words

Verbose

2008-12-04T02:44:00.000-08:00

Remember Bhaskaran Aiyyar(if you knew him). The guy will shoot a 100 synonyms of a word when asked. Imaging what would you call an article written by him in the same style as he speaks!

It would possibly be extended to great, unnecessary, or tedious length; long and wordy. Pretty verbose and prolix!

Indulging in protracted discourse; tedious; wearisome; -- applied to a speaker or writer.

Syn: Long; diffuse; prolonged; protracted; tedious; tiresome; wearisome.

Round and round

2008-12-04T02:31:00.000-08:00

" You know something about him? Some thing that is very irritating, umm.. i dont know the exact thing but it is similar to a thing which looks similar to another thing, what i mean is that his face is like a banana, like the comic hero, oh what was his name... crookbond. Yeah he looks like crook bond and the shape of his face irritates me!"

Whaattt a lengthy explanation. I really think those sentences could be summarised in a word! What a circumlocution!

Well, circumlocution is a roundabout or indirect way of speaking; the use of more words than necessary to express an idea.

Etymology says:

It originates from circumlocutionem (a loan-translation of Gk. periphrasis) "speaking around" (the topic), from circum-"around" + locutionem (nom. locutio) "a speaking," from stem of loqui "to speak.

Bill 103

2008-11-25T19:00:00.000-08:00

What does this image epitomize? A knee-jerk would give a strike in your left cerebrum!! And you will answer " a politician like Laloo, giving long speech..." And ur Faculty didnot belie u!! Kudos!!

A Long speech/session made in legislature or any decision-making body or in short a long speech is tagged by the word "Filibuster".. And this is the motif of this post..

A lad in Canada could never grow up without watching the "Filibuster Cartoons"..The term 'filibuster' was first used in 1851. It was derived from the Spanish filibustero meaning 'pirate' or 'freebooter'. This term had in turn evolved from the French word flibustier, which itself evolved from the Dutch vrijbuiter (freebooter). As the Lingusitic phenomenon applies very well to English too, Filibuster has another contextual usage.

Who are freebooters? Freebooters were irregular soldiers who acted without authority from their own government, and were usually motivated by financial gain, political ideology, or the thrill of adventure. The freewheeling actions of the freebooters led to the name being applied figuratively to the political act of "filibustering" in the US Senate. "Freebooter" is the more familiar term in European English, where "filibuster" normally refers to the legislative tactic.

Filibustering has a long history in Canadian politics and can be found at all levels of government. Most attempts at stalling legislation are usually just for show and last a relatively short period of time. But in 1997 the opposition party in Ontario tried to prevent Bill 103 from taking effect, setting in motion one of the longest filibustering sessions Canada had ever seen.

Gud Enuf i hope to visualize the word "Filibuster"....

"IF"

2008-11-25T12:34:00.001-08:00

Remember the movie 300 ? It was about sparta. There was a district in sparta in ancient times, named laconia whose inhibitants were famous for their brevity of speech. Once, Philip of macedon, threatened them with "if i enter laconia, i will raze sparta to the gorund" . The spartans' reply was "if ". Pretty laconic, right ?

So when you Express much in few words, after the manner of the Laconians or Spartans; brief and pithy; brusque; epigrammatic; you are being laconic.

Tongue pricking

2008-11-25T02:55:00.000-08:00

We are talking about spice in life! How many times have you tasted a dish which is "agreeably pungent or sharp in taste of flavour? A dish which is pleasently biting and spicy? Quite a few times, i'm sure. That was about a piquant (pi-kahnt) dish.

In other aspects of life, too , while walking on a street, you see a face which is charming, interesting, stimulating or attractive. A piquant face, with large appealing eyes.

Piquant (pricking, stimulating, irritating) originates from from french piquer "to prick, sting, nettle". Or, it can be co nsidered to be originated from french "PIQUE" (to excite, provoke, in both positive and negative senses) and suffix -ANT (a suffix forming adjectives and nouns from verbs).

Usage:

As piquant to the tongue as salt.

Appealingly provocative: a piquant wit.

Charming, interesting, or attractive: a piquant face.

The bad and the Ugly

2008-11-24T22:59:00.000-08:00

There is the city of god , and the city of man. More often than not, they have little in common. As a prince, it is good to be both loved and feared. But if you have to choose between the two, you better be feared. Above, was the ideology behind the literary work, "the prince". Lets see an excerpt :

"These methods are very cruel, and enemies to all government not merely Christian but human, and any man ought to avoid them and prefer to live a private life rather than to be a king who brings such ruin on men. Notwithstanding, a ruler who does not wish to take that first good way of lawful government, if he wishes to maintain himself, must enter upon this evil one. But men take certain middle ways that are very injurious; indeed, they are unable to be altogether good or altogether bad. "

Nicholous machiavelli

The prince

Whatever Machiavelli's own intentions (and they remain a matter of heated debate), his name became synonymous with ruthless politics, deceit and the pursuit of power by any means : Machiavellian.

Not certain What to do.

2008-11-24T22:13:00.000-08:00

When you are not certain of what to do, when you find yourself chosing between "nowhere" and "nothing", you are Irresolute. You clearly lack resolve, and are not sure how to proceed. You can be infirm of puropose, you could be spine-less , wavering, Vacillating; as the picture illustrates. Well you are really irresolute whether to memorize the picture, or the text written here, aren't you ?

2008-11-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

When something irritates you, something that pounces again and again and makes you angry, It is Irascible. It finds its origin in late latin Irascibilis , from latin irasci means grow angry. It may also be related to ira , anger.

Now let us find a title for the image shown. Lets name it an irascible curmudgeon. A curmudgeon is a person who is easily irascible. That is , a curmudgeon is ill tempered, crusty, and difficult person. what a scoundrel!

Hard Working

2008-11-19T10:16:00.000-08:00

Assiduous

Diligent

Industrious

Sedulous

Persevering

Plodding

All have same meaning

Hard working and perseverent. Focussed towards a definite goal.

She was assiduous in pointing out every feature.

Lazy:

Indolent

Slothful

lethargic

languorous

Torpid

Tired:

Enervated

Lackadaisical

Debiliated

Incapacitated

Jaded

Abhor

2008-11-19T09:57:00.000-08:00

Abhor is a verb.

Synonyms are:

Detest

Loathe

Despise

Execrate

Abominate

these all synonyms were verbs.

Animosity

Resentment

antagonism

aversion

antipathy.

All mean abhor. but those are nouns.

Now. Lets see some antonyms.

Esteem

Revere

venerate

cherish

dote on

Cool. We have some words under our belt.

Lets start using them.

Whenever you talk of hate, you easily get something on your mind. I just got politics on my mind. Gosh! we have enough reasons to Abhor our politicians. Okay, i understand that it is not right to write off a whole class of people, just based on one's own Resentment. But let me say, that the politicians, as a common noun are the most loathed entity. There are reasons to abominate them. You cant claim one politician to be honest, or good enough to be venerted. But still they are held high in esteem and are revered as the leaders of a whole country. A whole country!! And how do they lead us ? to where ? When its time for elections, suddenly one community starts Execrating another. One god is Despised by the other. Suddenly Antipathy is in the environment. Animosity and antagonism are everywhere. Boy, just for the sake of power. Just for the right to be the termites to eat the nation. To feast on the taxes paid by the people whose Aversion for one another is so strong that once set free. They will eat one another.