51吃瓜 of the Day
ex cathedra
adjective, adverb
from the seat of authority; with authority.
More about ex cathedra
The relatively uncommon English adjective and adverb ex cathedra 鈥渇rom the seat (of authority), with authority鈥� comes directly from the Latin phrase ex cathedr膩. Latin cathedra 鈥渁rmchair with cushions, easy chair (especially for women), a teacher鈥檚 or professor鈥檚 chair, a sedan chair鈥� is a loanword from Greek 办补迟丑茅诲谤补 鈥渟eat, sitting posture, teacher鈥檚 or professor鈥檚 chair, imperial throne.鈥� From cathedra Medieval Latin derived the adjective 肠补迟丑别诲谤腻濒颈蝉 鈥減ertaining to the chair or throne (of a bishop)鈥�; the bishop鈥檚 church, where his throne was located, was called a cathedral church and later just cathedral. Ex cathedra entered English in the 17th century.
how is ex cathedra used?
There鈥檚 no way to maintain an ex cathedra advantage when you鈥檙e cavorting in a circus ring.
Pope John once said, “I am not infallible. I am infallible only when I speak聽ex cathedra. But I shall never speak聽ex cathedra.”
demur
verb (used without object)
to make objection, especially on the grounds of scruples; take exception; object: They wanted to make him the treasurer, but he demurred.
More about demur
The verb demur comes via Old French demorer, demourer, ultimately from Latin 诲脓尘辞谤腻谤墨 鈥渢o linger, delay, hold up,鈥� its original, now obsolete meaning in English. In the 17th century demur acquired its usual senses in contemporary English 鈥渢o object, take exception to,鈥� and especially its legal sense 鈥渢o make or interpose a demurral,鈥� which is a pleading that admits the facts of an opponent’s proceeding but denies any entitlement to legal relief, and that also causes a delay in the proceedings until the point or pleading is settled. Demur entered English in the 13th century.
how is demur used?
Montague is genial but determined, and before I could demur he had me packed into a two-thousand-dollar Gore-Tex dry suit with an unbearably tight collar, highly insulated rubber bootees, and an electric-blue life jacket.
… Sonia had a little changed her mind. Wedge would be very unlikely to demur.
apologia
noun
a work written as an explanation or justification of one's motives, convictions, or acts.
More about apologia
It is unsurprising that the earliest occurrences of apologia 鈥渁 defendant鈥檚 speech in a trial鈥� appear in 5th-century Athens. The Greek verb 补辫辞濒辞驳别卯蝉迟丑补颈 鈥渢o speak in defense, defend oneself鈥� and its derivative noun 补辫辞濒辞驳铆补 are first used by such heavy hitters as Thucydides, Euripides, and Plato. Plato鈥檚 础辫辞濒辞驳铆补 厂艒办谤谩迟辞耻蝉 鈥淎pology of Socrates鈥� refers to the three speeches Socrates delivered in his self-defense at his trial in 399 b.c. Apologia is similarly used in Cardinal Newman鈥檚 religious autobiography, Apologia pro Vita Sua 鈥淒efense of His Own Life鈥� (1864). Apologia entered English in the late 18th century.
how is apologia used?
Now Starr has laid out the defining saga of his life in a book. …聽鈥淚 view it as not an apologia at all,鈥� he says, 鈥渂ut simply: Tell the story.鈥�
Occasionally, we鈥檝e been accused of writing a show that鈥檚 sort of an apologia for the surveillance state.