word of the day

schadenfreude: enjoyment obtained from the troubles of others

the word comes  from the german words for "damage" and "joy"

last night's mavericks win gave america one more night to 

revel in lebron james schadenfreude. - new york magazine

word of the day

pyrophile: one enthusiastic over fire or fireworks

the prefix pyro- has an ancestor in the greek pyrmeaning "fire". pyro-appears in dozens of terms, ranging frompyrotechnics (fireworks) topyromania (an irresistible impulse to start fires)

word of the day

legerdemain: sleight of hand; trickery

drawings by jonathan zawada

"by the way, this is one of those words that can seem reasonable
when written but pretentious when spoken." -thank you, merriam webster

"political leaders point to schools that have achieved stunning results in only a few years despite the 

poverty around them. But the accounts of miracle schools demand closer scrutiny. usually, they are 

the result of statistical legerdemain." – diane ravitch, new york times

word of the day

semaphore: a system of visual signaling by two flags held one in each hand

photo essay entitled little adults by anna skladmann

sema comes from the greek word for "sign" or "signal."
in international scientific vocabulary, phore means "carrier."

after their radios failed, the sailors were glad they 

knew the semaphore system and could signal for help.

word of the day

boosterism: enthusiastic support of something – particularly 

to an excessive degree that seems thoughtless and annoying

paintings by i wayan sudarsana yansen

boosterism derives from boost, meaning "to push or shove up from below"

"instead we shuttle between two equally hollow poles: goofball digital boosterism on one 

side and on the other a helpless, anguished nostalgia for the good old days of papercuts." 

– ben ehrenreich from an essay about "the death of the book"

word of the day

faustian: made or done for present gain without regard for future cost or consequence

multi media works by ling meng

the word refers to faust, also called doctor faustus, hero of one of the most durable legends in western folklore and literature.
in that legend, which dates back to the 1500s, a german astrologer sells his soul to the devil in exchange for knowledge and power.

"when mr. bin laden struck on 9/11 the west had few means of defending
itself but by attacking him directly and by striking a faustian bargain
with the Arab world’s oppressive rulers." - the economist

word of the day

swivet: a state of extreme agitation

drawings by katie scott

"schools across the region have been evacuated because of concerns that their snow-laden roofs could give way. officials said the evacuations were precautionary but some parents went into a swivet, demanding to know why the schools had not been checked when they were empty." - new york times

word of the day

tin-pot: cheap or trivial of its kind : petty, small-time, two-bit

photographs by oscar ciutat

petty despots and tin-pot tyrants often pay lip service to
democratic ideals to give their regimes an aura of legitimacy.

word of the day

beachhead: a place or position that serves as a base for future action or progress

double exposure paintings by pakayla biehn

the word first appeared in 1940. its original – literal – meaning is, "a beach on an enemy's shore
that an invading army takes and controls in order to prepare for the arrival of more soldiers and supplies."

memes emerge in brains and travel outward, establishing beachheads on paper
and celluloid and silicon and anywhere else information can go. – james gleick

word of the day

omphaloskepsis: contemplation of one's navel as an aid to meditation

 

paintings by nadia duvall

in greek, omphalos means "navel"; skepsis means "examination."

 less than a century old, omphaloskepsis is usually considered humorous. for example, in his 2005 autobiography, grateful dead bassist phil lesh reminisced about his absorption in "the time-honored pursuits of adolescents in any era – school, social life, the opposite sex, omphaloskepsis – ...."

word of the day

embourgeoisement: a shift to bourgeois values and practices

 

 

letters by jared wunsch & hans johnson

 

 

embourgeoisement almost always refers to a shift by the working class, not the upper class.

 

word of the day

wane: to fall gradually from power, prosperity, or influence

photographs by vivian maier

undated, self portrait

august 22, 1956

january, 1953, new york

undated, chicago, il

vivian loved the movie at first, but her enthusiasm waned as the pace began to drag.

word of the day

genuflect: to be servilely obedient or respectful, to touch the knee
to the floor or ground especially in worship

paintings by jennifer coates

"perhaps this is all harmless fun, an aberration in a nation that otherwise genuflects to 

the notion of "patriot, a term in the u.s. that originated in the rejection of the brits."  

- ros coward, in an article on the u.s. media's obsession with the royal wedding

word of the day

ensconce: to place or hide securely, conceal

photos by gregory thielker

in-SKAHNSS

rather than ensconce the discouraging news in falsely hopeful language, 

the doctor imparted the diagnosis in a clear, straightforward manner.

word of the day

primordial: existing in or persisting from the beginning (as of a solar system or universe)

stages of decay; photos by julia solis

prye.MOR.dee.ul

 all life on earth supposedly came from a primordial

ooze in existence many millions of years ago.

word of the day

tittle: the dot over i or j

vintage social networking ads by john farrier

in a handwritten business note, it's best to avoid smiley-face tittles.