My Toastmasters Blog » Word of the Day http://mytoastmastersblog.com Helping Toastmasters and Speakers Improve Everyday Fri, 02 Jan 2009 19:44:13 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 en hourly 1 Toastmasters Word of the Day: Manifesto http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/18/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-manifesto/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/18/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-manifesto/#comments Tue, 18 Nov 2008 11:03:24 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=151 The Toastmasters Word of the Day for November 18th, 2008 is:

Manifesto

Non siamo che angeli con un'ala sola...

Creative Commons License photo credit: Janex & Alba

manifesto

Noun
1. A public declaration of principles, policies, or intentions, especially that of a political party

The CEO of our company will be delivering his manifesto today.

To get a copy of my new Special Report, “Make Money? You’re Not a Mint: Suggestions For Earning Money Online and Offline.” Sign up for my free newsletter!. In addition to the report, you will get occasional newsletter only tips on speaking, professional speaking, and special offers. Don’t worry, I don’t sell, rent, or share subscribers.

:)

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/18/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-manifesto/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day: Disabuse http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/15/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-disabuse/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/15/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-disabuse/#comments Sat, 15 Nov 2008 10:35:10 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=149 The Toastmasters Word of the Day for November 15th, 2008 is:

Disabuse

Jump!
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Transitive Verb

to disabuse

1. To free [someone] from a misconception or misapprehension; to unveil a falsehood held by [somebody]

Example

It won’t take them long to disabuse the new Toastmasters Member of any notions of superiority.

Source

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/15/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-disabuse/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day: vis-à-vis http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/14/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-vis-a-vis/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/14/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-vis-a-vis/#comments Fri, 14 Nov 2008 10:42:52 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=147 The Toastmasters Word of the Day for November 14th, 2008 is:

vis-à-vis

Meerkats looking each other
Creative Commons License photo credit: Tambako the Jaguar

Preposition
1. In relation to or compared with
“Canada’s role vis-à-vis the United States’ in Afghanistan”
2. as opposed to

Adverb
1. face to face (with another)
2. (archaic) In a position facing a specified or implied subject.

Noun
1. (historical) A small horse-drawn carriage for two people sitting facing each other.
2. One of two (or more) people facing or opposite each other during a formal dance.

Etymology
From French vis-à-vis ‘face to face’.

Source: http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/vis-%C3%A0-vis

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/14/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-vis-a-vis/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day - Courtier http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/12/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-courtier/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/12/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-courtier/#comments Wed, 12 Nov 2008 11:02:14 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=140 Today’s Toastmasters Word of the Day is Courtier.

Act I. Scene II.
Creative Commons License photo credit: niznoz

courtier (plural courtiers)

noun

1. A person in attendance at a royal court.
2. A person who flatters in order to seek favour.
I tried to speak to the World Champion of Public Speaking at the last District Conference, but I could not get thru the throngs of courtiers.

I hope that you find the word useful.

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/12/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-courtier/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day: Trepidation http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/03/toastmaster-word-of-the-day-trepidation/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/03/toastmaster-word-of-the-day-trepidation/#comments Mon, 03 Nov 2008 10:34:50 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=129 Google Trends tells me that most people search for my site to get ideas on Words of the Day, so I should not disappoint my potential fans!

Today Word is:

trepidation

It is a noun. It means:

A fearful state; a state of hesitation or concern.

I decided, with considerable trepidation, to like what Cynthia did with The World Champion’s Edge.

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/11/03/toastmaster-word-of-the-day-trepidation/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day - Gewgaw http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/11/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-gewgaw/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/11/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-gewgaw/#comments Thu, 11 Sep 2008 11:18:33 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=101 In Toastmasters we announce and track use of a “Word of the Day.” Doing so allows us to practice words that we might not use in our everyday speech to expand our vocabulary. It is a great way to make your speech more eloquent.

Today’s word: gewgaw
gewgaw \G(Y)OO-gaw\, noun:
A showy trifle; a trinket; a bauble.

Bidders paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for worthless gewgaws–fake pearls, ashtrays, golf clubs–merely, one supposes, because they were touched by the hand of this celebrity of celebrities.
– Lawrence M. Friedman, The Horizontal Society

From: Dictionary.com

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Today’s word: argot

argot \AHR-go; -gut\, noun:
1. A specialized and often secret vocabulary and idiom peculiar to a particular group.
2. A secret language or conventional slang peculiar to thieves, tramps, and vagabonds.

In William Aberg’s “Siempre,” set in an unusual Arizona jail that housed both men and women, a veteran talks a novice through fear of the penitentiary (the pinta, in Mexican argot) to which she is being sent.
– Bell Gale Chevigny, Doing Time: 25 Years of Prison Writing

From: Dictionary.com

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/09/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-argot/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day - Laudable http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/07/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-laudable/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/07/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-laudable/#comments Sun, 07 Sep 2008 11:12:13 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=97 In Toastmasters we announce and track use of a “Word of the Day.” Doing so allows us to practice words that we might not use in our everyday speech to expand our vocabulary. It is a great way to make your speech more eloquent.

Today’s word: Laudable

–adjective
1. deserving praise; praiseworthy; commendable: Reorganizing the files was a laudable idea.
2. Medicine/Medical Obsolete. healthy; wholesome; not noxious.
[Origin: 1375–1425; late ME < L laudābilis. See laud, -able]

From: Dictionary.com

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/09/07/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-laudable/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day: Surly http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/08/08/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-surly/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/08/08/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-surly/#comments Fri, 08 Aug 2008 22:40:12 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=80 In Toastmasters we announce and track use of a “Word of the Day.” Doing so allows us to practice words that we might not use in our everyday speech to expand our vocabulary.

Today’s word: Surly - adjective
1. churlishly rude or bad-tempered: a surly waiter.
2. unfriendly or hostile; menacingly irritable: a surly old lion.
3. dark or dismal; menacing; threatening: a surly sky.
4. Obsolete. lordly; arrogant.

[Origin: 1560–70; sp. var. of obs. sirly lordly, arrogant, equiv. to sir + -ly]

From dictionary.reference.com -

]]> http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/08/08/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-surly/feed/ Toastmasters Word of the Day - Caustic http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/07/26/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-caustic/ http://mytoastmastersblog.com/2008/07/26/toastmasters-word-of-the-day-caustic/#comments Sat, 26 Jul 2008 11:23:03 +0000 chris http://mytoastmastersblog.com/?p=71 In Toastmasters we announce and track use of a “Word of the Day.” Doing so allows us to practice words that we might not use in our everyday speech to expand our vocabulary. It is a great way to make your speech more eloquent.

Today’s word: Caustic

caus·tic –adjective
1. capable of burning, corroding, or destroying living tissue.
2. severely critical or sarcastic: a caustic remark.
caus·tic –noun
3. a caustic substance.
4. Optics.
a. caustic curve.
b. caustic surface.
[Origin: 1350–1400; ME < L causticus < Gk kaustikós burning, caustic, equiv. to kaust(ós) burnt (v. adj. of kaíein to burn) + -ikos -ic]

From: Dictionary.com

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