2010-12-21

paraprosdokian

A paraprosdokian (from Greek "παρα-", meaning "beyond" and "προσδοκία", meaning "expectation") is a figure of speech in which the latter part of a sentence or phrase is surprising or unexpected in a way that causes the reader or listener to reframe or reinterpret the first part. - from Wikipedia

2010-12-20

ultracrepidarian

Ultracrepidarianism is the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of one's knowledge. - from Wikipedia
It's an inkhorn term.
c.f. The cobbler should stick to his last.

2010-12-08

African American saying about brokenness

From the episode titled "A Louse in a Wrestling Jacket", here are ways to say "I don't have money" in African American communities.
  • I'm so broke I couldn't buy a louse (or flea or mosquito) a wrestling jacket.
  • I'm so broke I couldn't buy a crippled crab a crutch if I had a forest of small trees.
  • I'm so broke that the soles of my shoes are so thin that if I step on a dime I could tell whether it's heads or tails.
  • I'm so broke that I cannot afford to pay attention.

2010-11-28

Words from The Science of Depression

Words from the Biotech Nation episode "The Science of Depression":
G protein signaling
seratonin
cytoskeleton
mitosis
anti-depressant
norepinephrine
dopamine
CRF: corticotropin-releasing factor
Gs alpha
lipid raft
dendrite
Lexapro
S-enantiomer of citalopram
R-enantiomer
platelet
fluoride activated adenylyl cyclase
cyclic AMP
prostaglandin sensitive adenylyl cyclase

2010-08-31

Pomegranate

ザクロ;その実

2010-08-19

pontificate

1. To express opinions or judgments in a dogmatic way.
2. To administer the office of a pontiff.

pontiff:
1. a. The pope. b. A bishop.
2. A pontifex.

ontogeny

The origin and development of an individual organism from embryo to adult. Also called ontogenesis.

The genome is not the program; it's the data. The program is the ontogeny of the organism.

2010-08-17

Tumultuous

1. Characterized by tumult; noisy and disorderly: tumultuous applause.
2. Tending to cause tumult.
3. Confusedly or violently agitated.

Tumult:
1. The din and commotion of a great crowd.
2. a. A disorderly commotion or disturbance. b. A tempestuous uprising; a riot.
3. Agitation of the mind or emotions: 的 spend much time in a tumult of anger and disbelief・(Scott Turow).

Commotion:
1. A condition of turbulent motion.
2. a. An agitated disturbance; a hubbub: heard a commotion in the hall. b. Civil disturbance or insurrection; disorder.

2010-07-24

Our habits are worn like garments on our personality.
- Dr. Max Maltz

2010-06-05

Sturgeon General

Sylvia Earleがブッシュ政権の仕事をしていたときにSturgeon Generalと呼ばれていたとのこと。

2010-05-17

deliberate, feign, confabulate, relativistic

deliberate: v. To think carefully and often slowly, as about a choice to be made.
Some decisions are the result of logical deliberation.

feign: a. To give a false appearance of: feign sleep. b. To represent falsely; pretend to: feign
authorship of a novel. See synonyms at pretend.
We feign accuracy in mapping our feeling onto numbers or dollars.

confabulate:
1. To talk casually; chat.
2. Psychology. To replace fact with fantasy unconsciously in memory.
The ability to confabulate -- to tell stories smoothing over the rough edges of experience -- is part of being human.

relativistic: Of or relating to relativism.
One is the relativistic nature of money.

2010-05-15

deviant, venereal, ersatz, monstrous, gullible, hardy

deviant:
Differing from a norm or from the accepted standards of a society.

venereal:
a. Transmitted by sexual intercourse. b. Of or relating to a sexually transmitted disease.
perhaps I have an incurable venereal disease.

ersatz:
Being an imitation or a substitute, usually an inferior one; artificial: ersatz coffee made mostly of chicory.
Durham was on the sixteenth floor, but the building was hemmed in on all sides by ugly late-twenties office towers, blue and pink ersatz-marble monstrosities; no expensive harbor views here.

monstrous:
Shockingly hideous or frightful.

gullible:
Easily deceived or duped.
For someone who was ripping off gullible millionaires -- or even someone who merely sold them insurance -- Durham didn't seem to have much to show for it.

hardy:
Being in robust and sturdy good health.
It's not intrinsically hardier; it's just better protected by the ocean.

2010-05-14

cranial, oyster

cranium(n), cranial(adj): the skull
an oyster of a man: 無口な人

2010-05-13

tenacious, unrepentant

tenacious: Holding or tending to hold persistently to something, such as a point of view.
Those hunches are amazingly tenacious.

unrepentant: Having or exhibiting no remorse.
When the matter was explained at length, many subjects remained unconvinced, uncertain, or unrepentant.

2010-05-11

morbid, excrement, poignant, egregious, exert

morbid:
a. Of, relating to, or caused by disease; pathological or diseased. b. Psychologically unhealthy or unwholesome: "He suffered much from a morbid acuteness of the senses" (Edgar Allan Poe).
2. Characterized by preoccupation with unwholesome thoughts or feelings: read the account of the murder with a morbid interest.
3. Gruesome; grisly.

excrement:
Waste material, especially fecal matter, that is expelled from the body after digestion.

poignant:
a. Physically painful: "Keen, poignant agonies seemed to shoot from his neck downward" (Ambrose Bierce). b. Keenly distressing to the mind or feelings: poignant anxiety. c. Profoundly moving; touching: a poignant memory. See synonyms at moving.

egregious:
Conspicuously bad or offensive. See synonyms at flagrant.

conspicuous:
1. Easy to notice; obvious.
2. Attracting attention, as by being unusual or remarkable; noticeable. See synonyms at noticeable.

exert:
To put to use or effect; put forth: exerted all my strength to move the box.

2010-05-08

craven, despicable, deplore, impasse

craven: Characterized by abject fear; cowardly.
abject:
1. Brought low in condition or status. See synonyms at mean2.
2. Being of the most contemptible kind: abject cowardice.
3. Being of the most miserable kind; wretched: abject poverty.
despicable: Deserving of contempt or scorn; vile.
deplore:
1. To feel or express strong disapproval of; condemn: "Somehow we had to master events, not simply deplore them" (Henry A. Kissinger).
2. To express sorrow or grief over.
3. To regret; bemoan.
impasse:
1. A road or passage having no exit; a cul-de-sac.
2. A situation that is so difficult that no progress can be made; a deadlock or a stalemate: reached an impasse in the negotiations.

I find Hatoyama's behavior craven and despicable, but I deplore even more the U.S. government's arrogance in forcing the Japanese to this deeply humiliating impasse.

2010-04-15

ultracrepidarian

One who speaks above his level of knowledge, experience or expertise. From Latin Ultra=above & beyond + crepis-idis=sole,keel.

2010-04-11

lucubrate

To write in a scholarly fashion; produce scholarship.
[Latin lucubrbre, l昱ubrat-, to work at night by lamplight.]

2010-04-10

seigniorage

Revenue or a profit taken from the minting of coins, usually the difference between the value of the bullion used and the face value of the coin.

2010-01-28

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 5

obviate: to effectively dispose of; to make unnecessary; avert, forestall, prevent
One of the advantages of having a bald head is that it obviates the need for a haircut.

decipher: to read or interpret; convert from a code; decrypt
It took a team of experts years to decipher the message on the scroll.

consternation: great fear or shock that makes one feel helpless or bewildered
bewildered: to confuse or befuddle, especially with numerous conflicting situations, objects or statements
They felt great consternation when they realized they were lost.

abate: to diminish in intensity, violence, amount; to subtract
They were relieved that the violent thunderstorm had finally abated.

forage: search for food or provisions
provisions: a stock of necessary supplies, especially food
Panda bears spend most of their time foraging for food.

duress: constraint by threat; imprisonment
Her father put her under great duress to apologize.

fissure: a long, narrow, deep cleft or crack
cleft: a crack, crevice, or split
These huge fissures in the glacier were attributed to the effects of global warming.

restitution: return to a former condition or situation
He was ordered to make restitution to the company he had stolen money from.

forlorn: without hope; desperate
She was deeply forlorn over the death of her husband.

conciliatory: tending to reconcile
The counselor encouraged the couple to adopt a more conciliatory approach.

2010-01-27

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 4

inexorable: not to be moved by entreaty; unyielding; relentless
entreaty: an earnest request or petition; a plea
In the boxing ring, he was an inexorable opponent.

proliferate: to quickly reproduce or spread
Wildflowers proliferate in the meadow outside our home.

recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority, discipline or guidance
defy: to oppose or resist with boldness and assurance
The recalcitrant child refused to listen to his teacher.

treachery: perfidy, disloyalty, or treason
perfidy: deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust
His treachery was eventually discovered.

grouse: complain; grumble
He frequently groused about his computer's poor performance.

waft: float, as on the wind
With a gentle puff, she sent the seeds wafting into the summer breeze.

caustic: corrosive; that which can destroy tissue by chemical action
Caustic substances should be safely stored in sealed containers.

pundit: actual or self-professed authority
The former journalist was now a political pundit on a cable television talk show.

exhort: urge
The energertic cheerleaders exhorted their team to win.

2010-01-24

Smart.fm SAT verbal advanced, lesson 3

recalcitrant: stubbornly resistant to and defiant of authority, discipline or guidance
The recalcitrant child refused to listen to his teacher.

inexorable: not to be moved by entreaty; unyielding; relentless
entreaty: an earnest request or petition; a plea
In the boxing ring, he was an inexorable opponent.

proliferate: to quickly reproduce or spread
Wildflowers proliferate in the meadow outside out home.
meadow: a tract of glassland, either in its natural state or used as pasture or for growing hay
pasture: glass or other vegetation eaten as food by grazing animals
tract: an expanse of land or water

treachery: perfidy, disloyalty, or treason
perfidy: deliberate breach of faith; calculated violation of trust; treachery
His treachery was eventually discovered.

grouse: complain; grumble
He frequently groused about his computer's poor performance.

occult: secret; esoteric
esoteric: intended for or understood by only a particular group
She takes her passion for the occult a little to seriously

waft: float, as on the wind
With a gentle puff, she sent the seeds wafting into the summer breeze.
puff: a short, forceful exhalation of breath

caustic: corrosive; that which can destroy tissue by chemical action
Caustic substances should be safely stored in sealed containers.

pundit: actual or self0professed authority
profess: to affirm openly
The former journalist was now a political pundit on a a cable television talk show.

exhort: urge
To urge by strong, often stirring argument, admonition, advice or appeal
admonition: mild, kind, yet earnest reproof
reprove: to voice or convey disapproval of
The energetic cheerleaders exhorted their team to win.

2010-01-24 smart.fm

incursion: a raid or invasion; the act of entering another's territory or domain
What was at first an incursion had become a lengthy occupation.

impeccable: without defect or error; flawless

requiem: a religious or musical service for the dead

intractable: difficult to manage or govern; stubborn
The businessman found himself struggling with an intractable situation.

seminal: of reproduction; germinal; originative
on AHDEL: highly influential in an original way; constituting or providing a basis for further development
The discovery of electricity was a seminal development in the history of science.

serene: calm, peaceful, tranquil
The newborn baby girl has a serene expression on her face.

din: loud confusing noise
It was hard to hear anything above the din of the crowd.

antidote: a remedy to counteract a poison
People can die from the bite of a black widow if the antidote is not given in time.

propriety: the quality of being proper; suitableness, appropriateness
The young manager felt that his assistant lacked a sense of propriety.

flout: show scorn or contempt
She makes great effort to flout society's rules.

From 2010-01-18 episode of A Way with Words

get one's goat
condescending: Displaying a patronizingly superior attitude
smarmy: Hypocritcally, complacently, or effusively earnest
oily: Excessively suave in action or behavior; unctuous
rearing/raring to go
champing/chomping at the bit
cesspool: A covered hole or pit for receiving drainage or sewage, as from a house

2010-01-23

Echinacea

ムラサキバレンギク。米国では民間療法の風邪薬として使われるようだ。研究によると、効果が認められないばかりか、子供に対しては呼吸器感染のリスクを増す。

2010-01-11

stratigraphy

The study of rock strata, especially the distribution, deposition, and age of sedimentary rocks.

credence

1. Acceptance as true or valid; belief.
2. Claim to acceptance; trustworthiness.

apex

The highest point; the vertex

heirloom

A valued possession passed down in a family through succeeding generations.

flagellum

A long, threadlike appendage, especially a whiplike extension of certain cells or unicellular organisms that functions as an organ of locomotion.

2010-01-10

facultative

a. Capable of occurring or not occurring; contingent. b. Not required or compulsory; optional.

eukaryote

A single-celled or multicellular organism whose cells contain a distinct membrane-bound nucleus.
eukaryotic adjective

From Quiz Guy on 2009-12-14 episode of A Way with Words

previvor
scronsonants
poinsettia
Christmas chrysanthemums
schadenfreude school
shtetl shtick
scrumptious scrapple
Lent
Shrovetide shrimp
sprocket spreadsheed
threescore thriftshops