Empirical is an adjective that describes a study or technique that relies upon observation and physical evidence as opposed to theory. It comes from Latin empiricus, “a physician guided by experience.” “Empirical evidence” is a source of knowledge resulting from observation or experimentation. The most common use of empirical in writing for the general reader … Read more
Raucous /ˈrɔkəs/ is an adjective used to describe the loud harsh sound of voices or the cry of birds or animals. It can also be applied to boisterous, noisy, rowdy, disorderly behavior. Raucous entered the language in the18th century from a Latin word meaning “hoarse, harsh, rough. In political writing, this adjective is added so … Read more
Hermetic is an adjective, and it is used to described something made airtight by fusion or sealing. It can also be used more broadly to indicate anything isolated from external factors. The adverb is hermetically. Inside the somewhat hermetic Basque community here, which mixes at its own social club and at a handful of small … Read more
Mishap is a misfortune; an accident. All such confrontations contain combustible mixes of the money, power and mishap that seem to bubble out of the ground whenever a huge supply of oil or gas is for sale. (The Economist) The professional wrestler known as The Undertaker got minor burns on his chest and a scare … Read more
Offhand can be used as an adverb, where it means unprepared or brusquely; and as an adjective, where it means casual. President Clinton made an offhand confession on Tuesday night that he had raised taxes “too much” in his first budget in 1993, and the remark drew mockery from Congressional Republicans today. (NY Times) While … Read more
Maim means to cripple someone. It can also be used generally, where it means to damage something, making it defective. Workers at drilling sites are surrounded by heavy machinery that can kill or maim in an instant. (USA Today) Automakers Say Cuts in Duties Would Maim Industry (NY Times)
Ludicrous is an adjective used to describe something so absurd that it provokes laughs and mockery. One synonym is ridiculous. A San Diego stock adviser who is accused of bribing an F.B.I. agent to give him confidential government information may have had prior knowledge of the Sept. 11 attacks, a federal prosecutor said yesterday. But … Read more
Subliminal is an adjective used to describe things or stimuli that work below the threshold of consciousness, thus influencing the individual without being perceived as clear thoughts or ideas. For example you can have subliminal advertising. There is, in fact, a subliminal seriousness: The quest for marketing buzz, the worldwide ambition to be more than … Read more
Ostracize means to exclude someone from society or from any group of people. It comes from the Greek ostrakízein, which was the practice of banishing citizens by popular vote. Yet there is still a woeful reluctance in Africa to chastise, ostracise or help to oust villainous leaders, such as Mr Mugabe or Sudan’s Omar al-Bashir, … Read more
A gestalt is a configuration or system so unified that it cannot be described by the sum of its individual parts. In Germany, a country that is home to Mercedes-Benz and the autobahn, life in a car-reduced place like Vauban has its own unusual gestalt. (NY Times) Now comes a fresh, noble perspective from Leander … Read more
Tautology is the repetition of meaning in two consecutive words, or the needless repetition of an idea. A tautology is considered a fault of style. Examples include “free gift” and “extra bonus.” There are scary stories, and then there are scary stories, just as there is writing, and then there is writing. Evidence supporting that … Read more
Cesspool is a pit or cistern, built to collect the sewage or other sediments from a house. It is commonly used to describe any filthy or immoral place. The problem is most Americans agree with Bolton that the U.N. is a cesspool of its own crapulence, stealing American tax dollars intended for global do-goodery while … Read more