Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Words of the Day

Wordsmith Word of the Day:

fugleman (FYOO-guhl-muhn) noun

One who leads a group, company, or party.

[From German Flügelmann (flank man), from Flügel (wing) + Mann (man).
A fugleman was once a soldier placed usually on a flank during drill
to serve as a guide for his company.]

Today's word in Visual Thesaurus: http://visualthesaurus.com/?w1=fugleman

-Anu Garg (words at wordsmith.org)

"[Mencken] was trying single-handedly to drag American culture out of
Puritanism and into the twentieth century, to act as fugleman on this
side of the Atlantic for a literary and artistic renaissance comparable
to the one then taking place on the other side."
Jonathan Yardley; The Sage of Baltimore; The Atlantic Monthly (New York);
Dec 2002.

M-W Word of the Day:

enmity • \EN-muh-tee\ • noun

: positive, active, and typically mutual hatred or ill will

Example Sentence:
Having to work on the project together only increased the enmity between Ralph and Debra, who had never gotten along.
Did you know?
"Enmity" and its synonyms "hostility," "animosity," and "animus" all indicate deep-seated dislike or ill will. "Enmity" (which derives from an Anglo-French word meaning "enemy") suggests true hatred, either overt or concealed. "Hostility" implies strong, open enmity that shows itself in attacks or aggression. "Animosity" carries the sense of anger, vindictiveness, and sometimes the desire to destroy what one hates. "Animus" is generally less violent than "animosity," but definitely conveys active prejudice or ill will.

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