Nov 06, 2013 5:53 PM

Have you ever found yourself searching for the right word in a conversation and have somehow fallen completely short of an apt description?

Have you ever been in a situation where you see someone struggling with bed clothing, moments from death, and wonder if there's a word that would complete the thought?

Well, wonder no more!

Today's word is carphology. Say it with me - car-fall-o-gee "Delirious fumbling with bed clothes prior to death." Try to use this word in sentences throughout the day to solidify the concept. Carphology.

Today's Word!

I'd like you all to indulge me for a moment. Close your eyes and imagine yourself in this scenario. You're trapped in a room at the top of a tall tower, backed into a corner near a window, with a menacing foe advancing towards you. (Hey, it could happen!)

Clearly he is a threat to your physical well-being, nay, your life itself! The terrifying stranger rushes you, but at the last minute you utilize a well-timed hip-toss and hurl your opponent through the nearby window!

As his screams fade into the distance, you stop and ponder "if only there were a word to succinctly describe this momentous event!"

Well, fear not, brave readers! I am pleased to inform you that such a word does indeed exist!

Today's word is: Defenestration. (That's "dee-fen-uh-stray-shun", for the phonetically challenged :p ) "Defenestration: the act of throwing someone or something out of a window".

Hmmm...curiously enough, Wikipedia states that: " Historically, the word defenestration referred to an act of political dissent. Notably, the Defenestrations of Prague in 1419 and 1618 helped to trigger prolonged conflict within Bohemia and beyond." ;)

OOOO, I see a book title here! :D

The Many Defenestrations of Robert Menard!

"...I don't know how many times he fell out of my 29th floor window. I sort of lost count after a while".

I think we should combine them into a fun, and ever-expanding story. :D

"His annoyingly repetitive carphology was easily solved with a swift defenestration!"

TODAY'S BONUS WORD (Yes I'm awesome!)!

pusillanimous (pyoo-sah-LAN-ah-mes) Pronunciation — timid or cowardly; fainthearted...as in, Peter the Pusillanimous!"

[Tara Duncan totally told me to type that]

Obstreperous ass! Double bonus points. What does "word a day mean" to you?????

It's the BONUS word because I'm awesome! (Can't you read?)

:P

Sorry sir. You can delete my comment.

No :P

It's hard enough to get you to write anything. I'm not going to delete the stuff you DO write. :P

k

Today's Word: Oligosyllable -

This isn't the most important word you'll ever encounter. This may not even be a particularly useful word. But it amuses me.

Oligosyllable - All-i-go-sill-a-bull "A word of fewer than four syllables"

...I'm not touching that one :p

"His annoyingly repetitive carphology was easily solved with a swift defenestration!

As Sharon watched her pusillanimous husband plummet to his sudden and untimely demise, she leaned out the window and listened intently, wondering if he would manage to summon an appropriately oligosyllabic final utterance before gravity took its toll."

This story is practically writing itself! Aren't words fun? :D

It's art, truly.

Floccinaucinihilipilificate. verb. (that's "flawsy-nawsy-knee-hill-ee-pill-ee-phi-kate"!) -To describe or regard something to be completely worthless, without value.

"After spending any measure of time examining the words of Rob Menard, I find it virtually impossible to refrain from floccinaucinihilipilificating everything that the man says!"

Today's Word:

ergophobia

Also called ergasiophobia, is an abnormal and persistent fear (or phobia) of work (manual labor, non-manual labour, etc) or finding employment. Ergophobia may also be a subset of either social phobia or performance anxiety [no not that kind].

Sufferers of ergophobia experience undue anxiety about the workplace environment even though they realize their fear is irrational. Their fear may actually be a combination of fears, such as fear of failing at assigned tasks, speaking before groups at work (both of which are types of performance anxiety), socializing with co-workers (a type of social phobia), and other fears of emotional, psychological and/or physiological injuries.

Unemployed? Can't seem to get or hold a job? You may not be lazy; you may have an unfortunate condition. Won't someone think of the victims of ergophobia?

Today's Word:

soporific [sop-uh-rif-ik] adjective

1. causing or tending to cause sleep. 2. pertaining to or characterized by sleep or sleepiness; sleepy; drowsy.

You know, that tendency you have to nod off when faced with information or content in conversation or the written word...here's a word to describe it - adjectivally.

Jane was later to allude to a soporific state when asked why her husband's carphology drove her to orchestrate his untimely defenestration. Not given to oligosyllabic descriptors or highbrow floccinaucinihilipilificating, she merely referred to her hubby's pusillanimous inclinations by alleging, "I got tired of the ergophobic little git's pathetic whining and thrashing so I tossed him out the window."

This is just genius.

Today's Word is dedicated to Pete!

Hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia. noun. The fear of long words.

"Despite his best efforts to keep up with The Tender For Law, Pierre found himself still deeply entrenched in the grips of chronic hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia!"

:D

The "Today's Word" thread! This one was fun, I think it deserves a revival, in honour of the new Anti-Text 'Tard policy. :D

Oh fuck, this thread is about a tard that jumped out the window !! :-o

He didn't jump, he was tossed. I think you need to revisit the definition of "Defenestration", Pete .:p

.

This was a tradition we let die. :(

We should bring it back :D

Yes.

The Many Defenestrations of Robert Menard!

:D

You aver, we comply....

aver /uh'ver/ verb (transitive) avers, averring, averred 1. to state positively; assert 2. (law) to allege as a fact or prove to be true

Derived Forms averment, noun

Word Origin C14: from Old French averer, from Medieval Latin adverare, from Latin verus true

Negative averment

NEGATIVE AVERMENT, pleading, evidence. An averment in some of the pleadings in a case in which a negative is asserted.

2. It is a general rule, established for the purpose of shortening and facilitating investigations, that the point in issue is to be proved by the party who asserts the affirmative; 1 Phil. Ev. 184; Bull N. P. 298; but as this rule is not founded on any presumption of law in favor of the party, but is merely a rule of practice and convenience, it, ceases in all cases when the presumption of law is thrown into the opposite scale. Gilb. Ev. 145. For example, when the issue is on the legitimacy of a child born in lawful wedlock, it is, incumbent on the party asserting its illegitimacy to prove it. 2 Selw. N. P. 709.

3. Upon the same principle, when, the negative averment involves a charge of criminal neglect of duty, whether official or otherwise, it must be proved, for the law presumes every man to perform the duties which it imposes. 2 Gall. R. 498; 19 John. R. 345; 10 East, R. 211; 3 B. & P. 302; 3 East, R. 192; 1 Mass. R. 54; 3 Campb. R. 10; Greenl. Ev. SS 80; 3 Bouv. Inst. n. 3089. Vide Onus Probandi.