e-lect / i-ˈlekt   adjective   chosen or picked Braschi had always had an academic streak, and even in remote Subiaco the educated abbot had “gathered around him an elect circle of canons and other cultivated persons […] from ‘Papacy and Politics in Eighteenth-Century Rome: Pius VI and the Arts’ by Jeffrey Collins, ?-   selected for a position but not yet inducted […]... Read More

out-reach / ˌau̇t-ˈrēch   verb   to exceed Our ability to create has outreached our ability to use wisely the products of our inventions. Whitney M. Young, 1921-1971   to extend beyond […] happy is he […] whose flight unchecked, outreaches life and readily comprehends the language of flowers and of all mute things. Charles Baudelaire, 1821-1867   noun   the act of extending... Read More

meal / ˈmēl   noun (1)   the food eaten at a specific time of the day, i.e., breakfast, lunch, dinner Eat when the meal is ready, speak when the time is ripe. Ethiopian Proverb   an instance of eating food at a certain time of day A good breakfast cannot take the place of the evening meal. Chinese Proverb   noun (2)  ... Read More

saint / ˈsānt   noun   a person who lives an exceptional and holy life, leading to their canonization in the Catholic Church We should blush for shame to show so much resentment at what is done or said against us, knowing that so many injuries and affronts have been offered to our Redeemer and the saints. Teresa of Avila, 1515-1582   a virtuous... Read More

scare / ˈsker verb 1.      to frighten or fill with terror It’s not the violence of the few that scares me, it’s the silence of the many. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968 noun 1.      an instance of fear A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice. Edgar Watson Howe, 1853-1937 2.      panic in large groups of people Millions of tiny caterpillars that shoot toxic hairs have triggered a... Read More

scare / ˈsker   verb   to frighten or fill with terror It’s not the violence of the few that scares me, it’s the silence of the many. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929-1968   noun   an instance of fear A good scare is worth more to a man than good advice. Edgar Watson Howe, 1853-1937   panic in large groups of people Millions... Read More

a-fraid / ə-ˈfrād   adjective   in a state of terror or fear He who is afraid of a thing gives it power over him. Spanish Proverb   feeling concern, regret, etc. The butterfly who settles on a branch is afraid that he will break it. Armenian Proverb   filled with reluctance One who is afraid of asking questions is ashamed of learning. Danish... Read More

creak creak / krēk noun 1.     a harsh grating or squeaking sound The wind too was rising and filling the house with ghostly creaks. From “Diane of the Green Van” by Leona Dalrymple, 1884 – 1965 verb 1.     to make or cause to make a harsh grating or squeaking sound The tempest threatens before it comes; houses creak before they fall. Seneca the Younger, 4 BC – 65 AD 2.     to make... Read More

home / hōm   noun   one’s place of residence The ache for home lives in all of us, the safe place where we can go as we are and not be questioned. Maya Angelou, 1928-2014   a house I think that when you invite people to your home, you invite them to yourself. Oprah Winfrey, 1954-   an establishment that provides care and... Read More

cran-ky / ˈkraŋ-kē   adjective   prone to fussiness; grouchy Your wrinkles either show that you’re nasty, cranky, and senile, or that you’re always smiling. Carlos Santana, 1947-   eccentric Everybody should espouse three or four harmless crank theories for the pure pleasure of having something harmless to be cranky about. Alexei Panshin, 1940-   twisty or winding […] when you skip breakfast, the... Read More