Category Archives: Vocabulary word of the day

03.25.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

INANE

 Foolish
Kesia had always considered it rather inane to cheat on a test because of her code of ethics, and because so much was at stake.
 Orville Wright was criticized for his inane desire to fly.
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“Stock in trade”
The goods, tools, and other requisites of a profession
A quick wit and a warm smile were the salesman’s stock in trade.
03.24.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

SOLACE

Easing of grief
Mullins sought solace in whiskey
In trying to offer solace to the pilot’s wife, the reporter inadvertently made the situation worse
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“to rule the roost”

To be in charge, to be master
A roost is a perch where domestic birds can sleep
Although he is a lowly private in the army, at home he rules the roost.
BONUS Word of the Day is:

SCURRILOUS

Coarse
Vigilant censors protect the public from listening to scurrilous language on television.
03.12.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word is:
“Castigate”
To correct by punishing

“The kindly foreman was too reticent to openly castigate the clumsy new worker”

Today’s Idiom is:
“Hobson’s choice”
To have no choice at all

“Despite all the talk about democracy in my family, my father usually gives the rest of us Hobson’s choice”

Today’s Bonus Word is:
“Octogenarian”
A person in his or her eighties

“When the teenager announced her engagement to the octogenarian, the public suspected it to be a publicity stunt”.

03.12.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word is:
“Pugnacious”
Quarrelsome

“The pugnacious boxer demanded a rematch”
“Since everyone can outpunch my cousin, he cannot afford to be pugnacious”

Today’s Idiom Is:
“Feeling no pain”

Drunk

“Although the party had just begun, after his first drink he was feeling no pain.”

Today’s Bonus Word Is:
“Promulgate”
To make known officially

“We implored the faculty advisor to promulgate the requirements for the presidency of the club”

03.07.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:
“Feint”
False attack

“The intrepid battler laid the hapless Mullins low with an adroit feint and an uppercut”

“The Germans were duped by the Allies’ feint toward the south, leaving the way open for the Normandy invasion”

Today’s Idiom of the Day is:
“To throw down the gauntlet”
To challenge someone

(When the gauntlet, or medieval glove, was thrown down, the challenger was required to pick it up)

“The principal of our rival school threw down the gauntlet, and we had no choice but to accept the challenge.”

03.06.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

“Incongruous”

Inappropriate
“It may seem incongruous to call an undertaker a “condolence counselor,” or to refer to a taxi driver as a “transportation expediter,” but some prefer those titles”.
“The play was so incongruous that is seemed to be the work of several authors”
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“To go up in smoke”

To come to no practical result
(Kindling smokes but it will not light a fire)
“The mayor’s plans to get the gubernatorial nomination went up in smoke when he couldn’t end the costly strike.”
03.05.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

“Tremulous”

Quivering
“He explained in a tremulous voice what had led him to repudiate his confession made at the police station on the night of the crime.”
“The widow’s tremulous hands revealed her nervousness”
Today’s BONUS Word of the Day is:

 “Alacrity”

Briskness, lively action

“When the bell sounded, K.O. Mullins responded with alacrity. He sprang from his stool and charged across the ring, showing disdain for the champion’s strength”
“The waiter moved with alacrity because he perceived they were big tippers”
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“Not just whistling Dixie”

Not talking nonsense
“Man you are right! You’re not just whistling Dixie”
Today’s BONUS Idiom of the Day is:

“Kissing cousins”

Relatives who know one another 
well enough to kiss when they meet
“Joe and I are kissing cousins, though we haven’t seen one another since we were kids. Technically, we’re second cousins once removed, but I just say we’re kissing cousins”
03.04.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

“Repudiate”

To reject, decline
“The general attempted to repudiate the testimony of the lieutenant, claiming that the young officer was not an authority on low level bombing”.
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“be compos mentis”

Humorous
“If someone is compos mentis, they are able to think clearly and are responsible for their actions”
“My mother was quite old at the time but she was perfectly compos mentis”
03.03.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:

“Incipient”

Just beginning to exist
“Within a week the incipient crime wave came to an end when Big Eddie inadvertently chose the chief of police for his victim.”
“By telling the truth, we stopped the incipient rumor from spreading”
Today’s Idiom of the Day is:

“To carry the day”

To win approval of the majority
“The secretary’s motion that we adjourn for lunch carried the day and we headed for the restaurant”
03.02.10
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>Word and Idiom of the Day

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Today’s Word of the Day is:
“Caustic”
Sarcastic, biting

“In a caustic article, the drama critic slaughtered the hapless actors”

“Our lackluster performance indicated to him that we had forgotten the rudimentary aspects of basketball. His caustic remarks fired us up, however, and we dashed out, determined to wrest control of the game from our rivals”

Today’s Idiom of the Day is:
“Crocodile tears”
Insincere tears

Crocodiles were said to cry while eating their prey
“When the football player broke his leg, his substitute wept crocodile tears”