51吃瓜 of the Day
tatterdemalion
adjective
ragged; unkempt or dilapidated.
More about tatterdemalion
Tatterdemalion 鈥渦nkempt or dilapidated,鈥� first written tatter-de-mallian, is of uncertain origin, but there are some potential leads. The first element is likely tatter 鈥渁 torn piece hanging loose from a garment,鈥� from Old Norse 迟谦迟耻谤谤 鈥渞ag,鈥� but an alternative proposal based on outdated uses of tatterdemalion connects the term to Tatar or Tartar, a member of one of many ethnic Turkic groups of northwestern and central Asia, and both words once meant 鈥渨anderer, vagabond.鈥� The second element, de (also ti), appears to be a common element in fanciful, elaborate, and nonsensical terms, from gobbledegook, hobbledehoy, and slubberdegullion to flibbertigibbet and dandiprat. The significance of the final element, malion, is unfortunately lost to history. Tatterdemalion was first recorded in the first decade of the 17th century.
how is tatterdemalion used?
Overhanging his outer compound wall were the only two remaining shade trees in the citadel, one a dying oak, the other a mulberry tree, and within the compound was a tatterdemalion garden, where a scrawny pomegranate tree drooped with heavy fruit. The house was modest, but with triangular brick architectural flourishes above the door, characteristic of ancient house styles here.
He had paused under one of the rare lamp-posts, gathering up his recollections of the London he had so long quitted, and doubtful for a moment or two which turn to take. Just then, up from an alley fronting him at right angles, came suddenly, warily, a tall, sinewy, ill-boding tatterdemalion figure, and, seeing Darrell鈥檚 face under the lamp, halted abrupt at the mouth of the narrow passage from which it had emerged鈥攁 dark form filling up the dark aperture.
tatterdemalion
disambiguate
verb (used with object)
to remove the ambiguity from; make unambiguous.
More about disambiguate
Disambiguate 鈥渢o remove the ambiguity from鈥� is based on the adjective ambiguous 鈥渙pen to or having several possible meanings or interpretations,鈥� plus the affixes dis-, indicating reversal, and -ate, indicating a verb. Ambiguous, from Latin ambiguus, is derived from the verb ambigere 鈥渢o dispute, contend,鈥� which is a compound of the prefix ambi- 鈥渂oth鈥� and the verb agere 鈥渢o do, drive.鈥� Ambi- crops up in English terms such as ambidextrous (literally 鈥渂oth right-handed鈥�), ambient (鈥済oing both (directions)鈥�), ambivalent (鈥渂oth strong鈥�), and past 51吃瓜 of the Day ambivert (鈥渢urned both ways鈥�). Agere is a rather productive verb with numerous stems: ag- appears in agenda, agent, and agile; -ig- is found in聽litigate, navigate, and castigate and its synonym past 51吃瓜 of the Day fustigate; and finally act- is found in action, activity, and exact. Disambiguate was first recorded in English in the early 1960s.
how is disambiguate used?
When emoji appear with text, they often supplement or enhance the writing. This is similar to gestures that appear along with speech. Over the past three decades, research has shown that our hands provide important information that often transcends and clarifies the message in speech. Emoji serve this function too鈥� or instance, adding a kissy or winking face can disambiguate whether a statement is flirtatiously teasing or just plain mean.
Some people think nothing of highlighting inconsistent punctuation wherever they might see it, however innocuous or irrelevant it might be (apostrophes rarely actually disambiguate鈥揳fter all, we get along fine without them in speech). Never mind that it鈥檚 a handwritten notice in a shop window, written by someone for whom English is a second (or third, or fourth) language. Never mind that it鈥檚 a leaflet touting for work from someone who didn鈥檛 get the chance to complete their education. They need to be corrected and/or posted online for others to see. Otherwise, how will anybody learn?
disambiguate
paso doble
noun
a two-step, especially one done to Latin American rhythms.
More about paso doble
Paso doble 鈥渁 two-step鈥� is a loanword from Spanish, in which the term means 鈥渄ouble step.鈥� Spanish doble and English double are clear cognates鈥攂oth derive from Latin duplus (literally 鈥渢wo more鈥�) or duplex (literally 鈥渢wofold鈥�)鈥攚hile paso is a cognate of English pace and pass, and all three derive from the Latin noun passus 鈥渟迟别辫.鈥� Passus also serves as the past participle of the verb pandere 鈥渢o spread,鈥� which is the source of English words such as expand. While Spanish simply uses no to mean 鈥渘o鈥� or 鈥渘ot,鈥� its sister language French uses the phrase 苍别鈥补蝉, which literally means 鈥渘ot a step鈥� and descends from Latin nec passum. Paso doble was first recorded in English in the late 1920s.
how is paso doble used?
At another juncture of the concert, an energetic tune suddenly unfolds into a pasodoble, which since the 1960s has become a standard during Venezuelan celebrations鈥攁ptly titled 鈥淢煤sica de fiesta鈥� (Party music) …. The tune is particularly appealing to the audience, now on its feet and in motion.
I left the radio on by his bed, I even called to request a song to entertain him, a paso doble which is what he liked to dance at the firemen鈥檚 balls when he was single, until I finally went lame like this from a stomping he gave me in the dance contest the first Sunday of Lent, when he yelled Ol茅 and came down with his heel right on my bunion…
paso doble