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Everything posted by Bill W
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Your current mood setting would make you drzorro, not drpaladin! 😁
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My body has never been considered wiry, although in the late 70s I was fairly lean. My mother always claimed I was big-boned. 🤪
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The word "wiry" is dirived from "wire" and add the suffix "-y", first appearing in the late 1500s to describe things "made of wire" (1580s). It evolved to describe things "resembling wire" or "in the form of wire" (like stiff hair) (1590s) and later, a person who is "lean, sinewy, tough, and flexible" (by 1808). The root word for "wire" traces back to an ancient Proto-Germanic and Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to turn, twist, or plait". According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest known use of the adjective wiry is from 1588, in the writing of Thomas Deloney, a silkweaver and writer. The OED also records a separate, obsolete use of the adjective wiry (adj.²), meaning "of, relating to, or resembling a wire or wire-like thing", with its only evidence dated to 1605 in a translation by Joshua Sylvester. The primary modern sense of the word, as in a person who is thin and strong, is from the 1588 citation. Examples of "wiry" used in a sentence: | "He has dark, wiry hair." "Use some conditioner to calm down the wiry hair." "Her wiry hair was pushed up on top of her head in an untidy bun." "She was lean and wiry from years of working out." "Deputies threw the wiry 53-year-old to the floor and handcuffed him." "Walt is tall-ish and wiry, with a full beard and a ready smile." "The Natal horse is small, wiry, and has great powers of endurance." "His body was wiry and lean, his skin golden from sun."
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The word feisty was derived from the word noun "feist," a term that can be traced back to the 1500s for a small, aggressive dog. It comes from a Middle English verb fysten or fisten, which means "to fart" or "to stink" and was used in the phrase "fysting curre," meaning "stinking dog". According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest recorded use of "feisty" was in 1875, appearing in American Agriculturist. It is an American English adjective formed by adding the suffix "-y" (meaning "like" or "full of") to "feist" (primarily a noun meaning a small ill-tempered dog). "Feisty" describes someone who is spirited, lively, and courageous, often with a determined and independent attitude. Examples of "feisty" used in a sentence: "The novel features a feisty heroine." "Even her opponents admire her feisty spirit." "Winds will be feisty out of the south around 10 to 15 mph." "Emily is a feisty woman fighting for her rightful inheritance." "I like her attitude - she's really feisty, she digs in and doesn't give up." "Elizabeth Bennett is feisty, intelligent, sharp, even sly, mysterious, and a nineteenth century version of sarcastic." "I am the proud mom of a feisty two year old little girl, and I balance my time between her and my private practice in Westchester County, NY."
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abandonment - Word of the Day - Thu Nov 20, 2025
Bill W commented on Myr's blog entry in Writing World
And there was no abandonment when I took a hiatus from writing for a few weeks. -
Thank you. I appreciate your support.
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abandonment - Word of the Day - Thu Nov 20, 2025
Bill W commented on Myr's blog entry in Writing World
The word "abandonment" is a noun derived from the Old French noun "abandonnement", which is formed from the verb "abandonner", which means "to give up" or "to relinquish". It comes from the Old French phrase "à bandon", which means "at will" or "at discretion," originally referring to being under the "power, jurisdiction, or control" of someone else. In feudal law, a phrase like "mettre sa forest à bandon" meant to open a forest to public use, which led to the sense of "giving up one's rights". According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest known use of the noun "abandonment" is from 1593, appearing in the writings of Thomas Nashe. It was formed in English from the verb "abandon" and the suffix "-ment". Examples of "abandonment" used in a sentence: "He struggles to deal with his abandonment by his wife, and know having to care for their infant alone." "The whole district had an air of abandonment and neglect." "The abandonment of the island followed nuclear tests in the area." "Constant rain forced the abandonment of the next day's competition." "Lack of money led to the abandonment this plan." "Sometime through abandonment more often through non-marriage or divorce." "A sense of abandonment overhung the once proud station." "He was simply overwhelmed with a feeling of abandonment." -
I'm sure you could redesign the interior of a violin case to fit almost any instrument, although some might require partial disassembly to make it happen, but I stated that they were thought to have carried them in the duffel bags, although a stiff sided variety, rather that a cloth variety, that they wee using to collect the valuables in. They took an idea from the past, possible the gangsters of the Roaring 20s, and just updated it a bit. I thought about the fact that chilling the wine wasn't necessarily appropriate, but I didn't feel the family as being true connoisseurs and probably wouldn't enjoy the wine if it wasn't chilled. Personally, I prefer my wine at room temperature, but not everyone does, and I know those types of ice buckets on stands are more appropriate for champagne. As far as your comment about a marksman compared to someone using an automatic weapons I offer this observation: I agree with the person you're quoting, but I would add this. I don't believe fully automatic weapons, or those that can be modified to become fully automatic, belong in civilian hands. They are weapons of war and belong in the hands of the military, and in some instances law enforcement, but they shouldn't be generally available to anyone.
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Thank you, Night Auditor, for your support and I'm sorry to put you on a cliffy on my returned, but that was planned before I disappeared for a few weeks. You, and my other loyal readers, just happened to be the recipients of that bad timing. 😞
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It's possible that some of the older men on his site had a dowdy old aunt when they were younger. Some female teachers from the late 1800s and early 1900s may have been labeled as being dowdy, but that might have been due to the low salary they were paid, which wouldn't have allowed them to buy the most fashionable clothes.
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The word "dowdy" comes from Middle English doudi or doude, a term for a "shabbily dressed woman" or "unattractive woman" from the late 14th century. The origin of this Middle English word is uncertain, but it likely arose in the late 16th century and is possibly related to words for "fading" or "poorly dressed". One theory suggests a link between the word "dowdy" and "dowager," possibly connecting the unfashionable appearance with widowhood. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun "dowdy" was first used in the late 1700s, with its earliest evidence from 1778. The adjective form was first used even earlier, in 1676, though it was first recorded as a noun in 1581. Examples of "dowdy" used in a sentence: "How else to explain her deglamorized look and dowdy outfit?" "She played a dowdy old woman in the film." "In all the old movies the ministers' wives are kind of dowdy and stodgy." "Even the most dowdy of outfits can undertake a stunning transformation when teemed with some high fashion jewelry." "A bad fit can turn any canine formal wear dowdy in a heartbeat, so it's important to take your dog's measurements before you choose a size."
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Sorry, drs. I guess I miss this comment too. I guess I'm still not quite with it yet. Still losing focus on responding to these message. Thanks for posting that for those that might be interested.
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Sorry that I bypassed you, Chris, but better late than never. And thank you for the well wishes. Yep. Hail, hail the gang's all there. Let's see if they can find a way out of this mess.
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Whoops, I almost skipped you and Chris, Danilo. And thanks for your well wishes. Yes, Mac finally gave Clint some rules and hopefully he'll stick to them now. Oh, my. Did I leave you guys hanging? I'll quickly put down some of those stuntman inflatable cushions until the next chapter comes out so none of you get hurt. 😜 I hope that last comment wasn't facetious!
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Thank you, Lee. Are your bad traits rubbing off on me? Maybe I shouldn't read so many of your stories. 🤪 Nah, I enjoy your stories too much so I'll never give them up.
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Thanks for your support, drs. And who knows who those guys are, what they want, or why they chose this particular place. I'm sure you'll find out in the next chapter, so stay tuned.
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skepticism - Word of the Day - Tue Nov 18, 2025
Bill W commented on Myr's blog entry in Writing World
The word "skepticism" comes from the ancient Greek work skepsis, meaning "inquiry" or "to examine carefully". It is derived from the verb sképtomai, which means "to consider" or "to view". Therefore, skepticism is etymologically linked to the act of careful examination and thoughtful inquiry, not necessarily a cynical rejection of ideas. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the noun "scepticism" (or "skepticism") was first used in English in the mid 1600s, with the earliest evidence dated to 1644. The term evolved to describe a philosophical tradition that doubted the possibility of certain knowledge and encouraged a stance of questioning and examination to achieve approximate or relative knowledge. This philosophical tradition influenced the development of the modern scientific method. The word is a derivative of the existing adjective "skeptic" (first used in English in the 1550s) and the suffix "-ism," forming a noun that means the "entertaining of mistrust, doubt, or disbelief". Other related terms emerged around the same time or slightly earlier, such as "skeptical" (1630s), "scepticalness" (1647) and "sceptically" (1647). Examples of "skepticism" used in a sentence: Come on, we all can do way better, despite my skepticism." "The skepticism extends to some of the 250,000 members of his own party." "There is also reason to think such skepticism may be misplaced." "He finds the source of skepticism in the theory of abstract ideas, which he criticizes." "these claims were treated with skepticism" "People less familiar with us looked at this with a healthy degree of skepticism." "Skepticism concerning Sadler's ability should be put to rest." "There is some skepticism, however, surrounding the prime minister's new-found "moral" leadership." "Many religions discourage skepticism or critical examination of cherished precepts." -
Thank you and I shall try to keep up with my writing, but I'm still not feeling well. I'll do my best, though.
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Thanks, @weinerdog, and I'm sorry to shock you. Now, I wonder what you were about to say.
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Chapter 25 – A Very Special Celebration. I was really busy sorting the baseball cards by teams, and then organizing the player's cards within those teams before adding them to the appropriate spreadsheet. After I did all of that, I took a photo of each side of the cards and noted them on the spreadsheet I'd created as well, and doing all of these steps was taking forever. No matter how unbelievably busy I was, the days still seemed to drag on, since Devin wasn't here with me. This
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synecdoche - Word of the Day - Mon Nov 17, 2025
Bill W commented on Myr's blog entry in Writing World
The word "synecdoche" comes from the Greek word synekdoche (συνεκδοχ), meaning "understanding together" or "receiving together". It is formed from three Greek components: syn- ("together"), ek- ("out"), and dekhomai ("to receive" or "to accept"). The word passed into Latin (synecdoche) and then into English, where it reflects the figure of speech's meaning, where a part is understood with or represents the whole. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the earliest known use of "synecdoche" in English was in the Middle English period before 1450. The first evidence for its use comes from the Prologue to the Old Testament. Examples of a part for the whole: "Boots on the ground": Refers to soldiers. "All hands on deck": Refers to all workers. "All eyes on me": Refers to all people watching. "The captain commands one hundred sails": Refers to ships. "Can you give me a hand?": Refers to a person's assistance. Examples of a whole for the part: "The classroom was noisy": Refers to the students and teacher. "The White House announced...": Refers to the President or a specific group of people in the administration, not the building itself. "The universe is against me": Refers to a collection of negative events, not the entire universe. Examples of a specific to a general: "I need a Kleenex": Used to ask for any brand of facial tissue. "Can I have a Coke?": Used to ask for any type of soda. -
concinnity - Word of the Day - Sun Nov 16, 2025
Bill W commented on Myr's blog entry in Writing World
The word concinnity comes from the Latin concinnitas, meaning "skillfully put together". It is derived from the Latin adjective concinnus and the verb concinnare, which both relate to making something neat and orderly. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first known use of "concinnity" in English was in 1531. in the writings of humanist and diplomat Thomas Elyot, in particular in his treatise, "The Boke Named The Governor. Examples of "concinnity" used in a sentence: "The chorus's seamless concinnity of voice and instrument was praised by critics for its perfect harmony and elegance." "The novel's concinnity, achieved through the skillful weaving of its plot threads, made it a pleasure to read," "Critics praised the film's visual concinnity, noting how well the lighting and set design worked together." "The architect's design was celebrated for its concinnity, with each part fitting together harmoniously to form a beautiful whole." "Her writing is known for its concinnity, combining clarity with a skillful elegance of style." "Novak was delighted by his concinnity, and even more delighted by the treatments on offer that day at the storefront franchise spa concept." -
Guess the fridge wasn't on your spring cleaning list this year, huh? I'm glad you had time to clean your fridge and go shopping too. I hope you had time to do some reading as well and happened to run across the following article about the earth's tilt increasing by 31.5 inches: https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/environment/a69445743/why-earth-has-tilted-scientific-reason/ Yes, Thanksgiving is a week from Thursday, on November 27th. I don't expect to be doing much, but I will have a nice meal. I hope everyone else in the US has a Happy Thanksgiving and enjoys a 4-day weekend, for those that have one. I know those of you working in retail, grocery stores, restaurants, and a few other businesses might have to work, but I hope you enjoy whatever time you do have that weekend. And I hope those of you not living in the US have an enjoyable next couple of weeks, because after that we'll be into December and the holiday season. I hope you're all ready for that as well.
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The phrase I'm more familiar with is "on gossamer wings", which means to travel or move in a way that is extremely klight, delicate, and almost imperceptible, like fine flimsy, or airy fabric. It evokes a sense of fragility and etherealness, often used to describe magical beings like fairies or things that are extremely light and graceful, such as a butterfly's wings. The phrase can also appear in literary or artistic contexts, stemming from the Cole Porter song "Just One of Those Things" which has the line "a trip to the moon on gossamer wings".
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The word "gossamer" comes from Middle English, where it originally meant "goose summer", likely because of the fine, goose-down-like appearance of the spiderwebs seen in late autumn, or because the webs appeared during this mild, late-fall period. The word gossomer was formed by combining the words gos ("goose") and somer ("summer") and may have first referred to the season itself, a mild spell in late autumn ("Indian summer") when geese were traditionally eaten. The term was initially used for the filmy cobwebs themselves, but later the original noun eventually evolved to its current use as an adjective for things that are light, flimsy, delicate, or tenuous. According to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), the word "gossamer" was first used in English around 1325, during the Middle English period. Examples of "gossamer" used in a sentence: "It looked to have been crafted from gossamer, or light itself." "Her hair had drifted through his fingers like gossamer." "it's thin and wispy, like freshly spun gossamer" "The shape of fairy wings vary from a moth's wings to a butterfly to gossamer bird -like wings that flare upwards. "Your little girl will likely have a say in what her holiday dress should look like, and chances are she will choose something spectacularly gossamer." "It soon became the norm for fairies to be pictured as the size of buttercups and daisies, flitting about on gossamer wings and hiding under toadstools." "The construction of Hampton Bay fans includes the addition of Gossamer Wind blades as the brand name for every fan."
