Wednesday, October 15, 2008

Word of the day! 10-15-08

Today's Word
waylay \WAY-lay\, transitive verb:1. To lie in wait for and attack from ambush.2. To approach or stop (someone) unexpectedly.

"When his mother praised certain well-behaved and neatly dressed boys in the village, Jung was filled with hate for them, and would waylay and beat them up.-- Frank McLynn, Carl Gustav Jung

"He returned to her night after night, until his brother, Frank, waylaid him one evening outside Harriet's cabin and beat him bloody.-- Lynne Olson, Freedom's Daughters

"Furious and humiliated, the boy waylaid Martha after school.-- Julian Barnes, England, England

"The women, who hold wicker baskets filled with flowers and incense, are out to waylay tourists and to entice them into buying the blooms and scents.-- Jacob Heilbrunn, "Mao More Than Ever", New Republic, April 21, 1997

Waylay comes from way (from Old English weg) + lay (from Old English lecgan).

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