Dick Ctionary

I have Roeo Stodart arriving at the predetermined time to tread on the splayed fingers of Christopher Cross and Marc Almond, who have been forced to sleep pegged face down to the floor beside my bed. The participants change weekly, but these two in particular make a pleasing harmony of screams.

 

Among the new entries in the Associated Press Stylebook for 2008 is one on "myriad." The AP says that "myriad" is an adjective and is not followed by "of." The dictionary that AP uses, though, gives the noun use of "myriad" first.

"Myriad" means an indefinitely large number; it is a synonym of "innumerable." Bryan A. Garner writes in A Dictionary of Modern American Usage that "myriad is more concise as an adjective than as a noun." Fowler’s Modern English Usage points out that the word comes from Greek for "ten thousand." Almost no one adheres to that old meaning for "myriad."

Here is a post on The Mavens’ Word of the Day about myriad as a noun. The American Book of English Usage also points out the long history of myriad as a noun. Merriam-Webster online also recognizes myriad as a noun.

LINK

Thank you for using "myriad" properly. My head nearly explodes every time I see someone write or say, "a myriad of..."

 

On topic - I don't think this is the end. I really enjoyed TWL, but I don't think they'd end on that.

¹myr·i·ad

 noun \ˈmir-ē-əd\

Also is bar mitzvah a verb?

ac·tor

noun \ˈak-tər also -ˌtȯr\

: a person who acts in a play, movie, etc.

1   :  one that acts :  doer

Fetish noun\ˈfe-tish also ˈfē-\

1 a : an object (as a small stone carving of an animal) believed to have magical power to protect or aid its owner; broadly : a material object regarded with superstitious or extravagant trust or reverence

b : an object of irrational reverence or obsessive devotion : prepossession

c : an object or bodily part whose real or fantasied presence is psychologically necessary for sexual gratification and that is an object of fixation to the extent that it may interfere with complete sexual expression

2 : a rite or cult of fetish worshipers

3 : fixation

adjective \drə-ˈma-tik\

1   : of or relating to the drama dramatic actor>

cap·i·tal·ism

\ˈka-pə-tə-ˌliz-əm, ˈkap-tə-, British also kə-ˈpi-tə-\

noun

: an economic system characterized by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market

First use: 1877

Prig's a cool word. Pedant, too.

 

prig noun  \ˈprig\ 

1.  archaic : fop

2.  archaic : fellow, person

3.  one who offends or irritates by observance of proprieties (as of speech or manners) in a pointed manner or to an obnoxious degree

ped·ant noun \ˈpe-d^ənt\

1.  obsolete : a male schoolteacher

2.  a: one who makes a show of knowledge

     b. one who is unimaginative or who unduly emphasizes minutiae in the presentation or use of knowledge

     c. a formalist or precisionist in teaching

side·man noun \ˈsīd-ˌman\

: a member of a band or orchestra and especially of a jazz or swing orchestra

circa 1936

sub·ter·fuge

noun \ˈsəb-tər-ˌfyüj\

²stalk

verb

\ˈstȯk\

Definition of STALK

intransitive verb

1: to pursue quarry or prey stealthily

2: to walk stiffly or haughtily

transitive verb

1: to pursue by stalking

2: to go through (an area) in search of prey or quarry

3: to pursue obsessively and to the point of harassment

— stalk·er noun

There used to be a guy around here that would do nothing but this and spelling corrections.

pres·ent

adj \ˈpre-zənt\

1: now existing or in progress

2: a : being in view or at hand

b : existing in something mentioned or under consideration

3: constituting the one actually involved, at hand, or being considered

4: of, relating to, or constituting a verb tense that is expressive of present time or the time of speaking

5: obsolete : attentive

6: archaic : instant, immediate

Reading the latest HQ email. It sunk in. This is the first year Wilco hasn't played Chicago Jan 1 - Dec 31 in their career.

 

That is a bummer. I wonder if they felt burned by the poor attendence at UIC night 2.

 

Que the "Chicago can't complain" "but all solo Wilcos played in 2010" "South Bend isn't that far" "they played in Oct of '09" emails

cue

Pronunciation: \ˈkyü\

Function: transitive verb

Inflected Form(s): cued; cu·ing or cue·ing

Date: 1922

1 : to give a cue to : prompt

2 : to insert into a continuous performance

cur·ric·u·lum

Pronunciation: \-ləm\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural cur·ric·u·la \-lə\ also cur·ric·u·lums

Etymology: New Latin, from Latin, running, course

Date: 1824

1 : the courses offered by an educational institution

2 : a set of courses constituting an area of specialization

deep–seat·ed

Pronunciation: \ˈdēp-ˈsē-təd\

Function: adjective

Date: 1741

1 : situated far below the surface

2 : firmly established

meme

Pronunciation: \ˈmēm\

Function: noun

Etymology: alteration of mimeme, from mim- (as in mimesis) + -eme

Date: 1976

: an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture

Likewise, if the Republicans take a completely obstructionist stand and filibuster everything that moves, the Democrats can try to use their recalcitrance as a rallying point.

re·cal·ci·trance

Pronunciation: \ri-ˈkal-sə-trən(t)s\

Function: noun

Date: 1856

: the state of being recalcitrant

re·cal·ci·trant

Pronunciation: \-trənt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Late Latin recalcitrant-, recalcitrans, present participle of recalcitrare to be stubbornly disobedient, from Latin, to kick back, from re- + calcitrare to kick, from calc-, calx heel

Date: 1843

1: obstinately defiant of authority or restraint

2 a: difficult to manage or operate

b: not responsive to treatment

c: resistant

synonyms see unruly

A lot of people confuse "duet" with "harmony". Mozambique isn't really a duet, neither of them have their own lines. Same with the Wilco and Feist song. At least that's how I've always seen it.

 

Anyways, Johnny Cash and June Carter had some good duets.

du·et

Pronunciation: \dü-ˈet also dyü-\

Function: noun

Etymology: Italian duetto, diminutive of duo duo

Date: circa 1740

: a composition for two performers

 

lol

too

Pronunciation: \ˈtü\

Function: adverb

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English tō to, too — more at to

Date: before 12th century

1: besides, also house and furniture too>

2a: to an excessive degree : excessively b: to such a degree as to be regrettable c: very

3: so 2d

I've got my money that says he's actually posting under the pseudonym "Dick Ctionary."

in·cor·rect

Pronunciation: \ˌin-kə-ˈrekt\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Middle French or Latin; Middle French, from Latin incorrectus, from in- + correctus correct

Date: 15th century 1 obsolete : not corrected or chastened

2a : inaccurate, faulty b : not true : wrong

3: unbecoming, improper

oeu·vre

Pronunciation: \ˈə®-vrə, ˈœvr^ə\

Function: noun

Inflected Form(s): plural oeuvres \same\

Etymology: French œuvre, literally, work, from Old French ovre, Latin opera — more at opera

Date: 1875 : a substantial body of work constituting the lifework of a writer, an artist, or a composer

so·cial·ism

Pronunciation: \ˈsō-shə-ˌli-zəm\

Function: noun

Date: 1837

1: any of various economic and political theories advocating collective or governmental ownership and administration of the means of production and distribution of goods

2a: a system of society or group living in which there is no private property

b: a system or condition of society in which the means of production are owned and controlled by the state

3: a stage of society in Marxist theory transitional between capitalism and communism and distinguished by unequal distribution of goods and pay according to work done

fa·vor·ite

Pronunciation: \ˈfā-v(ə-)rət, ˈfā-vərt, chiefly dialect ˈfā-və-ˌrīt\

Function: noun

Etymology: Italian favorito, past participle of favorire to favor, from favore favor, from Latin favor

Date: 1583

1: one that is treated or regarded with special favor or liking; especially : a person who is specially loved, trusted, or provided with favors by someone of high rank or authority

2: a competitor judged most likely to win

Function: adjective

Date:1692

constituting a favorite; especially : markedly popula

best

Pronunciation: \ˈbest\

Function: adjective

Etymology: Middle English, from Old English betst; akin to Old English bōt remedy— more at better

Date: before 12th century superlative of good

1: excelling all others

2: most productive of good : offering or producing the greatest advantage, utility, or satisfaction

3: most, largest