( Read more... )

Oh, what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to conceive written communication. So many pairs or trios of words and phrases stymie us with their resemblance to each other. Here’s a quick guide to alleviate (or is it ameliorate?) your suffering:

( 50 Ways to Weave Your Love, er...Lovenotes )

What's precipitancy?
(prē sip'i tən sē, pri-)

Great haste, rashness, or hasty action.

"I hope there will be no women besides our own party," Lady Bareacres said, after reflecting upon the invitation which had been made, and accepted with too much precipitancy.

From William Makepeace Thackeray's Vanity Fair

What's mien?
(mēn)

A person's appearance, or the way someone carries or conducts oneself. A revealing manner that gives insight into an individual's emotions and overall character.

The middle one of the three windows was half-way open; and sitting close beside it, taking the air with an infinite sadness of mien, like some disconsolate prisoner, ( Read more... )

What is a panegyric?
(pan' ə jir' ik, -jī' rik)

A formal expression of praise, sometimes for the dead.

When he saw [his picture] ... the sense of his own beauty came on him like a revelation. Then had come Lord Henry Wotton with his strange panegyric on youth, his terrible warning of its brevity. Yes, there would be a day when his face would be ( Read more... )

 What is a palliative?
(pal' ē āt; iv, -ə tiv)

A palliative is something that eases pain and suffering but doesn't cure it. For example, music can be a palliative for people with serious, complex, or terminal illness.

"As you can see, the cancer's metastasized," [the doctor] said. "He'll have to take steroids to reduce the swelling in his brain and ( Read more... )

Is a hardihood some kind of clothing?
(här' dē hood')

Hardihood isn't something you wear, but rather a character trait that you bear. It's the strength of your spirit - your courage or boldness in the face of something difficult or dramatic.

I hardly know where I found the hardihood thus to open a conversation with a stranger; the step was contrary ( Read more... )

Do you have to have licentiousness to get your driver's license?
(li sen' shəs nes)

Licentiousness refers to your moral compass. A lack of restraint, especially with displays of sexuality, can point your reputation toward licentiousness.

Humble me! Was I not already in the dust? But his threat lacerated my heart. I knew the law gave him power to ( Read more... )

Phantasmagoric refers to a series, or waves, of rapidly changing elements, both real and imaginary, pulsing through scenes - like dreams adrift with specters and imaginary spirits.

While the objects around me - while the carvings of the ceilings, the sombre tapestries of the walls, the ebon blackness of the floors, and the phantasmagoric armorial ( Read more... )

Does probity mean nosy?
(pro' buh tee)

Probity is uprightness in one's dealings; integrity.

Mr. Bingley does not know the whole of [Wickham's] history, and is quite ignorant of the circumstances which have principally offended Mr. Darcy; but he will vouch for the good conduct, the probity, and honour of his friend, and is perfectly convinced ( Read more... )