Otiose \OH-shee-ohs; OH-tee-\, adjective:

1. Ineffective; futile.
2. Being at leisure; lazy; indolent; idle.
3. Of no use.

Mr. Federspiel’s surreal flourishes and commentaries straddle the line between interesting and otiose. Most of the surrealism is pretty but pointless.
— D. F. Wallace, “The Million-Dollar Tattoo”, New York Times, May 5, 1991

Although the wild outer movements and the angular Minuet can take such clockwork precision, the Andante, with its obsessive, claustrophobic dialogues between strings and bassoons, seemed sluggish and otiose.
— Tim Ashley, “VPO/Maazel”, The Guardian, April 16, 2002

The umlaut he affected, which made no difference to the pronunciation of his name, was as otiose as a pair of strategically positioned beauty spots.
— Peter Conrad, “Hidden shallows”, New Statesman, October 14, 2002

One hazard for religions in which all professional intermediaries are dispensed with, and in which the individual is enjoined to ‘work out your own salvation’ and is regarded as fully capable of doing so, is that belief and practice become independent of formal organized structures which may in such a context come to be perceived as otiose.
— Lorne L. Dawson, “The Cultural Significance of New Religious Movements: The Case of Soka Gakkai”, Sociology of Religion, Fall 2001

Otiose is from Latin otiosus, “idle, at leisure,” from otium, “leisure.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for otiose

Pretty obscure, but I am constantly amazed at the vocabulary of people on YouTube. This doesn’t sound like a word that will work its way back into common usage. Futile does the job so well. Can you imagine “We are Borg. Resistance is otiose!”? Just doesn’t play.

Apparently, tracking the proliferation of the word “Fusion” in product naming is an exercise in otiosity.

Fusion the link!

As videos go, this one is pretty boring – just a pair of hands on a piano, but I like the music and it kind of sounds appropriately otiose.

Play that funky link white boy!

Sobriquet \SO-brih-kay; -ket; so-brih-KAY; -KET\, noun:

A nickname; an assumed name; an epithet.

In addition to his notorious amours, he became distinguished for a turbulent naval career, particularly for the storms he weathered, thus bringing him the sobriquet “Foulweather Jack”.
— Phyllis Grosskurth, Byron: The Flawed Angel

At a small reception on the occasion of my twenty-fifth anniversary in this position, my good friend Izzy Landes raised a glass and dubbed me the Curator of the Curators, a sobriquet I have worn with pride ever since.
— Alfred Alcorn, Murder in the Museum of Man

There was an omnivorous intellect that won him the family sobriquet of Walking Encyclopedia.
— Eric Liu, The Accidental Asian

Sobriquet is from the French, from Old French soubriquet, “a chuck under the chin, hence, an affront, a nickname.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for sobriquet

If you wear underwear, it’s a skirt!

Don’t peek under my link!

You know what I need? Deep meaningful questions, like “What is God?” answered by DudeBro and his buddy BroDude!

What is this link?

I didn’t go visit their site, because … well, I value my sanity, but if you’re braver than I, you can check out the answer to Life, the Universe and Everything over at the Between a Duck forums.

Euphonious \yoo-FOH-nee-uhs\, adjective:

Pleasing or sweet in sound; smooth-sounding.

She combines alliteration and deft word choices with the grace of an oral storyteller, creating euphonious and precise sentences that are perfect for reading aloud.
— Amy L. Cohn, “Children’s Books”, New York Times, March 10, 1991

Einstein originally proposed the more appropriate (but less euphonious) title of “theory of invariants” for his work, but gave up pushing for it when “relativity” caught the public’s imagination.
— James Trefil, “The Most Beautiful Theories Are The Truest”, New York Times, October 5, 1986

In the first draft, their names had been alphabetized, but during a speech session Rosenman and Sherwood suddenly perceived the more euphonious sequence of Martin, Barton, and Fish.
— Carol Gelderman, All the Presidents’ Words

Early in life, on the basis of my easy grasp of biological nomenclature and what I consider aesthetic reasons — all those euphonious names — I resolved to be a medical doctor.
— Paul Theroux, Fresh Air Fiend: Travel Writings, 1985-2000

Euphonious comes from Greek euphonos, “sweet-voiced,” from eu-, “well” (hence “sweetly”) + phonos, from phone, “voice, sound.” The noun form is euphony.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for euphonious

Pink elephants and red curtains… the colors… the colors!! Fun with mescaline and Brits. I’ll have what he’s having!

Why is that link so big?!

And … only because she said it’s only for her boyfriend … And it is sort of oddly compelling… I don’t know why.

So there was like, this link right?

Plaudit \PLAW-dit\, noun:

1. A round or demonstration of applause.
2. Enthusiastic approval; an expression of praise.

A large, robust man, he had earned the plaudits bestowed on him at that testimonial dinner through a lifetime of earnest toil.
— James T. Fisher, Dr. America

The aim of the wise man was no longer the plaudits of the masses but autarkeia, or self-sufficiency.
— Peter France, Hermits: The Insights of Solitude

Despite the plaudits her work received, her particular emphasis did not gain many adherents for more than a generation.
— Michael Kammen, American Culture, American Tastes

Plaudit is from Latin plaudite, “applaud” (said by players at the end of a performance), from plaudere, “to applaud.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for plaudit

If you have to sing YMCA – Commit to it.

Link M C A.

Sorry folks. Slim pickin’s tonight.

Legerdemain \lej-ur-duh-MAIN\, noun:

1. Sleight of hand.
2. A display of skill, trickery, or artful deception.

We are inclined to regard the treatment of [paradoxes] . . . as a mere legerdemain of words.
— Benjamin Jowett, Dialogues of Plato

Their alleged legerdemain at the blackjack table and roulette wheel of the luxurious Salle Anglaise was caught on closed-circuit television.
— “Double dealing puts Monte Carlo in a spin”, Daily Telegraph, February 23, 1997

There is a certain knack or legerdemain in argument.
— Shaftesbury, Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, Times

Legerdemain is from Old French leger de main, literally “light of hand”: leger, “light” + de, “of” + main, “hand.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for legerdemain

I don’t know what is the best part of this video. The hot blond german twins? Hearing a flowing string of German interrupted with “Poker face” and “50/50 chance”? Or is it just the sheer unadulterated anticipation as you immediately grasp where this video is going… I gotta tell you though, I might have a few more choice words to say than simply “Scheiße”

“Is this your link?

Here’s one that works. And works well.

The hand is faster than the link.

Thursday, October 9, 2008

Aficionado \uh-fish-ee-uh-NAH-doh\, noun:

An enthusiastic admirer; a fan.

An aficionado of Chinese food, Diffie was also known for carrying around a pair of elegant chopsticks, much the way a serious billiard player totes his favorite cue.
— Steven Levy, Crypto

Aficionados of spy fiction may find the plot by itself enough to keep them reading — the book is certainly never boring.
— Erik Tarloff, “Hanky Versus Panky”, New York Times, July 16, 2000

For one thing, they listened to classical records together; Sagan was a real aficionado of the musical masters.
— Keay Davidson, Carl Sagan: A Life

Aficionado derives from Spanish aficionar, “to induce a liking for,” from afición, “a liking for.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for aficionado

Unintentional funny is my most favorite funny of all!

The link has left the building!!!

And sometimes it’s fun to just slowly go insane.

Did that link just move on its own?!?!?! DUUUUUUDE!

Circumlocution \sir-kuhm-loh-KYOO-shuhn\, noun:

The use of many words to express an idea that might be expressed by few; indirect or roundabout language.

Dickens gave us the classic picture of official heartlessness: the government Circumlocution Office, burial ground of hope in “Little Dorrit.”
— “Balance of Hardships”, New York Times, September 28, 1999

In a delightful circumlocution, the Fed chairman said that “investors are probably revisiting expectations of domestic earnings growth”.
— “US exuberance is proven ‘irrational'”, Irish Times, October 31, 1997

Courtesies and circumlocutions are out of place, where the morals, health, lives of thousands are at stake.
— Charles Kingsley, Letters

Prefer the single word to the circumlocution.
— H.W. Fowler, The King’s English

Circumlocution comes from Latin circumlocutio, circumlocution-, from circum, “around” + loquor, loqui, “to speak.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for circumlocution

One for the Brits.

“You know, what all the kids do … with their computers … late at night … you know … clicking the … *whisper* link.

Implacable \im-PLAK-uh-bull\, adjective:

Not placable; not to be appeased; incapable of being pacified; inexorable; as, an implacable foe.

For it is my office to prosecute the guilty with implacable zeal.
— Paola Capriolo, Floria Tosca (translated by Liz Heron)

He… then continued on up the road, his shoulders bent beneath the implacable sun.
— Arturo Pérez-Reverte, The Fencing Master

She conducted her life and her work with all the steady and implacable seriousness of a steamroller.
— “The Stein Salon Was The First Museum of Modern Art”, New York Times, December 1, 1968

Implacable ultimately comes from Latin implacabilis, from in-, not + placabilis, placable, from placo, placare, to soothe, calm, appease.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for implacable

OK. Pandas R Teh Cute

What’s black and white and cute all over? Baby Panda link, of course!

Just to balance the cuteness, I present the creepy. Axe-murderer SpongeBob.

“NO!!! He’s behind that link!

Officious \uh-FISH-uhs\, adjective:

Marked by excessive eagerness in offering services or advice where they are neither requested nor needed; meddlesome.

Ian Holm plays a well-meaning but officious lawyer who tries to make the grieving families sue for damages.
— John Simon, “Minus Four”, National Review, February 9, 1998

The guy was an officious twerp, but Luke and Pete were vagrants, and a railroad employee had the right to throw them out.
— Ken Follett, Code to Zero

Why don’t you mind your own business, ma’am? roared Bounderby. “How dare you go and poke your officious nose into my family affairs?”
— Charles Dickens, Hard Times

Officious comes from Latin officiosus, obliging, dutiful, from officium, dutiful action, sense of duty, official employment, from opus, a work, labor + -ficere, combining form of facere, to do, to make. It is related to official, of or pertaining to an office or public trust.

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for officious

OK, this just gave me a giggle fit. Something about ants filing paperwork and suffering inspections tickles me something fierce.

You failed to fill out link T57-DRG39 stroke 7. Request denied!

Rubicund \ROO-bih-kund\, adjective:

Inclining to redness; ruddy; red.

The men are second cousins, around forty, resembling each other not very much, one taller and leaner, less rubicund than the other, who has just returned from California.
— John Lukacs, A Thread of Years

Rubicund from his cocktail, big, broad, lustrous with power, he exuded what Walter Pater called the “charm of an exquisite character, felt in some way to be inseparable from his person.”
— Edmund Morris, Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan

Rubicund comes from Latin rubicundus, “red, ruddy,” from rubere, “to be red.”

Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation for rubicund

This one also didn’t register a lot of hits. There were three, count ’em, THREE videos of a man with belly fat playing with said belly fat.
In this case, I will include a collection of morbid art set to music called “Rubicund Age”‘ by a band called Cataclyst. Not for young viewers for some disturbing imagery.

This link won’t be robicund until you click it.

Nothing else tonight. You owe me thanks.