Posts Tagged ‘zeitgeber’

09
Mar

Word of the Week: chinoiserie

Howdy, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was plastron. Plastron means, according to Merriam-Webster, a metal breastplate formerly worn under the hauberk or a quilted pad worn in fencing to protect the chest, waist, and the side on which the weapon is held the ventral part of the shell of a tortoise or turtle consisting typically of nine symmetrically placed bones overlaid by horny plates. What the heck is a hauberk? (Note to Self: Add that one to the WOW Word doc containing my “candidates” for future WOWs.

This week’s WOW once again sends off my French “alarms.” So, here’s what I think it means:

chinoiserie: (shēn-ˈwäz-rē, –ˈwä-zə-; ˌshēn-ˌwäz-ˈrē, –ˌwä-zə-) 1. a store full of china 2. a store full of Asian items 3. a store full of chin straps

What do you think chinoiserie means? Go here to give me your best guess!

Wednesday’s Post: How’s that Early to Rise thing going for you? 

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: plastron; Word of the Week: mimesis; Word of the Week: abecedarian; and Word of the Week: zeitgeber

02
Mar

Word of the Week: plastron

Book Club: I’m starting the Early to Rise Experience, aka MaryAnn’s worst nightmare. Want to find out why she’s squirming? Go here.

Howdy, Word Nerds! Last week’s WOW was mimesis. Merriam-Webster Online says that mimesis means imitation or mimicry. That makes sense since the word mime is a part of the word!

This week’s WOW is plastron. Here are my guesses for plastron:

plastron (ˈplas-trən) 1. a superhero made of plastic (Can he be in the next Fantastic Four movie? Maybe the Fantastic Five? 2. a plasma electron 3. a protoplasm computer game

What’s your guess for plastron? Go here to submit your guess.

Wednesday’s Post: Double Nickels…

You Might Also Like: Word of the Week: mimesis; Word of the Week: abecedarian; Word of the Week: zeitgeber; and Word of the Week: solatium

16
Feb

Word of the Week: abecedarian

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was zeitgeber. This word intrigued a bunch of you! Unfortunately, no one successfully guessed the definition. Merriam-Webster says that zeitgeber is: an environmental agent or event (as the occurrence of light or dark) that provides the stimulus setting or resetting a biological clock of an organism. If that is the case, then clearing brush from lots is a zeitgeber for me!

Today’s word is no “shrinking violet.” Why? Because it’s not exactly a short word! And I feel like I should know abecedarian. Let’s see how close I can get to the true definition:

abecedarian: (ā-bē-sē-ˈder-ē-ən) 1. a person who likes to recite the alphabet 2. a person who does math exclusively with an abacus 3. a person who dares others to recite their ABCs in public

What’s your guess for abecedarian? Go here to tell me about it!

Wednesday’s Post: An odd day

09
Feb

Word of the Week: zeitgeber

Good morning, Word Lovers! Last week’s WOW was solatium. Merriam-Webster Online says that solatium is:  a compensation (as money) given as solace for suffering, loss, or injured feelings. So this means that when I lose my keys for the 49th time, I should get paid??? If so, I think this is a practice which needs more emphasis in our culture!

This week’s WOW is zeitgeber. Since I never took German and this word definitely has that “flavor,” this could get really interesting for my definition guesses:

zeitgeber: (ˈtsīt-ˌgā-bər, ˈzīt-) 1. the acne on Goober’s face (the younger generation just said, “Who’s Goober?”) 2. the person who pops the acne on Goober’s face 3. gawking at acne in Berlin

I warned you it would be interesting. What’s your definition guess for zeitgeber? Go here to tell me all about it!

Wednesday’s Post: Word of the Day!

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