Another word a day part 17 pdf

sciolist (SAI-uh-list)
noun One who engages in a pretentious display of superficial
knowledge.
From Late Latin sciolus (smatterer), diminutive of Latin scius (know-
ing), from scire (to know). Another example of this type of word
formation is the name of the bird oriole, which is derived from the
diminutive form of Latin aureus (golden).
● “[A] still greater diffusion of literature shall produce an increase
of sciolists.”
—Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Biographia Literaria
146 ANOTHER WORD A DAY
Perfect love is rare indeed—for to be a lover will require that you
continually have the subtlety of the very wise, the flexibility
of the child, the sensitivity of the artist, the understanding
of the philosopher, the acceptance of the saint, the tolerance
of the scholar and the fortitude of the certain.
—
LEO BUSCAGLIA, author, speaker, and professor (1924–1998)
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W
e all collected stamps or something else as children. There are
collectors for almost everything under the sun (as a quick
peek at eBay would show),and there are specific words for many of
these forms of collecting: coins (numismatics), autographs (philog-
raphy), matchbox covers (phillumeny), you name it. Do you have a
hobby of collecting something unusual? In this chapter we collect
some of the words to describe these pursuits.
scripophily (skri-POF-uh-lee)
noun The hobby of collecting historic stock and bond certificates.
Also, such a collection.
From scrip, short for subscription + Greek -phily (love).

● “A sought-after category right now is Confederate bonds,
many of which were sold in Britain. Keith Hollender, a Lon-
don-based scripophily specialist with Herzog Hollender
Phillips & Co., said British clothing makers purchased them
because they needed the American South’s cotton.”
—International Herald Tribune
147
CHAPTER 35
Words about
Collecting and the
Study of Things
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deltiology (del-tee-OL-uh-jee)
noun The study or collecting of postcards.
From Greek deltion, diminutive of deltos (writing tablet) + -logy.
● “[David] Brown, founder of the Institute of Deltiology, 300 W.
Main Ave., has one of the largest postcard collections in North
America.”
—Harrisburg (Pa.) Patriot-News
exonumia (ek-suh-NOO-mee-uh, -NYOO-)
noun Objects that resemble money but do not circulate as does
coin or paper money. For example, tokens, coupons, medals, etc.
From Greek exo- (outside) + num (as in numismatic:related to
currency).
● “Objects such as savings bonds, gas-ration coupons and meat-
and butter-ration coupons are indeed collectible I have
seen coin dealers, primarily at shows, handle exonumia on
these and other subjects.”
—Los Angeles Times
148 ANOTHER WORD A DAY

Every time I see an adult on a bicycle, I no longer
despair for the future of the human race.
—H. G.W
ELLS, author (1866–1946)
Post Age
I have been collecting postcards for about twenty years now.
My collection has suffered, though, since the advent of
e-mail. Alas!
—Laura A. Fernandez, Niedergladbach, Germany
I’m so glad that my passion for postcards from all over the
world is much more than a simple “phily” and has the status
of a “logy!” It’s a boost to my ego.
—Camila Falco, Buenos Aires,Argentina
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notaphily (noh-TAF-uh-lee)
noun The collecting of paper currency as a hobby.
From Latin nota (note) + Greek -phily (love).
● “A sister branch of numismatics is notaphily viz. the collection
and study of paper currency.”
—The Hindu (Chennai, India)
vexillology (vek-si-LOL-uh-jee)
noun The study of flags.
From Latin vexillum (flag), diminutive of velum (covering) + -logy.
Can you identify three words that are related to this word in
the following sentence? “The bride removed the voile veil to
reveal her lovely face.” The words are voile, veil, and reveal, all of
which are descendants of Latin velum and involve the idea of cov-
ering (or uncovering, in the case of “reveal”).
WORDS ABOUT COLLECTING AND THE STUDY OF THINGS 149
Impiety, n.Your irreverence toward my deity.

—
AMBROSE BIERCE, author (1842?–1914)
What Do You Call a Collection of Collectors?
I know people who collect those little stickers that often are
adhered to fresh fruits and vegetables.
—Tom Jennings,Washington, D.C.
When I was growing up, the fellow who lived next door to me
collected motion sickness bags from different airlines. The key
criteria was that they had to contain the logo of the airline.
—Paul Edwards, Melbourne,Australia
I collect dryer lint and probably have more than anybody.
—Eddie Floyd,Waynesboro,Virginia
I collect doorstops and antique dental floss containers.
—Gary Roma, Boston, Massachusetts
For many years, I have collected Koshin monkeys—Hear
No-, Speak No-, See-No-Evil.
—Christine Cole, Mount Dora, Florida
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M
y grandfather was a lawyer. When he and my grandmother
had a little tiff, she would sometimes say,“Go tell your lies in
the court.”They would soon make up, but being on the receiving
end of a statement like that is perhaps an occupational hazard for
any married lawyer.
The reputation lawyers have for fine analysis of words, how-
ever, is well-deserved. The outcome of a case often depends on the
precise meaning of a single word, so it’s no wonder that lawyers are
deeply interested in language. Several famous novelists and authors
of books on language usage began their careers as lawyers. When
we think of lawyers, we think of dense legalese, but they are not

without humor; visit the Web site to see for
yourself.
Let’s review a few terms from the world of law.
voir dire (vwar-DEER)
noun The preliminary examination of prospective witnesses or
jurors to determine their competence. Also, the oath administered
for this purpose.
From Old French, from voir (true) + dire (to speak).
150
CHAPTER 36
Words from the
World of Law II
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● “Even jury duty in Los Angeles is glamorous. During jury
selection at the shoplifting trial of actress Winona Ryder, at
least half a dozen people connected to the film industry went
through voir dire. At the end of the process, Peter Guber, for-
mer chairman of Sony Pictures, ended up being impaneled.
Guber revealed that while he was head of the studio, his com-
pany made a film with Ryder, but after promising he could be
objective, he was selected to serve.”
—Time
en banc (ahn-BAHNK)
adjective, adverb Having all the judges of a court present in a hearing.
From French, literally, at the bench.
● “The Seattle School District plans to ask the court for an en
banc rehearing of the case by 11 appellate judges.”
—Seattle Times
parol (puh-ROL)
noun A spoken statement.

adjective Expressed orally.
From Middle English parole,from Anglo-French, from Vulgar Latin
paraula,from paravola,from Latin parabola,from Greek parabole,from
para- (beside) + bole (throwing), from ballein (to throw).
The word parol is often mistakenly used in the sense of parole.
WORDS FROM THE WORLD OF LAW II 151
A bit beyond perception’s reach / I sometimes believe I see / that life
is two locked boxes / each containing the other’s key.
—
PIET HEIN, poet and scientist (1905–1996)
Judge Mint
This should not be confused with en banque, meaning that
you have all the judges “in the bank,” that is,you’ve paid them
to be on your side!
—E. Mahoney, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
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Both are legal terms.The former is derived from the latter,but parole
has a more specific meaning.When a prisoner is released on parole,
he is literally being let go on his word of honor (parole d’honneur).
● “The Appellate Court went on to say that ‘. . . in general title
to real estate cannot be transferred by parol but can only be
transferred by a writing.’”
—Water Engineering & Management
depone (di-POHN)
verb tr., intr. To declare under oath.
From Medieval Latin deponere (to testify), from Latin (to put down),
from de- + ponere (to put). The word depone is often used in another
form (depose). But the noun form of the word is clear:deponent.
● “Byamugisha dismissed Besigye’s reasons proving he is AIDS-
free on the basis that he has never broken down or been bed-

ridden, with a reference to an affidavit deponed by Maj.
Rubaramira Ruranga to the general effect that he has managed
to live a normal life for 16 years.”
—The Monitor (Kampala, Uganda)
distrain (di-STRAYN)
verb tr., intr To seize property in order to force payment for dam-
ages, debt, etc.
From Middle English distreinen,from Old French destreindre,from
Latin distringere, (to draw asunder), from dis- (apart) + stringere (to
draw tight). Some other words that derive from the same root are
strain, strict, stringent, constrain, and restrict.
● “The bailiffs, who distrained the property of Most-Bank on
Wednesday, violated the law, which has allowed bank managers
to launch a counterattack against them.”
—The Moscow Times
152 ANOTHER WORD A DAY
Your only obligation in any lifetime is to be true to yourself.
Being true to anyone else or anything else is . . . impossible.
—
RICHARD BACH, author (1936–)
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A
fter the 2003 U.S. attack on Iraq, when anti-French sentiment
ran high in the United States, I received this note from a
reader:“I propose you no longer feature words which have a base
or stem from the French language.”
During such times, it’s understandable why someone would say
that, why U.S. lawmakers would rename French fries and French
toast on their cafeteria menus. Or why some German professors
think they need to exclude English terms from their vocabulary.This

is not the first time linguistic revisionism has been attempted. Dur-
ing World War I, some people in the United States tried to rename
sauerkraut “liberty cabbage,” for example. But we’re all so intercon-
nected, as are our languages, that such attempts quickly fall flat.
“Freedom fries,” they say? Well,there’s still some French remain-
ing, as the word fry comes from Old French frire. “Freedom toast”?
What about toast, which comes from Middle French toster. Think-
ing along these lines,we may even have to rename the United States
(the word state comes from Old French estat). Estimates vary, but at
least one-quarter of words in the English language have a French
influence. In the line that the above-mentioned reader sent us, at
least four words have French connections (propose,feature, base, and
language). A language isn’t owned by a country. French belongs as
153
CHAPTER 37
Words Derived from
Other Languages
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much to the Senegalese or Canadians or anyone else who speaks it
as it does to France.
To celebrate the diversity of the English language,in this chap-
ter we look at five words that have come into English from five
different languages.
sangfroid (san-FRWA), also sang-froid
noun Calmness, especially under stress.
From French sang-froid (literally, cold blood).
● “Lemony Snicket’s approach is wholly different, featuring the
offhand sang-froid of a standup comedian.”
—The Horn Book
dragoman (DRAG-uh-man), plural dragomans or dragomen

noun An interpreter or guide.
The word took a scenic route to its present form via French, Ital-
ian,and medieval Latin/Greek, from Arabic tarjuman,from Aramaic
turgemana,from Akkadian targumanu (interpreter).
● “Soon, [Art] Buchwald set himself up as the laughing drago-
man to American celebrities. The foster home boy became
Our Man in Paris. He took Elvis Presley to the Lido.”
—Time
hinterland (HIN-tuhr-land)
noun 1. An area behind the coastal region. 2. The remote part of
a region, away from the cultural influence of a city; back country.
From German hinterland,from hinter (hinder, behind) + land (land).
● “Though some Singapore developers are making money in
China’s real estate market, Singapore can’t rely on a vast
Chinese hinterland for future markets and growth.”
—Far Eastern Economic Review
154 ANOTHER WORD A DAY
Just as appetite comes by eating, so work brings inspiration,
if inspiration is not discernible at the beginning.
—
IGOR STRAVINSKY, composer (1882–1971)
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apparat (ap-uh-RAT, ah-puh-RAT)
noun The structure, mechanism, etc. of an organization,especially
a political one.
From Russian apparat,from German, from Latin apparatus
(equipment).
● “That seemed destined to change after the Second Vatican
Council of 1962–65, which relaxed the grip of the papal appa-
rat and elevated the importance of individual conscience.”

—New York Times
Blighty (BLY-tee), also blighty
noun 1. England as one’s home. 2. Military leave. 3.Wounds that
secure a soldier his return home.
From Hindi vilayati (foreign, European), from vilayet (foreign
country), from Arabic wilaya (province).
● “Parents in Blighty have complained a TV ad showing electric
eels slithering out of taps and toilets is making their kids afraid
to go to the bathroom.”
—Edmonton Sun (Canada)
WORDS DERIVED FROM OTHER LANGUAGES 155
One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown
is the belief that one’s work is terribly important.
—
BERTRAND RUSSELL, philosopher, mathematician,
author, and Nobel laureate (1872–1970)
There Is More to Life
There’s a new meaning of “hinterland” that is gaining cur-
rency. It’s being used a lot in the UK to describe politicians
and other determinedly career-oriented persons who have a
wide scope of interests outside their direct careers (as opposed
to those who are too single-minded for their own good).
Introduced by British politician Denis Healey a couple of
decades ago, it’s in occasional use in the Kingdom these days.
—Andrew Denny, Norfolk, United Kingdom
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