Thursday, January 28, 2010

DOUG'S WORD OF THE WEEK

heliolatry / hee-lee-OL-uh-tree / noun: 1. Worship of the sun.

Notes & Etymology: From the Greek helio- (sun) + -latry (worship). Related words include heliotrope (a plant that turns toward the sun) or heliocentric (having the sun as the center).

Usage: “Professor Frazer himself has warned that his vaccine is not an invitation to feckless heliolatry, stressing that any jab, no matter how effective, 'is not a replacement for prevention'. "
Tamara Sheward; Browned Off by a Baking Fad; Herald-Sun (Melbourne, Australia); Jan 7, 2010.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

DOUG'S WORD OF THE WEEK

arrogate / AIR-uh-gayt / verb tr : 1. To claim as a right for oneself presumptuously.
2. To claim on behalf of another: to attribute or assign.
Notes & Etymology: From the Latin arrogatus (appropriated), past participle of arrogare, from rogare (to ask). Ultimately from the Indo-European reg- (to move in a straight line, to lead or rule) that is also the source of arrogant, regent, regime, direct, rectangle, erect, rectum, alert, source, surge, supererogatory, abrogate, and prorogue.
Usage: “Youth fills you with optimistic thoughts, bursts with energy, and brims with confidence. It is the stage where you feel that your calling in life is to change the existing order for betterment arrogating the role of the social arbiter. "
Philip Fernando; Understanding the JVP; Daily News (Colombo, Sri Lanka);
Dec 8, 2009.