Word of the Day
nostrum
noun
a pet scheme or remedy, especially for social or political ills; panacea.
More about nostrum
Nostrum is a direct borrowing from Latin and is the neuter form of the singular possessive adjective noster “our”; this neuter version is often found today in the Latin phrase mare nostrum “our sea,” which the Romans used in reference to the Mediterranean Sea. The shift from a possessive adjective to a noun that means “remedy” happened by way of the unattested phrase nostrum remedium “our medicine,” with the latter half chopped off. Nostrum’s primary meaning in English is “a medicine sold with false or exaggerated claims,” and it gained the additional sense of “a remedy for all problems” when applied to non-medical topics such as politics.
how is nostrum used?
Federalism encourages variation by creating incentives for political leaders [in each state] to craft innovative solutions to important problems. Governors who, for example, succeed in reforming education will win reelection. They may then parlay this success into approval at the national level, propounding their signature policies as nostrums for what ails the nation.
I hold to journalistic nostrums about avoiding redundant adjectives and adverbs, and rationing abstract nouns and passive verbs. Ambiguity and hyperbole may sometimes light up fiction, but they are lethal when trying to convey literal truth.
memoriter
adverb
by heart; by memory.
More about memoriter
Memoriter is a direct borrowing from Latin, in which the word has the same meaning, formed from the adjective memor “remembering” and the adverbial suffix –ter. Memor is the source of English commemorate, memorize, memorial, and many other words related to recollection. While English uses –ly to create adverbs from other parts of speech, Latin uses suffixes such as –ter, as we can see in other Latin-derived adverbs such as instanter “immediately.” Another such suffix is –ātim, as in verbatim “word for word” and literatim “letter for letter.”
how is memoriter used?
My uncle had been a great admirer of Doctor Mather and was said to affect an imitation of his voice, pronunciation, and manner in the pulpit. His sermons, though delivered in a powerful and musical voice, consisted of texts of scripture, quoting chapter and verse, delivered memoriter, and without notes.
I was fond of poetry. By far the greater part of Dr. Watts’s Psalms and Hymns I could repeat memoriter, at ten or twelve years of age. I am sure that no other sacred poetry will ever appear to me so affecting and devout.
cruciverbalist
noun
a designer or aficionado of crossword puzzles.
More about cruciverbalist
Cruciverbalist is a combination of two Latin words—crux “cross” and verbum “word”—and in this way, it’s a direct translation of the word crossword using Latin elements. Crux is also the source of numerous words related to crosses or, more figuratively, focal points, such as crucial and excruciating, while verbum’s descendants include verbal, verbiage, and verbose, all of which pertain to words.
how is cruciverbalist used?
There is an honour among crossword-solvers. I would never give away an answer to a fellow cruciverbalist, unless specifically asked to do so. And if someone did ask me for an answer, I have to confess that I wouldn’t regard that person as a proper cruciverbalist.
David Crossland was the cruciverbalist’s cruciverbalist. The crossword setter, who has died aged 70, was known as “Dac” to readers of The Independent for which he produced cryptic puzzles for 16 years from 2002.