Word of the Day
atiptoe
adverb, adjective
eagerly expectant, as anticipating a desired event or arrival: waiting atiptoe for the mail.
More about atiptoe
If children wait atiptoe for Christmas morning, they are 鈥渆agerly expectant,鈥� their anticipation likened to the excitement associated with standing on tiptoe. And indeed, 鈥渙n tiptoe鈥� is what the adjective and adverb atiptoe literally means. The initial a– in atiptoe is a reduced form of the Old English preposition on, variously meaning 鈥渙n, in, into, toward.鈥� This particular a– (the form has many other senses or functions in English) appears in a great variety of words, such as acknowledge, ablaze, aloud, and away. So, afoot, as another example, began as the prepositional phrase on foot. Atiptoe is recorded English by the late 1500s.
how is atiptoe used?
Ethel was standing beside her all aglow and atiptoe with anticipation.
The audience was atiptoe when “Suor Angelica” began, but despondent at the curtain’s fall.
驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑
adjective
comfortable and pleasant; cozy.
More about 驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑
The adjective 驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑 鈥渃omfortable and pleasant; cozy鈥� is borrowed directly from German 驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑 鈥渉omey, casual, social.鈥� 骋别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑 is composed of 骋别尘眉迟 鈥渕ind, mentality鈥� and –lich, which is equivalent to English鈥檚 adverb-forming suffix –ly. The German noun 骋别尘眉迟鈥攚hich might be more properly translated as 鈥渢he total composition of the human psyche and spirit鈥濃�攊s formed from ge-, a collective noun-forming prefix, and Mut 鈥渃ourage,鈥� related to English mood. 骋别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑 entered English in the mid-1800s.
how is 驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑 used?
Nina exclaimed at the old walnut trimmings, gurgled over the crowded decorations in the Victorian manner, and settled down,聽announcing聽that it was聽so 驳别尘眉迟濒颈肠丑,聽she would love聽a聽cup聽of聽tea.
kvell
verb (used without object)
Slang.
to be extraordinarily pleased; especially, to be bursting with pride, as over one's family.
More about kvell
We can鈥檛 help but kvell about Yiddish words borrowed into English. Kvell 鈥渢o be extraordinarily pleased, burst with pride鈥� comes from Yiddish kveln 鈥渂e delighted,鈥� related to Middle High German and German quellen 鈥渨ell up, gush.鈥� The informal verb kvell is often used to convey pride and pleasure, especially about the accomplishments of one鈥檚 own family. For example: 鈥溾�楳y granddaughter graduated at the top of her medical school class,鈥� he kvelled.鈥� For the opposite of kvell, one might consider another borrowing from Yiddish: kvetch 鈥渢o complain, especially chronically,鈥� from the Yiddish verb kvetshn, which literally means 鈥渢o squeeze, pinch.鈥� Kvell entered English in the mid-1900s.
how is kvell used?
Sidney, more than any of the others, has kept his parents reliably supplied with … reasons to kvell: full scholarships, graduation cum laude, smart grandsons, Junior Chamber of Commerce awards.
Omega threw a rollicking cocktail party starring Buzz Aldrin and other astronauts, to kvell over the fortieth birthday of the first lunar landing鈥攐f both man and wristwatch.