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haywire: msg#00008culture.language.word-of-the-day
***************************************************************** Add fireworks to your vocabulary by trying out a free trial subscription to Merriam-WebsterCollegiate.com! http://merriam-webster.com/premium/ ***************************************************************** The Word of the Day for July 9 is: haywire \HAY-wyre\ adverb or adjective *1 : being out of order or having gone wrong 2 : emotionally or mentally upset or out of control Example sentence: The TV goes haywire every time we use the blender. Did you know? The wire used in bailing hay -- haywire -- is often used in makeshift repairs. This hurried and temporary use of haywire gave rise to the adjective "haywire." When the adjective was first used in the early 20th century, it was primarily in the phrase "haywire outfit," which denoted originally a poorly equipped group of loggers and then anything that was flimsy or patched together. This led to a "hastily patched-up" sense, which, in turn, gave us the more commonly used meaning, "being out of order or having gone wrong." The "crazy" sense of "haywire" may have been suggested by the difficulty of handling the springy wire, its tendency to get tangled around legs, or the disorderly appearance of the temporary repair jobs for which it was used. *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. |
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