clan-des-tine / klan-ˈde-stən, also -ˌstīn or -ˌstēn or ˈklan-də-   adjective   surreptitious Enter each day with the expectation that the happenings of the day may contain a clandestine message addressed to you personally. Sam Keen, 1931-     done in secrecy, often for purposes of deception Behind innocence there gathers a clotted mass of superstition, of twisted and misdirected impulse; clandestine flirtation, fads,... Read More

drill / ‘dril   noun (1)   a long tool with sharp edges, used to bore holes, typically by rotating All I had was a drill, an electric drill. James Dyson, 1947-   military exercises for marching or other such practices A hard drill makes an easy battle. Alexander Suvorov, 1730-1800   a repetitive, methodical exercise used for memorization The pleasures of being read... Read More

gamble gam-ble  /  găm-bəl   noun   a risky venture Prayer is never just an emergency flare or desperate anxious gamble. Timothy Keller, 1950 –   a bet or wager A person who has not made peace with his losses is likely to accept gambles that would be unacceptable to him otherwise. Daniel Kahneman, 1934 –   verb   to play a game for... Read More

pre-cious / ˈpre-shəs   adjective   highly priced or valued Wisdom is more precious than rubies. Proverbs 3:15, The Holy Bible   deeply cherished; special There comes a precious moment in all of our lives when we are tapped on the shoulder and offered the opportunity to do something very special that is unique to us and our abilities, what a tragedy it would... Read More

mis-no-mer / ˌmis-ˈnō-mər   noun   the wrong name or designation for something Time-management is a misnomer, the challenge is to manage ourselves. from ‘The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People’ by Stephen Covey, 1932-2012   the use of the wrong name Maybe we don’t recognize satisfaction because it is disguised as radical generosity, a strange misnomer in a consumer culture. from ‘7: An... Read More

cur-mud-geon /  kər-ˈmə-jən   noun   a bad-tempered old person, usually a man Anybody who notices unpleasant facts in the have-a-nice-day world we live in is going to be designated a curmudgeon. Paul Fussell, 1924-2012

hand-writ-ing / ˈhand-ˌrī-tiŋ   noun   the practice of forming letters with a pen or pencil …Handwriting (and trying to improve it) is a tedious and time-intensive task – so getting adequately motivated is the first real step. Michelle No, ?-, buzzfeed.com/michelleno/handwriting-for-adults   words formed by using a pen or pencil …bad handwriting should be regarded as a sign of an imperfect education. Mahatma... Read More

pe-ruse / pə-ˈrüz   verb   to regard or study thoroughly, paying attention to detail I do love perusing the dictionary to find how many words I don’t use – words that have specific, sharp, focused meaning. Geoffrey Rush, 1951-   to look through something quickly; to browse Advertisements are now so numerous that they are very negligently perused. Samuel Johnson, 1709-1784   to... Read More

waist   waist  /  wāst   noun   the part of the human body between the ribs and the hips Your waist size should not be more than half your height. Mehmet Oz, 1960 –   the narrow part of the body of an insect between its thorax and abdomen Wasps are distinguishable from bees by their pointed lower abdomens and the narrow “waist,”... Read More

speech / ˈspēch   noun   the communication of thoughts through talking We must have reasons for speech but we need none for silence. French Proverb   a conversation A kind speech and forgiveness is better than alms followed by injury. Islamic Proverb   anything that is said People demand freedom of speech as a compensation for the freedom of thought which they seldom... Read More