Word of the Day
dissemble
verb
to conceal one's true motives, thoughts, etc., by some pretense; speak or act hypocritically.
More about dissemble
Dissemble comes from late Middle English dissemile, dissimill, an alteration of the verb dissimule (from Old French dissimuler “to keep one’s intentions hidden,” from Latin dissimulāre, “to disguise or conceal one’s thoughts”), and associated in form with the noun semblance and the obsolete verb semble (from Old French sembler, from Latin similāre and simulāre “to pretend”). Dissemble entered English in the sense “to pass over, ignore, neglect” in the 16th century.
how is dissemble used?
He counted heavily on his ability to dissemble, knowing that every decent lawyer had at least several drops of dissimulation in his blood.
I didn’t know how to dissemble, I quite openly acknowledged the mistakes I made, and didn’t try hard to hide them.
dopester
noun
a person who undertakes to predict the outcome of elections, sports events, or other contests that hold the public interest.
More about dopester
The dope at the heart of this Americanism refers to information, data, or news. This slang term dates to 1905–10.
how is dopester used?
The 1954 season for predicting the Congressional elections is now in full swing and the political dopesters will be hard at it from now until Nov. 2, when the voters will select more than one-third of the Senators and all of the Congressmen who will sit in the Eighty-fourth Congress.
We make no prediction, not being either a dopester or an expert.
bewhiskered
adjective
ancient, as a witticism, expression, etc.; passé; hoary: a bewhiskered catchword of a bygone era.
More about bewhiskered
Bewhiskered is first recorded in 1755–65. It combines be-, a prefix used in the formation of verbs, with whiskered.
how is bewhiskered used?
That bewhiskered saying that “pride goeth before a fall” is true only in the case of ignorant people, says The International Lifeman.
Good things come in small packages. … This wrinkled and bewhiskered expression haunts our editorial vision when we pause to contemplate the career of a life, progressive citizen of the gopher state, a man small in stature but big in brain.