Tuesday, September 30, 2008

Word of the day! 9-30-08

Today's Word
fettle \FET-l\, noun:A state or condition of fitness or order; state of mind; spirits -- often used in the phrase "in fine fettle."

"Aside from the problems with her voice . . . Miss Garland was in fine fettle last night.-- Vincent Canby, "Judy Garland Sets the Palace Alight", New York Times, August 1, 1967

"Back in 1987, the Conservatives won a thumping majority in a June general election, primarily because the economy was seen by grateful voters to be in fine fettle.-- Larry Elliott, "Danger of a recurring nightmare", The Guardian, June 18, 2001

"Many of the nuns were in fine fettle, even into their 80s and 90s.-- John McCrone, "Sisters of mercy", The Guardian, August 18, 2001

"He seems in fine fettle when we meet, and happy to discuss the film that gave him his break.-- Charlotte O'Sullivan, "Naked ambition", The Guardian, February 7, 1999

Fettle is from Middle English fetlen, "to set in order," originally "to gird up," from Old English fetel, "a girdle."

Laugh of the day! 9-30-08

New Rule: When I ask how old your toddler is, I don't need to know in months. "27 Months." "He's two," will do just fine. He's not a cheese. And I didn't care in the first place

Monday, September 29, 2008

Word of the day! 9-29-08

Today's Word
verbiage \VUR-bee-ij\, noun:1. An overabundance of words; wordiness.2. Manner or style of expression; diction.

"The sheer volume of verbiage he has expelled over eight years is enough to make John Updike look blocked.-- Andrew Sullivan, "Sounds of Silence", New Republic, January 15, 2001

"Points like these seem so self-evident as not to merit much repeating, but in the professional literature they appear all the time, slightly dressed up in academic verbiage.-- Michael Barrett, "The Case for More School Days", The Atlantic, November 1990

"She also indulged in flowery verbiage that her classmates called "H.D." for "heightened diction."-- John Habich, "Mother Country", Minneapolis Star Tribune, April 25, 2001

Verbiage comes from French, ultimately from Latin verbum, "word."

Monday, September 22, 2008

Word of the day! 9-22-08

Today's Word
undulate \UN-juh-layt; UN-dyuh-\, intransitive:To move in, or have, waves; to vibrate; to wave; as, undulating air.

"The actors' hands quiver and the poles undulate in the wind.-- Peter Marks, "'The Caucasian Chalk Circle': Brecht Can Be Fun.", New York Times, May 25, 1998

"Rather than tuna, several hundred white-sided dolphins come into focus, undulating crisply through the sea surface below.-- Carl Safina, Song for the Blue Ocean:Encounters Along the
World's Coasts and Beneath the Seas

"Most startling was the dancer's exposed, undulating abdomen, which she could adroitly activate while hardly moving her feet.-- Emily Wortis Leider, Becoming Mae West

Undulate derives from Latin undulare, from undula, a little wave, from unda, a wave.

Laugh of the day! 9-22-08

Q. How many men does it take to change a roll of toilet paper?
A. We don't know; it has never happened.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Word of the day! 9-20-08

Today's Word
proponent \pruh-POH-nuhnt\, noun:One who argues in support of something; an advocate; a supporter.

"A fervent proponent of the work ethic, Reuther at first resisted the demand for early retirement, as he had rejected shorter hours in the 1950s.-- Stanley Aronowitz, From the Ashes of the Old

"He was a forthright proponent of the Vietnam War, contemptuous of the anti-war movement.-- Richard Siklos, Shades of Black

"As the first practical proponent of "natural" education--where the innate desire to learn is nourished and curiosity is unfettered--Pestalozzi abandoned the tradition of interminable lectures followed by student recitation that characterized typical instruction for all age groups, in favor of more active, hands-on activities.-- Norman Brosterman, Inventing Kindergarten

"Now, at the dawn of the new millennium, proponents of string theory claim that the threads of this elusive unified tapestry finally have been revealed.-- Brian Greene, The Elegant Universe

Proponent is from the present participle of Latin proponere, "to put forth," from pro-, "forth" + ponere, "to put."

Laugh of the day! 9-20-08

Q. What do you call a woman who knows where her husband is every night?
A. A widow.

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Our BIG sale!!!!!

The HUGE sale!!!

With both the Ford and the Chevy Store's inventory at 1 location!
Jeremy goofing around
Me Serving Dogs.....

Me Eating Dogs!!!
Our Detail Shop taking a brake
The owner of the Chevy store with his family
Me pretending I'm in a Cadillac commercial :)
Wacky Waving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man!!!!!!!








Word of the day! 9-18-08

Today's Word
tintinnabulation \tin-tih-nab-yuh-LAY-shuhn\,
noun:A tinkling sound, as of a bell or bells.

"One found oneself immersed in the infinitely nuanced tintinnabulations of clapping cymbal rhythms passed from one player to the next, in the barely audible, rain-like patter of drums that suddenly grew into an overwhelming mechanical onslaught.-- Tim Page, "From Japan, The Thundering Drums of Kodo", Newsday, February 24, 1995

Tintinnabulation derives from Latin tintinnabulum "a bell," from tintinnare from tinnire, "to jingle."

Laugh of the day! 9-18-08

Q. What's the difference between a man and E.T.?
A. E.T. phoned home.

Tuesday, September 16, 2008

Word of the day! 9-16-08

Today's Word
disconcert \dis-kuhn-SURT\, transitive verb:1. To disturb the composure of.2. To throw into disorder or confusion; as, "the emperor disconcerted the plans of his enemy."

"In steering a small boat before a heavy gale, don't look back -- it may disconcert you.-- Frank Arthur Worsley, Shackleton's Boat Journey
I wander away, disconcerted by this sudden sense of having been cut short, frozen in mid-flow.-- Paul Golding, The Abomination

"They were disconcerted each time they saw him change from one evening to the next from a dramatic role to a comic one, from the part of a good man to that of the villain, as if he were thereby revealing some incomprehensible mutability in his being; but every time, after just a few lines, they would become wholly engrossed in the new fiction, convincing themselves that this was just how he was.-- Paola Capriolo, The Woman Watching

Disconcert is derived from Old French desconcerter, from des-, "dis-" + concerter, from Old Italian concertare, "to act together, to agree."

Laugh of the day! 9-16-08

Tickle Me Elmo:
There is a factory in Northern Minnesota which makes the Tickle Me Elmo toys. The toy laughs when you tickle it under the arms. Well, Lena is hired at The Tickle Me Elmo factory and she reports for her first day promptly at 8:00 AM. The next day at 8:45 AM there is a knock at the Personnel Manager's door. The Foreman throws open the door and begins to rant about the new employee. He complains that she is incredibly slow and the whole line is backing up, putting the entire production line behind schedule.
The Personnel Manager decides he should see this for himself, so the 2 men march down to the factory floor. When they get there the line is so backed up that there are Tickle Me Elmo's all over the factory floor and they're really beginning to pile up. At the end of the line stands Lena surrounded by mountains of Tickle Me Elmo's.
She has a roll of plush red fabric and a huge bag of small marbles. The 2 men watch in amazement as she cuts a little piece of fabric, wraps it around two marbles and begins to carefully sew the little package between Elmo's legs.
The Personnel Manager bursts into laughter. After several minutes of hysterics he pulls himself together and approaches Lena. "I'm sorry," he says to her, barely able to keep a straight face, "but I think you misunderstood the instructions I gave you yesterday..."
"Your job is to give Elmo two test tickles."

Monday, September 15, 2008

Word of the day! 9-15-08

Today's Word
suffuse \suh-FYOOZ\, transitive verb:To spread through or over in the manner of fluid or light; to flush.

"She gave me a long slow look, as if she were deciding something, and then she allowed herself to blush, the color suffusing her throat in a delicious mottle of pink and white.-- T. Coraghessan Boyle, T. C. Boyle Stories

"Have you ever felt happiness suffuse all the cells in your body and a smile light up your face?-- Sarabjit Singh, "Queen of the Hills", India Currents, November 30, 1996

"Like an angel or an earthquake, it isn't there and then it is; it doesn't steal over us and suffuse us with a festive spirit like the gradual effects of alcohol or good deeds.-- Barbara Peters Smith,
"Gladness descends on her home", Sarasota Herald Tribune, December 27, 2003

Suffuse comes from the past participle of Latin suffundere, "to overspread; to suffuse," from sub-, "under" + fundere, "to pour."

Laugh of the day! 9-15-08

After Leslie brought home her fiance to meet her parents, her father invited the young man into his study to find out more about him. "What are your plans?" he asked Joseph. "I'm a scholar of the Torah," Joseph replied. "Well, that's admirable," Leslie's father replied. "But what will you do to provide a nice house for my daughter?" "I will study, and God will surely provide for us," Joseph explained. "And how will you buy her a nice engagement ring?" "I will study hard, and God will provide for us." "And children?" asked the father. "How will you support children?" "Don't worry, sir, God will provide," replied the fiancé. The conversation continued in much the same fashion. After Joseph and Leslie had left, her mother asked her father what he found out. The father answered, "Well, he has no job and no plans, but the good news is that he thinks I'm God."

Friday, September 12, 2008

Word of the day! 9-12-08

Today's Word
hoary \HOR-ee\, adjective:1. White or gray with age; as, "hoary hairs."2. Ancient; extremely old; remote in time past.

"Once upon a time, memoirs were written by hoary chaps casting rheumy glances back towards their golden youth: no more.-- Erica Wagner, "Post-Post-Modern memoir", Times (London), July 19, 2000

"Had Mozart lived to the hoary old age of 73, he might indeed have fallen out of favor in an era besotted with Rossini, becoming a "largely forgotten, neglected, unperformed composer."-- Marilyn Stasio, "Crime", New York Times, June 23, 1996

"Mr. Weicker spends most of his time serving up hoary war stories and settling old political scores.-- Jeff Greenfield, "Politically Imprudent", New York Times, June 18, 1995

"Compare that with the elements of a musical in about 1920: the star in a cliche story that was merely a framing device for generic musical numbers, hoary joke-book gags, and the usual specialty performers in a staging more often than not by a hack.-- Ethan Mordden, Coming Up Roses

Hoary derives from Middle English hor, from Old English har, "gray; old (and gray-haired)."

Laugh of the day! 9-12-08

Billy Bob and Luther were talking one afternoon when Billy Bob tells Luther, "Ya know, I reckon I'm 'bout ready for a vacation. Only this year I'm gonna do it a little different. The last few years, I took your advice about where to go. Three years ago you said to go to Hawaii. I went to Hawaii and Earline got pregnant.
Then two years ago, you told me to go to the Bahamas, and Earline got pregnant again.
Last year you suggested Tahiti and darned if Earline didn't get pregnant again."
Luther asks Billy Bob, "So, what you gonna do this year that's different?"
Billy Bob says, "This year I'm taking Earline with me."

Thought for the day! 9-12-08

Why doctors call what they do "practice"?

Tuesday, September 9, 2008

Word of the day! 8-9-08

Today's Word
regale \rih-GAY(uh)L\, transitive verb:1. To entertain with something that delights.2. To entertain sumptuously with fine food and drink.
intransitive verb:1. To feast.
noun:1. A sumptuous feast.2. A choice food; a delicacy.3. Refreshment.

"If I've been away, and the boys do remember to ask about my trip, I remark on their thoughtfulness by saying, 'Thanks for asking!' and then regale them with stories about my journey.-- Lucy Calkins, Raising Lifelong Learners: A Parent's Guide

"He might also regale them with tales of how his Magic team beat Jordan's Bulls, 108-102, in Game 6 to win their four-of-seven-game Eastern Conference semifinal series before a stunned crowd of 24,332 tonight at the United Center.-- "Bulls Burst in the Air as Magic Moves On", New York Times, May 19, 1995

"Levin settled his guests in the dense, cool shade of the young aspens on a bench and some stumps purposely put there for visitors to the bee-house who might be afraid of the bees, and he went off himself to the hut to get bread, cucumbers, and fresh honey, to regale them with.-- Leo Tolstoy, Anna Karenina, translated by Constance Garnett

Regale comes from French régaler, "to entertain." It is related to gallant.

Laugh of the day! 8-9-08

It got crowded in heaven, so, for one day it was decided only to accept people who had really had a bad day on the day they died. St. Peter was standing at the pearly gates and said to the first man, "Tell me about the day you died." The man said, "Oh, it was awful. I was sure my wife was having an affair, so I came home early to catch her with him. I searched all over the apartment but couldn't find him anywhere. So I went out onto the balcony, we live on the 25th floor, and found this man hanging over the edge by his fingertips. I went inside, got a hammer, and started hitting his hands. He fell, but landed in some bushes. So, I got the refrigerator and pushed it over the balcony and it crushed him. The strain of the act gave me a heart attack, and I died." St. Peter couldn't deny that this was a pretty bad day, and since it was a crime of passion, he let the man in. He then asked the next man in line about the day he died. "Well, sir, it was awful," said the second man. "I was doing aerobics on the balcony of my 26th floor apartment when I twisted my ankle and slipped over the edge. I managed to grab the balcony of the apartment below, but some maniac came out and started pounding on my fingers with a hammer. Luckily I landed in some bushes. But, then the guy dropped a refrigerator on me!" St. Peter chuckled, let him into heaven and decided he could really start to enjoy this job. "Tell me about the day you died?", he said to the third man in line. "OK, picture this, I'm naked, hiding inside a refrigerator...."

Friday, September 5, 2008

Word of the day! 9-5-08

Today's Word
bevy \BEV-ee\, noun:1. A group; an assembly or collection.2. A flock of birds, especially quails or larks; also, a herd of roes.

"In an instant, a bevy of perfumed and coiffed poodles would begin a raucous race from her bedroom to the bottom of the stairs.-- James A. Drake, Rosa Ponselle: A Centenary Biography

"Shortt is a more attractive man, and was followed about by bevies of adoring damsels.-- Selected Letters of Rebecca West, edited by Bonnie Kime Scott

Bevy comes from Middle English bevey. It perhaps originally signified a drinking company, possibly deriving from Old French beivre, "to drink," from Latin bibere.

Laugh of the day! 9-5-08

Seen in my local paper's "readers sales" section.
FOR SALE BY OWNER
Complete set of encyclopaedia Britannica.45 Volumes. Excellent condition.£1000 pounds or best offer.
Reason for sale:- No longer required.Got married last weekend.Wife knows everything.

Thursday, September 4, 2008

Word of the day! 9-4-08

Today's Word
immolate \IM-uh-layt\, transitive verb:1. To sacrifice; to offer in sacrifice; to kill as a sacrificial victim.2. To kill or destroy, often by fire.

"What have I gained, that I no longer immolate a bull to Jove, or to Neptune, or a mouse to Hecate . . . if I quake at opinion, the public opinion, as we call it; or at the threat of assault, or contumely, or bad neighbors, or poverty, or mutilation, or at the rumor of revolution, or of murder?-- Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays and English traits

"In the city of Bhopal, police used water canon to thwart a group of Congress workers who were on the point of immolating themselves.-- Peter Popham, "Gandhi critics are expelled by party", Independent, May 21, 1999

"Bowls of honey at the room's center drew random insects to immolate themselves against a nearby bug zapper.-- Carol Kino, "Damien Hirst at Gagosian", Art in America, May 2001

Immolate comes from the past participle of Latin immolare, "to sacrifice; originally, to sprinkle a victim with sacrificial meal," from in- + mola, "grits or grains of spelt coarsely ground and mixed with salt."

Laugh of the day! 9-4-08

A cowboy rides into town on Friday, stays three days and leaves on Friday how does he do it?The horses name is Friday

Wednesday, September 3, 2008

Word of the day! 9-3-08

Today's Word
glower \GLAU-uhr\, intransitive verb:1. To look or stare angrily or with a scowl.
noun:1. An angry or scowling look or stare.

"At one point, the head of the institute started chatting with colleagues sitting at a table behind Yeltsin, prompting the Russian President to interrupt his reading and glower at them.-- Bruce W. Nelan, "The Last Hurrah?", Time, April 26, 1993

"A baby wearing a disposable nappy has been placed on a tree trunk in dark woodland: he seems to glower at us disapprovingly, like a troll, or a mini-Churchill.-- Margaret Walters, "The secret life of babies", New Statesman, September 13, 1996

"A boyish-looking man who frowned and glowered, trying to look more authoritative than his twenty-nine years, Andrei said his job was to focus on the convolutions in Russian property law.-- Eleanor Randolph, Waking the Tempest

"Floyd approached me with a glower, cheeks reddened, indignant.-- William Peter Blatty, Demons Five, Exorcists Nothing

Glower is from Middle English gloren, perhaps ultimately of Scandinavian origin.

Laugh of the day! 9-3-08

Recently, the Psychic Hotline and Psychic Friends Network have launched hotlines for frogs. Here is the story of one frog and his discussing with his psychic. A frog telephones the Psychic Hotline and is told, "You are going to meet a beautiful young girl who will want to know everything about you."
The frog says, "This is great! Will I meet her at a party, or what?"
"No," says the psychic. "Next semester in her biology class."

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Word of the day! 9-2-08

Today's Word
comestible \kuh-MES-tuh-buhl\, adjective:1. Suitable to be eaten; edible.
noun:1. Something suitable to be eaten; food.

"I came to Adria's lab expecting subtle combinations and rare ingredients, the real outer limit of the comestible.-- Adrian Searle, "Spray-on sauces, caviar for astronauts and aerosols of wine. . .", The Guardian, April 6, 2001

"No matter how many flip-flops the nutrition gurus may make in deciding whether a particular comestible will kill or cure, most Americans seem to trust their instincts and eat what they please.-- Richard Martin, "Dollars to doughnuts", Nation's Restaurant News, May 29, 2000

"This rare comestible calls for specially designed platters, holders, and forks, but how well worth their acquisition!-- Samuel Chamberlain, Clémentine in the Kitchen

"Both men are descended from the fourth Earl of Sandwich, who is credited with inventing the namesake comestible in the mid-l8th century.-- Amanda Mosle Friedman, "Noble heir to sandwich inventor starts namesake delivery outfit", Nation's Restaurant News, April 23, 2001

Comestible comes from Late Latin comestibilis, from comestus, from comesus, past participle of comedere, "to eat up, to consume," from com-, intensive prefix + edere, "to eat."

Laugh of the day! 9-2-08

A little boy was attending his first wedding. After the service, his cousin asked him, "How many women can a man marry?" "Sixteen," the boy responded. His cousin was amazed that he had an answer so quickly. "How do you know that?" "Easy," the little boy said. "All you have to do is add it up, like the Bishop said: 4 better, 4 worse, 4 richer, 4 poorer"