Archive for the ‘english’ Category
Tesco innovates
Somebody at Tesco had noticed that the way they package the baguettes is suboptimal. See, the long piece of bread is stored in a flimsy plastic bag that a) sealed at only one end and b) is mere centimetres longer than the bread. This means that quite often the bloody French baton just drops out. But no more! Because now they had finally managed to tie a small knot to the up-to-now open end of the bag! A miracle! Sheer genius! Somebody promote the guy/gal who invented that!
In other news I also picked up three DVDs for £24 at Choices (Airplane!, Naked Gun, and Full Metal Jacket). I’m pretty pleased with myself right now.
Word 40: Analgesic
Adams and his colleagues began taking the compound, ibuprofen, when they got headaches. ”We knew it was analgesic, because we were taking it well before it got on the market,” he says.
analgesic (adj) : capable of relieving pain [syn: analgetic, anodyne] (n) : a medicine used in to relieve pain [syn: anodyne, painkiller, pain pill] – source: The Guardian Weekend 26.4.2003, p. 20
Word 39: Rancor
He is, above all else, a totally practical man doing his best. A leader, without rancor, as affable a fellow as you’re apt to meet.
rancor (n) : a feeling of deep and bitter anger and ill-will [syn: resentment, bitterness, gall, rancour] – source: Adventures in the Screen Trade, p. 204
Word 38: Otiose
As the book progresses, he tries desperately to remember a vocabulary and literacy rendered otiose; but, as all previous achievement slips away, irrevocably, there are signs that the human desire for belief systems, inquiry, iconography and cosmology is ineradicable, and will resume.
otiose (adj) 1: serving no useful purpose; having no excuse for being [syn: pointless, superfluous, wasted] 2: producing no result or effect [syn: futile, ineffectual, unavailing] 3: disinclined to work or exertion [syn: faineant, indolent, lazy, slothful, work-shy] – source: The Guardian Review 26.4.2003, p. 23
Changing scenery
It was quite unnerving to notice that several shops had closed down and new ones opened up during the short period of time that had passed. I mean, we basically just arrived to the UK and already things are changing. Very stress-inducing, that.
Embarrassing
Word 37: Gregarious
He was clever and wickedly funny, a gregarious man who had to be at every gallery opening, every new theater piece, every party, and would take every acting job that came along.
gregarious (adj) 1: tending to form a group with others of the same kind; ”gregarious bird species”; ”man is a gregarious animal” 2: seeking and enjoying the company of others; ”a gregarious person who avoids solitude” – source: Easy Riders Raging Bulls, p. 359
Advertising genius
The ride lasts ”FULL” 30 minutes, it said. The word ’full’ was in bold type, caps, and double the size of all the other words, but then – no doubt subconsciously – s/he had put quotation marks around it, like s/he did not believe it him/erself. What wonderful integrity!