albatrossgreat white sea-bird 1670s, probably from Spanish or Portuguese albatros, alteration of alcatraz "large, web-footed sea-bird; cormorant," originally "pelican" (16c.). This name is perhaps from Arabic al-ghattas "sea eagle" [Barnhart]; or from Portuguese alcatruz "the bucket of a water wheel" [OED], from Arabic al-qadus "machine for drawing water, jar" (which is from Greek kados "jar"). If the second, the name would be a reference to the pelican's pouch (compare Arabic saqqa "pelican," literally "water carrier"). The spelling was influenced by Latin albus "white." (cf. albino). The name was extended by 17c. English sailors to a larger sea-bird (order Tubinares),
which are not found in the North Atlantic. [In English the word also
formerly was extended to the frigate-bird.] These albatrosses follow
ships for days without resting and were held in superstitious awe by
sailors. The figurative sense of "burden" (1936) is from Coleridge's
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798) about a sailor who shoots an
albatross and then is forced to wear its corpse as an indication that he
alone, not the crew, offended against the bird. |
aspectual 'after'construction: BE + after + V-ing: perfective aspect Found in Irish English; originates from Irish. Examples: - We kept thinking she was after dying on us (i.e. We thought she had died on us) French - Broken Harbour - I only wanted to know what's after happening (i.e. -what has happened) (ibid) - some fella’s after buying up the three houses at the top of the Place (i.e. has bought the three houses) French - Faithful Place - now everyone’s after getting all worried about property prices (i.e. now everyone has gotten all worried) (ibid) - I’m only after narrowing it down this afternoon (French - The Likeness) - And you're after coming all the way from England to find out who done it? (French - In the Woods) |
aspectual 'done'In African American English: done + past tense = perfective meaning - “I’m grown, li’l girl,” she says. “Don’t ask me what I do. Anyway, I come home and that heffa done covered my catfish in some damn cornflakes and baked it!” (Angie Thomas - The Hate U Give) - Daddy drives off. “Done lost y’all minds,” he says. “People rioting, damn near calling the National Guard around here, and y’all wanna play ball" (ibid) - “I done faced a whole lot worse than some so-called King. Ain’t nothing he can do but kill me, and if that's how I gotta go for speaking the truth, that's how I gotta go." (ibid). |
avant-gardeavant-garde (n.)
(also avant garde, avantgarde); French, literally "advance guard" (see avant + guard
(n.)). Used in English 15c.-18c. in a literal, military sense; borrowed
again 1910 as an artistic term for "pioneers or innovators of a
particular period." Also used around the same time in a political sense
in communist and anarchist publications. As an adjective, by 1925.
- The artwork. The prior year the equity partners at Scully & Pershing had - The Berlin that Schrödinger left bore little resemblance to the city |
bifurcateformal if a road, river etc bifurcates, it divides into two separate parts from Medieval Latin bifurcatus, from Latin bi- (see bi-) + furca, the root of fork. Examples: - PARTING THOUGHTS - By arranging these dominoes in a network with looping, bifurcating and |
but, post-clausallyIn informal (spoken) Irish English, 'but' does not appear in initial position of the clause that it introduces, but comes after it: - That there was Jenny’s wedding, but. - We haven’t got the Spains, but. - “You’re not, but." - “Not this time, but." = But not this time. - “Something personal, but." - "Another thing, but." Etc. All examples from Tana French - Broken Harbour (2012). Here 'but' seems to be used with the meaning of 'however' (which is more likely to be used in writing). |
carcinogenic |
caterwaulingcat‧er‧waul /ˈkætəwɔːl $ -tərwɒːl/ verb [intransitive] to make a loud high unpleasant noise like the sound a cat makes late 14c., caterwrawen, perhaps from Low German katerwaulen "cry like a cat," or formed in English from cater, from Middle Dutch cater "tomcat" + Middle English waul "to yowl," apparently from Old English *wrag, *wrah "angry," of uncertain origin but all somehow imitative. - I think I might have screamed out loud, I was so happy to be outside, - With a mellifluous name suggesting bucolic tranquility, Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, is an unlikely object of the caterwauling recently directed at him and the House Freedom Caucus he leads. (WaPo, April 13, 2017) |
catkins/ˈkætkɪn/ noun [countable] British English a long soft flower that hangs in groups from the branches of trees such as the willow Etymology: 1570s, from Dutch katteken "flowering stem of willow, birch, hazel, etc.," literally "kitten," diminutive of katte "cat" (see cat (n.)). So called for their soft, furry appearance. Examples: - The wind is blowing, blowing over the grass. - I threaded my way through a small growth of fresh-budding river - “I’m sure, Watson, a week in the country will be invaluable to you,” he |
caveat emptorcaveat emp‧tor /ˌkæviæt ˈemptɔː, ˌkeɪv- $ -tɔːr/ noun [uncountable] law term: the principle that the person who buys something is responsible for checking that it is not broken, damaged etc - Oh, Watson!’ Holmes chided me, laughing heartily. ‘The pendant is part of - “Well, you see, it’s complicated, because—” I wasn’t worried about the |