WiredJC Word of the Day

[Case]

:organisms living in the thin surface layer existing at the air-water interface of a body of water

Is THAT what's crawling around my toilet?

[Pinky]

Pleuston

Pronunciation:\ˈplü-stən, -ˌstän\
Function:noun
Etymology:International Scientific Vocabulary pleus- (irregular from Greek plein to sail, float) + -on (as in plankton)
:organisms living in the thin surface layer existing at the air-water interface of a body of water

Also, when used in Scrabble/Scrabulous it will steal the lead with a 90 point word...BINGO WOODSY!

[Woodsy]

skulduggery

Main Entry: skul·dug·gery 
Variant(s): or skull·dug·gery  \ˌskəl-ˈdə-g(ə-)rē, ˈskəl-ˌ\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural skul·dug·ger·ies
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1867
: underhanded or unscrupulous behavior; also : a devious device or trick

[Woodsy]

huzzah

Main Entry: huz·zah 
Variant(s): or huz·za  \(ˌ)hə-ˈzä\
Function: noun
Etymology: origin unknown
Date: 1573
: an expression or shout of acclaim —often used interjectionally to express joy or approbation

For more on the term "huzzah" see Wikipedia.

[Woodsy]

paradigm

Main Entry: par·a·digm 
Pronunciation: \ˈper-ə-ˌdīm, ˈpa-rə- also -ˌdim\
Function: noun
Etymology: Late Latin paradigma, from Greek paradeigma, from paradeiknynai to show side by side, from para- + deiknynai to show — more at diction
Date: 15th century
1: example pattern; especially : an outstandingly clear or typical example or archetype
2: an example of a conjugation or declension showing a word in all its inflectional forms
3: a philosophical and theoretical framework of a scientific school or discipline within which theories, laws, and generalizations and the experiments performed in support of them are formulated; broadly : a philosophical or theoretical framework of any kind
— par·a·dig·mat·ic  \ˌper-ə-dig-ˈma-tik, ˌpa-rə-\ adjective
— par·a·dig·mat·i·cal·ly  \-ti-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

[Woodsy]

scrum

Pronunciation: \ˈskrəm\
Function: noun
Etymology: short for scrummage, alteration of scrimmage
Date: 1857
1(a) or scrum·mage  \ˈskrə-mij\ : a rugby play in which the forwards of each side come together in a tight formation and struggle to gain possession of the ball using their feet when it is tossed in among them; also : the arrangement of players in a scrum (b): a usually brief and disorderly struggle or fight : scrape scuffle
2 (a) British : madhouse 2 (b): a usually tightly packed or disorderly crowd : throng
— scrummage intransitive verb

[CeeDub]

ply (1)      [plahy] Pronunciation Key verb, plied, ply·ing.
–verb (used with object)
1.   to work with or at diligently; employ busily; use: to ply the needle.
2.   to carry on, practice, or pursue busily or steadily: to ply a trade.
3.   to treat with or apply to (something) repeatedly (often fol. by with): to ply a fire with fresh fuel.
4.   to assail persistently: to ply horses with a whip.
5.   to supply with or offer something pressingly to: to ply a person with drink.
6.   to address (someone) persistently or importunately, as with questions, solicitations, etc.; importune.
7.   to pass over or along (a river, stream, etc.) steadily or on a regular basis: boats that ply the Mississippi.
–verb (used without object)
8.   to run or travel regularly over a fixed course or between certain places, as a boat, bus, etc.
9.   to perform one's work or office busily or steadily: to ply with the oars; to ply at a trade.

[CeeDub]

Constancy  (kahn'-stin-see) 
1) the quality of being enduring and free from change or variation; "early mariners relied on the constancy of the trade winds"
2) (psychology) the tendency for perceived objects to give rise to very similar perceptual experiences in spite of wide variations in the conditions of observation
3) faithfulness and dependability in personal attachments (especially sexual fidelity)

Synonyms:     abidingness, adherence, allegiance, ardor, attachment, certainty, decision, dependability, determination, devotedness, devotion, doggedness, eagerness, earnestness, endurance, faith, fealty, fidelity, firmness, honesty, honor, integrity, love, loyalty, passion, permanence, perseverance, principle, regularity, resolution, stability, staunchness, steadfastness, steadiness, surety, tenacity, trustiness, trustworthiness, truthfulness, unchangeableness, uniformity, zeal

Antonyms:     changefulness, inconstancy

Kindelan - take note.  Your daily thread may be appropriated by troglydytes if you abandon your mission of bringing spiritual enlightenment to the unwashed savages of downtown

[TheFang]

puce (pyūs)

n.

A deep red to dark grayish purple.

[French (couleur) puce, flea (color), puce, from Old French, variant of pulce, flea, from Latin pūlex, pūlic-.]
puce puce adj.


Puce is a colour generally considered to be dark rose to brownish-purple. A few sources define "puce" simply as "dark brown".[1] It is occasionally referred to as pinkish-purple.

English usage dates from 1787. The word comes from French; puce literally means "flea". It is speculated that it refers to the colour of a squashed flea or the colour of a flea full of blood. Another theory is that the colour name comes from the flea's droppings of digested blood, which spread out in deep red stain when water contacts them.

The colour puce is usually defined with adjectives such as "dark", "deep", "intense" and even "brilliant". The colour example above is a lighter tint. On the other hand, the colour may refer to blue-lavender of the Pennyroyal flower, also named puce in French. The name derives from the use of pungent Pennyroyal to ward off fleas. [2]

Prunes, which are dried plums, can also be said to be puce coloured.

[Woodsy]

swag

Function: noun
Date: 1660
1: sway 1
2 a: something (as a decoration) hanging in a curve between two points : festoon b: a suspended cluster (as of evergreen branches)
3 a: goods acquired by unlawful means : loot b: spoils, profits
4: a depression in the earth
5chiefly Australian : a pack of personal belongings

Function: verb
Inflected Form(s): swagged; swag·ging
Etymology: perhaps of Scandinavian origin; akin to Norwegian svagga to sway, rock; akin to Middle Low German swacken to rock
Date: 1530
intransitive verb
1 : sway, lurch
2 : sag, droop
transitive verb
1 : to adorn with swags
2 : to arrange (as drapery) in swags

[MCA™]

crimbo, also crimble

-slang, noun
A slang term for Christmas, originating in urban slang before becoming more widely used.
The OED cites the first printed usage to 1928. They credit John Lennon's 1963 usage in a Beatles' Fan Club Christmas single as the first recorded use of the variant form crimble.

[Woodsy]

Pyrrhic victory

peer-ik
Function: noun
1: a victory or goal achieved at too great a cost
2: a victory that is accompanied by enormous losses and leaves the winners in as desperate shape as if they had lost

The phrase is an allusion to King Pyrrhus of Epirus, whose army suffered irreplaceable casualties when he defeated the Romans during the Pyrrhic War at Heraclea in 280 BC and Asculum in 279 BC.

[Woodsy]

archipelago
   
Main Entry: ar·chi·pel·a·go 
Pronunciation: \ˌär-kə-ˈpe-lə-ˌgō, ˌär-chə-\
Function: noun
Inflected Form(s): plural ar·chi·pel·a·goes or ar·chi·pel·a·gos
Etymology: Archipelago Aegean Sea, from Italian Arcipelago, literally, chief sea, from arci- (from Latin archi-) + Greek pelagos sea — more at plagal
Date: 1589
1: an expanse of water with many scattered islands
2: a group of islands
3: something resembling an archipelago; especially : a group or scattering of similar things <an archipelago of small parks within the city>

[Woodsy]

bucolic

Main Entry: bu·col·ic 
Pronunciation: \byü-ˈkä-lik\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin bucolicus, from Greek boukolikos, from boukolos cowherd, from bous head of cattle + -kolos (akin to Latin colere to cultivate) — more at cow, wheel
Date: circa 1609
1: of or relating to shepherds or herdsmen : pastoral
2 a: relating to or typical of rural life b: idyllic
— bu·col·i·cal·ly  \-li-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

[Woodsy]

drek

Main Entry: dreck 
Variant(s): also drek  \ˈdrek\
Function: noun
Etymology: Yiddish drek & German Dreck, from Middle High German drec; akin to Old English threax rubbish
Date: 1922

:trash, rubbish

[TheFang]

w00t. interjection. <slang, origin disputed, probably originally from the 1337. See Note>

I have warned him several times that if he ever used that "word" again. I would break up with him. So, I guess this means I'll be single at the Holiday party! Who wants to buy me drinks?! Whoo! 

[AmbushBug]

w00t. interjection. <slang, origin disputed, probably originally from the 1337. See Note>

13375p33k for "Woo—hoo" or "Hooray," often used by gamers to express joy, often at others' expense.

Recently declared by Merriam Webster as their word of the year for 2007.

Note:The etymology is uncertain, with some claiming (as M-W does) that it's an acronym for "we own other team" (unlikely).

Other theories track the term to early 80s UNIX hackers, or Dungeons and Dragons players, in this case short for "Wow, loot!".

[MCA™]

tarradiddle      [tair-uh-DID-uhl]

-noun.
1. A petty falsehood; a fib.
2. Pretentious nonsense.
Origin: unknown
Usage: "Oh please! Even in the parallel universe, tarradiddles of this magnitude cannot go unchallenged."   -- Taxation in the parallel universe, Sunday Business, June 11, 2000

[Woodsy]

verboten

Main Entry: ver·bo·ten 
Pronunciation: \vər-ˈbō-tən, fər-, ver-\
Function: adjective
Etymology: German, from Old High German farboten, past participle of farbioten to forbid (akin to Old English forbēodan to forbid), from far-, fur- for- + biotan to offer — more at bid
Date: 1916
: forbidden; especially : prohibited by dictate

[Woodsy]

ambergris 

Main Entry: am·ber·gris 
Pronunciation: \ˈam-bər-ˌgris, -ˌgrē(s)\
Function: noun
Etymology: Middle English ambregris, from Middle French ambre gris, from ambre + gris gray — more at grizzle
Date: 15th century
: a waxy substance found floating in or on the shores of tropical waters, believed to originate in the intestines of the sperm whale, and used in perfumery as a fixative

Ambergris occurs as a biliary secretion of the intestines of the sperm whale, and can be found floating upon the sea, or in the sand near the coast. Because giant squids' beaks have been found embedded within lumps of ambergris, scientists have theorized that the whale's intestine produces the substance as a means of facilitating the passage of hard, sharp objects that the whale might have inadvertently eaten. Ambergris can be found in the Atlantic Ocean; on the coasts of Brazil and Madagascar; and on the coast of Africa, of the East Indies, The Maldives, mainland China, Japan, India, Australia, New Zealand and the Molucca islands. However, most commercially collected ambergris came from the Bahama Islands, Providence Island, etc. It is also sometimes found in the abdomens of whales.

[Bobblehead]

bezoar. n. <PERS.pâdzahr (پادزهر), "protection from poison">

A smooth stone found in the intestines of mostly ruminant animals, formed from minerals, undigestible food, minerals, or (rarely) medication. They can grow as large as a softball or larger, are smooth and polished in appearance, and have the heft of a large billiard ball.


Bezoars, particularly trichobezoars formed from hair (the most popular form of bezoar), were considered a kind of panacea in the pre-enlightenment era.

I hear they also are formed from minerals. 

I know someone in surgery, said they had four bezoar cases in one week.    One was from a guy who ate like a whole case of fruit roll ups in a week. 

[AmbushBug]

bezoar. n. <PERS.pâdzahr (پادزهر), "protection from poison">

A smooth stone found in the intestines of mostly ruminant animals, formed from minerals, undigestible food, minerals, or (rarely) medication. They can grow as large as a softball or larger, are smooth and polished in appearance, and have the heft of a large billiard ball.


Bezoars, particularly trichobezoars formed from hair (the most popular form of bezoar), were considered a kind of panacea in the pre-enlightenment era.

[Woodsy]

Hinterland 

Main Entry: hin·ter·land 
Pronunciation: \ˈhin-tər-ˌland, -lənd\
Function: noun
Etymology: German, from hinter hinder + Land
Date: 1890
1: a region lying inland from a coast
2 a: a region remote from urban areas b: a region lying beyond major metropolitan or cultural centers

[Bobblehead]

ag·gro (gr)
n. Chiefly British Slang
1. Aggressive or violent behavior.
2. Irritation or exasperation: "Postponing new hospitals and roads causes far less aggro than sacking town hall or Whitehall workers" Economist.
adj. Slang
1. Aggressive or violent.
2. Daring and skillful, especially in a sport such as surfing.

Some definitions have it as a surfer term, which probably would make it more a West Coast term than Brit term.

[fasteddie]

neb·u·la    
–noun, plural -lae     
1.   Astronomy.
a.   Also called diffuse nebula. a cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Compare dark nebula, emission nebula, reflection nebula.
b.   (formerly) any celestial object that appears nebulous, hazy, or fuzzy, and extended in a telescope view.
2.   Pathology.
a.   a faint opacity in the cornea.
b.   cloudiness in the urine.
3.   any liquid medication prepared for use as a spray.
[Origin: 1655–65; < L: a mist, vapor, cloud; akin to Gk nephélé cloud, G Nebel fog, haze]

—Related forms
neb·u·lar, adjective

   1.
         1. Any of numerous large-scale aggregates of stars, gas, and dust that constitute the universe, containing an average of 100 billion (1011) solar masses and ranging in diameter from 1,500 to 300,000 light-years. Also called nebula.
         2. often Galaxy The Milky Way.
   2. An assembly of brilliant, glamorous, or distinguished persons or things: a galaxy of theatrical performers.

noun
1.    a medicinal liquid preparation intended for use in an atomizer
2.    cloudiness of the urine
3.    an immense cloud of gas (mainly hydrogen) and dust in interstellar space
4.    (pathology) a faint cloudy spot on the cornea

nebula     
A visible, thinly spread cloud of interstellar gas and dust. Some nebulae are the remnants of a supernova explosion, others are gravity-induced condensations of the gases in the interstellar medium which in certain cases may become a site for the formation of new stars. The term was formerly used of any hazy, seemingly cloudlike object, including what are now recognized as other galaxies beyond the Milky Way; it is restricted now to actual clouds of gas and dust within our own galaxy. ◇ Nebulae are generally classified as bright or dark. Among the bright nebulae are cold clouds that reflect light from nearby stars (reflection nebulae) and hot, ionized clouds that glow with their own light (emission nebulae). Dark nebulae—cold clouds that absorb the passing light from background stars—are called absorption nebulae. See more at star.

Nebula
An early business-oriented language from ICL for the Ferranti Orion computer.
["NEBULA - A Programming Language for Data Processing", T.G. Braunholtz et al, Computer J 4