Bill W

The most embarrassing gaffe for a politician is being caught on a "hot mic". Such as when Ronald Reagan got caught on a hot mic in 1984 saying "we start bombing in five minutes." Or at a G-20 when the French President Nicolas Sarkozy and then President Barack Obama where caught saying the following about Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on a "hot mic": "I can't stand him any more, he's a liar," President Sarkozy said. "You may be sick of him, but me, I have to deal with him every day," replied President Obama. Those were considered major gaffes at the time.

Gaffe is from French, literally ‘boathook’ (from Provençal gaf : see gaff1), used colloquially to mean ‘social blunder’ or 'faux pas'. The word "gaffe" meaning a social blunder or faux pas, first appeared in English around 1919, in the early 20th century. Examples of Gaffe in a sentence: *She realized her gaffe only after she had mistakenly revealed the surprise party plans to the guest of honor. *Accidentally calling his teacher by the wrong name was an embarrassing gaffe for the young student. *If you run into a friend out with her grey-haired father, and blurt out, "Oh, hi, you must be Tara's grandfather!" then you have made a gaffe. *He made an embarrassing gaffe at the convention last weekend. *It’s also worth recording some of the social media gaffes from this election.

She either had a very amorous husband or a red light above the door on the shoe that she turned on after the children were asleep.

Just so you know, wangster can also be spelled wankster, not to be confused with wanker.

No, he works for the old woman that lived in a shoe and had so many children she didn't know what to do.

I know of Bill W., because I was often asked I was him or related to him. . .and the answer is no, but I had no idea about the name of that pamphlet or program. I do thank you for your exceedingly generous praise of my work, but don't forget that there are people trying to close libraries and banning books, so maybe that wouldn't be such a good option after all, even if it wasn't such a far-fetched possibility.

The English word "angst," meaning a feeling of anxiety, dread, or anguish, originates from the German word "Angst," which itself stems from the Proto-Germanic root "*angustu-",which means "narrow, constricted, and is ultimately derived from the Pro-Indo-European root "*angh-", meaning "tight, painfully constricted, painful". The word "angst," meaning a deep feeling of anxiety or dread, was first recorded in English in 1872 as a borrowing from German, and its use became more common through translations of works by Søren Kierkegaard and Sigmund Freud. Examples of angst in a sentence: He was accustomed to a sort of panic, a feeling of angst, coming over him suddenly. "What makes these songs so potent is the unmistakable angst festering beneath each one." "It is a sign of the times, of our tumultuous, dizzying culture of metaphysical angst." Only darts seems to prompt this existential angst. Anything using a city name would cause massive angst. Their tastes are planted in teenage angst. Why so much angst about who can marry whom? They rescued me from a tedious adolescent predisposition to existential angst. The earliest known use of the adjective "angsty" in English is from 1956, as evidenced by the Oxford English Dictionary. Angsty means feeling, showing, expressing anxiety, apprehension, or insecurity, often in a self-conscious manner, and is often associated with the emotional turmoil of adolescence.

Teenagers are often filled with angst or act angsty. Their anxiety is over what's happening to their bodies, what's happening in school, the insecurity over keeping or even having a boyfriend or a girlfriend, and what their friends and others might be up to.

The Black List in Hollywood during the 1940s and 1950s was a method of ostracizing actors for their suspected communist sympathies. Galileo was ostracized because he dared to publicly disagree with the church's view that the earth was the center of the solar system. Alan Turing, the father of modern computing and the man who solved the German Enigma machine, was persecuted and ostracized because he was a homosexual, as was the writer Oscar Wilde.

Ostracize comes from the Greek word ostrakizein, from ostrakon ‘shell or potsherd’ (on which names were written in voting to banish unpopular citizens). The word "ostracize" first appeared in English in 1649, in a poetic elegy by Andrew Marvell, borrowing from the Greek practice of banishing citizens by voting on potsherds. Examples of ostracize in a sentence: *She was ostracize from the scientific community for many years because of her radical political beliefs. *He was ostracized from the group - no one would reply to his emails and was not invited to meetings. When he did attend, his comments and opinions were ignored and eye contact was avoided. *Lepers were ostracized from their community, due to the belief that the disease was contagious.

His "wee head"? Where are you looking, Krista?

For you, Steve, March is going out like a Lion. So, just remember, April will come in like a Lamb - so maybe no April snow showers. However, if there are, look at the bright side - April snow showers bring mid-May flowers - and lots of pollen. Ah, you didn't clarify your question. Did you mean our favorite genre as an author or as a reader? For me, they differ. As an author, I prefer writing general fantasy stories with a focus on Halloween or Christmas. Even the stories that aren't necessarily Halloween or Christmas stories, there are generally long chapters when it comes to Halloween and Christmas. As a reader, however, I tend to favor high/epic fantasies, like the Lord of the Rings series and others, or dragon fantasies, like the Dragon Riders of Pern series. I hope that answers your question!

As my children were growing up, their behavior often caused me to vacillate between which one I liked the most.

Vacillate comes from the Latin vacillatus, the past participle of the verb vacillare, ‘to sway or waver’. The earliest known use of "vacillate" in English is from the late 1500s, specifically in 1590s, in the sense of ‘swaying unsteadily’. Examples of vacillate in a sentence: As we vacillate and procrastinate here, we are suffering. Not knowing what vocation to choose after graduating, he vacillated among business, the ministry, medicine, and law. He vacillates between different perceptions of his life. Jason shook his head, astonished by his own ability to vacillate.

The word "recrimination" traces back to Medieval Latin (Late Latin), specifically the noun "recriminationem" (nominative form: "recriminatio"). "Recriminari" itself is formed from the Latin prefix "re-" (meaning "back," or "again") combined with "criminari" (meaning "to accuse") and "crimen" (meaning "a charge" or "accusation"). The word also passed through Middle French, where it became "récrimination". The English word "recrimination" appeared in the late 1500s, meaning "the act of making a counter-accusation". The earliest known use of the noun "recrimination" in English is from the late 1500s, with the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) citing evidence from 1585 in "True & Plaine Declar. of Horrible Treasons W. Parry". The earliest known use of the adjective "recriminating" is in the mid 1600s, with OED evidence from 1648 in the writing of John Mason. Examples of recrimination in a sentence: The discussion turned into a heated debate with recriminations flying back and forth. The meeting ended with bitterness and recrimination. The players on the losing team indulged in mutual recrimination After the divorce, there was a period of bitter recrimination.

Effect is from the late Middle English: from Old French, or from Latin effectus, from efficere ‘accomplish’, from ex- ‘out, thoroughly’ + facere ‘do, make’. effect (sense 3 of the noun), ‘personal belongings’, arose from the obsolete sense ‘something acquired on completion of an action’. Effect: (as a verb) "To effect a positive outcome, he ensured that the instrument was properly calibrated." "The agreement effected a change in their relationship going forward." "The civil rights group effected change through peaceful protest." Effect: (as a noun) "One effect of the earthquake was that many people lost their homes." "A dark paint color will have the effect of making the room seem smaller." "The new law prohibiting texting while driving will go into effect tomorrow." "The special effects in this movie are amazing." "The effect of the rain was a canceled game." Effect first used in English: "Effect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: 1385. Origin: Multiple origins, partly borrowed from French. Meaning: A change that results when something is done or happens. Effect as a verb First recorded use: late 1500s Earliest evidence: 1581 Meaning: To bring about, cause, or accomplish

"Affect" is most often a verb meaning "to influence or cause a change," while "effect" is usually a noun meaning "a result or consequence," though "effect" can also be a verb meaning "to bring about". Examples of affect versus effect in a sentence: Affect: (verb) "The earthquake affected many people." "Drinking alcohol affects your liver." "The weather affected our travel plans." "The rain affected the baseball game." "The new policy affected employee morale." Effect: (as a verb) "To effect a positive outcome, he ensured that the instrument was properly calibrated." "The agreement effected a change in their relationship going forward." "The civil rights group effected change through peaceful protest." Effect: (as a noun) "One effect of the earthquake was that many people lost their homes." "A dark paint color will have the effect of making the room seem smaller." "The new law prohibiting texting while driving will go into effect tomorrow." "The special effects in this movie are amazing." "The effect of the rain was a canceled game." When were affect and effect first used in English? "Affect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: Before 1398. Origin: Borrowed from Latin. Meaning: A technical term in psychology and psychiatry, referring to an emotional state or expression. "Effect" (noun): First recorded use: Middle English period (1150-1500). Earliest evidence: 1385. Origin: Multiple origins, partly borrowed from French. Meaning: A change that results when something is done or happens. Effect as a verb First recorded use: late 1500s Earliest evidence: 1581 Meaning: To bring about, cause, or accomplish Affect as a verb First recorded use: 1630s Meaning: To have an impact on or influence

Slovenly is not a description for or the nationality of the people that live in Slovenia.

The word "slovenly", meaning "untidy or careless", derives from the 15th-century word "sloven" which meant "a rascal" or "a person with horrible manners", and that possibly stems from either Flemish "sloef" (dirty) or Dutch "slof" (careless or negligent). The earliest known use of "slovenly" in English, both as an adjective and an adverb, appears around the mid-1500s, with the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) citing evidence from 1518 for the adjective and 1548 for the adverb. Examples of slovenly in a sentence: He dressed in a slovenly manner, with his clothes rumpled and his hair unkempt. The slovenly habits of the campers left the campsite littered with trash and debris. Her slovenly appearance made her seem unkempt and unkempt. The slovenly work habits of the employees resulted in numerous errors and delays. The slovenly condition of the house made it difficult to find anything. There's no defense for the slovenly ethics of the past. Be a little slovenly in the garden; leave some old broken stems and let a little bare dirt show. That's what infused his slovenly pirate thing with such style.

Tim is a gay man who's living with his partner, Mike. Unfortunately, Tim's family doesn't understand or approve of his relationship or the fact that he's gay, so when Tim suffers an accident, the only one who is there to support and comfort him is his mom. Years later, when his mom dies, Tim returns home for the funeral and discovers that she has made sure he has an opportunity to thank his siblings for their lack of caring and understanding in his time of need. You'll have to read about Tim's emotionally draining and cold family to appreciate the ending, and it's well worth your time and effort to read this well-written and superbly crafted short story.

Wayne, I regret that I didn't read this while you were still with us so I could tell you how much I enjoyed this story. The circumstances discussed were more than bleak, and the family and Mike's mother left a lot to be desired, but Tim outshone all of them in the end. He also had a chance to get even with his siblings, while also taking care of the children they have little or nothing to do with. I'm certain those children will be grateful for their Uncle Tim, and I hope he gets to meet them. You did a wonderful job, and the flashbacks filled in the blanks and helped us readers get a better understanding about what Tim had been dealing with.

I just happened to find this story, and what I've gathered from reading the comments after each chapter, I take it this is the third part of a continuing saga. However, it does well as a stand alone story, so don't let the fact that it is a continuing story stop you from reading this tale. I thought I should say that prior to beginning my review. This story is set in earth's future and the land has been severely damaged by a biological war that has taken place. Miah is a recent college graduate who's developing a procedure to renew the land and develop hybrid cattle that will be better suited for the land. He isn't doing this alone and is working with two alien shape-shifters. The earth has welcomed them because they've offered advanced alien technology that will help the earth recoup following the war. However, someone is doing his best to make sure that Miah doesn't succeed, but who is working against him? You'll have to read this interesting and intriguing short story to find out.

A wonderful story, Cia, and well constructed. I'm glad I happened to find this while going back through the anthologies.

Thank you, drs. I'm glad you enjoyed the fact that the boys found their elusive treasure, although not the one they were anticipating. And you're correct, it has probably set them up so they can take time off to raise their son or sons. I hope you enjoy Secrets 3 as well.

Thanks, Chris. I'm glad that you enjoyed how this story ended. We probably won't know all of what was in those bags, where they came from, or how much the boys are likely to benefit from what they found for a while once I start Book 3, so it will leave you waiting for the answers. Thank you for your support.