51吃瓜 of the Day
cockade
noun
a rosette, knot of ribbon, etc., usually worn on the hat as part of a uniform, as a badge of office, or the like.
More about cockade
Cockade 鈥渁 rosette worn on the hat as part of a uniform鈥� is an alteration of the French term cocarde, which derives from the Middle French word cocquard 鈥渂oastful, silly, cocky鈥� (like the boastful behavior of a rooster). Cocquard is a compound of the noun coc 鈥渞ooster, cock鈥� and -ard, a noun-forming suffix. Coc derives from Late Latin coccus or a Germanic term akin to Old Norse kokkr and is of onomatopoeic origin; numerous languages worldwide independently developed similar-sounding words for 鈥渞ooster鈥� by imitating the sound of the rooster鈥檚 call. The suffix -ard is likely extracted from a Frankish element, -hart 鈥渟trong, brave, hardy,鈥� found in Germanic-origin personal names in French, such as Bernard and Richard, and in terms for people who regularly engage in a particular activity or are characterized in a certain way, such as drunkard and wizard. Cockade was first recorded in English in the 1650s.
how is cockade used?
During the immediate aftermath of the revolution and the execution of Louis XVI and Marie-Antoinette, the Committee of Public Safety attempted to use the guillotine to shape what member Maximilien Robespierre dubbed 鈥渁 republic of virtue.鈥� 鈥� Offenses included dress: Infractions like displaying royalist insignia or colors (the fleur-颅de-颅lis, white, green or any indication of mourning), or refusal to sport the cockade, that symbolically 颅loaded knot of tricolor ribbons, were, in some cases, enough to send someone to the tumbrils.
The men beside me seem so gored and emasculated by time that I look away. One has no gray in his hair, so I suppose he is rather young …. He opens his briefcase busily, but it contains nothing but a printed brochure. Will such a weary face be welcomed anywhere? The face seems incapable of any sensual provocation or response. But when it is time for him to leave he jauntily slaps on a sealskin hat with a bright feather cockade and braces his shoulders in his raincoat. He鈥檚 ready for the next round.
cockade
More about imp
Imp 鈥渁 little devil or demon鈥� derives from Old English impa 鈥渟hoot, graft,鈥� via Latin impotus from Ancient Greek 茅尘辫丑测迟辞蝉 鈥減lanted, implanted.鈥� This Ancient Greek source is related to the noun 辫丑测迟贸苍 鈥減lant,鈥� which is the source of the English combining forms phyto- (as in phytochemical, a compound found in plants) and -phyte (as in neophyte 鈥渁 beginner or novice,鈥� literally 鈥渁 new plant鈥�). The story of how a word for 鈥減lant鈥� became a word for 鈥渓ittle devil鈥� is less complicated than one might think; from 鈥減lant,鈥� the definition shifted to 鈥渙ffshoot of a plant,鈥� and from there, it broadened to include any offspring, plant or animal. The phrase imp of the devil, meaning 鈥渙ffspring of the devil,鈥� gave imp the additional sense of 鈥渄emon,鈥� which the word has preserved to the present day though it no longer appears in that phrase. Imp was first recorded in English before the 8th century.
how is imp used?
Experts can say that something is safe, but if we don鈥檛 feel that it鈥檚 safe, our inner voice can win out over reason. (Likewise, when experts say something is bad for us, we often dispose of that advice in favor of listening to the little imp on our shoulder telling us that it鈥檚 something we want to do, so it can鈥檛 be all that bad.) The best experts help us find the sweet spot between our gut and our brain by explaining processes, risks, and benefits in ways that we can understand.
The entire day passed, but Ivan kept on braiding the cord. Suddenly an imp jumped out of the water. 鈥淗ired man, what are you doing?鈥� 鈥淲hy, you can see for yourself. I’m braiding a rope.鈥� 鈥淎nd what do you need the rope for?鈥� 鈥淲hat for? I want to cinch up the lake and squeeze out you devils.”
imp
ransack
verb (used with object)
to search through for plunder; pillage.
More about ransack
Ransack 鈥渢o search thoroughly through鈥� derives via Middle English from Old Norse rannsaka 鈥渢o search, examine (a house for stolen goods), pillage,鈥� a compound of rann 鈥渉ouse鈥� and saka 鈥渢o search.鈥� Rann is a close relative of the English word barn, which was originally a compound of bere 鈥渂arley鈥� and ern or 牵谤苍 鈥渉辞耻蝉别.鈥� Saka, a variant of 蝉舱办箩补, is a cognate of the English verbs seek and beseech; in combination with rann, the resulting verb rannsaka originally entailed searching through a house. This definition broadened over time to refer to searching through any building and then shifted to include violence and theft. Ransack was first recorded in English in the early 1200s.
how is ransack used?
Regarded as a symbol of the power and aggression of church and monarchy, the building was ransacked during the French Revolution. The heads of the 28 statues in the Gallery of Kings on the main doorway were struck from their bodies, 鈥� Lead from the roof was pillaged for bullets. The bronze bells were melted down to make cannon. Only the enormous Emmanuel bell … was spared.
A self-described Michigan 鈥渟occer mom鈥� who had 鈥渆very belonging鈥� taken from her family in a 2014 drug raid has been cleared of all criminal charges, 19 months after heavily armed drug task force members ransacked her home and her business. But in many ways, her ordeal is only beginning.
ransack