Word of the Day!

[ksquared]

soporific - (sop-o-rif-ic) adj.

-- Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

On a trip to the Amazon to collect plant specimens, you discover the soporific effects of the leaves of a climbing vine. As soon as you can, you place an excited call home to your wife. What do you tell her?

a.) That you've discovered a cure for airsickness.
b.) That you've found a cure for insomnia.
c.) That you've found a safe appetite supressant.




And the answer is:

1. causing or tending to cause sleep.
2. pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy.
3. something that causes sleep, as a medicine or drug.

(hey, the same end result as my lectures!!)

[hcjilson]

Or....of late, ....my office, mid-afternoon!

[ksquared]

WHich begs the question, how many insomniacs can you fit on the head of a pin, oh.... I guest that suppsed to be angels. Now wonder people fall asleep.

[ksquared]

importunate - im-po-tu-nate (im-pôr'chu-nit) adj.

The importunate customer tried the patience of many an optician with

a.) his tedious, sad-sack stories.

b.) his endless wavering and inability to make up his mind.

c.) his many insistent questions and demands.





And the answer is:
1. urgent or persistent in solicitation, sometimes annoyingly so.
2. pertinacious, as solicitations or demands.
3. troublesome; annoying: importunate demands from the children for attention.

[ksquared]

AMBLYOPIA (am-bli-o-pia):from the Greek word for "dulled vision", is poor vision in an eye. It's sometimes called "lazy eye." When one eye develops good vision while the other does not, the eye with poorer vision is called amblyopic.

TOP STORIES 4/13/2005
Patching found effective in older children
Children up to 17 years of age can benefit from patching therapy for the treatment of amblyopia, according to a large nationwide study. Prior to this study there had been no consensus on whether older children with amblyopia could benefit from patching, researchers noted.

In children older than 13 years who had been previously treated for amblyopia with patching, little benefit was seen, but in patients in this age group not previously treated there was a “strong suggestion of improvement,” the researchers said.

Members of the Pediatric Eye Disease Investigator Group studied the efficacy of patching for amblyopia in 507 children ranging in age from 7 to 17 years, including 103 children between 13 and 17 years old. Visual acuity in the patients ranged from 20/40 to 20/400; all children were provided with optimal optical correction and then randomized to a treatment group. Most patients had moderate to high degrees of hyperopia in the amblyopic eye.

The patients were randomly assigned to either new prescription glasses only or to the new glasses prescription plus patching therapy for 2 to 6 hours daily. Children in the 7- to 12-year-old range received atropine in addition to patching. The children were also asked to perform near vision activities.

Successful vision improvement was defined as the ability to read at least two more lines on a standard eye chart in the eye with amblyopia after treatment completion.

In preparation for conducting the randomized trial, the study group performed a pilot study in 66 patients between 10 and 17 years old to estimate the response rate to treatment with part-time patching combined with near visual activities.

In that preliminary study, the researchers “found improvement in visual acuity of two or more lines in 27% of patients,” they reported in the April issue of Archives of Ophthalmology.

In the randomized study, 53% of the 7-to-12 year old children who received both glasses and treatment with patches and near activity had vision improved by at least two lines. Only 25% of children in that age group who received glasses alone had vision improved by at least two lines.

In 47% of the children between 13 and 17 who had not been previously treated for amblyopia but were prescribed glasses, patching and near activity work, VA improved by at least two lines. Twenty percent of those treated with glasses alone improved by that amount.

“Despite the benefits of the treatment, most children, including those who responded to treatment, were left with some visual impairment,” according to a National Eye Institute press release on the study. NEI funds were used to support the study.

It is not known whether vision improvement will be sustained in the children once treatment is discontinued, according to the NEI. A follow-up study to assess the long-term benefits in these older children is planned.

http://www.osnsupersite.com/default.asp?ID=10294

[ksquared]

Realpolitik - re-al-po-li-tik(rA - äl' - pO" - li - tEk) noun
Always the optimist, you support negotiation over confrontation. But when communist troops threaten to take over your alfalfa farm, the realpolitik sets in. Now you believe

a.) practical politics are not always peaceful—sometimes might makes right.
b.) the communist agenda does not allow organic farmers to farm in peace.
c.) alfalfa farms belong to the state.







And the answer is: c

1.political realism or practical politics, esp. policy based on power rather than on ideals.
2.politics based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations
3.A usually expansionist national policy having as its sole principle advancement of the national interest.


German: real, practical (from Latinreal) + Politik, politics (from French politique, political, policy)

[Uncle Fester]

Shiboleth- "A language useage that distinguishes the members of one group from another" :)

[ksquared]

pastiche (pa-stEsh',) noun
Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

The pastiche offered at the theater last night was not to your liking. It was

a.) a ridiculous mix of ideas and themes borrowed from many different sources.
b.) a licorice-flavored liqueur served in a tall glass.
c.) a dull performance.






And the answer is: a

1. a literary, musical, or artistic piece consisting wholly or chiefly of motifs or techniques borrowed from one or more sources.
2. an incongruous combination of materials, forms, motifs, etc., taken from different sources; hodgepodge (like the word for the day or some of the threads??).

[ksquared]

refractory (re-frac-to-ry) adj. and noun "ies"

THe behavior of many an opticians dog could best be described as refractory—

a.) eager to please, quickly caughting on to everything the owners tried to teach them.
b.) lazy old mutts who could barely be bothered to rouse themselves for a walk, even if tempted with a "yummie".
c.) stubbornly refusing to obey, snarling at friend and foe alike, and causing unmentionable damage to the office furnishings.
d.) possessing highly developed problem solving skills, making them a welcome addition to any practice.





And the answer is:

—adj.
1. hard or impossible to manage; stubbornly disobedient: a refractory child.
2. resisting ordinary methods of treatment.
3. Obs.difficult to fuse, reduce, or work, as an ore or metal.

—n.
1. a material having the ability to retain its physical shape and chemical identity when subjected to high temperatures.
2. refractories, bricks of various shapes used in lining furnaces.

[ksquared]

ossify (os-si-fy) verb

The government official gave an ossified performance at the press conference.

a.) He repeated the same old talking points again and again, never diverging from his original message.
b.) With one flamboyant and outrageous comment after another, he alternately amused and scandalized the audience.
c.) The dullness of his monotone was equaled by the vacuity of his words.





And the answer is:
a. to become rigid or inflexible in habits, attitudes, opinions, etc.

I began to ossify right after college.

[ksquared]

Supertonic (su-per-ton-ic) - noun

Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

You're having trouble reaching a supertonic. Why?

a.) Mom always keeps the best soda pop on the top shelf.
b.) You strained your voice singing that aria at the opera last night.
c.) Your computer does not have a fast enough modem.







And the answer is:b
the second tone of a diatonic scale, being the next above the tonic.

[ksquared]

quisling (quis-ling) noun
-- Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

"You quisling!" Karen cried,

a.) "Weaklings like you have no business climbing high altitude mountains and endangering the rest of us!"
b.) "How could you abandon the Socialist Club of Central High School and join the Future Investment Bankers of America?!" *
c.) "How dare you consider yourself an optician when you don’t even know how to line up the OC with my pupil.”





And the answer is: b
"a person who betrays his or her own country by aiding an invading enemy, often serving later in a puppet government; fifth columnist"

Don't like the word "quisling", use one of these instead:
apostate, back-stabber, backslider, Benedict Arnold, betrayer, conspirator, copperhead, deceiver, defector, deserter, double-crosser, fifth columnist, fink, hypocrite, imposter, informer, intriguer, Judas, miscreant, narc, plotter, quisling, rat, rat fink, rebel, renegade, snake, sneak, snitch, snitcher, spy, squealer, stool pigeon, stoolie, tattletale, traducer, treasonist, turncoat, two-timer, whistle-blower, wolf

[ksquared]

polemic (pu-lem ‘ik) noun

-- Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

With impeachment already decided in the House, the senator went on a polemic about whether to call witnesses for the Senate trial. The senator is now on

a.) a brief vacation arranged by the White House travel office.
b.) a mild antidepressant medication designed to curb erratic behavior.
c.) probation because of his aggressive, excoriating rant.








And the answer is : c

1. a controversial argument, as one against some opinion, doctrine, etc.
2. a person who argues in opposition to another; controversialist.

—adj.
Also,po•lem'i•cal.of or pertaining to a polemic; controversial.

"I'd prefer drugs instead", said he.

[ksquared]

occultation (ok”ul-tA’shun) noun

-- Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

You're an amateur astronomer and photographer known for your expertise and for your time-released photos of solar eclipses. Occultation is particularly exciting to observe because:

a.) It is the only time the signs of the zodiac become visible.
b.) The movement of the moon prevents you from seeing the sun.
c.) It is accompanied by a humming sound believed to be the hum of the universe.






And the answer is "b".

1. Astron.the passage of one celestial body in front of another, thus hiding the other from view: applied esp. to the moon's coming between an observer and a star or planet.
2. disappearance from view or notice.
3. the act of blocking or hiding from view.
4. the resulting hidden or concealed state.

[ksquared]

parallax (par’ u – laks) noun
-- Listen to the pronunciation: WAV format or AU format

Uncle Mike finds parallax to be most useful to him
a.) after he eats.
b.) when he's disciplining the hounds.
c.) when Aunt May starts throwing plates at him.






And the answer is "c" (pass the plate)
1. the apparent displacement of an observed object due to a change in the position of the observer.
2. Astron.the apparent angular displacement of a celestial body due to its being observed from the surface instead of from the center of the earth (diurnal parallax or geocentric parallax) or due to its being observed from the earth instead of from the sun (annual parallax or heliocentric parallax). Cf. parallactic ellipse.
3. the difference between the view of an object as seen through the picture-taking lens of a camera and the view as seen through a separate viewfinder.
4. an apparent change in the position of cross hairs as viewed through a telescope, when the focusing is imperfect.

[ksquared]

terpsichore (turp-sik' u-rE) noun

"With the help of my muse Terpsichore," she cried, "I have once again created a work of astonishing genius!"

a.) The choreographer leaned back in his chair, exhausted and exhilarated after completing the dance.
b.) The poet then cast his eyes lovingly back to his poem, in awe of his own lyric brilliance.
c.) The thief marveled at the sophistication and audacity of his magnificent plan to rob the Federal Reserve.




And the answer is: a

1. Class. Myth. the Muse of dancing and choral song.
2. (l.c.) choreography; the art of dancing.

[ksquared]

TROGLODYTE \TRAHG-luh-dyte\ noun

1 : a member of any of various peoples (as in antiquity) who lived or were reputed to live chiefly in caves
*2 : a person characterized by reclusive habits or outmoded or reactionary attitudes

Example sentence:
Instead of acting like troglodytes, it's would be more productive to embrace the changes takibng place in teh Industry and look for new opportinities.

Did you know?
Peer into the etymological cave of "troglodyte" and you'll find a "trogle." But don't be afraid. "Trogle" may sound like a scary cave-dwelling ogre, but it's actually just a perfectly unintimidating Greek root that means "hole" or "cave." Is "troglodyte" the only English word to have descended from "trogle"? Not exactly. "Troglodyte" and its related adjective "troglodytic" (meaning "of, related to, or being a troglodyte") are the only "trogle" offspring that are widely used in general English contexts, but another "trogle" progeny, the prefix "troglo-," meaning "cave-dwelling," is used in scientific contexts to form words like "troglobiont" ("an animal living in or restricted to caves").

[ksquared]

glower \GLOW-er ("OW" as in "cow")\ verb: to look or stare with sullen annoyance or anger

Example sentence:
Mariah crossed her arms and glowered at Jeff, making it perfectly clear that she'd had enough of his teasing.

Did you know?
Do words of uncertain origin make you scowl? If so, "glower" may put a frown on your face, because only part of its history can be validated. The well-established part of its story leads us to Scotland, where "glower" (or "glowren," to use the older Scottish form of the word) has been used since the late Middle Ages. Originally, the word meant simply "to look intently" or "to stare in amazement," but by the late 1700s, glowering stares were being associated with anger instead of astonishment. Beyond that, however, the history of the word is murky. The most we can say is that "glower" is a distant relative of Middle Low German "gluren," which means "to be overcast," and of Middle Dutch "gloeren," meaning "to leer."

[ksquared]

parietal \puh-RYE-uh-tul\ adjective

1 a : of or relating to the walls of a part or cavity b : of, relating to, or forming the upper posterior wall of the head
2 : attached to the main wall rather than the axis or a cross wall of a plant ovary
3 : of or relating to college living or its regulation

Example sentence:
The college's parietal rules allow for coed dormitories.

Did you know?
Fifteenth-century scientists first used "parietal" (from Latin "paries," meaning "wall of a cavity or hollow organ") to describe a pair of bones of the roof of the skull between the frontal and posterior bone. Later, "parietal" was also applied to structures connected to or found in the same general area as these bones; the parietal lobe, for example, is the middle division of each hemisphere of the brain. In the 19th century, botanists adopted "parietal" as a word for ovules and placentas attached to the walls of plant ovaries. It was also in the 19th century that "parietal" began to be heard on college campuses, outside of the classroom; in 1837, Harvard College established the Parietal Committee to be in charge of "all offences against good order and decorum within the walls."

[ksquared]

EXTEMPORANEOUS (ex·tem·po·ra·ne·ous) adj.
1.Carried out or performed with little or no preparation; impromptu: an extemporaneous piano recital.
2.Prepared in advance but delivered without notes or text: an extemporaneous speech.
3.Skilled at or given to unrehearsed speech or performance: an accomplished extemporaneous speaker.
3.Provided, made, or adapted as an expedient; makeshift: an extemporaneous policy decision.

Example Sentance:

"Rinselberg is good at finding extemporaneous stuff." http://www.optiboard.com/forums/showthread.php?t=12614

Although this statement is true (Rinselbeg "is" good at finding stuff), the adjective used to describe the stuff Rinselberg finds is incorrect. "Finding" involves performing a search or doing some research which is quite differant than the impromptu, unrehersed, unpremeditated, ad-lib, and spontaneous nature of the word extemporaneous.

see also:
ex·tempo·ra·nei·ty n.
ex·tempo·rane·ous·ly adv.
ex·tempo·rane·ous·ness n.

[Don Lee]

Emmetropia (em-uh-TROH-pee-uh). Refractive state of having no refractive error when accommodation is at rest. Images of distant objects are focused sharply on the retina without the need for either accommodation or corrective lenses.

In other words, we ain't needed.

Don

[Don Lee]

presbyopia (prez-bee-OH-pee-uh). Refractive condition in which there is a diminished power of accommodation arising from loss of elasticity of the crystalline lens, as occurs with aging. Usually becomes significant after age 45.

Don

[ksquared]

trammel (TRAM-uhl)

noun: Something that impedes activity, progress, or freedom, as a net or shackle.

transitive verb:To entangle, as in a net; to enmesh or to hamper; to hinder the activity, progress, or freedom of.

A trammel fishing net traditionally has three layers, with the middle one finer-meshed and slack so that fish passing through the first net carry some of the center net through the coarser third net and are trapped. Appropriately, "trammel" traces back to the Late Latin "tremaculum," which comes from Latin "tres," meaning "three," and "macula," meaning "mesh." Today, "trammels" is synonymous with "restraints," and "trammel" is also used as a verb meaning "to confine" or "to enmesh." You may also run across the adjective "untrammeled," meaning "not confined or limited."

I feel she dances a symbol of human happiness as it should be, free from unnatural trammels.
--John Sloan, quoted in New York Modern, by William B. Scott and Peter M. Rutkoff

In fact, corporate governance is based on the belief that managers (like anyone else) work best not when their freedom is trammelled but when they are made to account for what they do with it.
--"The way ahead," The Economist, January 29, 1994

It is quite inconsistent to claim to promote an enterprise society on the one hand and to trammel it with regulations on the other.
--Sir Iain Vallance, quoted in "Stop squeezing business, CBI," by Charlotte Denny and Michael White, Guardian, May 22, 2002

And it encourages the coercive use of political power to wipe out choice, forbid experimentation, shortcircuit feedback, and trammel progress.
--Virginia Postrel, The Future and Its Enemies

I’ve decided to abandon those miserable trammels of reason and post a comment. --Ignis Fatuus, Optiboard Conversation Forum,

[ksquared]

ABSQUATULATE (ab’- skwa - tu - late)To make off, decamp, or abscond.

“Online shopping is absquatulating my profits.”

The 1830s—a period of great vigour and expansiveness in the US—was also a decade of inventiveness in language, featuring a fashion for word play, obscure abbreviations, fanciful coinages, and puns. Only a few inventions of that period have survived to our times, such as sockdologer, skedaddle and hornswoggle. Among those that haven’t lasted the distance were blustrification (the action of celebrating boisterously), goshbustified (excessively pleased and gratified), and dumfungled (used up).

Absquatulate has had a good run and is still to be found in modern American dictionaries. It was common enough that it became one of the favourite bêtes noires of writers on style in the latter part of the century. One such was Walton Burgess, who wrote Five Hundred Mistakes of Daily Occurrence in Speaking Pronouncing and Writing the English Language, Corrected, a title sufficient in itself to make the strongest heart quail. He included the word in a list of those to avoid, with this evocative example of it in action: “He has absquatulated, and taken the specie with him”. He remarked disdainfully that “ ‘absconded’ is a more classical word”.

A writer in the New Orleans Weekly Picayune in December 1839 noted that the origin of the word lay in squat, to which had been added the Latin ab– (from abscond), meaning “off, away”, and the verb ending –ulate (borrowed from words like perambulate), so making a word meaning to get up and depart quickly. Or, as a writer in the old Vanity Fair magazine in 1875 elaborated: “They dusted, vamosed the ranch, made tracks, cut dirt, hoed it out of there”.

[ksquared]

BLATHERSKITE (bla – ther – skite)
A noisy talker of blatant rubbish; foolish talk or nonsense.

"You can avoid the blatherskites by adding them to your ignore list but than you wouldn’t be able to read this."

This is actually a Scots word known from the seventeenth century on. These days, though, it’s more American than either British or Scots. That came about through one of those curious accidents of linguistic history that make the study of etymology such fun.

Both halves of the word seem to be from Old Norse. Blether is a Scots word meaning loquacious claptrap, which comes from Old Norse blathra, to talk nonsense; it exists in various forms now, such as blather or blither (if you call someone a blithering idiot, you’re using the same word). Skate (skite, as Australians and New Zealanders will know it) is more problematic, but is the Scots word for a person held in contempt because of his boasting, which may derive from an Old Norse word meaning to shoot (and, if true, is probably the origin of the American skeet, as in skeet shooting, so that phrase actually means “shoot shooting”).

Blatherskite is first recorded in an old Scots ballad called Maggie Lauder, attributed to Francis Sempill (or Semple) and dated about 1643, still well known today.

The song was pleasantly risqué (the piper, for instance, explains how all the girls swoon when he blows his chanter) and was very popular with the American side in the War of Independence. This introduced bletherskate, later blatherskite, to the American vocabulary, where it has remained ever since, albeit hardly on everyone’s lips daily.


<http://www.worldwidewords.org/>