St David's Day so something Welsh was to be expected. It's strange that we don't see giant leeks, daffodils and folk in Welsh national costume singing Max Boyce songs in the same way that we see a lot of evidence…
DelMarch 1, 2015
I think this is an ass, and as asses have a reputation for being "nescient" ('Ignorant. Freq. with of', OED), the discovery of this new sculpture was most timely. Day #58 of the second 365 project, where the daily pic…
DelFebruary 27, 2015
"Bezzie" meaning: 'Esp. of a friend: best; favourite. Freq. in bezzie mate; cf. best friend n.', (OED) has actually been around since the 1800s. And although it's most widely used with friend, it can be used for other things like…
DelFebruary 26, 2015
The long-suffering MisterMac was dragged off to W3, where I’d pledged to do a block from the A to Z. My W3 patch was essentially a housing estate where the names of the streets follow a golf theme – Wentworth…
DelFebruary 26, 2015
The casual observer might think that I'm referring to Lee as my "particeps criminis" ('An accomplice or partner in crime; an accessory. Also in extended use', OED), but actually I am the PC here - at least I nearly was.…
DelFebruary 25, 2015
Glory, how is the OED selecting its word of the day at the moment? I don't mind obscure, but some of them are proving to be quite impossible to depict. Today's is a good example. A "hogenhine' is "A person…
DelFebruary 24, 2015
Bear with me on this one … "Outrecuidance" means: 'Excessive self-esteem; overweening self-confidence; arrogance, presumption; conceit', (OED). According to history books, Hugh de Mortemer was 'the most arrogant man alive, and wanton with greatness', and although he was around in…
DelFebruary 23, 2015
I'm sure creme eggs used to be sold in boxes of six, so if you were a family of two, three or six, you needed to buy only one box for each member to have an equal number of eggs.…
DelFebruary 22, 2015
I have recollections of this happening on the tube before there was a word for it, namely "dumbsize": 'To dismiss (staff) in excessive numbers or without regard to organizational function, with the result that work can no longer be carried…
DelFebruary 21, 2015
A smoking ban to reduce the risk of a "lowe" ('Flame, fire; (as a count noun) a flame, a fire; a blaze. Also: the gleam or glow of a fire, flame, etc.', OED). Day #51 of the second 365 project,…
DelFebruary 20, 2015
This is the second time this year that the OED has failed to be relevant. Given that it is the Chinese New Year, I was expecting something ovine or caprine, but as far as I can see, 'pirrie', which means…
DelFebruary 19, 2015
Well, where else would you go pourparler? ("Pourparler" - 'Chiefly in pl. An informal discussion or conference as a preliminary to more formal negotiations. Also occas. as a mass noun', OED) Day #49 of the second 365 project, where the…
DelFebruary 18, 2015
Much of my photography over the past year has been devoted to the Bleeding London project and we’re now at the stage where we’re filling in the gaps. N18 was more of a gaping hole than a gap so we…
DelFebruary 18, 2015
"Week" - 'Representing a short high-pitched sound, esp. as made by a pig. Freq. reduplicated', (OED). I think my reaction to discovering this treasure-trove could have been described as a week. Day #48 of the second 365 project, where the…
DelFebruary 17, 2015
What a fabulous word! "Mizzle-shinned" means: 'Having one's legs red and blotched from sitting too near a fire', (OED). I was not prepared to burn myself just to get my snap of the day, so I just had to take…
DelFebruary 16, 2015
I think someone had a lousy hand and chucked their cards out of the window. On the front of one of these cards, there is bound to be a joker and he will undoubtedly be clutching a "marotte": 'A baton…
DelFebruary 15, 2015
Oh what an unromantic find! But as I spent most of the day in the car or at RPS HQ, there were limited opportunities for tracking down a "lovescape": 'A view, depiction, or evocation of love; (also) a context or…
DelFebruary 14, 2015
"Marmalize" means: 'To thrash; to crush or destroy. Also fig.: to defeat decisively', (OED). I feel marmalized by the shenanigans over the gas-meter. If it doesn't turn up soon, I'll be out doing a bit of marmalizing myself. Grrrrrr. I…
DelFebruary 13, 2015
Morval Road in SW2 and a representation of today's word, which is "evolution" in the military or naval sense meaning: 'A manoeuvre executed by troops or ships to adopt a different tactical formation', (OED). As Morval was an attack during…
DelFebruary 12, 2015