I thought I was going to have to resort to a rebus today, because I knew that a trip to Cirencester was not going to produce a result for the word of the day, which is placeman: 'A person who…
DelJanuary 18, 2014
Today's pic of the Natural History Museum represents linguipotence - 'mastery of language or languages; ability to use language'(OED). This wasn't the easiest word to shoot, so forgive the somewhat tenuous link, however, it does sort of work on two…
DelJanuary 16, 2014
Today's OED word of the day is agerasia - 'the quality of not growing old' (OED). This was always going to be a tough one, but I figured that anyone who died young and was immortalised in a statue, would…
DelJanuary 15, 2014
The upside of using the OED WOTD to inform my blog is that I am inspired to go and look for things. The downside is that on days like today, when I have other commitments, there is no time to…
DelJanuary 14, 2014
There is a hawk in Chelsea that is used to keep the pigeon population at bay and I don't know whether it was about today or whether the pigeons were just keeping out of the cold, but whatever the reason,…
DelJanuary 13, 2014
The OED chose a relatively recent "word" for today's word of the day, namely OMG. At least, it's recent in terms of being admitted to the OED (March 2011), but … its usage is far older than that. I must…
DelJanuary 12, 2014
There are at least ten definitions of the word pylon, but the OED's choice of the day has the meaning: 'The monumental gateway to an Egyptian temple' (OED). As I was in the darkest depths of the Cotswolds, there was…
DelJanuary 11, 2014
Today's word - nugacity - is one that will probably find its way into my vocabulary this year. It means: 'A trifling thing or idea; a frivolity.' (OED). Although most of the examples show nugacity as an abstract noun, I like the…
DelJanuary 10, 2014
Plugola - 'Surreptitious or undeclared promotion or publicizing of a product or person, esp. on radio or television; (also occas.) a bribe given or received for this.' (OED) A Pendie shirt + smoke & mirrors + shadow = my photographic…
DelJanuary 9, 2014
Sorry if I have disappointed any ornithologists, who, on seeing the title, were expecting a picture of a wading bird swooping on my coffee cup, for cultrirostral is normally more relevant to our feathered friends. Today's word of the day…
DelJanuary 8, 2014
A bit of poetic licence required today! At first sight nun seemed straightforward enough, but closer inspection revealed that the OED was not referring to the noun in habits, but rather to the transitive verb meaning 'To confine or shut…
DelJanuary 7, 2014
When I saw that today's word was agathism ('The doctrine that all things ultimately tend towards good, although the means by which this comes about may be evil, unpleasant, unfortunate, etc.' ), I thought I would have to admit defeat…
DelJanuary 6, 2014
According to the OED, today's word of the day - nullifidian - is 'A person having no faith or religion, an atheist; a sceptic in matters of religion'. Now obviously, I can't say whether any of these people are nullifidians…
DelJanuary 5, 2014
A milky pellicle formed on my coffee, that is 'a small or thin skin' (OED). This is day #4 of using the OED word of the day for my daily pic and I have to say, I'm really enjoying it,…
DelJanuary 4, 2014
Unfortunately, today's word cultellation is now obsolete. However, with a bit of lateral thinking, I have found a picture that is close! Cultellation means 'The solution of a problem by dealing with it piecemeal; spec. (Surveying) the measuring of altitude…
DelJanuary 3, 2014
Today's word is techne - 'An art, skill, or craft; a technique, principle, or method by which something is achieved or created. Also: a product of this, a work of art' (OED). In interpreting today's word, I decided to go…
DelJanuary 2, 2014
Handsel - a transitive verb meaning inter alia 'To give (a person) a gift at the beginning of the year or day, on a birthday, etc., as a token of good luck.' (OED) And that is what we did just…
DelJanuary 1, 2014
Happy New Year! A brilliant build up to the midnight hour - wonderful company and fab food (even though I do say so myself!). The table was decorated with all sorts of Silvester toot, such as these sparkly little Angry…
DelDecember 31, 2013
The countdown to Silvester has started evidenced by the huts springing up selling chimney sweeps, four leafed clovers, horseshoes, ladybirds and - that greatest symbol of luck - pigs. Not much time for picture hunting today, for I have been…
DelDecember 30, 2013