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Subject: sub rosa - msg#00021
List: culture.language.word-of-the-day
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The Word of the Day for December 22 is:
sub rosa \sub-ROH-zuh\ adverb
: in confidence : secretly
Example sentence:
Several military leaders were meeting sub rosa, plotting
to overthrow the king.
Did you know?
"Sub rosa" literally means "under the rose" in New Latin.
Since ancient times, the rose has often been associated with
secrecy. In ancient mythology, Cupid gave a rose to
Harpocrates, the god of silence, to keep him from telling about
the indiscretions of Venus. Ceilings of dining rooms have been
decorated with carvings of roses, reportedly to remind guests
that what was said at the table should be kept confidential.
Roses have also been placed over confessionals as a symbol of
the confidentiality of confession. "Sub rosa" entered the
English language in the 17th century, and even before then,
people were using the English version, "under the rose."
Earlier still, "unter der Rose" was apparently used in Germany,
where the phrase is thought to have originated.
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zibeline
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The Word of the Day for December 21 is:
zibeline \ZIB-uh-leen\ noun
: a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or
camel's hair
Example sentence:
"She tops white zibeline pants with a brown and white
check hunting jacket and brandy silk scarf." (_House
Beautiful_, October 1, 2000)
Did you know?
Though zibeline is woven from the hair of alpacas, camels,
or Angora goats, its name actually traces back to a Slavic word
for the sable, a small mammal related to the weasel. The Slavic
term was adopted into Old Italian, and from there it passed to
Middle French, then on to English in the late 1600s.
English "zibeline" originally referred to the sable or its fur,
but in the 1890s it developed a second sense, applying to a
soft, smooth, slightly furry material woven from a mixture of
animal hairs. It's especially suited to women's suits and
coats, or, as a fashion columnist in the December 6, 1894 issue
of _Vogue_ observed, "Zibeline ... makes an exceedingly pretty,
warm theatre cloak, not too fine to be crushed into the small
one-chair space."
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precatory
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The Word of the Day for December 23 :
precatory \PREK-uh-tor-ee\ adjective
: expressing a wish
Example sentence:
We here convey our wishes
In this precatory phrase:
May peace and joy be with you
In all the coming days!
Did you know?
Nowadays, you're most likely to see "precatory" used in
legal contexts to distinguish statements that merely express a
wish from those that create a legal obligation. For example, if
you add a provision to your will asking someone to take care of
your pet if you die, that provision is merely precatory.
Outside of jurisprudence, you might see references to such
things as "precatory dress codes" or "precatory stockholder
proposals" -- all of which are non-binding. "Precatory" traces
to Latin "precari" ("to pray"), and it has always referred to
something in the nature of an entreaty or supplication. For
example, a precatory hymn is one that beseeches "from sin and
sorrow set us free" -- versus a laudatory hymn (that is, one
giving praise).
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zibeline
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The Word of the Day for December 21 is:
zibeline \ZIB-uh-leen\ noun
: a soft lustrous wool fabric with mohair, alpaca, or
camel's hair
Example sentence:
"She tops white zibeline pants with a brown and white
check hunting jacket and brandy silk scarf." (_House
Beautiful_, October 1, 2000)
Did you know?
Though zibeline is woven from the hair of alpacas, camels,
or Angora goats, its name actually traces back to a Slavic word
for the sable, a small mammal related to the weasel. The Slavic
term was adopted into Old Italian, and from there it passed to
Middle French, then on to English in the late 1600s.
English "zibeline" originally referred to the sable or its fur,
but in the 1890s it developed a second sense, applying to a
soft, smooth, slightly furry material woven from a mixture of
animal hairs. It's especially suited to women's suits and
coats, or, as a fashion columnist in the December 6, 1894 issue
of _Vogue_ observed, "Zibeline ... makes an exceedingly pretty,
warm theatre cloak, not too fine to be crushed into the small
one-chair space."
Next Message by Thread:
click to view message preview
precatory
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Spruce up the season with a gift subscription to
Merriam-Webster Unabridged.
http://www.merriam-webster.com/cgi-bin/unabridged_gift.pl?choice=MWU&ref=gift_mwol
****************************************************************
The Word of the Day for December 23 :
precatory \PREK-uh-tor-ee\ adjective
: expressing a wish
Example sentence:
We here convey our wishes
In this precatory phrase:
May peace and joy be with you
In all the coming days!
Did you know?
Nowadays, you're most likely to see "precatory" used in
legal contexts to distinguish statements that merely express a
wish from those that create a legal obligation. For example, if
you add a provision to your will asking someone to take care of
your pet if you die, that provision is merely precatory.
Outside of jurisprudence, you might see references to such
things as "precatory dress codes" or "precatory stockholder
proposals" -- all of which are non-binding. "Precatory" traces
to Latin "precari" ("to pray"), and it has always referred to
something in the nature of an entreaty or supplication. For
example, a precatory hymn is one that beseeches "from sin and
sorrow set us free" -- versus a laudatory hymn (that is, one
giving praise).
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