Idiom of the Day
- knock (one's) head against a/the wallTo attempt continuously and fruitlessly to accomplish some task or achieve some goal that is or seems ultimately hopeless. Watch the video
- be knocking on heaven's doorTo be dying; to be approaching or very close to death (i.e., about to be admitted into the afterlife). Watch the video
Word of the Day
- loreDefinition: (noun) Accumulated facts, traditions, or beliefs about a particular subject. Synonyms: traditional knowledge. Usage: He had taught the children something of the forest lore that he had himself learned from Tiger Lily and Tinker Bell, and knew that in their dire hour they were not likely to forget it. Discuss
- cocksureDefinition: (adjective) Marked by excessive confidence. Synonyms: overconfident, positive. Usage: He was arrogant and cocksure but also sensitive and understanding, and I loved him dearly.
Word Origins
- trumpetkazoo, bazooka - Dutch bazu, "trumpet," gives us the words kazoo and bazooka, the latter originally being a form of kazoo that was a long sounding-horn. More...jubilee - Comes from Hebrew yobhel, "ram's horn," which was used as a trumpet to proclaim the jubilee, a year of emancipation and restoration (every 50 years). More...taratantara - […]
- lapis lazuliazure stone - Another name for the lapis lazuli. More...lapis lazuli - A sky-blue semiprecious stone, it is pronounced lap-us-LAY-zuh-lee. More...sapphire - From Greek sappheiros, "lapis lazuli" or "blue stone." More...ultramarine - First a blue pigment made from lapis lazuli, imported from Asia by sea, so, in Latin, it was ultramarinus, "beyond the seas." More...
- manuscriptacephalous - A manuscript lacking a beginning could be called acephalous. More...autograph - Comes from Greek, then Latin autographum, meaning "self-written"; it originally meant "author's own manuscript." More...manuscript - Originally an adjective meaning "written by hand"; manuscript can refer to a handwritten piece of music. More...palimpsest - Can describe a manuscript or writing surface that […]
