51吃瓜 of the Day
ambit
noun
a sphere of operation or influence; range; scope.
More about ambit
Ambit comes straight from the Latin noun ambitus, a noun of many meanings associated with or derived from circular motion, e.g., 鈥渃ircuit, revolution; a ring, periphery, or circuit; a strip of ground around a building鈥� but not the English sense 鈥渟phere of operation or influence; range; scope,鈥� a sense that developed in English in the mid-17th century. In Cicero鈥檚 speeches, ambitus was the common crime of bribery, graft, or corruption in electioneering committed by a candidate or his associates. Ambitus is a derivative of the verb 补尘产墨谤别 鈥渢o visit in rotation, solicit or canvass for votes,鈥� a compound of the prefix ambi– 鈥渂oth, on both sides, around鈥� and the verb 墨谤别 鈥渢o go.鈥� Ambit entered English in one of its original Latin senses 鈥渟trip of ground around a house or other building鈥� in the second half of the 15th century.
how is ambit used?
The EPA鈥檚 ambit is too narrow, and climate change too sprawling, for Inslee鈥檚 time and talents.
The Oversight and Reform Committee has a broad聽ambit聽that allows it to scrutinize seemingly everything done by the executive branch.
ambit
verbum sap
phrase
a word to the wise is sufficient; no more need be said.
More about verbum sap
Verbum sap is short for Latin Verbum sapient墨 sat(is) est 鈥渁 word to the wise is sufficient.鈥� Verbum comes from the Proto-Indo-European root wer– (with variants) 鈥渢o speak,鈥� the same source as English word, German Wort, Old Prussian wirds 鈥渨ord,鈥� and Lithuanian vardas 鈥渘补尘别.鈥� 厂补辫颈别苍迟墨 is the dative singular of 蝉补辫颈脓苍蝉 鈥渞ational, sane, understanding,鈥� the present participle of sapere 鈥渢o taste, taste of, have good taste; to be intelligent, know, understand.鈥� Sapere is the source of the Romance verbs savoir (French), saber (Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan), and Italian sapere, all meaning 鈥渢o know.鈥� The participle 蝉补辫颈脓苍蝉 is also the specific epithet for the genus Homo 鈥渉uman being.鈥� Sat or satis 鈥渆nough, sufficient鈥� is by origin an indeclinable noun, i.e., the noun has no inflections. Satis comes from the Proto-Indo-European root 蝉腻-, 蝉蓹– 鈥渢o satisfy, fill,鈥� and its derivative noun 蝉腻tis 鈥渟atiety, fullness鈥� (also the source of Old Irish 蝉腻ith 鈥渟atiety鈥�). The variant 蝉蓹– is the source of Gothic saths 鈥渇ull,鈥� German satt, Old English 蝉忙诲 鈥済rave, heavy, full,鈥� originally 鈥渟ated, full鈥� (English sad), and Greek 丑谩诲脓苍 鈥渆nough鈥� (in Greek, original initial s before a vowel becomes h). Est is related to Old English and English is, German and Gothic ist, Greek 别蝉迟铆, Sanskrit 谩蝉迟颈, Old Irish is, Old Lithuanian esti, Old Church Slavonic 箩别蝉迟沫, and Hittite eszi, all meaning 鈥渋s,鈥� from Proto-Indo-European esti. Verbum sapienti entered English in the second half of the 16th century, verbum sap in the first half of the 19th century.
how is verbum sap used?
Never yet, my dear girl, did I long to administer a productive pecuniary Squeeze to any human creature as I long to administer it to Mr. Novel Vanstone. I say no more. Verbum sap.
P.S. I have mentioned to your mother that I am thinking of buying you a small car. Verbum sap.
verbum sap
More about tirrivee
Tirrivee 鈥渁 tantrum, a display of bad temper鈥� is another perplexing Scots word with no secure etymology. It may be a variant or corruption of the verb tailyevey 鈥渢o move from side to side, rock鈥� another Scots word of no known etymology. Sir Walter Scott used tirrivee in his Waverley novels, enough to ensure the word鈥檚 survival. Tirrivee entered English in the early 19th century.
how is tirrivee used?
Say that you forgive me, that you love me not a whit the less for my yesterday’s tirrivee …
What a tirrivee Dominie was in!
tirrivee