Weekly Word: Retire

According to Merriam-Webster, the origin of the word retire is Middle French retirer, from re- + tirer to draw with it’s first known use in 1533.

While the word was originally used in conjunction with military action, such as to pull back one’s troops, such as was used in 1533: “He had commandit his army to retere abak.”

Now we most often use it to express when someone is leaving one’s employment or office or to withdraw from an activity or sphere of activity.  The other way we tend to use retire is to go to bed or to rest.

It is with this that I am saying that the weekly Word Nerd is retiring, we are putting it to rest.  While it has been fun, and hopefully you have earned a thing or two, this weekly feature has run it’s course.  So, I’m leaving you today with a poem.

Zac Brown sang a tune
that often makes me swoon
about an island and a boat
to make your worries seem remote
it makes me want to retire
and sit by a campfire
with margarita in hand
you’ll find me playing in the sand

Here’s the song that makes me want to retire

Feel free to add your 6 word stories.

Calling all Word Nerds for June scheduling

We are looking to fill the Word Nerd calendar for June. Please post your reply and let me know what dates you would like. I will take whatever date doesn’t get picked. Does ANYONE ELSE want to write about a favorite word? Don’t be shy. You don’t have to be a word nerd just to join in the fun.

Do you want/need a reminder as your date approaches? I’ll happily send reminders to whomever needs. Please state in your reply.

Your @name
What date(s) you want & do you want a reminder?
Ongoing or one time (if you aren’t a regular contributor)

Any questions, thoughts, comments…

June 6
June 13
June 20
June 27
July 4

A couple reminders, please remember to tag your post #etymology, #weekly so they will show up those categories. Also, when you post, there are 3 dots in the upper right hand corner, please click on that and “stick post to home”. The admins will unstick the next day.

Thanks all!

@mkjackie99
@ananyabha
@brendablagdon
@sashay909
@kristinavanhoos
@piyushavir
@wynstep

logo/graphic designer

I’m working with a horse stable that has a nonprofit therapy program. I’m redoing the website and at this point, taking over facebook. Do you know anyone, student or professional, who would be willing to design a logo for free?
Spread the word to anyone you know and please ask them to contact me at lulaharp .pdx @ gmail .com (remove the spaces)

Word of the Week: Expedite

Everyone seems to be in a hurry all the time.  Everything needs to be done yesterday.  When did this shift occur in the time space continuum that there wasn’t/isn’t enough time to do everything we need or want to do?

#etymology, #weekly

Hey YOU!

Yes, you… With the blog and something to say… Do you have a favorite word? We’d love to hear about it. Something you find yourself saying all the time. Does someone say something that drives you bonkers? I have so many friends who hate the word moist. Does it bug you? What is it you enjoy about old English? Or British versus American English. What is you love or hate about slang?

We know you have some words that you love and hate. We want to know about them. So what we need is for YOU to write a post telling us about that word. Tell us a story, tell us anything, write a poem, a limerick, a haiku, and then tell us the definition and the origins of your word.

Does this sound like something familiar? This is our WEEKLY WORD NERD FEATURE ON ETYMOLOGY! 
Short term, I have two dates I need to fill. You can write in advance and “schedule” it to post for you. Or if you are like me, you can post the day of. I need someone May 6 & 30th.

Whether you’d like to do it once or on going is up to you. Please reply with the following information.

Your @name
What date(s) you want & do you want a reminder?
Ongoing or one time
Any questions, thoughts, comments…

Thanks all!

#etymology

site question/idea

can we have the list of site members that runs down the right hand side in alphabetical order? The order it is in now makes it difficult to find someone. Thanks
#idea

Calling Word-Nerds for May

We are looking to fill the Word Nerd calendar for May. Please reply and let me know what dates you would like. I will take whatever date doesn’t get picked. Does ANYONE ELSE want to write about a favorite word? Don’t be shy. You don’t have to be a word nerd just to join in the fun. Just reply to this post.

Do you want/need a reminder as your date approaches? I’ll happily send reminders to whomever needs. Please state in your reply.

4/18 Barb
4/25 Ananya
5/2 Lula Harp
5/9 Barb @barbct
5/16 amommasview
5/23 Ananya
5/30 (FYI, Memorial Day) xaranahara

A couple reminders, and I’m guilty of remembering these as well. Please remember to tag your post #etymology, #weekly so they will show up those categories. Also, when you post, there are 3 dots in the upper right hand corner, please click on that and “stick post to home”. The admins will unstick the next day.

I hope everyone is having a wonderful weekend.
Thanks for expanding our vocabulary!

@barbct
@mkjackie99
@ananyabha
@brendablagdon
@sashay909
@piyushavir
@wynstep

Blavatar help needed

I changed my blavatar a few days ago and slowly it is changing in various places, but the old blavatar is on my tabbed browser and on my bookmark link. What am I doing wrong? I followed the instructions in the post from the fall re blavatars. @sashay909

Also, does anyone have any ideas on how I can keep the option of show/hid comment thread set to HIDE? I have to change this every time I come on the site. otherwise it makes scrolling through looking for a particular post impossible.
#feedback, #help

Thanks y’all

Word of the Week: Exhaust

I think the thing that has surprised me most about being in my 40’s is the sheer exhaustion and strength it takes to recover. Recover from an injury, day out working in the yard, staying out too late, or drinking too much. It exhausts me, and then takes me days, weeks, or months to recover.

There was once the day I would fall and immediately bounce back up. I’d brush myself off and continue on like nothing had happened. Now when I fall, a bruise sets in, followed by aches I’ve never know, and then I am limited by what I can do the next day.

Yesterday I spent a beautiful day in the sun, working at the barn. Scraping railings and painting. Today Coe and I are gimpy and napping all day. We got out for a short walk, but immediately came home for a nap like we hadn’t slept in a week.

Etymology:  Latin exhaust- participial stem of exhaurīre (an obsolete word meaning to draw out or forth.  Exhaust first used in 1540.

The more common definition of exhaust that we are accustomed to was found in 1541:

To use up completely (either a material or immaterial thing); to expend the whole of; to consume entirely

Exhaustion as I am referring to:

The state of being exhausted of strength, energy, etc.; extreme loss of strength.

a1639    H. Wotton Let. in  Reliquiæ Wottonianæ(1672) 334   Great exhaustions cannot be cured with sudden remedies.

Ginger kitty is fully recovered from her injury and is allowed on the patio while I’m home. Not necessarily supervised, but if something happens, at least I know about it. She, Coe and I have spent our Sunday moving from sunny spot to shade, soft chair to the floor, and from one room to another. I really don’t know when this magical transformation took place and I’m honestly too exhausted to ponder it more. Holy moly I’ve used up all the energy I had stored typing this up.

Do you have a 6 word story for exhaustion? I have two for you.

I’m too exhausted to get up.
This is a perfect napping spot.

#weekly, #etymology

(@barbct, here is a reminder you are up next monday)

Word of the Week: Loquacious

Have you ever met someone who just talks incessantly or excessively?

I recently spent a weekend with an old friend and she never stopped talking.  From the moment she sat up in bed to the minute she went to sleep, she talked.  I have never been around someone who talked so much.  She is loquacious.  The more I live alone, the more I enjoy the sound of silence.

The girls who sit near me at work never stop talking. I have taken to wearing headphones and tapping my toe even if I am not listening to music, just to try and drown them all out.  Did you see that show last night?  He went out with WHO?!  Why did I get THIS file?  WHO put this on my desk? Come watch this video.  I’m going to get breakfast, they have chicken today.  She made green bean casserole with chicken in it.  Have you heard of such a thing?  How’s your boy, the one that got shot?  They are loquacious.

I know I was a loquacious child.  I had coffee with a friend on Saturday, who said his grandson did not speak when he was little so they took him to a speech therapist, and now the child won’t stop talking.  My friend said I can’t tell him to be quiet, but sometimes when he says “Pop Pop, what’s this?” I just don’t have the energy to answer.  This child is loquacious.

Loquacious as defined by the Oxford English Dictionary is given to much talking.  First used in 1667.

There are several derivatives and I found loquent, dating back to 1593

Etymology:  Latin loquent-em, present participle of loquī to speak.

I found this use most entertaining…  1655   H. L’Estrange Reign King Charles 135:

So rare is it for a man very eloquent, not to be over loquent.

Since, I don’t want to be too loquacious, I’m going to stop now.  Tell us about someone you know who is loquacious.  Is it you?!

Do you have a six word story for loquacious?

#etymology, #weekly