51吃瓜 of the Day
totis viribus
adverb
Latin.
with all one's might.
More about totis viribus
The English adverbial phrase totis viribus, 鈥渨ith all (one鈥檚) might,鈥� comes straight from the Latin phrase t艒t墨s v墨ribus, the ablative plural of the adjective 迟艒迟耻蝉 鈥渁ll, entire, the whole of鈥� and the noun 惫墨蝉 (plural inflectional stem 惫墨谤-) 鈥渟trength, physical strength, force.鈥� More fully, the phrase t艒t墨s v墨ribus is an ablative of manner, just in case it鈥檚 on tomorrow鈥檚 quiz. Totis viribus is uncommon in English; it is used, as one would expect, mostly by lawyers. 痴墨蝉 has an exact equivalent in Greek 末蝉 (also w末蝉 in some dialects), 鈥渇orce, might,鈥� a Homeric word that appears in the instrumental case form 末辫丑颈 in the poetic formulas 末辫丑颈 m谩chesthai 鈥渢o fight with strength,鈥� and 末辫丑颈 an谩ssein 鈥渢o rule with might.鈥� Totis viribus entered English in the 16th century.
how is totis viribus used?
As a fictitious autobiographer鈥攊n the power, or at least in the fidelity, of first conceiving a character, and then throwing himself into it totis viribus, and by ten thousand strokes of humour, sense, an observation … Mr. Galt surpasses every writer certainly of this day, and perhaps of any time.
If a man say totis viribus, he will resist. The literal meaning is not that he will resist by blood or by force of arms. It is a common expression among lawyers at the bar, “I will resist such an attempt totis viribus.”
totis viribus
doldrums
noun
(used with a plural verb)
a state of inactivity or stagnation, as in business or art.
More about doldrums
Doldrums is the plural of doldrum, which had two very early meanings: the plural doldrums meant 鈥渁 state or period of inactivity or stagnation鈥� (1811), the singular doldrum 鈥渁 dullard, a slow, stupid person鈥� (1812). The later, sailing sense of doldrum, 鈥渁 becalmed ship,鈥� dates to 1823, and 鈥渁 region in which ships are likely to become becalmed鈥� dates to 1855. The etymology of doldrum(s) is difficult: it seems to have originated as a slang term (and slang terms are notoriously difficult to etymologize), possibly from dold 鈥渟tupid,鈥� originally a past participle of Middle English dollen, dullen 鈥渢o dull,鈥� or possibly from the adjective dull. The second syllable, –drum, is probably the same as in tantrum, which, unfortunately, has no satisfactory etymology. Doldrum and doldrums entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is doldrums used?
countries in economic doldrums may exit the pandemic more reliant on Chinese capital and markets rather than less so.
A decade later, amid the doldrums of the 1970s, politicians were starting to worry about the financial implications of government regulations.
doldrums
More about scunner
Those who are addicted to the late, great, dearly missed Terry Pratchett and his Discworld series of novels (41 of them!), particularly The Wee Free Men (2003) and its sequels, will be familiar with the Wee Free Men鈥檚 constant use of scunner, a term hard to define past 鈥渄islike, aversion, or a source of dislike or aversion鈥� (as indefinable as Huck Finn鈥檚 fantods). The Wee Free Men are not talking gibberish or nonsense; they are speaking Scots. The verb scunner (also scurnen, skurne) 鈥渢o shrink back in disgust or fear, quail, hesitate鈥� is first recorded about 1425. Its further history is unknown, but some authorities think it is related to scornen 鈥渢o despise, be contemptuous, hold in disdain.鈥� Scunner entered English in the 14th century.
how is scunner used?
Many are in search of a copy of A Moveable Feast. This is not always on offer because, for some reason which I can鈥檛 remember, Whitman took a scunner to Hemingway.
Ever since my school days I’ve always taken a scunner to businessmen. They’ll do anything for money.
scunner