |
| 233 | "macho" | masculine in the extreme |
| 234 | "make a mountain out of a mole hill" | making a small issue into a very large issue |
| 235 | "make faces" | a facial expression (normally negative) |
| 236 | "make one tick" | motivates |
| 237 | "make up one's mind" | decide |
| 238 | "make waves" | create a disturbance; cause problems |
| 239 | "miss the boat" | lost opportunity |
| 240 | "nest egg" | savings |
| 241 | "New York minute" | very, very quickly |
| 242 | "no way!" | unconditional no |
| 243 | "nose to the grindstone" | to work dilligently |
| 244 | "not my bag" | not what I do |
| 245 | "not on your life" | unconditional no |
| 246 | "now and then" | occasionally |
| 247 | "nuke" | destroy; cook in a microwave |
| 248 | "nut house" | a sanitarium or insane asylum |
| 249 | "nuts" | crazy; a response to a question that is thought to be completely unsound |
| 250 | "off base" | wrong |
| 251 | "ok or okay" | yes; uninjured |
| 252 | "on the cutting (or bleeding) edge" | normally the latest, greatest technology |
| 253 | "on the dot" | precisely |
| 254 | "on the double" | quickly |
| 255 | "on the road" | traveling |
| 256 | "on the spot" | impromptu; without warning or preparation |
| 257 | "on time" | at the scheduled time |
| 258 | "once in a while" | occasionally |
| 259 | "over one's head" | beyond one's capability |
| 260 | "paddle one's own canoe" | do one's own work |
| 261 | "party animal" | someone who likes to party excessively |
| 262 | "pay the piper" | the cost of an unpleasant task |
| 263 | "piece of cake (or just "cake")" | very simple |
| 264 | "pig out" | to eat too much |
| 265 | "plastic" | less than genuine (referring to a person) |
| 266 | "play by ear" | to play an instrument without music; ad lib; without formal preparation |
| 267 | "poker face" | to give no indication of one's situation or intent |
| 268 | "pooped" | tired |
| 269 | "pull an all-nighter" | to study or work all night |
| 270 | "pull one's leg" | to tell an untruth (usually as a joke) |
| 271 | "pull one's punches" | giving less than a full effort against a weaker opponent |
| 272 | "pull one's weight" | to do one's share |
| 273 | "pull the wool over someone's eyes" | deceive |
| 274 | "puppy love" | a reference to teenage love |
| 275 | "push on" | keep going |
| 276 | "pushing up daisies" | dead and buried |
| 277 | "put a word in for" | say something positive |
| 278 | "put his foot in his mouth" | made a foolish remark |
| 279 | "put the cart before the horse" | do in the wrong order |
| 280 | "quick study" | a reference to someone who learns quickly |
| 281 | "quite a few" | many |
| 282 | "R and R" | rest and relaxation |
| 283 | "rain cats and dogs" | a heavy rainfall |
| 284 | "rain on your parade" | to spoil a special occasion |
| 285 | "rain or shine" | no matter what happens |
| 286 | "read someone's mind" | to know someone's unspoken thoughts |
| 287 | "rub the wrong way" | to irritate |
| 288 | "rubber room" | a reference to a figurative room with padded walls so inmates/patients cannot injure themselves |
| 289 | "rug (slang)" | man's hairpiece |
| 290 | "rule of thumb" | an approximation |
| 291 | "run down" | tired; to chase as in overtake (may imply hit, as in a motorist who runs down a pedestrian) |
| 292 | "run through a wringer" | a short but very stressful experience |
| 293 | "saving for a rainy day" | saving money for an emergency |
| 294 | "savvy" | wise to the ways of the world |
| 295 | "scaredy cat" | highly reflexive, overly fearful |
| 296 | "schmooze" | pleasant for the specific purpose of gaining favors at a later date |
| 297 | "scratch the surface" | study superficially |
| 298 | "search me" | I don't know |
| 299 | "see eye to eye" | agree |
| 300 | "see neither hide nor hair" | cannot find |
| 301 | "shoot the breeze" | casual conversation |
| 302 | "sick as a dog" | very sick but not usually terminal |
| 303 | "singleness of purpose (euphemism)" | stubborn |
| 304 | "sink your teeth into" | to do something with particular enjoyment |
| 305 | "sleep like a log (or baby)" | sleep soundly |
| 306 | "sleep on it" | to defer a decision overnight |
| 307 | "snap" | easy, as in "it's a snap" |
| 308 | "snappy" | with style or class |
| 309 | "so-so" | average, mediocre |
| 310 | "sort of" | approximately |
| 311 | "state of the art" | most modern, most advanced |
| 312 | "stay (keep) in touch" | maintain contact over time |
| 313 | "step on it" | go faster, accelerate |
| 314 | "stick around" | stay |
| 315 | "stir up" | incite |
| 316 | "straight and narrow" | to so something without deviation (normally a behavior) |
| 317 | "straight as an arrow" | high moral character; trustworthy |
| 318 | "straight from the shoulder" | frankly, directly |
| 319 | "sucker" | someone easily fooled |
| 320 | "take a chill pill" | relax; do not be so excited |
| 321 | "take a hike" | leave! |
| 322 | "take a ribbing" | a joke directed at an individual |
| 323 | "take heat" | pressure associated with the job |
| 324 | "take it easy" | relax or become calmer |
| 325 | "take the bull by the horns" | to act in a determined way |
| 326 | "take the gas" | to end dramatically; to die |
| 327 | "take with a grain of salt" | believe only half of what is said |
| 328 | "telegraph" | to unintentionally give an indication of one's intent |
| 329 | "the bottom line" | the end result |
| 330 | "the meat (or heart or nut) of" | the central issue |
| 331 | "throw the book at" | to be harsh in judgement |
| 332 | "tied up" | busy |
| 333 | "tight-fisted" | excessive frugality |
| 334 | "tightwad" | an individual who practices excesive frugality |
| 335 | "too big for his britches" | going well beyond one's capability or authority |
| 336 | "toot one's horn" | brag |
| 337 | "touched in the head" | not completely sane |
| 338 | "turkey" | awkward; strange; can be a term of endearment under unique circumstances |
| 339 | "turn on" | excite; demonstrate something new |
| 340 | "two peas in a pod" | very much alike |
| 341 | "two strikes against" | at a disadvantage; without options |
| 342 | "two-faced" | a reference to an ingenuine person |
| 343 | "under the weather" | ill, but not deathly ill |
| 344 | "until hell freezes over" | never |
| 345 | "until you're blue in the face" | never |
| 346 | "used to" | accustomed to |
| 347 | "walk the chalk line" | obey |
| 348 | "was my face red" | embarrassed |
| 349 | "wave a red flag" | to incite |
| 350 | "wave a white flag" | surrender |
| 351 | "wear out one's welcome" | to stay longer than one is welcome |
| 352 | "wear your heart on your sleeve" | a reference to someone whose emotions are readily visible |
| 353 | "wet behind the ears" | naïve, immature (usually on a specific subject) |
| 354 | "what for?" | why? |
| 355 | "when pigs fly" | never |
| 356 | "white lie" | an untruth specifically to not offend ("No, those pants don't make you look fat.") |
| 357 | "white's of their eyes" | very close |
| 358 | "whole nine yards" | all of something |
| 359 | "whole shootin' match" | all of something |
| 360 | "wishy-washy" | lacking substance; lacking sufficient forthrightness |
| 361 | "with bells on" | to arrive with enthusiasm; an emphatic yes |
| 362 | "with flying colors" | a reference to an exceptionally well done task |
| 363 | "yes-man" | a reference to someone who always agrees with his boss absent all consideration of the issue |
| 364 | "you don't say!" | An expression of surprise. |
| 365 | "you've got to be kidding!" | An expression of surprise. |
| 366 | "your face is an open book" | a reference to someone whose thoughts are readily visible by their facial expressions |
| 367 | "your name is mud" | you are not thought well of |
| 368 | "yucky" | unpleasant |
| 369 | "yummy" | tasty |
| 370 | "Z's" | sleep |
| 371 | "zilch" | zero, none |
| 372 | "zip your lip" | stop talking |
| ...More To Come... |
| Addtionally, Americans have many idiomatic phrases for individuals who consistantly do not meet their expected potential. | |
|---|---|
| |
December 28th
Homograph Addition
homograph (ho MO graf) n.one of two or more words spelled alike but different in meaning or derivation or pronunciation
| 1 | bow | baa: front of a ship | bo: a device used to launch an arrow |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | close | kloce: to be near | cloze: to shut |
| 3 | polish | POL ish: shine | PO lish: a nationality |
| 4 | read | reed: present tense | red: past tense |
| 5 | record | RE cord: to capture in media | REC ord: a history |
| 6 | resume | RE zoom: continue | res U may: a personal history |
December 29th
Homonym Addition
homonym (ho MO nim) n.one of two or more words spelled and pronounced alike but different in meaning
| 1 | band | n: a musical group | v. to wrap |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | bar | n: a long metal rod; a saloon | v. to prohibit, prevent or build a baracade |
| 3 | bat | n: a night-flying mammal | n. a stick with specific dimensions used for hitting a baseball |
| 4 | bean | n: a vegetable | v. a hit in the head |
| 5 | bell | n: something that rings | n. a beautiful young girl |
| 6 | bit | n: a small piece; a binary digit | v. past tense of bite |
| 7 | bore | adj: uninteresting | v: to drill |
| 8 | buck | n: a male deer slang: one dollar | v. to jerk violently |
| 9 | can | n: a container | v. an indicator of ability |
| 10 | check | n: a promise of immediate payment | v. to verify |
| 11 | cherry | n: a fruit | slang?: new, untouched, pristine |
| 12 | court | n: a place for a legal proceeding | v. romancing for the purpose of marraige |
| 13 | don | n: a title of honor, distinction | v. to put on, as in clothes |
| 14 | dolly | n: dolly | n. a 4-wheeled base, usually made of wood, for moving boxes or freight |
| 15 | don | n: a title of honor, distinction | v. to put on, as in clothes |
| 16 | duck | n: a bird | v. to lower one's head |
| 17 | fall | n: autumn | v. to go from standing to laying down involuntarily |
| 18 | fine | n: a fee for a legal violation | adj. very small or detailed |
| 19 | fly | n: an insect | v. to travel by air |
| 20 | font | n: a fountain for baptismal water | n. an assortment of type of one style and size |
| 21 | leaves | v: the act of departing | n. plural for leaf |
| 22 | left | v: having departed | n. a direction |
| 23 | lie | v: to lay flat | v. to tell an untruth |
| 24 | light | n: as a source of light | adj. not heavy |
| 25 | log | n: a fallen tree | v. to maintain a record |
| 26 | march | n: the month | v. an army's formal walk |
| 27 | may | n: the month | v. to permit |
| 28 | might | n: power | v. a possibility |
| 29 | moon | n: as in the moon that orbits the earth | v. to expose one's buttocks |
| 30 | orange | n: a fruit | adj. a color |
| 31 | pawn | n: a chesspiece | v. to sell |
| 32 | pen | n: a writing instrument | n. a contained area for livestock |
| 33 | plane | n: an aircraft | v. to smooth |
| 34 | post | n: a stake driven into the ground | v. the act of attaching a sign to a post |
| 35 | prone | n: laying down on one's stomach | v. tendency |
| 36 | quail | n: a bird | v. to falter |
| 37 | quick | n: core, heart | v. with speed |
| 38 | ruler | n: one who rules a country | n. a device for measuring distances, usually on paper |
| 39 | shed | n: a shelter, often for storage rather than living | v. to discard, disrobe or eliminate |
| 40 | sink | n: a basin with a drain | v. to descend below the surface |
| 41 | slip | n: a garment worn under a dress or skirt | v. to accidentally fall |
| 42 | right | adj: in accordance with | n. a direction |
| 43 | tender | n: money | v. gentle or with a soft touch |
| 44 | tire | n: rubber part of the wheel | v. exhausted, sleepy |
| 45 | train | n: two or more passenger or freight cars pulled by an engine | v. to teach |
| 46 | well | n: a hole in the ground for retrieving water or oil | adv. in a satisfactory, proper or execellent manner |
December 30th
Homophone Addition
homophone (ho MO fone) n.one of two or more words pronounced alike but different in meaning or derivation or spelling.
| 1 | ail: ill | ale: a lager |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | aisle: a path between benches | I'll: I will |
| 3 | bail: to leave | bale: a unit of measure (of raw cotton, for example) |
| 4 | beach: where the ocean and shore meet | beech: a tree |
| 5 | been: was | bin: a storage unit |
| 6 | berry: a fruit | bury: to store underground |
| 7 | bite: to cut with teeth | byte: a computer storage unit |
| 8 | boar: an animal | bore: to drill |
| 9 | bread: food | bred: past tense of breed |
| 10 | but: a conjunction | butt: to bang against; derriere |
| 11 | cue: signal | queue: a line, first in, first out |
| 12 | dam: to block water | damn: to condem |
| 13 | dew: ground moisture | do: an action due: owed |
| 14 | die: the end of life | dye: to color cloth |
| 15 | doe: a female deer | dough: uncooked bread |
| 16 | ewe: an animal | you: yourself |
| 17 | eye: used to see | I: oneself |
| 18 | fair: 1. carnival; 2. honest dealing | fare: a charge or rate (usually for transportation) |
| 19 | fir: a type of pine tree | fur: thick hair on mammals |
| 20 | fische: microfische | fish: an aquatic animal |
| 21 | flea: an insect | flee: to leave in haste |
| 22 | flour: ground grain used in baking | flower: the budding part of a plant |
| 23 | fore: in front | four: a number |
| 24 | gnu: an animal | new: unused knew: understood |
| 25 | grate: 1. to make granular; 2. to annoy | great: wonderful; large; superior |
| 26 | heal: to recover from injury or disease | heel: back, bottom of the foot |
| 27 | heard: listened | herd: a collection of animals |
| 28 | hoarse: voice dysfunction | horse: the animal |
| 29 | hole: a space in an otherwise solid surface | whole: complete |
| 30 | knead: working dough to make bread | need: require |
| 31 | lead: an element | led: to go in front of |
| 32 | might: 1. a possiblity; 2: power | mite: a particularly small insect |
| 33 | nay: no | neigh: the sound a horse makes |
| 34 | oar: propels a rowboat | or: a conjunction ore: raw metal or minerals mined from the ground |
| 35 | oh: an exclamation | owe: a debt |
| 36 | one: a number | won: a past victory |
| 37 | P: the 16th letter of the alphabet | pea: a small, round green vegetable pee: to urinate |
| 38 | pain: hurt | pane: of glass |
| 39 | pail: bucket | pale: light in color |
| 40 | pair: two of something | pare: to cut pear: a fruit |
| 41 | peer: to look | pier: wharf |
| 42 | rain: liquid precipitation | reign: to rule |
| 43 | read: ingesting a book or article | red: a color |
| 44 | read: having ingested a book or article | reed: a hollow-stemmed marsh plant |
| 45 | real: actual | reel: a spool with thread (any size) |
| 46 | right: correct | rite: ritual write: to pen or to author |
| 47 | sail: cloth or paper to catch wind for a propellant | sale: a bargain |
| 48 | seam: line where like items join | seem: appears to be so, but maybe not |
| 49 | T: the 20th letter | tea: a drink tee: a device for positioning a golf ball |
| 50 | vain: conceit | vane: a device to measure wind direction |
| 51 | wail: to cry | whale: an aquatic mammal |
| 52 | wait: delay | weight: amount |
| 53 | waive: exempt | wave: fluid motion; a hand motion of greeting |
| 54 | war: armed conflict | wore: put clothes on |
| 55 | ware: an item, often for sale | wear: as in clothing where: a location |
| 56 | warship: a ship of battle | worship: to pay homage to a diety |
| 57 | we'll: we will | wheel: a circular frame revolving on a central axis |
| 58 | yore: days gone by | you're: you are your: possessive of you |
| 59 | you'll: you will | yule: Christmas |
December 31st Homophone Addendum: A list of homophomes "discovered" by Ian (age 8).
| 1 | ant: a busy insect | aunt: the sister of a parent |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | ate: consumed food | eight: 8 |
| 3 | B: second letter of the alphabet | be: a passive verb bee: a busy flying insect |
| 4 | bare: unclothed, exposed | bear: an animal |
| 5 | blew: moving air | blue: a color |
| 6 | board: a flat piece of wood | bored: drilled; lacking incentive or interest |
| 7 | buy: to purchase | by: something that left (as in "went by") bye: a parting remark |
| 8 | C: third letter of the alphabet | sea: a body of water see: to view |
| 9 | cent: a coin (1¢) | scent: smell |
| 10 | dear: a greeting in a letter | deer: an animal |
| 11 | hair: on top of the head | hare: a rabbit |
| 12 | hear: to listen | here: this place |
| 13 | hi: as in "hello" | high: as in "up" |
| 14 | J: the 10th letter | jay: a male name; a type of bird |
| 15 | knight: a medieval warrior | night: after sunset, before dawn |
| 16 | knot: made with rope | not: to negate |
| 17 | know: understand | no: to respond in the negative |
| 18 | lie: an untruth; to lay flat | lye: a powerful solvent |
| 19 | made: built, created | maid: a woman who cleans |
| 20 | mail: a letter or package | male: a gender |
| 21 | meat: food from animals | meet: to get together |
| 22 | plain: ordinary | plane: aircraft |
| 23 | right: correct | rite: ritual write: to pen or to author |
| 24 | stair: a step | stare to look at intensely |
| 25 | son: male child | sun: a star |
| 26 | tale: a story | tail: the hind end |
| 27 | there: an indication of direction | they're: they are thier: an indication of ownership |
| 28 | threw: as in tossing a ball | through: to pass from one place or idea to another |
| 29 | to: a preposition | too: also two: a number |
| 30 | we: us | wee: small |
| 31 | weak: not strong | week: seven days |
| 32 | why: used in asking a question | Y: the 25th letter |
| 33 | wise: having wisdom | Ys: plural of Y |
| 34 | wood: from trees | would: is willing to |