Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 05, 2012 is: wiseacre \WYZE-ay-ker\ noun : one who pretends to knowledge or cleverness; especially : smart aleck Examples: A few wiseacres in the audience began heckling the young comedian after his first couple of jokes fell flat. "Following the stuttering relationship between Billy Crystal's smart wiseacre and Meg Ryan's prim moralist, the film undoubtedly owed something to Woody Allen's Annie Hall." — From an article in The Irish Times, June 28, 2012 Did you know? Given the spelling and definition of "wiseacre," you might guess that the word derives from the sense of "wise" meaning "insolent" or "fresh"—the sense that gives us "wisecrack" and "wisenheimer." But, in fact, "wiseacre" came to English by a different route; it derived from the Middle Dutch "wijssegger" (meaning "soothsayer"), a modification of the Old High German "wīzzago." "Wiseacre" first appeared in English way back in the late 16th century, while the "insolent" sense of "wise" and the words formed from it are products of the 19th and 20th centuries. The etymologies of "wiseacre" and "wise" are not completely distinct, however; the ancestors of "wiseacre" are loosely tied to the same Old English root that gave us "wise."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 04, 2012 is: scarlet pimpernel \SKAHR-lut-PIM-per-nel\ noun 1 : a European pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) naturalized in North America and having scarlet, white, or purplish flowers that close in cloudy weather 2 : a person who rescues others from mortal danger by smuggling them across a border Examples: The refugees will always be grateful to the scarlet pimpernels who saved their lives by getting them out of the country ahead of the death squads. "The scarlet pimpernel plant also disguises itself, albeit in a reverse sort of way. It appears to be the most docile and friendly of plants yet it contains toxins and its digestion by grazing animals may cause their death.." — From a column by Joshua Siskin in The Daily News of Los Angeles, June 2, 2012 Did you know? In 1903, Hungarian-born playwright and novelist Baroness Emmuska Orczy introduced the world to Sir Percy Blakeney, ostensibly a foppish English aristocrat, but secretly a swashbuckling hero known as "The Scarlet Pimpernel" who rescued aristocrats from certain death in the French Revolution by smuggling them to England. In The Scarlet Pimpernel, Blakeney's character used a drawing of a small, red, star-shaped flower known in England as a "scarlet pimpernel" as a signature of his involvement in an escape. The popularity of Orczy's novel prompted English speakers to start using "scarlet pimpernel" for any daring hero who smuggled those in danger to a safe haven in another country. Today it is also sometimes used more broadly for a person who is daring, mysterious, or evasive.

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 03, 2012 is: mettlesome \MET-ul-sum\ adjective : full of vigor and stamina : spirited Examples: The mettlesome bronco kicked and bucked, but the rider kept her balance and rode her out. "An accomplished actor, Prete writes electrifying dialogue, and his galvanizing descriptions are poetic and mettlesome." — From a book review Donna Seaman in Booklist, March 15, 2012 Did you know? The 17th-century adjective "mettlesome" (popularly used of spirited horses) sometimes appeared as the variant "metalsome." That's not surprising. In the 16th century and for some time after, "mettle" was a variant spelling of "metal"—that is, the word for substances such as gold, copper, and iron. ("Metal" itself dates from the 14th century and descends from a Greek term meaning "mine" or "metal.") The 16th century was also when "metal"—or "mettle"—acquired the figurative sense of "spirit," "courage," or "stamina." However, by the early 18th century, dictionaries were noting the distinction between "metal," used for the substance, and "mettle," used for "spirit," so that nowadays the words "mettle" and "mettlesome" are rarely associated with "metal."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 02, 2012 is: cerebrate \SAIR-uh-brayt\ verb : to use the mind : think Examples: Jane is apt to cerebrate at length before making even minor decisions. "You can't cerebrate over what you can't see, which therefore becomes an object of loathing and mistrust." — From an article by Howard Portnoy at Examiner.com, June 25, 2012 Did you know? When you think of the human brain, you might think of the cerebrum, the large, fissured upper portion of the brain that is recognized as the neural control center for thought and sensory perception. In 1853, Dr. William Carpenter thought of the cerebrum when he coined "unconscious cerebration," a term describing the mental process by which people seem to do the right thing or come up with the right answer without conscious effort. People thought enough of Carpenter's coinage to use it as the basis of "cerebrate," though the verb refers to active thinking rather than subconscious processing. "Cerebrate," "cerebrum," and the related adjective "cerebral" all derive from the Latin word for "brain," which is "cerebrum."

Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for August 01, 2012 is: tonsorial \tahn-SOR-ee-ul\ adjective : of or relating to a barber or the work of a barber Examples: "Rookie Adam Henrique is trying to spark the Devils with a tonsorial adjustment. Henrique has shaved off his beard, leaving him with a bristly mustache for Game 4." —From an Associated Press article appearing in the Wall Street Journal, June 5, 2012 "We found the office closed; but, in the verandah of the dwelling-house, was a lady performing a tonsorial operation on the head of a prim-looking, elderly European, in a low, white cravat…." — From Herman Melville's 1847 novel Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas Did you know? "Tonsorial" is a fancy word that describes the work of those who give shaves and haircuts. (It can apply more broadly to hairdressers as well.) It derives from the Latin verb "tondēre," meaning "to shear, clip or crop." (Another descendant, "tonsor," is an archaic word for a barber.) You might be more familiar with the related noun "tonsure," which refers to the shaven crown or patch worn by monks and other clerics, or the religious rite of clipping the head of one being admitted as a cleric. The verb "tonsure" means "to shave the head of."