51吃瓜 of the Day
unctuous
adjective
excessively smooth, suave, or smug.
More about unctuous
Unctuous comes from Medieval Latin 耻苍肠迟耻艒蝉耻蝉, 鈥渇ull of grease or soft fat,鈥� a derivative of Latin unguen. All of the Middle English meanings pertain to grease, oil, or fat. It is only in the 18th century that the sense 鈥渕arked by spiritual unction or holy oil鈥� developed into the extended sense 鈥渟mooth, suave, or smug,鈥� the most common meaning of the word today. Unctuous entered English in the 14th century.
how is unctuous used?
Dwight Schrute, when last we left him, was regional manager of聽Dunder Mifflin聽Paper Company in Scranton, Pa. … He was vainglorious, unctuous, gullible, humorless, vulnerable, fascistic.
His style, moreover, struck her as being far too unctuous and effusive to be sincere.
unctuous
doover
noun
Australian Slang.
thingamabob; thingamajig.
More about doover
Doover is an Australian slang word for thingamabob, thingamajig “something whose name is unknown.” As with many slang terms, an etymology (literally 鈥渢rue story鈥�) for doover does not exist. The Hebrew noun 诲腻产丑腻谤 鈥渨ord, thing, matter鈥� has been suggested as a source; an alteration of “do for (now)” is more likely.
how is doover used?
I carefully take little plastic doovers from the handle and top, and plier off the frame’s metal retainers without damaging them.
Well, not unlike my husband, who haunts hardware stores for ever newer and more complicated devices and doovers, I have become addicted to shops selling sewing bits and bobs.
doover
More about scilicet
The English adverb scilicet 鈥渘amely, specifically, to wit鈥� comes from Latin 蝉肠墨濒颈肠别迟, a contraction of the phrase 蝉肠墨谤别 licet 鈥渋t is permitted to know, one may be sure, of course, naturally.” The infinitive of the impersonal verb licet is 濒颈肠脓谤别 “to be allowed,” the source of licentia 鈥渇reedom, freedom to do what one wants, lack of restraint, license鈥� (as in English). The infinitive 蝉肠墨谤别 鈥渢o know鈥� was translated into Old English as (hit is t艒) witanne 鈥淭hat is to know, to wit,鈥� a gerund phrase from the verb witan 鈥渢o know,鈥� which became in Middle English it is to wite 鈥渋t is to be noted,鈥� and survives in current English as to wit. Scilicet entered English in the late 14th century.
how is scilicet used?
this universal world contains other guess sorrows than yours, Viscount,鈥�scilicet than unvarying health, unbroken leisure, and incalculable income.
Marqueray like most men kept his work and play, scilicet his political intrigues and his pursuit of Phyllida, in separate compartments.
scilicet