51吃瓜 of the Day
tergiversate
verb
to change repeatedly one's attitude or opinions with respect to a cause, subject, etc.; equivocate.
More about tergiversate
Tergiversate comes from the Latin verb 迟别谤驳颈惫别谤蝉腻谤墨 鈥渢o keep turning one鈥檚 back on a task, show reluctance.鈥� The Latin noun tergum means 鈥渂ack (of a human or animal),鈥� and the verb 惫别谤蝉腻谤墨 鈥渢o keep moving about鈥� is a derivative of vertere 鈥渢o turn.鈥� Tergiversate entered English in the 17th century.
how is tergiversate used?
The nominees will equivocate and tergiversate. They will never engage.
I can sense a growing concentricity in my manner of thinking, a desire to circle back on my own thoughts, to tergiversate, to animadvert, to extemporise.
petrichor
noun
a distinctive scent, usually described as earthy, pleasant, or sweet, produced by rainfall on very dry ground.
More about petrichor
Petrichor is an uncommon word used in mineral chemistry or geochemistry to describe the pleasant scent of rain falling on very dry ground. Petrichor is a compound of the Greek nouns 辫茅迟谤腻 鈥渞ock, stone鈥� (as in petroleum 鈥渞ock oil鈥�) and 墨肠丑峁搑, the juice or liquid鈥攏ot blood!鈥攖hat flows in the veins of the Olympian gods. About 60 percent of ancient Greek words have no satisfactory etymology; 墨肠丑峁搑 is one of them. Petrichor was coined by two Australian chemists, Isabel 鈥淛oy鈥� Bear and Richard Grenfell Thomas, in 1964.
how is petrichor used?
I surfaced from the tunnel in a shack, where the air was close and smelled of petrichor.
So whether rainfall reminds you of summer soccer games, puddle-splashing with siblings or a terrifying storm, thank (or blame) the planets [sic], microbes and minerals that give petrichor such a distinctive odor.
divertissement
noun
a diversion or entertainment.
More about divertissement
The English noun divertissement comes directly from the French divertissement 鈥渁musement, entertainment, diversion.鈥� Divertisse- is the long stem of the verb divertir 鈥渢o amuse, entertain鈥�; it comes from Latin 诲墨惫别谤迟别谤别 or 诲脓惫别谤迟别谤别 鈥渢o turn away, divert, make a detour, digress鈥�; the French suffix -ment, from the similar Latin noun suffix -mentum, denotes action or resulting state. Divertissement entered English in the 18th century.
how is divertissement used?
Featuring an uncomplicated plot and easily relatable personalities, this is a divertissement compared with the thematic heft of 鈥淟ike Father, Like Son.鈥�
My place in your life is a divertissement, and when it ceases to be that it will be no good to you.