I'm having fun at 365 Word Quest going through the dictionary and selecting a word a day. Each word usually has a fascinating word etymology or definition. Here are 15 of my favourites so far out of 220 words:1- carpe diem- seize the day
-Latin from Horace
'Carpe diem. Seize the day, boys. Make your lives extraordinary.' is from the movie Dead Poets' Society, 1989
2- capricious- adjective - characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle
- caprice, capriciousness- noun
-from French, Italian capriccio- capo- head +riccio- hedgehog, suggesting a convulsive shudder of a hedgehog's spines
3-cacophony- jarring sound, discordant, harsh
- also cacophonous, cacophonic
- from Greek kakos- bad
In my hotel around the corner from this small squarish building of black volcanic stone, I had to put on earphones to block out the clash of cymbals, the blare of foghorns and other insistent cacophony from the square below.
4-brouhaha- a loud confused noise; commotion; uproar
- French, of imitative origin
What's clear from this brouhaha is that the foreign policy has zero support from the states and cultures involved.
5-bravado- vaunted display of courage or self-confidence; swagger
- C16 from Spanish bravada, from Old Italian bravare- to challenge , provoke, from bravo- wild
Their bravado is a cover up for a desperate fear they will be exposed.
6-boondoggle- futile and unnecessary work, project
- coined by R. H. Link, American scoutmaster
Some call the marina, which is getting 15 million in federal stimulus money, a giant boondoggle.
7-bonhomie- exuberant friendliness
- C18 from French, from bonhomme- good-humoured fellow, from bon good+homme man
A state known for gently rolling grasslands, rich black soils and cowboy bonhomie is increasingly noted for flaring tempers.
8-billow- a large sea wave, a swelling or surging mass, as of smoke or sound; also verb- to rise up, swell out
- interesting etymology- C16 from Old Norse bylgja, Swedish bolja, Danish bolg, Middle German bulge
As the billow is at its height, before it combs over, the fisherman sees the sunlight gleaming through it -- an ecstasy of perfect lucid green, with the glimmer of yellow sand.
9-beserk- frenziedly violent or destructive; also beserker, a member of a class of ancient Norse warriors who worked themselves into a frenzy before battle and fought with insane fury and courage.
- C19 Icelandic berserkr, from bjorn bear+serkr shirt
Moreover, the word "amok" has anthropological grounding with various accounts of lonely, frustrated and disturbed men who have suffered loss going beserk, running amok (a Malay word) and randomly resorting to extreme violence.
10-avatar- the manifestation of a diety, notably Vishnu, in human, superhuman, or animal form; a visible manifestation or embodiment of an abstract concept; archetype
- C18 from Sanskrit avatara-going down, descending
There's a screech, a nerve-wracking caterwauling, and Manni yells, bright parallel blood-tracks on his arm -- the avatar is a real fleshbody in its own right.
11-audacious (adj.)- recklessly bold or daring; fearless; impudentor presumptuous
- C16 from Latin audax- bold, from audere- to dare
- audaciously, audacity
I look forward to growing old and wise and audacious. ~ Glenda Jackson
12-ataraxia- calmness or peace of mind; emotional tranquility
- C17 from Greek ataraktos- undisturbed, serenity
All three schools stressed the overarching value of ataraxia, the absence of disturbance in the soul.
13-acumen - the ability to judge well, keen discernment, insight
- from C16 Latin - acuere - to sharpen
You have to combine instinct with a good business acumen. You just can't be creative, and you just can't be analytical. ~ Andrea Jung
14-aberration - deviation from what is normal, expected, or usual, departure from truth, morality, displacement of a celestial body...
Also adjective - aberrant
From the Latin aberrare to wander away
History and to the present day provide vivid examples of regimes and societies which define what is normal and aberrant. Much human grief therein reside.
15-abalone
-a large mollusk of the genus Haliotis, having a bowllike shell bearing a row of respiratory holes, the flesh of which is used for food and the shell for ornament and as a source of mother-of-pearl.
From: 1840–50, Americanism; taken as sing. of California Sp abulones, pl. of abulón
The Abalone Song by Jack London
Oh, some folks boast of quail on toast
Because they think it's toney,
But I'm content to owe my rent
And live on abalone.
Oh! Mission Point's a friendly joint,
Where ev'ry crab's a crony,
And true and kind you'll ever find
The clinging abalone...
I'm sure you have all been fascinated with a word or two.
