Militate \MIL-ih-tayt\, intransitive verb:To have force or influence. In our current era of politics, many factors militate against changes in policies.— Reed Hundt, You Say You Want a Revolution Even though Simpson’s youth, limited professional experience, lack of reputation, unmarried status, and modest social origins all militated against success, the twenty-eight-year-old Simpson applied for the […]

Vertiginous \vur-TIJ-uh-nuhs\, adjective:1. Affected with vertigo; giddy; dizzy.2. Causing or tending to cause dizziness.3. Turning round; whirling; revolving.4. Inclined to change quickly or frequently; inconstant. But up close the building is impossibly steep, vertiginous, hostile.— Neil Baldwln, Legends of the Plumed Serpent He did us no good when, without permission, he entered Tibetan air space […]

Stanch \STONCH; STANCH\, transitive verb:To stop the flowing of; to check in its course; also, to stop the flowing of blood from; as, “to stanch a wound.” Out of the corner of my eye I can see one of Shiggy’s daughters busy at the rear door with a mop and a mountain of napkins, furious […]

Opprobrium \uh-PRO-bree-uhm\, noun:1. Disgrace; infamy; reproach mingled with contempt.2. A cause or object of reproach or disgrace. Typically academic, they disdainfully observed about many university press books–“too dry, too specialized, too self-absorbed for us.” In their world, the word “academic” was as much a term of opprobrium as the word “middlebrow” was in mine.— Janice […]

Solace \SOL-is\, noun:1. Comfort in time of grief; alleviation of grief or anxiety.2. That which relieves in distress; that which cheers or consoles; a source of relief. transitive verb:1. To comfort or cheer in grief or affliction; to console.2. To allay; to soothe; as, “to solace grief.” Surrounded by unhappiness at home, John Sr. early […]

cataract \KAT-uh-rakt\, noun:1. A great fall of water over a precipice; a large waterfall.2. A downpour; a flood.3. A clouding or opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, which obstructs the passage of light. Niagara is no virgin. Today, its cataract can be stopped with the pull of a lever, and less than […]

Improvident \im-PROV-uh-duhnt; -dent\, adjective:Lacking foresight or forethought; not foreseeing or providing for the future; negligent or thoughtless. Elizabeth’s husband . . . had been a reckless, improvident man, who left many debts behind him when he died suddenly of a consumption in September 1704.— David Nokes, Jane Austen: A Life Lily is spoiled, pleasure-loving, and […]

I am taking a hiatus until next Wednesday (9/27) from Tube of The Day so that I can finish up my moving. When I come back, I will catch up the 9 days between 9/16 and then. As a special treat to hold you over, enjoy the robot bodybuilder: Weah Heah to LINK *CLAP* you […]

Commodious \kuh-MOH-dee-us\, adjective:Comfortably or conveniently spacious; roomy; as, a commodious house. Then there are the trousers, black check or blue check, with commodious pockets.— Richard F. Shepard, “For Caring Chefs, Crowning Glory Is the Headgear”, New York Times, August 15, 1990 This brought John to accept Benjamin Franklin’s invitation to reside in his commodious quarters […]

Staid \STAYD\, adjective:Steady or sedate in character; sober; composed; regular; not wild, volatile, or fanciful. After the founders have left or died, after the excitement has moved elsewhere along with the best employees, after the company’s products and logo and image have grown synonymous with staid and predictable.— Michael S. Malone, Infinite Loop His mother […]