Podcasts about merriam webster

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 20, 2022 is: non sequitur • NAHN-SEK-wuh-ter • noun A non sequitur is a statement that either does not logically follow from or is not clearly related to what was previously said. // The host's non sequitur about the award recipient's unconventional dress did not go unnoticed by her fans on social media. See the entry > Examples: "[Norm Macdonald] was always open about how much he worshipped David Letterman…. His impersonation of his idol on SNL … was sharp enough to turn some of Letterman's verbal quirks and repeated non sequiturs ('Ehh....got any gum?') into a spot-on impression." — Rolling Stone, 15 Sept. 2021 Did you know? In Latin, non sequitur means "it does not follow." The phrase was borrowed into English in the 1500s by people who made a formal study of logic. For them, it meant a conclusion that does not follow from the statements that lead to it. But we now use non sequitur for any kind of statement that seems to come out of the blue.

Lisa Schneider is the Chief Product Officer at Framework Homeownership. Previously, she was the Chief Digital Officer at Merriam-Webster, where she led digital strategy and execution and redefined the dictionary for the digital age. Lisa joins Melissa Perri on this episode of the Product Thinking Podcast to share her expertise on crafting great vision and mission statements, the role of the product leader, bridging the gap between sales and product, and why being an integrator is powerful.  Here are some key points you'll hear Melissa and Lisa talk about:  How Lisa got started in product management. [1:55] Asking yourself ‘Why?' is part of the product mindset when developing a new vision and mission. Figure out why you want a new vision and mission, then develop a strategy to bridge them together. Lisa advises that you should not mix the strategy into the mission because it makes the mission become too specific instead of universal. She also cautions against aligning product teams and squads to strategy too much because strategy changes. [7:57] The product vision is a reminder of the ultimate product goal so that teams remember what they're working towards. Product leaders need to create an environment of stability and empathy where their teams don't feel constant uncertainty when strategy changes. [11:36] Product leaders need to propose solutions but also give their teams room to be creative. [13:35] Lisa talks about how she became a Chief Product Officer. [15:44] "The role of the product leader - the real opportunity for the product leader - is to be somebody that understands that entire ecosystem and understands how to integrate it," Lisa stresses. The product leader has to be the one to bridge the gap in organizations where sales and product operate in silos. They have to be the one to have conversations with both departments and gain insight on what they know about the product, and what they need. Asking those questions becomes part of your product research, and it also allows the teams in these departments to take ownership of the product and in turn, they become more invested in the product's outcome. [20:00] Being an integrator within your organization is powerful and important. Asking questions about what people need and how you can help them get there will make you influential within the organization. [23:48] The key to facilitating a problem-solving mindset is less talking about what needs to be done and actually doing it. "Get everyone in a room and start modeling," Lisa suggests. "Lead the conversation and show people how this works." [24:34] Lisa shares her advice for future product leaders. [29:36] To foster a product mindset in organizations that never had it, focus on the outcomes. See yourself as the “product” and think about how you can create an excellent user experience. Be the bridge between leadership and the teams that work with you. [33:46] Resources Lisa Schneider | LinkedIn | Twitter Framework Homeownership

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 19, 2022 is: debilitating • dih-BILL-uh-tay-ting • adjective Debilitating means "causing serious impairment of strength or ability to function." // The flu can be debilitating for several days. See the entry > Examples: "Smartphone addiction is a real thing, and it can be really debilitating. This rings even more true in the context of the global pandemic when millions upon millions of people are basically stuck at home with nothing else to do." — RJ Pierce, Tech Times, 13 Dec. 2021 Did you know? The verb debilitate (and its adjective form debilitating) comes from the Latin word for "weak," debilis. Often used of disease—as in, "the patient was debilitated"—it can also suggest something that strikes like a disease or illness, "the actor was debilitated by stage fright." In sum, the word suggests a temporary impairment or a condition of weakness and helplessness.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 18, 2022 is: winsome • WIN-sum • adjective Winsome means "pleasing or cheerful." // The interviewers all remarked on the candidate's winsome personality, which made her stand out among the other qualified job applicants. See the entry > Examples: "Among the fabled activists who risked their lives and transformed those of many others in the civil rights movement, [Julian Bond] stood out with his smooth patter, winsome charm, and understated glamour." — Gene Seymour, The New Republic, 1 Mar. 2021 Did you know? Winsome comes from Old English wynn, meaning "joy" or "pleasure," which was altered in spelling to win (with the same meaning). That win is obsolete and is unrelated to today's win—referring to victory and coming from Old English winnan, "to struggle, suffer, or acquire." The adjective winning, meaning "tending to please or delight," as in "a winning smile" or "winning ways," is believed to be from the victorious win.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 17, 2022 is: stola • STOH-luh • noun A stola is a long, draped robe worn by women of ancient Rome. // The traditional garment worn by women in ancient Rome was the stola; men wore the corresponding toga. Examples: "Lady Liberty is dressed in a free-flowing robe called a stola. Over the stola, she is wearing a cloak called a palla, which is fastened by a clasp on her left shoulder. — Debra Hess, The Statue of Liberty, 2004 Did you know? The Roman stola resembles the Greek chiton. It is a long, full robe, generally sleeveless, that hangs nearly to the feet and is girdled around the waist. It falls in either folds or pleats from the shoulders to the girdle, then from the girdle to the floor. It was worn by women, especially matrons, of ancient Rome.

TRANSCRIPT: I believe that heading into our Beyond Retirement phase of life is a great time to start taking a look at the people we're hanging around with, if we haven't done that already. EA said there are really 3 groups that a person can be categorized into based on their actions - there are Givers and there are Takers and as expected, they have different characteristics and they interact with us differently. The third group is made up of the Fence-Sitters, the folks who behave as either a Giver or a Taker, depending on whose company they're in. This group is by far the largest of the three, as you can imagine. I've been thinking about this a lot since our conversation, trying to figure out how to make it all make sense from a Beyond Retirement point of view. One of the ways EA defines the differences between Givers and Takers is in what they share with others. Givers bring wisdom, wealth and wellness to their relationships, while Takers bring defeatism, destruction and disruption to their relationships. Just going by those gifts (if you can call them that), I'd think it's pretty easy to see that you'd be gaining a lot more from a relationship with a Giver than with a Taker, regardless of what phase of life you're in. And as we travel the road Beyond Retirement, I think we're going to find that wisdom, wealth and wellness are concepts that we want to pursue, whether or not we've done so up to this point, because these are the concepts that are going to take us forward and bring us closer to the joy and fulfilment that we're looking for in this stage of life. So being able to figure out whether you're chatting with a Giver or a Taker is a pretty important skill to acquire, I'd say. The next thing EA mentioned is the idea that we should separate the people in our lives from their actions. Usually, we make a decision about a person based on what they say and do; we decide whether or not we like them because we either like or dislike their actions or words. But EA pointed out that we can like or love a person and not like or love what they're doing. He called this discernment. The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines discernment as “the quality of being able to grasp and comprehend what is obscure.” To grasp means to lay hold of with the mind and obscure means not known to most people; likely to be understood by only a few people; difficult or impossible to know completely and with certainty. So, the bottom line here is that developing the quality of discernment will probably set you apart from the majority of people and with this skill, you'll be able to really see people for who they are and figure out whether they're going to drain you or fill you up. And I think it's safe to say that by the time we get to the stage of life we're in, we aren't looking for people to drain us! Something I learned quite a while ago that's stuck with me is the idea that you become the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with. The idea here is that you start to think like these people and act like these people, so consequently your choices are similar, and you will eventually rise or fall to the level that is about midline of that group. Depending on the group you're in, you are someone's number 1 or number 5 too, and they'll be moving up or down to match where you are. All of this is quite subconscious, naturally, but the act of finding and maximizing the potential of your group should be no accident. Especially as you're going into the retirement years. You'll want to find people who share your interests and values, people who see things the way you do, because these are the people who are going to help you make the transition and create the best life you can have. So how do you find these people? I think the first step is to start examining the people you spend time with now. What are they doing? What are they saying they want to do in the future? Are they encouraging each other to strive for more or are they suggesting...

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 16, 2022 is: sanguine • SANG-gwin • adjective Sanguine means "confidently optimistic." // The young CEO is sanguine about the struggling company's future. See the entry > Examples: "Mystifyingly, the Tony-nominated actress was never invited to audition for the 2020 Broadway revival of … 'West Side Story.' But given the way things worked out, [Ariana DeBose]—who was cast in Spielberg's movie shortly afterward—is pretty sanguine about the slight. 'I think everything happens for a reason,' she says. 'That was not my blessing. That was somebody else's blessing.'" — Sara Stewart, The New York Post, 8 Dec. 2021 Did you know? If you're the sort of cheery soul who always looks on the bright side no matter what happens, you have a sanguine personality. Sanguine is the name of one of the temperaments that ancient and medieval scholars believed was caused by an abundance of one of the four humors. It comes from sanguineus—Latin for "of or relating to blood" or "bloody"—and over centuries has had meanings ranging from "bloodthirsty" and "bloodred" to "confidently optimistic."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 15, 2022 is: euphemism • YOO-fuh-miz-um • noun A euphemism is an agreeable or inoffensive word or phrase that is used instead of one that may offend or suggest something unpleasant. // The euphemism "passed on" is often used to communicate the unpleasant news that someone has "died." See the entry > Examples: "We are constantly reminded that pests (a euphemism for rats and racoons) feed off food scraps in unsecured trash cans." — The Brookline (Massachusetts) TAB, 9 Dec. 2021 Did you know? Euphemism comes from Greek eúphēmos, which means "uttering sounds of good omen," "fair-sounding," or "auspicious." The first part of that root is the prefix eu-, meaning "good."  The second part is phēmos, a Greek word for "speech."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 14, 2022 is: gloss • GLAHSS • verb Gloss means "to provide a brief explanation of a difficult or obscure word or expression" or, generally, "to explain or interpret." // The text of the book is relatively jargon-free and most of the technical vocabulary has been glossed. See the entry > Examples: "Glossing the process, [Janelle Shane] told me, 'As the algorithm generates text, it predicts the next character based on the previous characters—either the seed text, or the text it has generated already.'"— Jacob Brogan, Slate, 9 May 2017 Did you know? The verb gloss, referring to a brief explanation, comes from Greek glôssa, meaning "tongue," "language," or "obscure word." There is also the familiar phrase gloss over, meaning "to deal with (something) too lightly or not at all." That gloss is related to Germanic glosen, "to glow or shine," and comes from the noun gloss, which in English can refer to a shine on a surface or to a superficial attractiveness that is easily dismissed.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 13, 2022 is: meritorious • mair-uh-TOR-ee-us • adjective Meritorious means "deserving of honor or esteem." // At the gathering, the company's president expressed his gratitude to employees for their meritorious service. See the entry > Examples: "It's no secret that these companies have a lot on the line here. They're well resourced, and they're going to marshal every argument that they have, meritorious or meritless." — Lina Khan, quoted in The New York Magazine, 27 Oct. 2021 Did you know? People who demonstrate meritorious behavior certainly "earn" our respect, and you can use that fact to remember that meritorious comes from the Latin verb merēre, which means "to earn." Nowadays, the rewards earned for meritorious acts are likely to be of an immaterial nature: gratitude, admiration, praise, etc. But that wasn't always so. The history of meritorious recalls a reward more concrete in nature: money. In Latin, meritorious literally means "bringing in money."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 12, 2022 is: stir-crazy • STER-KRAY-zee • adjective Stir-crazy means "distraught because of prolonged confinement." // Guests at the ski lodge began going stir-crazy after Day 3 of being snowed in by the blizzard.  See the entry > Examples: "Trying to decide what to do with stir-crazy Vermont kids in winter? Maybe they are home from school on break … and want easy, indoor winter fun. There are a variety of places and attractions that will let your child's creativity, imagination and energy soar, away from the confines of their regular space." — April Barton, The Burlington (Vermont) Free Press, 10 Dec. 2021 Did you know? Stir-crazy originated as a word to describe a prisoner who became distraught after prolonged confinement. Stir is a 19th-century slang word for "prison" that some word historians have suspected to be from Romani stariben, of the same meaning. But a convincing argument of that origin has yet been made. Today, stir-crazy describes any person who has become restless, agitated, or anxious from being or feeling entrapped in some place.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 11, 2022 is: tome • TOHM • noun A tome is a large or scholarly book. // The book is a literary tome set during the French Revolution. See the entry > Examples: "Paul McCartney, the iconic Beatles band member, ... has put out a tome of a memoir. Inside the creator recounts his more than eight decades of songwriting." — Anna Tingley, Reuters, 2 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Tome comes from Greek tomos, meaning "section" or "roll of papyrus." The Greek is related to the verb temnein, "to cut"; in ancient times, long scrolls of papyrus were divided into sections. When tome was first used in English, it referred to a book that was a part of a multi-volume work or a major part of a single-volume book.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 10, 2022 is: affable • AF-uh-bul • adjective Affable means "being pleasant and at ease in talking to others" or "characterized by ease and friendliness." // The affable owner of the restaurant can be seen most nights welcoming his guests and making light conversation. // In the hallways, the principal has an affable demeanor; however, when called to her office, students know she is all about business. See the entry > Examples: "… Perkatory, the coffee shop founded by her late mother in Devil's Beach's quaint business district, … is located in a building owned by Lana's dad, Peter, an affable hippie and the island's leading purveyor of gossip." — Colette Bancroft, The Tampa Bay Times, 29 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Affable comes from Latin affārī, meaning "to speak to." Other fārī relatives—the word itself means "to speak"—are infant, fable, and fate, among others.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 9, 2022 is: finesse • fuh-NESS • verb Finesse means "to handle, deal with, or do (something) in an indirect and skillful or clever way." // The forward finessed the ball past two defenders and powered it to the left of the goalie for a score.  See the entry > Examples: "One of the most refreshing parts of the doc is the revelation that even the Beatles at their creative peak started off with some clunkers and finessed them into brilliant, lasting earworms we know and love today. The scrappy first take off 'I Got a Feeling' has nothing on the rollicking, perfect last take." — Brittany Wong, HuffPost, 2 Dec. 2021 Did you know? Finesse originally referred to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture; that sense is based on French fin, meaning "fine." In time, the noun was applied to the "delicate" handling of a situation. The related verb finesse had its start at gaming tables: if you finesse in a game like bridge or whist, you withhold your highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played. Similar uses of the verb implying skill and cleverness followed.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 8, 2022 is: layman • LAY-mun • noun A layman is a person who belongs to a religion but is a not a member of its clergy. Layman is also used for someone who does not belong to a particular profession or is not an expert in some field. // A banquet was held in honor of the faithful laymen who have volunteered their time and services to the church.   // The author claims the book to be an introduction to physics, but it proves to be quite inaccessible to the layman. See the entry > Examples: "Elsewhere in the temple, I found the workplace of the trained laymen who had been granted permission to practice their art … despite not being ordained as monks." — Francesco Lastrucci, The New York Times, 25 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Layman is a closed compound of lay man. Lay is an adjective that means "of or relating to the people of a religious faith (but not of its clergy)." The origins of lay and layman go back to Greek laikos, meaning "of the people." Layman was originally used to distinguish between non-clerical people and the clergy before being used to distinguish non-professionals from professionals in a field (such as law or medicine).

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 7, 2022 is: voluble • VAHL-yuh-bul • adjective Voluble means "characterized by ready or rapid speech." // During the public forum, the town's more voluble residents expressed their displeasure with the council's decision to increase property taxes. See the entry > Examples: "[Erich Jarvis] hypothesized that the most vocal animals are typically the ones that have to worry less about predators. Interestingly, he noticed that especially voluble vocal learners 'tend to be near the top of the food chain—like humans, whales, and dolphins or elephants.'" — Emma Bryce, Live Science, 2 July 2021 Did you know? Voluble traces back to Latin volvere, meaning "to set in a circular course" or "to cause to roll." English rolled with that meaning, using voluble as an adjective to describe things easily rolling, changing, or turning, and later added the meaning of Latin volūbilis, which implies readily flowing speech. Today, voluble most often describes an individual who speaks easily and often.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 6, 2022 is: cerulean • suh-ROO-lee-un • adjective Cerulean means "resembling the blue of the sky." // The painting depicts autumnal trees bordering a cerulean lake. See the entry > Examples: "To our left, as we made our way along the trail, was an expansive valley enclosed by the cerulean heights of the Blue Ridge Mountains, a 550-mile expanse of the Appalachian Mountains." — Stephanie Hill, The Herald-Dispatch (Huntington, West Virginia), 3 Dec. 2021 Did you know? Cerulean comes from Latin caeruleus, which means "dark blue" and is most likely from caelum, "sky."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2022 is: sully • SUL-ee • verb Sully means "to soil or tarnish." // The money-related charges brought against the restaurant's owner has sullied her reputation. See the entry > Examples: "When she began living next to the beach in Barcelona, New Yorker Elizabeth Sherr was distressed to see all the cigarette butts and litter sullying its golden sand. The 24-year-old began a campaign to pick up the rubbish piece by piece, posting videos on TikTok encouraging others to get involved." — Graham Keeley, i (inews.co.uk), 10 June 2021 Did you know? The spelling of sully has shifted several times since it was sylian in Old English, but its meaning has remained essentially the same: "to soil." In case you are wondering whether sullen (meaning "gloomy or morose") is a relative, the answer is "no." Sullen comes from Latin solus, meaning "alone."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 5, 2022 is: sully • SUL-ee • verb Sully means "to soil or tarnish." // The money-related charges brought against the restaurant's owner have sullied her reputation. See the entry > Examples: "When she began living next to the beach in Barcelona, New Yorker Elizabeth Sherr was distressed to see all the cigarette butts and litter sullying its golden sand. The 24-year-old began a campaign to pick up the rubbish piece by piece, posting videos on TikTok encouraging others to get involved." — Graham Keeley, i (inews.co.uk), 10 June 2021 Did you know? The spelling of sully has shifted several times since it was sylian in Old English, but its meaning has remained essentially the same: "to soil." In case you are wondering whether sullen (meaning "gloomy or morose") is a relative, the answer is "no." Sullen comes from Latin solus, meaning "alone."

Series Introduction Recently, I have been posting why Redemption Hill Church is confessional. The term confessional has lost its luster over the last 100 years, but prior, most churches held to a Confession of Faith. I attempt to show in these blog posts the value of confessions and why a local church should be confessional. This blog is part 3 of 4. These four blogs on confessionalism are about: The Nature of ConfessionalismThe Parameters of ConfessionalismA Vision of ConfessionalismSubscription to a Confession If you are new to confessionalism, or the term is foreign, that’s ok. The purpose of cornfieldtheology.com is to introduce people to new concepts, terms, and theological ideas. These four blogs on confessionalism have been adapted from a paper I submitted to the elders of Trinity Fellowship Churches in preparation for Theology Day before our General Assembly. This fourth blog post is on subscription to a confession of faith. If a local church pastor is a part of a denomination that holds to a Confession of Faith, then to what degree is the confession affirmed, taught, and defended? Subscription to our Confession In confessional denominations, one of the most debated issues is about subscription. But what is subscription? Merriam-Webster offers a helpful definition. Subscription is the “act of signing one’s name (as in attesting or witnessing a document).” And it is “the acceptance (as of ecclesiastical articles of faith) attested by the signing of one’s name.” Here is the question at hand: To what degree should an elder or eldership subscribe to a denomination’s Confession of Faith? A too loose subscription will result in a confession being rendered useless. What is the point of ascribing to a confession or statement of faith if you are unwilling to affirm, teach, and defend it? There will not be unity but pragmatism in a local church and across a denomination. But, the aim of a collection of churches is to be united on doctrine. As I have said in previous blogs on confessionalism, uniting around a person is unstainable. Trying to unite around a methodology will not last. Uniting around a vision is great until the vision changes, and not everyone is on board with the change. Uniting around culture has the potential to be toxic. But uniting around truth can last generations.  Uniting with truth means churches in a denomination should strive for a subscription where an exc

EPISODE OVERVIEW: Have you heard the one about the pastor's son who saw the good, bad, and ugly of religion at an early age? You know, the one where he was encouraged by his family to challenge the status quo and find his own way.So in this episode of the podcast we're going to talk about religion. We're going to talk about relationship. We're going to talk about wanderlust. We're going to talk about the climate change issue. Is it real? Is it fake? What we can do to be just stewards of this beautiful planet God gave us, and a whole bunch of other things. Welcome to this week's Remarkable episode, the Tom Bowman story! GUEST BIO: Tom Bowman is an advisor, speaker, and changemaker who believes that the solutions to even the world's toughest problems are within our grasp. His gift for distilling complex problems and scientific information to their central nugget empowers people to take ownership and act.As principal of Bowman Change, Inc., Tom works with people and organizations who care deeply about their communities and their world. Bowman's contributions as a strategic advisor on an Action for Climate Empowerment framework for the United States are helping shape our world's future. He is author of three books and a change agent in the small business community. FEATURED QUOTE(S): "Epiphany ( i-ˈpi-fə-nē ): a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way" - Merriam-Webster.com EPISODE PROUDLY SPONSORED BY: Butler Auto Recycling: Quality Auto Parts. Nationwide Shipping Available. Ark Encounter: The flood. Science. A Truly Immersive Experience.  SHOW NOTES:  SPECIAL OFFERS, LINKS, GUEST CONTACT INFO, & OTHER RESOURCES MENTIONED:Contact Info:Website: https://www.tombowman.comFacebook: www.facebook.com/BowmanClimateInstagram: @BowmanClimateLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-bowman-4429427/ HOW TO SUPPORT THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE PODCAST:Subscribe, Rate, & Review  us on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any of your favorite Podcast PlayersShare the podcast with your family, friends, co-workers, church, and on your social media pagesShop our store and support your favorite podcast, guest, and charities around the worldSponsor / Donate what you can financially to the podcast and help us continue to reach people around the world with the Remarkable true life stories that inspire us all to grow, feel purpose, and fulfill it!THANKS FOR LISTENING TO THE REMARKABLE PEOPLE PODCAST!

On today's episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben pay tribute to the late pioneer in linguistics and cognitive science, Lila Gleitman. They also interview Peter Sokolowski of Merriam-Webster and Fiona McPherson of the Oxford English Dictionary about the keywords of 2021. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you're familiar with the diversity of English dialects. You could win a year's membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.  Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Lila Gleitman's obituary in the New York Times  Lila Gleitman's interview at the 2017 Association for Psychological Science conference  Oxford Languages Word of the Year  Merriam-Webster Word of the Year  American Dialect Society Word of the Year  American Dialect Society's 2021 Word of the Year livestream — register to join the virtual voting session! Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On today's episode of Spectacular Vernacular, Nicole and Ben pay tribute to the late pioneer in linguistics and cognitive science, Lila Gleitman. They also interview Peter Sokolowski of Merriam-Webster and Fiona McPherson of the Oxford English Dictionary about the keywords of 2021. And finally, we bring on a listener for some wordplay. We hope you're familiar with the diversity of English dialects. You could win a year's membership to Slate Plus. Do you have any language questions or fun facts to share? Email us at spectacular@slate.com.   Produced by Jasmine Ellis and Asha Saluja.  Here are some notes and references from this week's show: Lila Gleitman's obituary in the New York Times  Lila Gleitman's interview at the 2017 Association for Psychological Science conference  Oxford Languages Word of the Year  Merriam-Webster Word of the Year  American Dialect Society Word of the Year  American Dialect Society's 2021 Word of the Year livestream — register to join the virtual voting session! Subscribe to Slate Plus. It's only $1 for the first month. To learn more, go to slate.com/spectacularplus. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 4, 2022 is: antithetical • an-tuh-THET-ih-kul • adjective Antithetical means "directly opposite of or opposed." // The question asks students to describe and analyze the antithetical forces of good and evil in the story. See the entry > Examples: "In all seriousness, area trails can get crowded, particularly during holidays, and an adventure with too many others, for some, is antithetical to their preferred outdoor experience." — David Jasper, The Bulletin (Bend, Oregon), 26 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Antithetical and antithesis come from Greek antitithenai ("to oppose"). The oldest sense of antithesis refers to a language pattern that contrasts parallel ideas, as in "action, not words" or "they promised freedom and provided slavery," and antithetical originally referred to anything that was marked by such antithesis. For example, you could say "The phrase 'action, not words' is an antithetical construction." It is more common, however, for antithesis to mean "the exact opposite" and for antithetical to mean "directly opposite."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 3, 2022 is: palindrome • PAL-un-drohm • noun A palindrome is a word, verse, or sentence (as "Able was I ere I saw Elba"), or a number (as 2002) that reads the same backward or forward. // Hannah was amused when Otto pointed out that they both had first names that were palindromes. See the entry > Examples: "The original members—Agnetha, Bjorn, Benny and Anni, whose first names form the palindrome ABBA—were a perpetual presence on the radio airwaves during their 1972 to '82 heyday, and one of the most commercially successful acts in the history of popular music." — Ray Schweibert, The Atlantic City (New Jersey) Weekly, 16 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Palindrome comes from Greek palindromos, meaning "running back again," which itself is from palin ("back," "again") and dramein ("to run"). Nowadays, we appreciate a clever palindrome—such as "Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard" or "A man, a plan, a canal: Panama"—or even a simple one like "race car," but in the past palindromes were more than just smart wordplay. Some folks thought they were magical, and they carved them on walls or amulets for protection.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2022 is: captious • KAP-shuss • adjective Captious means "tending to find fault and raise objections" or "calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument." // Surprisingly, the critic, who is known for being captious, found the movie to be a flawless gem. // Befuddled by the captious questions, the suspect broke down and confessed to the crime. See the entry > Examples: "Enjoyable as the book is, a purist will nonetheless fault its loose construction. Still, readers shouldn't be overly captious about this diverting, light entertainment." — Michael Dirda, The Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2018 Did you know? Captious comes from Latin captio, which refers to a deception or verbal quibble. Arguments labeled captious are likely to "capture" a person; they often entrap through subtly deceptive reasoning or trifling points. A captious individual is one who might also be dubbed "hypercritical," the sort of carping, censorious critic only too ready to point out minor faults and raise objections on trivial grounds.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 2, 2022 is: captious • KAP-shuss • adjective Captious usually means "tending to find fault and raise objections." Less commonly, it means "calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument." // Surprisingly, the critic, who is known for being captious, found the movie to be a flawless gem. // Befuddled by the captious questions, the suspect broke down and confessed to the crime. See the entry > Examples: "Enjoyable as the book is, a purist will nonetheless fault its loose construction. Still, readers shouldn't be overly captious about this diverting, light entertainment." — Michael Dirda, The Denver Post, 7 Oct. 2018 Did you know? Captious comes from Latin captio, which refers to a deception or verbal quibble. Arguments labeled captious are likely to "capture" a person; they often entrap through subtly deceptive reasoning or trifling points. A captious individual is one who might also be dubbed "hypercritical," the sort of carping, censorious critic only too ready to point out minor faults and raise objections on trivial grounds.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for January 1, 2022 is: rejuvenate • rih-JOO-vuh-nayt • verb Rejuvenate means "to make young or youthful again" or "to give new strength or energy to." // The hotel package includes a day at the spa to rejuvenate guests. // Small businesses opening along the main street have rejuvenated the downtown area. See the entry > Examples: "This year's playoff run was an unexpected gift. Fenway Park was rejuvenated with a level of energy we haven't felt in years. The Sox eliminated the Yankees and Rays before falling two wins short of a World Series appearance. The end was disappointing, but the ride was exhilarating." — Tom Caron, The Sun Journal (Lewiston, Maine), 22 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Rejuvenate originated as a combination of the prefix re-, which means "again," with the Latin parent of juvenile and junior—juvenis, meaning "young." Rejuvenate literally means "to make young again" and can imply a restoration of physical or mental strength or a return to a more youthful, healthy condition. Things that are timeworn can also be rejuvenated.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 31, 2021 is: zeitgeist • TSYTE-gyste • noun Zeitgeist refers to the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era. // Although set in the 1980s, the movie reflects the feelings and zeitgeist of today. See the entry > Examples: "The lead single and opening track, 'Smells Like Teen Spirit,' has been streamed more than 1 billion times on Spotify. Its accompanying music video has been viewed more than 1 billion times on YouTube. 'Nevermind' is the defining album of an era and generation, an embodiment of the cultural zeitgeist of the 1990s." — Hickory Daily Record (North Carolina), 28 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all other epochs. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 30, 2021 is: astute • uh-STOOT • adjective Astute means "having or showing an ability to notice and understand things clearly"—in other words, "being mentally sharp or clever." // The coach has proven to be an astute judge of talent during his career. See the entry > Examples: "In her new memoir, 'Both/And,' … [Huma Abedin] may be one of the most politically astute and well-traveled women in the world, but she portrays herself as far from worldly, at least in affairs of the heart." — Susan Dominus¸ The New York Times, 21 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Astute comes from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft." The word implies being keenly observant and forming sound judgments based on knowledge and experience.

One way to look back on a year is by taking a close look at the words that were called to occasion by, this year, an attempt to overturn an election, and a pandemic. On Today's Show:Ben Zimmer, linguist, a lexicographer, the language columnist for The Wall Street Journal, a contributing writer for The Atlantic, co-host of the Slate podcast ‘Spectacular Vernacular,' and chair of the American Dialect Society New Words Committee and oversees their word-of-the-year selection process, talks about some of the words with special significance in 2021. Merriam-Webster picked “Vaccine”, Oxford Languages picked “Vax” and dictionary.com went with “Allyship." NOTE: This segment was taken from Brian's 12/28 live show. As part of our year-end coverage, we're approaching politics from some fun angles, including tomorrow's 'New Quiz.'

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 29, 2021 is: carte blanche • KART-BLAHNCH • noun Carte blanche is the permission to do something however one chooses to do it. // The parents granted their children carte blanche to decorate their bedrooms as they wished. See the entry > Examples: "'I know you're used to having carte blanche to handle the mission as you see fit, 007. You have your independent streak and it's served you well in the past.' A dark look. 'Most of the time.'"— Jeffery Deaver, Carte Blanche, 2011 Did you know? Carte blanche is much like a blank check. In French, carte means "document" and blanche means "blank," so the phrase means "blank document." English retained that literal meaning: a carte blanche was a blank document signed in advance by one party and given to the other with permission to fill in conditions later. Much like blank check, carte blanche also took on the extended meaning "complete freedom."

Jordan Rich fills in on NightSide with Dan Rea:The English language is always evolving, from pronunciations to the invention of new words. Changes can occur when new technology is developed or as new generations emerge. The pandemic alone has made some contributions such as “super-spreader” and “vaccine-passport.” Joining Jordan to chat about the latest additions to the English language is Peter Sokolowski, Editor-at-Large for Merriam-Webster.

To ostatni odcinek w 2021 roku, ale nie jest to podsumowanie. To bardziej giełda prognoz i zapowiedzi tego, co ważne będzie w roku 2022. To również cała lista nadziei, jakie wiążą się z technologiami, i równie długie zestawienie obaw, których niesie ich rozwój. Więcej o słowach, które charakteryzują 2021 rok, można przeczytać na stronach Merriam Webster i Collins Dictionary. https://www.merriam-webster.com/ https://www.collinsdictionary.com/woty Ale jako że analizowanie technologii to nie tylko plebiscyt popularności związanych z nimi wyrażeń, to mamy kilka źródeł pogłębiających tematy, o których mówiłyśmy w podcaście. Globalne trendy Biil Gates, zapowiadający, że pandemia się skończy, we wpisie na swoim własnym blogu. https://www.gatesnotes.com/About-Bill-Gates/Year-in-Review-2021 Analiza globalnego zaufania według Edelman Trust Barometer https://www.edelman.com/sites/g/files/aatuss191/files/2021-03/2021%20Edelman%20Trust%20Barometer.pdf Predykcje Marian Salzman na 2022 rok https://mariansalzman.com/22-trends-for-2022/ Praktyczne wyzwania technologii Właśnie im poświcone jesy specjalne wydanie brytyjskiego The Wired o świecie w 2022 roku Szczególnie polecamy w nim teksty: "Privacy Versus Security is a False Choice" Ian Levy i "Why Computers Don't Need to Match Human Intelligence" Kai Fu Lee https://www.wired.co.uk/topic/the-wired-world-in-2022 Zmiany na rynku pracy "Wielka Rezygnacja. Nowa fala pandemii. Fala wypalenia zawodowego i rzucania pracy" Sylwia Czubkowska, Marek Szymaniak, magazyn Spider'sWeb+ https://spidersweb.pl/plus/2021/12/wielka-rezygnacja-praca-zwolnienia-wypalenie-zawodowe-ucieczka

It's a Festivus Miracle! The guys are back with another episode. In this one we air our grievances about "knowing the markets," having a bunch of screens, and why people look at risk the opposite of the way Merriam Webster does. We also catch you up on some of our latest conferences and what's on our schedule for 2022. Hope to see y'all out there this year! 

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 28, 2021 is: insinuate • in-SIN-yuh-wayt • verb Insinuate means "to imply or suggest in a subtle or indirect way." // When the teacher questioned the students about their test answers being the same, they knew she was insinuating that they had cheated. See the entry > Examples: "Since training camp, Quinn has talked openly about his refreshed mindset and has insinuated he was too hard on himself during his struggles last season. He said a nagging back injury slowed him significantly in 2020 as well." — Dan Wiederer, The Chicago Tribune, 14 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Insinuate comes from the Latin root sinuare, meaning "to bend or curve." It is a synonym of imply or suggest; however, insinuate usually conveys something unpleasant is said in a sly or underhanded way.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 27, 2021 is: livid • LIV-id • adjective Livid means "very angry, enraged, or furious." // The child's parents were livid when they discovered she had lied about her whereabouts. See the entry > Examples: "… consumers … were livid about high gas prices. Gas in some markets topped $4 a gallon." — Beth Musgrave, The Lexington (Kentucky) Herald Leader, 26 May 2011 Did you know? Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means "dull, grayish, or leaden blue." From this came the French livide, which English borrowed as livid. The word can describe flesh discolored by a bruise or an appearance deficient in color. Eventually, it came to be used for the complexion of a person pale with anger (i.e., "a person livid with rage"). From this meaning came two new senses: "reddish," as one is as likely to become red with anger as pale; the other was simply "angry" or "furious."

Join Josh, Kendrick, and Justin as they delve into a Spoiler-Free and Spoiler-Heavy Review of Spider-Man: No Way Home. First 43:43 of this cast is spoiler-free, and we don't talk about anything that wasn't in the trailer, and after that we go more in-depth which includes spoiler discussion. We also talk about our history with Spider-Man, some highs and lows of the new film, the Spider-Man mythos in film as a whole and the “Marvel of it all”. Join our FB group https://bit.ly/3JtfebF  Join our Twitter https://bit.ly/3EBBIUf  Join our Discord! https://bit.ly/3oTfoRs   Check us out at: williswaypod.com Rate us on Spotify & iTunes/Apple Podcasts! Email us: williswaypod@gmail.com Support the pod by going to https://anchor.fm/willis-way and clicking Support! Find other Last of the Action Heroes over at https://lastoftheactionheroes.com Our Last of the Action Heroes Discord: https://discord.gg/vKUhynDqdb Follow Josh on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoshingCarter Catch Kendrick on Twitter: https://twitter.com/kmartinix Follow Justin's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mr_biig_deal/   “Beeves” at Merriam-Webster:  https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/beeves

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 26, 2021 is: Kwanzaa • KWAHN-zuh • noun Kwanzaa is an African-American cultural festival held from December 26 to January 1. // Kwanzaa is celebrated with candle lighting ceremonies. See the entry > Examples: "[Marilyn Hemingway] said that more and more people have incorporated Kwanzaa in their celebrations. The seven-day holiday was first celebrated in Los Angeles in 1966 and was founded by scholar, author and activist Maulana Karenga as an alternative to the traditional Christmas holiday as a way to bring the African American community together…." — Roger Yale, The Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), 17 Nov. 2021 Did you know? In 1966, Maulana Karenga, a Black Studies professor at California State University at Long Beach, created a new holiday patterned after traditional African harvest festivals. He called it Kwanzaa, a name he took from a Swahili term that means "first fruits." The holiday, which takes place from December 26th to January 1st, was originally intended as a nonreligious celebration of family and social values. Each day of Kwanzaa is dedicated to one of seven principles: unity, self-determination, collective responsibility, cooperative economics, purpose, creativity, and faith.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 25, 2021 is: jubilate • JOO-buh-layt • verb Jubilate means "to feel joy or great delight." It is an old-fashioned synonym of rejoice that still brings a smile to those who encounter it. // Supporters of the mayoral candidate jubilated when his victory was officially announced. See the entry > Examples: "If the Yankees were in no mood to watch the Red Sox jubilate, a glance at the scoreboard didn't help matters." — Billy Witz, The New York Times, 21 Sept. 2018 Did you know? When things are going your way, you may want to shout for joy—or to jubilate. The joyful source of jubilate is Latin jubilare, which means "to shout for joy."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 24, 2021 is: adventitious • ad-ven-TISH-us • adjective Adventitious means "coming from another source," and it is used in formal writing. In botany, it means "arising or occurring sporadically in other than the usual location." // In his biography, the artist states that most of his ideas came from within and were not adventitious. // The tomato plant forms adventitious roots along its stem. See the entry > Examples: "Adventitious roots are roots that form on plant organs like stems, leaves and nodes of the plant. These roots are the ones that reach out to anchor the plant as well as find water and nutrients." — Campbell Vaughn, The Augusta (Georgia) Chronicle, 28 Jan. 2021 Did you know? Adventitious comes from Latin adventīcius, meaning "coming from outside," which, in turn, is from advenīre, "to arrive." The verb is the source of other English words, including advent, adventure, and avenue.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 23, 2021 is: paucity • PAW-suh-tee • noun Paucity implies smallness of number or quantity. // There was a paucity of detail in the report.   See the entry > Examples: "... sparse transit service and a paucity of bicycle lanes often leave automobiles as the only, not necessarily the preferred, transportation option." — David Zipper, The Daily Herald (Everett, Washington), 25 Oct. 2021 Did you know? Paucity refers to "littleness" in numbers (as in "a paucity of facts") or quantity ("a paucity of common sense"). The word comes from paucus, Latin for "little."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 22, 2021 is: benign • bih-NYNE • adjective Benign means "not causing harm or injury." In medicine, it refers to tumors that are not cancerous. // The email seemed benign, but it was discovered to be from a hacker. // The tumor was benign. See the entry > Examples: "Today all apps and software, no matter how benign they appear, are designed to maximize data collection." — Shoshana Zuboff, The New York Times, 14 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Benign comes from Latin benignus, which was formed from bene, meaning "well," and gignere, "to beget." Gignere is the root of such English words as genius and germ.

re·sil·ience /rəˈzilyəns/noun the capacity to recover quickly from difficulties, toughness. That's Merriam-Webster's definition above but my guest this week, Joanna Chanis, knows there's much more to that one word. A professional mentor and resilience expert, she helps young adults and entrepreneurs who have experienced a serious loss catapult into a more productive and holistic life. Joanna is the author of "The Waiting Room: Your Friend to Help You and Your Loved Ones through the Diagnosis", and a breast cancer survivor who is carrying the lessons learned from her journey into every aspect of life. From young adults to corporate teams, multitudes have found Joanna's story incredibly powerful and utilize her realistic problem-solving tools and values to obtain healthy resilience, overcome challenges, and increase productivity. Joanna is also the host of the podcast “About Life with Jo” (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/about-life-with-jo/id1575229420) where she connects and helps young adults, creating a space which feels like a night out, with conversations that are real and filter-free. This multi-talented woman has an entrepreneurial background in owning and operating a high-volume restaurant and founding a technology start-up and is also on the board of the Ellie Fund, which provides essential support services for breast cancer patients to ease the stresses of everyday life, and the Philoptochos Society, the philanthropic arm of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America that has offered 90 years of philanthropy through a multitude of programs across the world. A proud Greek American, Joanna celebrates her heritage by traveling to Greece each year and cooking Greek food. Along with her love for fine dining, style and travel, Joanna's main goal in life is to connect people and form deep relationships no matter where she goes. Joanna and I had a great chat about how as women we both have lied to ourselves and pretend that by putting everyone and everything else before ourselves can be seriously damaging. The two of us have recovered from life-changing health diagnoses and discuss how there IS life after one's diagnosis. Joanna says cancer was her truth teller, actually saved her life, and made her realize she needed to dive deep down and make huge changes within herself. She gives me and all of my listeners the tools and tips needed to overcome our daily struggles, increase our awareness, and live our most fulfilled lives! Be sure to follow her on Instagram at instagram.com/joannachanis/, LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joanna-chanis/, and YouTube at https://bit.ly/32icIns. ​ And last but certainly not least, Merry Christmas to you all and thank you from the bottom of my heart for being a NSD follower! Xo, Tonya

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 21, 2021 is: exasperate • ig-ZASS-puh-rayt • verb Exasperate means "to cause irritation or annoyance to someone" or "to excite the anger of someone." // The flight delays began to exasperate people in the airport. See the entry > Examples: "His suggestions sometimes exasperate the garden designers, who have their own vision of where things should be." — Jeanette Marantos, The Los Angeles Times, 6 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Exasperate comes from Latin exasperare, whose base, asper, means "rough." A relative of asper is asperity, which can refer to the roughness of a surface or the roughness of someone's temper. Another is spurn, meaning "to reject."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 20, 2021 is: huckster • HUCK-ster • noun A huckster is a person who is aggressive or dishonest in selling. // The jewelry that the huckster was peddling was obviously imitation.   See the entry > Examples: "… somewhere between four million and eleven million people identified as Spiritualists in the United States alone. Some of the leaders back then were hucksters, and some of the believers were easy marks…." — Casey Cep, The New Yorker, 31 May 2021 Did you know? Huckster comes from the Dutch noun hokester and verb hoeken, which means "to peddle."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 19, 2021 is: congenial • kun-JEEN-yul • adjective Congenial means "pleasant, friendly, or suitable." // The office is a congenial place to work. // The tour guide was very congenial. // The grapes thrive in the congenial climate. See the entry > Examples: "There's no question that Sloan was a competitor, but throughout the competition he was congenial and respectful…." — The Austin (Minnesota) Daily Herald, 3 Nov. 2021 Did you know? According to ancient mythology, each person at birth was assigned a guardian spirit. The Latin name for this attendant spirit was genius. Two people who get along well together can be thought of as sharing a similar spirit. They might even be described by a word combining the Latin prefix com- (meaning "with, together") and genius—in English congenial.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 18, 2021 is: rationale • rash-uh-NAL • noun A rationale is an explanation or reason for something said or done. // Senators who opposed the bill were questioned by media to uncover their rationale for voting against it. See the entry > Examples: "The casting of Chris Pratt as the voice of both Mario and Garfield has resulted in further mocking online, but his previous work as a voice artist goes some way in justifying the rationale behind these decisions. Pratt is no stranger to voice acting, having starred in both The LEGO Movie and its sequel….Pratt also voiced elf Barley in Pixar's Onward." — Andrew Waskett-Burt, Screen Rant, 5 Nov. 2021 Did you know? Rationale comes from Latin ratio, meaning "reason," and rationalis, "endowed with reason." Ratio is reasonably familiar as an English word for the relationship (in number, quantity, or degree) between things.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 17, 2021 is: venerate • VEN-uh-rayt • verb Venerate means "to feel or show deep respect and honor for someone or something." // Volunteers of the Peace Corps are venerated for their selfless dedication and contributions. See the entry > Examples: "But for those of us who venerate the written word, … a lost book is not an insignificant item gone astray…. Its value comes from the story and who we were and what we learned when we first encountered it." — Ana Veciana-Suarez, The Miami Herald, 8 Sept. 2021 Did you know? Venerate comes from the Latin root venerārī, which has the various meanings of "to solicit the good will of," "to worship," "to pay homage to," and "to hold in awe."  That root is related to Venus, which, as a proper noun, is the name of the Roman goddess of love and beauty.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for December 16, 2021 is: abrasive • uh-BRAY-siv • adjective Abrasive means, literally, "causing damage or wear by rubbing, grinding, or scraping." Figuratively, it is used to describe people or things that are unpleasant or irritating. // The powder might seem abrasive, but when used as instructed, it will remove dirt without damaging the surface. // Customer service requires being able to satisfy the polite subscribers but also the abrasive ones who argue with the terms of agreement. See the entry > Examples: "During the late fall and winter, frequent snowfall and abrasive sidewalk salt can damage the design of a holiday doormat within weeks." — Valerie Jacobsen, KDVR (Denver, Colorado), 29 Oct. 2021 Did you know? Once upon a time, English had abrade and abrase. While abrade remains a familiar word, abrase is rare but survives in abrasive. Both verbs come from abrādere, meaning "to remove by rubbing" or "to scrape off."