51吃瓜 of the Day
friable
adjective
easily crumbled or reduced to powder; crumbly.
More about friable
The English adjective friable comes from Middle French friable from Latin 蹿谤颈腻产颈濒颈蝉 鈥渆asily crumbled, crumbly,鈥� a derivative of the verb 蹿谤颈腻谤别 鈥渢o break into small pieces, crumble.鈥� 贵谤颈腻谤别 is akin to the verb 蹿谤颈肠腻谤别 鈥渢o rub, chafe鈥� (source of English friction) and the adjective 蹿谤墨惫辞濒耻蝉 鈥渨orthless, trashy鈥� (English frivolous). In the Olden Days, when studying Latin in high school was routine, some clever wag would reinvent for the millionth time the saying S墨c friat crustulum 鈥淭hus crumbles the cookie.鈥� Friable entered English in the second half of the 16th century.
how is friable used?
In some places, the limestone was so friable that, if you brushed a finger against it, it ran like sand through an hourglass.
In autumn, the days are pleasant, the soil friable, and there is a good choice of desired rose varieties.
friable
triclinium
noun
Roman History.
a dining room, especially one containing a couch extending along three sides of a table, for reclining on at meals.
More about triclinium
The uncommon noun triclinium comes from Latin 迟谤墨肠濒墨苍颈耻尘, straight from Greek 迟谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 鈥渄ining room.鈥� A 迟谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 was more precisely an arrangement of three chaise longues in the shape of a capital Greek pi (螤) on three sides of a central table for dining (the fourth side was left open for servants or busboys). 罢谤颈办濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 is a compound made up of the Greek (and Latin) combining form tri– 鈥渢hree,鈥� as in triangle (a 鈥渢hree-cornered鈥� geometric figure), triathlete, and tripod (literally 鈥渢hree-footed鈥�). 碍濒墨虂苍颈辞苍 is a derivative of 办濒墨虂苍脓 鈥渃ouch, bed, sickbed,鈥� source of English clinic and clinical. Lying on couches while dining was introduced into Greece in the early seventh century b.c. from Asia Minor (now western Turkey). The Romans adopted the Greek custom via the Etruscans, and the Etruscans (and Romans) scandalized the Greeks by allowing citizen women (such as wives), to participate in banquets. Triclinium entered English in the first half of the 17th century.
how is triclinium used?
Ancient Romans could recline on the triclinium鈥檚 long benches, discussing music, literature and other refined topics, while contemplating a vista of ecstatic abandon.
The most elegant type of Hellenistic derivation has a curving headrest or fulcrum at one end; but a true triclinium evidently required a matching set of three fitted together …
triclinium
volte-face
noun
a turnabout, especially a reversal of opinion or policy.
More about volte-face
Volte-face 鈥渁 turnabout, reversal of opinion or policy, an about-face,鈥� comes via French volte-face from Italian volta-faccia (also voltafaccia), a compound of volta, the imperative singular of the verb voltare 鈥渢o turn鈥� and the noun faccia 鈥渇补肠别.鈥� Voltare comes from an unrecorded Vulgar Latin 惫辞濒惫颈迟腻谤别, equivalent to Latin volvere 鈥渢o turn, roll.鈥� Faccia (and face) likewise come from the Vulgar Latin noun facia, from Latin 蹿补肠颈脓蝉 鈥渙utward appearance, looks, face.鈥� Volte-face entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is volte-face used?
Grubman had shocked the rest of Wall Street by upgrading A.T. & T., a company he had criticized for years, from neutral to buy. He tried to justify his volte-face by saying that the phone giant鈥檚 purchase of a big cable company, Telecommunications Inc., had transformed its prospects, but this explanation was greeted with skepticism.
In the manner of the high school teacher he once was, Riordan begins with faint praise (鈥渢here are things I like about this adaptation鈥�) before an abrupt volte face. 鈥淗aving said that, here鈥檚 the bad news: The script as a whole is terrible,鈥� he wrote, in a letter so beloved by his fans that it鈥檚 even been聽given dramatic readings.
volte-face