51吃瓜 of the Day
frazil
noun
ice crystals formed in turbulent water, as in swift streams or rough seas.
More about frazil
The relatively uncommon noun frazil 鈥渋ce crystals formed in turbulent water, as in swift streams or rough seas,鈥� comes from Canadian French frasil (also frazil, fraisil), an extension of French fraisil 鈥渃oal cinders, coal dust.鈥� French fraisil is an alteration of Vulgar Latin adjective facilis 鈥減ertaining to a torch or firebrand,鈥� a derivative of the Latin noun fax (inflectional stem fac-) 鈥渢orch, light.鈥� It is unsurprising that frazil first appeared in the Montreal Gazette in the winter of 1888.
how is frazil used?
Sea ice begins as tiny, needle-shaped crystals, about a tenth of an inch long, known as frazil.
First the wind churns up the surface, and the spray and droplets freeze into frazil. Murphy describes this as a collection of聽鈥渟picules,鈥� or聽needle-shaped pieces.
frazil
handsel
noun
a gift or token for good luck or as an expression of good wishes, as at the beginning of the new year or when entering upon a new situation or enterprise.
More about handsel
The noun handsel 鈥渁 token given at New Year鈥檚 for good luck; a payment or reward,鈥� is used mostly in Scotland, Ireland, and Northern England. Handsel comes via Middle English hansel(l)e, hancel, handsell (and several other variant spellings). The Middle English forms come from Old English handselen 鈥渕anumission,鈥� which literally means 鈥渉and-gift鈥� (the Old English noun selen 鈥済ift鈥� is akin to the verb sell). The Middle English forms were influenced by Old Norse handsal 鈥渉andshake, handclasp (for sealing a purchase or a promise).鈥� Handsel entered English before 1000.
how is handsel used?
A handsel is a gift made to celebrate a new beginning, as a coin might be placed in the pocket of a freshly-tailored coat.
It was the principal day of the whole year for making trials and forecasts of the future. Every visitor to the house received a “handsel,” i.e. a gift.
handsel
carpe diem
seize the day; enjoy the present, as opposed to placing all hope in the future.
More about carpe diem
The Latin sentence carpe diem is usually translated 鈥渟eize the day,鈥� which is a concise but inadequate translation. The sentence comes from the 1st-century b.c. Roman poet Horace in the first book of his Odes, published in 23 b.c. Carpe is the 2nd person singular present imperative of the verb carpere 鈥渢o pluck, gather, pull (fruit, flowers, etc.); diem 鈥渄ay,鈥� is the accusative singular of 诲颈脓蝉, and the direct object of carpe. A more accurate but tedious translation is 鈥減luck the fruit of the day (while it is still ripe),鈥� which completely demolishes Horace鈥檚 conciseness. Carpere comes from the very complicated Proto-Indo-European root (s)kerp-, (s)karp– (and other variants) 鈥渢o cut, pluck,鈥� the source also of Greek 办补谤辫贸蝉 鈥�(cut or plucked) fruit.鈥� The Germanic noun harbistaz, from the Proto-Indo-European superlative adjective karp-ist-os 鈥渂est suited for plucking or reaping,鈥� yields 丑忙谤蹿别蝉迟 鈥渁utumn鈥� in Old English (English harvest) and Herbst 鈥渁utumn鈥� in German. 顿颈脓蝉 comes from the very, very widespread Proto-Indo-European root dyeu-, dyu-, diw– 鈥渢o shine,鈥� and by extension 鈥渟ky, heaven, god,鈥� source of Latin Juppiter 鈥淛upiter,鈥� actually an old vocative formula meaning 鈥淔ather Jove,鈥� and the exact equivalent to Greek Ze没 p谩ter 鈥淔ather Zeus,鈥� and Sanskrit 诲测腻虂耻峁颈迟腻虂 鈥淔ather Heaven.鈥� Carpe diem entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is carpe diem used?
I asked the now-66-year-old Valerie Carpenter what she would say to the 18-year-old Valerie Glines. 鈥�Carpe diem,鈥� she said. 鈥淪eize the day. Don鈥檛 mess around. Follow your heart.”
More than anything, the pandemic has shown how quickly things can change if they must. Carpe diem.
carpe diem