panjandrum

March 10, 2015

noun

\pan-JAN-drum\

Definition

: a powerful personage or pretentious official

Examples

Little gets done in this town without the approval of the local panjandrumson the board of selectmen.

"Unexpectedly, this private sector panjandrum launched into a paean of praise for the public service ethos." — David Walker, The Guardian, January 30, 2015

Did You Know?

Panjandrum looks like it might be a combination of Latin and Greek roots, but in fact it is a nonsense word coined by British actor and playwright Samuel Foote around 1755. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, Foote made up a line of gibberish to "test the memory of his fellow actor Charles Macklin, who had asserted that he could repeat anything after hearing it once." Foote's made-up line was, "And there were present the Picninnies, and the Joblillies, and the Garyulies and the Grand Panjandrum himself, with the little round button at the top." Some 75 years after this, Foote's passage appeared in a book of stories for children by the Anglo-Irish writer Maria Edgeworth. It took another quarter century before English speakers actually incorporated panjandrum into their general vocabulary.

Read More

A guilty conscience needs no accuser.

Meaning: 

If you know that you have done something wrong, you don't need anyone to tell you that you're guilty.

Read More

apple-polish

March 10, 2015

verb

\AP-ul-pah-lish\

Definition

1

: to attempt to ingratiate oneself : toady

2

: to curry favor with (as by flattery)

Examples

"There still might be time to apple-polish the boss." — Garry Smits, Florida Times-Union, October 30, 2008

"One of the reasons unions (and step increases) exist is to eliminate cronyism or favoritism. No teacher has to apple-polish the principal to get a raise." — John Jones, Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch, June 11, 2011

Did You Know?

It began innocently enough: a shiny apple for the teacher, a young student's gift (OK, bribe) given in the hope that classroom high jinks would be forgotten or forgiven. The college students of the 1920s tried a more sophisticated version of the trick, polishing professorial egos with compliments in the hopes of getting a better grade. Because of its similarity to the "apple for the teacher" practice, college students dubbed that grade-enhancement strategy apple-polishing. But the idea quickly lost its luster and by 1935 the verb apple-polish had picked up negative connotations. Nowadays, the apple-polisher (academic or otherwise) is viewed in the same much-maligned class as the toady, sycophant, and bootlicker

Read More

False friends are worse than open enemies.

Meaning:                 

           

      It's better to know who your real enemies are rather than trust someone who pretends to be a friend but is capable of stabbing you in the back.

Read More

ilk

March 06, 2015

noun

\ILK\

Definition

sort, kind

Examples

The hole beneath the stairs of the cabin's porch allows in squirrels, woodchucks, and other creatures of that ilk.

"In many parts of the world, anyone who will ever buy a smartphone probably has done so, and now we're on to the steady business of buying a new one only when we break, lose, or need to replace our old phones. When analysts discuss growth predictions for cell phones and their ilk, they signal nothing but caution." — Lindsey Turrentine, CNET, February 6, 2015

Did You Know?

The Old English pronoun ilca is the predecessor of the modern noun ilk, but by way of a pronoun ilk that does not exist in most dialects of modern English. That ilk is synonymous with same, and persists in Scots where it's used in the phrase "of that ilk," meaning "of the same place, territorial designation, or name." It is used chiefly in reference to the names of land-owning families and their eponymous estates, as in "the Guthries of that ilk," which means "the Guthries of Guthrie." Centuries ago a misunderstanding arose concerning the Scots phrase: it was interpreted as meaning "of that kind or sort," a usage that found its way into modern English. Ilk has been established in English with its current meaning and part of speech since the late 18th century.

Read More

sprightly

March 05, 2015

adjective

\SPRYTE-lee\     

Definition

1

: marked by a cheerful lightness and vivacity (as of movement or manner) : spirited

2

: having a distinctively piquant taste

Examples

Uncle Jack, a sprightly man nearing 90, was an avid storyteller, and we all listened with rapt attention as he regaled us with his newest tale.

"The somber, pensive orchestral prelude to Act III was magnificent…. And Mr. Levine actually seemed to gain energy during the long final scene in the meadow, with the sprightly country dances and celebratory marches." — Anthony Tommasini, New York Times, December 3, 2014

Did You Know?

Sprightly comes from spright, an archaic version of the word we now use for an elf or fairy: sprite. Ariel from Shakespeare's The Tempest and the leprechaun of Irish mythology are often referred to as sprites, and it's no coincidence that both are characterized by their light, flitting movements and mannerisms. Sprite derives via Middle English and Old French from the Latin spiritus, which of course gives us spirit as well. A similar-looking adjective that can describe someone who is nimble and energetic is spry, but that word is believed to be of Scandinavian origin.

Read More

      Opportunity seldom knocks twice.

Meaning:

     

 Don't miss opportunities that come along.

Read More