A young idler, an old beggar.

Meaning: 

If you don't work, you won't have any money when you're old.

Read More

nonage

March 13, 2015

noun

\NAH-nij\

Definition

1

: minority

2

a : a period of youthb : lack of maturity

Examples

"Enlightenment is man's emergence from his self-imposed nonage. … This nonage is self-imposed if its cause lies not in lack of understanding but in indecision and lack of courage to use one's own mind without another's guidance." — Immanuel Kant, "What is Enlightenment?" (1784), translated by Mary C. Smith

"[Adolf] Berle was an amazing person. He entered Harvard College in hisnonage, being only fourteen years old." — Keith Paul Bishop, National Law Review, October 9, 2014

Did You Know?

Minority, majority; infancy, adulthood; nonage, full age—here you have the three contrasting pairs that constitute the vocabulary of legal age.Minority, infancy, and nonage are synonyms that mean "the state or time of being under legal age." Majority, adulthood, and full age mean "the state or time of being of legal age." (All these words, particularly infancyand adulthood, have other meanings as well, of course.) Nonage came to us by way of Middle English from an Anglo-French union of non- and age, which combine to mean "not of age."

Read More

mythomania

March 12, 2015

noun

\mith-uh-MAY-nee-uh\

Definition

: an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating

Examples

The idea of trust is an important theme in the book; the reader is never sure of the extent of the protagonist's mythomania.

"The pathological liar … cannot help lying, even when the lie causes harm. It is this aspect of mythomania that distinguishes it as an illness rather than a habit." — Gloria Wall, Journal Review (Crawfordsville, Indiana), April 27, 2012

Did You Know?

We wouldn't lie to you about the history of mythomania. It comes from two ancient roots, the Greek mythos (meaning "myth") and the Late Latinmania (meaning "insanity marked by uncontrolled emotion or excitement"). One myth about mythomania is that it's a very old word; actually, the earliest known uses of the term date only from the beginning of the 20th century. It was predated by a related word, mythomaniac, which appeared around the middle of the 19th century. Mythomaniacinitially referred to someone who was obsessed with or passionate about myths, but it was eventually used for individuals affected with or exhibiting mythomania. 

Source: Merriam Webster Dictionary

Read More

A dry March, a wet April and a cool May 

may fill barn and cellar and bring much hay.

Meaning:

Harvest predictions according to the weather.

Read More

lucrative

March 12, 2015

adjective

\LOO-kruh-tiv\

Definition

: producing wealth : profitable

Examples

The company announced plans to expand its manufacturing operations soon after it won a lucrative contract with the government.

"Many mistakenly believe they need to spend years in school … before they can start earning a decent salary; this is simply a misconception. In fact, there are a number of lucrative jobs out there that don't require a college degree." — Laura Woods, Dallas Morning News, January 23, 2015

Did You Know?

Paying, gainful, remunerative, and lucrative share the meaning of bringing in a return of money, but each term casts a different light on how much green you take in. Paying is the word for jobs that yield the smallest potatoes—your first paying job probably provided satisfactory compensation, but you weren't going to get rich by it. Gainful employment might offer a bit more cash, and gainful certainly suggests that an individual is motivated by a desire for gain. Remunerative implies that a job provides more than the usual rewards, but a lucrative position is the one you want—those are the kind that go well beyond your initial hopes or expectations.

Source: Merriam-Webster

Read More

You are never too old to learn.

Meaning:

You can always learn something new, no matter how old you are.

Read More

March comes in like a lion and goes out like a lamb.

Meaning:

If you think about the weather in March, the expression above makes sense

The weather at the beginning of March is stormy 
and at the end is mild.

Read More