Forgive ourselves...

By Vichara


We reach out in prayer, meditation and in reflection for help from however we describe it, the universe, god, divine presence, etc. While it is definitely good to reach out we must also reach within and release ourselves from the trouble that has been inside of us. As a good friend of mine has told me “we must forgive ourselves” and in this that both sides of this troubled coin can be exposed to all of the healing powers that exist.

perennial • \puh-REN-ee-ul\ • adjective
1 : present at all seasons of the year
2 : continuing to live from year to year
3 : recurring regularly : permanent

Example Sentence:
The diva's late-night partying and angry run-ins with the paparazzi have been perennial fodder for the tabloids.

Did you know?
Nowadays when we talk about "perennial plants," or simply "perennials" ("perennial" can be a noun, too), we mean plants that die back seasonally but produce new growth in the spring. But originally "perennial" was equivalent to "evergreen," used for plants that remain with us all year. We took this "throughout the year" sense straight from the Romans, whose Latin "perennis" combined "per-" ("throughout") with a form of "annus" ("year"). The poet Ovid, writing around the beginning of the first millennium, used the Latin word to refer to a "perennial spring" (water source), and the scholar Pliny used it of birds that don't migrate. Our "perennial" retains these same uses, for streams and occasionally for birds, but it has long had extended meanings, too.

The possibilities...

By Vichara


Drink from the cup of today as if every drop would be the difference between life and death, pain and pleasure, knowing and not knowing. Breathe and fill your lungs with possibilities. Listen to the rustling of ideas that vibrate all around. See as if each blink of your eyes you are given an infinite number of different lens to see the world…it’s up to you.

symbiosis • \sim-bee-OH-sis\ • noun
1 : the living together in close association of two dissimilar organisms especially when mutually beneficial
2 : a cooperative relationship

Example Sentence:
A perfect symbiosis was at work between the café’s co-owners, with Stephanie creating the menu and Maria doing the bookkeeping.

Did you know?
"Symbiosis" was adopted by the scientific community in the late 1800s, though it had appeared in English in a non-scientific sense as far back as 1622. When a biological symbiosis is mutually beneficial, it is termed "mutualism." For example, when the yucca moth lays her eggs in the seed pods of the yucca, she acts as pollinator, and when the larvae hatch they feed on some, but not all, of the seeds. When one organism lives off another at the other’s expense, it’s called "parasitism." Either way, living together is what "symbiosis" is all about; the word came to us, via German and New Latin, from the Greek "symbiōsis," meaning "state of living together." "Symbiōsis," in turn, traces to "symbios" ("living together"), a combination of "syn-," meaning "with," and "bios," meaning "life."

A new course...

By Vichara


We are tempted everyday through the prism of deception. Our view and desires are shaped by the sense of inadequacy every which way we turn during the course of the day. You are not cool enough unless you have this thing or you will never shine and be noticed unless you have that. The latest toys, gadgets and doohickeys all to support this supposed sense of inadequacy. If there is one thing our current financial crisis has been teaching us is there are many things we truly do not need when it really comes down to it. The phoenix that should rise from these ashes of gluttony and greed is the essentials and a clearer vision of how to sustain a life without the excess. A GPS with a moral and ethical guidance system that will unify and not divide.

Rosetta stone • \roh-ZET-uh-STOHN\ • noun
1 : a black basalt stone found in 1799 that bears an inscription in hieroglyphics, demotic characters, and Greek and is celebrated for having given the first clue to the decipherment of Egyptian hieroglyphics
2 : one that gives a clue to understanding

Example Sentence:
"This is the home of the Elliott wave principle, an arcane system of technical analysis that thousands of investors have come to believe is the Rosetta stone of the stock market." (Cynthia Crossen, The Wall Street Journal, March 18, 1987)

Did you know?
The word "hieroglyphics" refers to an Egyptian writing system that was unintelligible to later civilizations until an inscribed stone about the size of a coffee table was discovered over 200 years ago in an Egyptian town called Rosetta ("Rashid" in Arabic). The Rosetta stone, as it came to be called, held a key to the ancient writing system. Probably written by Egyptian priests in the 2nd century B.C., its hieroglyphic text repeated a text written in familiar Greek. As a result, Egyptologists were able to decipher the symbols. Today we also use "Rosetta stone" figuratively, as we have since the early 20th century, for other things that provide clues or help us to understand something that would otherwise be undecipherable.

Be a change...

By Vichara


Regardless of your position in life, your status amongst the rich and famous, the powerful and the meek, we are all comprised of the exact same chemical combination to produce this breathing, thinking, talking humanoid being. Some will abuse this presence while in their lifetime and others will ignite the compassionate element and try to leave this world a little bit better. Face it, we will all die at some point, wouldn’t you want to use this small amount of time that has been given to you to make a difference in the world? Even in a small unselfish way, it’s up to you.

dross • \DRAHSS\ • adjective
1 : the scum that forms on the surface of molten metal
2 : waste or foreign matter : impurity
3 : something that is base, trivial, or inferior

Example Sentence:
The critic complained that the movies released after Oscar season were just so much dross.

Did you know?
"Dross" has been a part of the English language since Anglo-Saxon times; one 19th-century book on Old English vocabulary dates it back to 1050 A.D. Its Old English ancestors are related to Germanic and Scandinavian words for "dregs" (as in "the dregs of the coffee") -- and, like "dregs," "dross" is a word for the less-than-desirable parts of something. Over the years, the relative worthlessness of dross has often been set in contrast to the value of gold, as for example in British poet Christina Rossetti's "The Lowest Room": "Besides, those days were golden days, / Whilst these are days of dross" (1875).

Three essentials...

By Vichara


We all just want to be love, honored and respected. Love, to feel an emotional connection and actually know that someone cares. Honored, to know that our presence here is not taken frivolously. And respected that our words and deeds have merit, not for self-glory but for the benefit of others. Of course these three cornerstones will not be present unless you are engaged outside yourself with the world and not hidden both emotionally and physically. Wile one of these is possible the other is difficult considering where the majority of us live. Take this fact that you must physically engage as the first step and with each interaction temper all that you do with a deep sense of compassion. The results will be what we all seek love, honor and respect.

edentulous • \ee-DEN-chuh-luss\ • adjective
: having no teeth : toothless
Example Sentence:
Thanks to improvements in public health and dental care in the 20th century, far fewer Americans are edentulous when they enter their golden years.
Did you know?
"Edentulous" comes to English directly from the Latin word "edentulous," which in turn comes from the Latin prefix "e-," meaning "missing" or "absent," and the Latin root "dent-," meaning "tooth." This root is at work in many familiar English words that relate to teeth, including "dental," "dentist," and "denture." It is also found in "edentate," a less common word that functions as a noun referring to an order of mammals with few or no teeth (e.g. sloths and armadillos), and as an adjective describing such mammals. "Edentate" is also sometimes used as a synonym of "edentulous."

Grateful...

By Vichara


There are those that even if you were to put everything they need right in their hands there would always be a desire for what “else” is out there. An obsessive desire to acquire and to have more than is necessary. Yes it is nice to be comfortable but in excess it is obscene, especially in our current world and it’s troubles. There are those even in this fast paced electronic world that are thankful for a single pencil and a piece of paper. A single vital meal and the ability to stand on two legs and walk. While yes the element of guilt lays in this message it is only set there to try to have us all be a little more grateful today.

negotiate • \nih-GOH-shee-ayt\ • verb
1 : to confer with another so as to arrive at the settlement of some matter; also : to arrange for or bring about by such conferences
2 : to transfer to another by delivery or endorsement in return for equivalent value
*3 : to get through, around, or over successfully
Example Sentence:
"On the coast we negotiate much of our navigable waters as if driving through a big empty parking lot without lines or barriers, safely avoiding shallow water and other hazards and allowing reasonable clearance for fellow boaters." (David Sikes, Corpus Christi Caller-Times, April 10, 2008)
Did you know?
For the first 250 years of its life, "negotiate" had meanings that hewed pretty close to its Latin root, "negotiari," meaning "to carry on business." Around the middle of the 19th century, though, it developed the meaning "to successfully travel along or over." Although this sense was criticized in the New York Sun in 1906 as a "barbarism creeping into the language," and Fowler's 1926 A Dictionary of Modern English Usage declared that any writer who used it was "literally a barbarian," it has thrived. The Harper Dictionary of Contemporary Usage claimed in both its 1975 and 1985 editions that it is "considered inappropriate in formal speech and writing," but our evidence does not show that there is anything particularly informal about its use.

The garden...

By Vichara


Trying to find your place in the world is yes very difficult. We believe that when we find that “one thing” that all will settle down and be all right. The thing is however everything is in a constant change and never remains the same. Impermanence underscores every movement of everything and there is no way to escape this fact. Given that you may ask when I find that one thing it will be gone. No the one thing that you have reached for is still there but it will be evolving with each movement. The key is to wrap your heart around it and with openness celebrate, learn and explore this one thing that makes you happy. From this one “seed” other things will grow and the garden that is your life will be abundant and fulfilling.

sciolism • \SYE-uh-liz-um\ • noun
: a superficial show of learning
Example Sentence:
Some critics of state-mandated testing say it is an exercise in sciolism that doesn’t really demonstrate a student’s grasp of the material studied.
Did you know?
"Sciolism" comes from the Late Latin "sciolus," which means "smatterer" (or "one who speaks with spotty or superficial knowledge"). "Sciolus" comes from the diminutive of Latin "scius," meaning "knowing," which itself comes from the verb "scire," meaning "to know." Of course, if you know something about Latin roots, you know that "scire" is the source of many other English words, including "science," "prescience" ("foreknowledge"), "nescience" ("lack of knowledge"), and "conscience."

The dynamic interaction...

By Vichara


We may find it difficult to achieve over certain aspects of our lives but that is the simple existence played out in the roles granted to us. The grant should not be perceived as preordained but lead to us trough the dynamic interaction by the divine spirit in us all. As the circumstances are lead to us, so to will the answers and solutions be given to us.

vatic • \VAT-ik\ • adjective
: prophetic, oracular

Example Sentence:
The vatic voice of these poems, untempered by humor or irony, sounds more pretentious than profound.

Did you know?
Some people say only thin lines separate poetry, prophecy, and madness. We don't know if that's generally true, but it is in the case of "vatic." The adjective derives directly from the Latin word "vates," meaning "seer" or "prophet." But that Latin root is in turn distantly related to an Old English word for "poetry," an Old High German word for "madness," and an Old Irish word for "seer" or "poet."

The change...

By Vichara


If there is an acknowledgment within yourself for a desire to change, you are half way there. If your awareness of the world around you has become heightened, the seed has been planted. If you find yourself talking about social and moral values more, the shift has already happened. Sooner or later and hopefully sooner, awareness arises inside you, creates the catalyst for change and moves your dialogue from internal to external. From this point you will be drawn to other voices that will encourage your steps and like kindred souls finally meeting, will set down the demarcation point for change not only for you but the world around you. But please be kind to yourself and move forward with patience, love and compassion.

enclave • \EN-klayv\ • noun
: a distinct territorial, cultural, or social unit enclosed within or as if within foreign territory
Example Sentence:
The small middle-class enclave, just north of the city, is home to many young professionals who commute into the city to work every morning.
Did you know?
Looking for the keys to the etymology of "enclave"? You'll find them in French and Latin. English speakers borrowed "enclave" from French in the 19th century. The French noun derives in turn from the Middle French verb "enclaver," meaning to "enclose." "Enclaver" itself can be traced to the Latin prefix "in-" and the Latin noun "clavis," meaning "key." "Clavis" opened the door to a few other English words, some of which might seem unlikely relatives of "enclave." "Clavicle," the word for the bone that joins the breastbone and the shoulder blade, comes from "clavis," as does the musical sign "clef."

Truth...

By Vichara


The truth does not lay in the facts but in the intuitive ability to recognize the truth. The truth as we tend to know it can be a collection of words, concepts and syllables and subject to deception by the person who wants to convince you of something. It is only when you gain the intuitive ability to feel and recognize the truth being projected with words will you know the honest truth.

eyas • \EYE-us\ • noun
: an unfledged bird; specifically : a nestling hawk
Example Sentence:
It took about six weeks for the eyas to mature into a fully grown peregrine falcon.
Did you know?
"Eyas" is a funny-sounding word that exists because of a mistake. In the 15th century, Middle English speakers made an incorrect assumption about the word "neias," which comes from the Anglo-French "niais" ("fresh from the nest"). "A neias" sounded like "an eias" to their ears, so the word lost that initial "n," eventually becoming "eyas." (There are other words in English that were created in this same fashion; for example, "an apron" used to be "a napron.") The change in spelling may have been suggested by other Middle English words like "ey" ("egg") and "eyry," which was a spelling of "aerie," the hawk's nest where an eyas would be found

The demarkation point...

By Vichara


From the biggest to the smallest, the weakest to the strong, we all share the same DNA that makes us these humanoid beings that are capable of so much pain and yet so much beauty. Where is that line that divides the choice to contribute, support and celebrate our fellow human achievements and the demarcation point that manipulates, destroys and abuses that which makes us unique. And once we identify the catalyst point how do we maintain the seesaw of events in a positive way to move us forward and not backward in a constant primordial state. Perhaps it is in those 3 Things I refer to all of the time; Love – to retain a sense of support. Patience – to be able to wait and help each other along the way and Compassion – to remember how we all feel in similar situations and circle back to the beginning – Love.

blarney • \BLAR-nee\ • noun
*1 : skillful flattery : blandishment
2 : nonsense, humbug
Example Sentence:
The woman at the bar laughingly asked Steve if anyone ever fell for that line of blarney.
Did you know?
The village of Blarney in County Cork, Ireland, is home to Blarney Castle, and in the southern wall of that edifice lies the famous Blarney Stone. Legend has it that anyone who kisses the Blarney Stone will gain the gift of skillful flattery, but that gift must be attained at the price of some limber maneuvering -- you have to lie down and hang your head over a precipice to reach and kiss the stone. One story claims the word “blarney” gained popularity as a word for “flattery” after Queen Elizabeth I of England used it to describe the flowery (but apparently less than honest) cajolery of McCarthy Mor, who was then the lord of Blarney Castle.

A new vision...

By Vichara


Gandhi once said, “an eye for an eye, makes the whole world blind”. Let’s say now, today, as we wake up and meet the world – “a heart for a heart makes the whole world see”. By engaging in one simple act of kindness rooted in a compassionate heart, we can make a difference. On simple act will inspire another to another to another until it becomes a force and not a tiny voice as some perceive it to be. By bucking the system of negativity we can take control of a world with a vision of love, patience and compassion.

tremulous • \TREM-yuh-luss\ • adjective
1 : marked by trembling or tremors : quivering
2 : timorous, timid

Example Sentence:
I hardly recognized my own tremulous voice telling the EMT I was pretty sure I was okay.

Did you know?
Do you suspect that "tremulous" must be closely related to "tremble"? If so, you're right. Both of those words derive from the Latin verb "tremere," which means "to tremble." Some other English offspring of "tremere" are "tremor," "tremendous," "temblor" (another word for earthquake), and "tremolo" (a term that describes a vibrating and quavering musical effect that was particularly popular for electric guitars and organs in the 1970s).

Knock, knock?...

By Vichara


Knock knock? Who’s there? – You…you who?...the one reading this…no wait there is more of you. There’s the laughing you, the thinking you, the sad you, the silly you, the troubled you, the smart you, the leader you, the follower you and the angry you. Hey there are a lot of you! Gather up all that is you because each part is as important as the other you. You have been given a new day and a new set of puzzles to figure out. But hey don’t worry we are all in this together and say, if I get stuck you can help me and you get stuck I will help you. Now there is a novel approach to this existence…helping each other out? Pssst pass it along, it may catch on.

flibbertigibbet • \flib-er-tee-JIB-ut\ • noun
: a silly flighty person
Example Sentence:
She plays a flibbertigibbet on the sitcom, but off the set, she is a no-nonsense woman in full control of her career and family.
Did you know?
"Flibbertigibbet" is one of many incarnations of the Middle English word "flepergebet," meaning "gossip" or "chatterer." (Others include "flybbergybe," "flibber de' Jibb," and "flipperty-gibbet.") It is a word of onomatopoeic origin, created from sounds that were intended to represent meaningless chatter. Shakespeare apparently saw a devilish aspect to a gossipy chatterer; he used "flibbertigibbet" in King Lear as the name of a devil. This use never caught on, but the devilish connotation of the word reappeared over 200 years later when Sir Walter Scott used "Flibbertigibbet" as the nickname of an impish urchin in the novel Kenilworth. The impish meaning derived from Scott's character was short-lived and was laid to rest by the 19th-century's end, leaving us with only the "silly flighty person" meaning.

Building each day...

By Vichara


Awakening to a new day is like walking into a construction site on the first day. All of the materials to build the foundation is there waiting in various locations in front of you. You need to walk forward and pick up each brick with confidence and determination and believe today’s edifice will be stronger than yesterday’s by using the tools of love, compassion. And when this day is built you get another chance tomorrow to build once again.

acedia • \uh-SEE-dee-uh\ • noun
: apathy, boredom
Example Sentence:
A restaurant reviewer in SF Weekly once described a brunch as "a stupefyingly lavish buffet spread that will do nothing to erase your acedia."
Did you know?
"Acedia" comes from a combination of the negative prefix "a-" and the Greek noun "kēdos," meaning "care, concern, or grief." (The Greek word "akēdeia" became "acedia" in Late Latin, and that spelling was retained in English.) "Acedia" initially referred specifically to the "deadly sin" of sloth. It first appeared in print in English in 1607 describing ceremonies which could induce this sin in ministers and pastors, but that sense is now rare. "Acedia" now tends to be used more generally to simply imply a lack of interest or caring, although it sometimes still carries over

Remembering...

By Vichara


While we mourn we must also celebrate the person who is no longer physically here. Their laughter, their smiles, their words and their wisdom. While we feel the sudden loss, we must also remember their presence, for in it’s wake resonates a memory filled with a life that gave so much to all and will continue to ripple out for many years to come. We are that left when this person leaves the room should hold on to at least one wonderful thought of the person and let that be the candle of love and compassion that you will pass on to others. One good thought that will burn brightly not only for you but for those others looking for inspiration and retain the spirit of the person who has departed in your “heart”.

proliferate • \pruh-LIF-uh-rayt\ • verb
: to grow or increase in number rapidly
Example Sentence:
"As low rates proliferated, lenders fell over themselves to stuff cash in customers' pockets." (Daniel Gross, Newsweek, August 20/27, 2007)
Did you know?
"Proliferate" came about in 1873 as a back-formation of "proliferation." That means that "proliferation" came first (we borrowed it from French in the 1850s) and was later shortened to form the verb "proliferate." Ultimately these terms come from Latin. The French adjective "prolifère" ("reproducing freely") comes from the Latin noun "proles" and the Latin combining form "-fer." "Proles" means "offspring" or "descendants," and "-fer" means "bearing." Both of these Latin forms gave rise to numerous other English words. "Prolific" and "proletarian" ultimately come from "proles"; "aquifer" and words ending in "-ferous" have their roots in "-fer."

Smoother sailing...

By Vichara


A boat without a rudder or proper steering mechanism will aimlessly and recklessly travel in all directions and create conflict and havoc with other boaters. There are some boats that even have a rudder but in their organic elements is self-centeredness, anger and an isolationist attitude whish creates a disruptive wake. But out on the horizon are those boats that have rudders created in compassion, courage and confidence. Instinctively you will know when you crossed into their calming wake. Decorate your boat with bright colors and unique personality, turn the rudder and join others in the calming waters of compassion.

crepuscular • \krih-PUHSS-kyuh-ler\ • adjective
1 : of, relating to, or resembling twilight : dim
2 : active in the twilight

Example Sentence:
"The whisper of his conviction seemed to open before me a vast and uncertain expanse, as of a crepuscular horizon on a plain at dawn…." (Joseph Conrad, Lord Jim)

Did you know?
The early Romans had two words for "twilight." "Crepusculum" was favored by Roman writers for the half-light of evening, just after the sun sets; it is a diminutive formation based on their word for "dusky," which is "creper." "Diluculum" was reserved for morning twilight, just before the sun rises -- it is related to "lucidus," meaning "bright." We didn't embrace either of these Latin nouns as substitutes for our Middle English "twilight," but we did form the adjective "crepuscular" in the 17th century. At first, it only meant "dim" or "indistinct," often used in a figurative sense. In the 1820s, we added its special zoological sense, describing animals that are most active at twilight.

The "keys"...

By Vichara


We all have the answers…let that sink in for a moment. Say it to yourself again. We all have the answers. There is the factual and those answers are easily obtainable these days by many means, books, videos, teachers, Internet, etc. Then there is the esoteric and the answers to those humanistic emotional variances that to most seem remote and unattainable. All of the “keys” that will open the doors of understanding are in everyone’s pocket. Our reluctance to getting the “answers” is not based in ignorance but being patient enough to locate the “key” to each answer that resides in all of us. Sometimes it may take some time to get the answer but with patience you will get there.

scratch • \SKRATCH\ • noun
1 : a mark or injury made by or as if by scratching; also : a sound so made
2 : scrawl, scribble
3 : the starting line in a race
4 a : a test of courage *b : satisfactory condition, level, or performance
Example Sentence:
The team made it to the championship despite the fact that they were not up to scratch for the last several games.
Did you know?
The phrase "up to scratch" has its origins in the world of sports. In the 18th century, "scratch" began to be used for a line or mark that served as the starting point in a contest or competition. In order to begin or continue a fight, for example, a pugilist would "come up to the scratch," positioning himself at a line drawn across the prize ring. "Up to the scratch" was soon being used figuratively of anyone who was ready and able to do something. Over the years, the usage of the phrase has evolved somewhat, but something that is "up to scratch" can still be said to be ready and able in that it is capable of functioning or performing as expect

Another way...

By Vichara


While there are many things that may seem out of our influence, there are still things that we can be thankful for on a daily basis. While there are those that choose to bicker and fight in a sophomoric childish way there is still an ability among us to work together with resolve. While there are some truths that many around us fail to see we must still treat each other with love, compassion and patience.

purfle • \PUR-ful\ • verb
: to ornament the border or edges of
Example Sentence:
The luthier used abalone shell to purfle the instrument.
Did you know?
Today we use "purfle" mostly in reference to setting a decorative inlaid border around the body of a guitar or violin, a process known as "purfling." In the past, "purfle" got the most use in connection with adornment of garments. "The Bishop of Ely . . . wore a robe of scarlet . . . purfled with minever," reported an English clergyman in 1840, for example. We embellished our language with "purfle," first as "purfilen" in the 1300s, when we took it with its meaning from Middle French "porfiler."

It is yours...

By Vichara


If it has not been written, it cannot be said. If it has not been said, it can’t be written. Somewhere in between is the thought that can change the world or change the course of hearts. It is the rise in the road where the vista that has not been seen before reveals itself before one and the many. Be calm, be thankful and be aware that it has been given to each one of us. It is our rights, our destiny and our inheritance for the next traveler. All of this is yours and cannot be taken away but you personally have an obligation not to turn away when this comes. Write it down, speak it out loud, and engrave it in your heart. Share it for it’s your legacy no matter how trivial you make think it is. It is your “thought” that will unfold and inspire.

oligopsony • \ah-luh-GAHP-suh-nee\ • noun
: a market situation in which each of a few buyers exerts a disproportionate influence on the market
Example Sentence:
The elimination of small local vendors by a handful of national chain groceries has created an oligopsony where farmers cannot receive fair prices for their yields.
Did you know?
You're probably familiar with the word "monopoly," but you may not recognize its conceptual and linguistic relative, the much rarer "oligopsony." Both "monopoly" and "oligopsony" are ultimately from Greek, although "monopoly" passed through Latin before being adopted into English. "Monopoly" comes from the Greek prefix “mono-" (which means "one") and “pōlein” ("to sell"). "Oligopsony" derives from the combining form “olig-" ("few") and the Greek noun “opsōnia” ("the purchase of victuals"), which is ultimately from the combination of “opson ("food") and “ōneisthai” ("to buy"). It makes sense, then, that "oligopsony" refers to a "buyers' market" in which the seller is subjected to the potential demands of a limited pool of buyers. Another related word is "monopsony," used for a more extreme oligopsony in which there is only a single buyer.

Change the world...

By Vichara


There are many out there that feel the compulsion to be constantly informed with the latest news stories from around the globe. Most of them reported are negative. The need to know becomes an obsession to see the suffering of the world. Do we need to be informed of the suffering of the world? Do you not believe the world is suffering? Are you not clear with this concept? There is one thing to be informed but there is another thing to have this constant parade of suffering on your TV or radio all day long. Are you going to do anything to improve it? If not, stop watching it. You are not helping the situation for you or anyone else. Find one small way to change things around you for the better. Build on this foundation and the world will be transformed before your eyes.

incarnadine • \in-KAHR-nuh-dyne\ • adjective
1 : having the pinkish color of flesh
*2 : red; especially : bloodred
Example Sentence:
"Tavel [wine] … is noted for its assertive fruit and magnificent rich and brilliant incarnadine color." (Vick Knight Jr., Press Enterprise [Riverside, CA], August 11, 1999)
Did you know?
"Carn-" is the Latin root for "flesh," and "incarnates" is Latin for "flesh-colored." English speakers picked up the "pinkish" sense of "incarnadine" back in the late 1500s. Since then, the adjective has come to refer to the dark red color of freshly cut, fleshy meat as well as to the pinkish color of the outer skin of some humans. The word can be used as a verb, too, meaning "to redden." Shakespeare used it that way in Macbeth: “Will all great Neptune's ocean wash this blood clean from my hand? No, this my hand will rather the multitudinous seas incarnadine, making the green one red.”

Lesson #22

By Vichara


Without failure you cannot have achievement. No one likes to fail at something but it is in failure that you find the necessary steps to resolve the situation(s) that come our way and work constructively to better solutions. The key is not to aloe the failure taint any further progress in any area of your life but realize what they are, lessons in building a more resourceful and compassionate person.

hoke • \HOHK\ • verb
: to give a contrived, falsely impressive, or hokey quality to -- usually used with "up"
Example Sentence:
Sappy music and melodramatic acting combine to hoke up the movie's romance sequences.
Did you know?
"Hoke" is a back-formation of "hokum," which was probably created as a blend of "hocus-pocus" and "bunkum." "Hokum" is a word for the theatrical devices used to evoke a desired audience response. The verb "hoke" appeared in the early 20th century and was originally used (as it still can be today) when actors performed in an exaggerated or overly sentimental way. Today, it is often used adjectivally in the form "hoked-up," as in "hoked-up dialogue." The related word "hokey" was coined soon after "hoke" to describe things that are corny or phony.