51吃瓜 of the Day
gullywasher
noun
Chiefly Midland and Western U.S.
a usually short, heavy rainstorm.
More about gullywasher
Gullywasher, 鈥渁 short, heavy rainstorm,鈥� is a dialect and regional word in the U.S. Midwest and West. The first half of the word is a variant pronunciation of gullet 鈥渢hroat, esophagus,鈥� from Middle English golet, gulet, from Old French goulet, from Latin gula 鈥渢丑谤辞补迟.鈥� Gullywasher entered English in the early 20th century.
how is gullywasher used?
I used to have a country neighbor who during drouths would inevitably, when he saw a white rim of cloudiness on the easter horizon, prognosticate a gully-washer, a clod-melter, a frog-strangler within the week.
The rounds of rain and flash flooding Tuesday presented another reminder that 2018 has聽featured both gullywashers and full-day washouts.
farthing
noun
something of very small value: I don't care a farthing for your opinion.
More about farthing
A farthing was formerly an English coin of the smallest denomination, worth a quarter of a penny. Originally the coin was made of silver, then of a copper alloy, and finally of bronze. The coin was discontinued in 1961. The Middle English name for the coin was ferthing, farthing (with still more variants), made of silver, and came from Old English 蹿脓辞谤迟丑颈苍驳, 蹿脓辞谤迟丑耻苍驳 鈥渁 quarter, a fourth part, a farthing.鈥� The Old English forms are derivatives of 蹿脓辞谤迟丑补 鈥渇ourth鈥� and the noun suffix –ing 鈥渙ne belonging to, descended from,鈥� sometimes used to form diminutives, as here. Farthing entered English before a.d. 1000.
how is farthing used?
… when he cares not a farthing for the general good, and will sell his vote for a dollar … then his vote becomes a public pest.
Most of the tunes are pegged to the show-within-the-show, which we couldn鈥檛 give a farthing about.
phronesis
noun
Philosophy.
wisdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them.
More about phronesis
Phronesis, 鈥渨isdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them, practical understanding, sound judgment,鈥� comes from Latin 辫丑谤辞苍脓蝉颈蝉, from Greek 辫丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉, meaning 鈥減ractical wisdom, prudence in government and public affairs鈥� in Plato, Aristotle, and other heavy hitters. 笔丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉 is a derivative of the verb 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 鈥渢o think, be minded, be wise鈥�; 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 in turn is a derivative formed from the noun 辫丑谤脓苍 (stem phren-), whose myriad meanings include 鈥渕idriff, diaphragm, heart (as seat of the passions and bodily appetites), mind (seat of the mental faculties and perception).鈥� Phronesis entered English in the 16th century.
how is phronesis used?
… courage also requires us to apply what Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics聽calls 鈥�phronesis鈥澛�or practical wisdom.
The best analysis of practical wisdom I know of occurs in the chorus of 鈥淭he Gambler鈥� … 鈥淵ou got to know when to hold 鈥榚m / Know when to fold 鈥榚m / Know when to walk away / Know when to run.鈥�