51吃瓜 of the Day
consternation
noun
a sudden, alarming amazement or dread that results in utter confusion; dismay.
More about consternation
Consternation comes from the Latin noun 肠艒苍蝉迟别谤苍腻迟颈艒 (inflectional stem 肠艒苍蝉迟别谤苍腻迟颈艒n-) 鈥渦nsettlement, confusion, disturbance, disorder,鈥� a derivation of the verb 肠艒苍蝉迟别谤苍腻谤别 鈥渢o throw into confusion, drive frantic, shock.鈥� 颁艒苍蝉迟别谤苍腻谤别 most likely derives from the verb 肠艒苍蝉迟别谤苍别谤别 鈥渢o strew over, cover, calm (the sea), bring down, fell,鈥� a compound of the intensive prefix con– (a variant of com-) and the simple verb sternere 鈥渢o lay out on the ground, spread out,鈥� from the Proto-Indo-European root ster-, 蝉迟别谤蓹-, 蝉迟谤脓-, steru-, streu– 鈥渢o spread out, stretch out.鈥� The root is the source of Sanskrit 蝉迟峁涐箛腻虂迟颈 鈥渉e throws down, strews,鈥� Greek 蝉迟辞谤苍媒苍补颈 and 蝉迟谤艒苍苍媒苍补颈 鈥渢o stretch out, make level, make one鈥檚 bed,鈥� Old Irish sernim 鈥淚 spread out,鈥� Albanian shtrin 鈥淚 spread out.鈥� The variant streu– lies behind Gothic straujan 鈥渟trew,鈥� Old English 蝉迟谤脓owian 鈥渢o scatter鈥� (English strew), and 蝉迟谤脓aw 鈥渉ay, straw鈥� (English straw). Consternation entered English in the early 17th century.
how is consternation used?
Deepfakes have inspired much consternation over their potential to destabilize public discourse.
I was standing shaving at my glass, when I suddenly discovered, to my consternation and amazement, that I was shaving鈥攏ot myself鈥擨 am fifty鈥攂ut a boy.
solipsism
noun
extreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one's feelings, desires, etc.; egoistic self-absorption.
More about solipsism
The usual sense of solipsism is 鈥渆xtreme preoccupation with and indulgence of one’s feelings or desires; egoistic self-absorption,鈥� and not the philosophical sense 鈥渢he theory that only the self exists or can be proved to exist.鈥� Solipsism comes from New Latin 蝉艒濒颈辫蝉颈蝉尘耻蝉 鈥渆xtreme self-centeredness,鈥� formed from the Latin adjective 蝉艒濒(耻蝉) 鈥渓one, alone,鈥� the pronoun and adjective ips(e) 鈥渉imself, herself,鈥� and –ismus, a noun suffix borrowed from Greek –颈蝉尘贸蝉, forming action nouns from verbs ending in –铆锄别颈苍 (-颈锄腻谤别 in Latin), as bapt颈蝉尘贸蝉 鈥渄ipping, baptism鈥� (baptismus in Latin), from bapt铆锄别颈苍 (bapt颈锄腻谤别 in Latin). A literal translation of 蝉艒濒颈辫蝉颈尘耻蝉 would be the ungainly 鈥渕yselfaloneism.鈥� Solipsism entered English in the first half of the 19th century.
how is solipsism used?
Murdoch’s fiction frequently offers work as the way out of the self-serving fantasies of solipsism, even simple labor proving therapeutic.
鈥淟ady Bird鈥� takes its protagonist through adolescent solipsism to recognition and gratitude ….
bon vivant
noun
a person who lives luxuriously and enjoys good food and drink.
More about bon vivant
Bon vivant is completely unnaturalized in English; indeed, if the term were naturalized, it would lose its je ne sais quoi. In French bon vivant simply means 鈥済ood liver鈥� (a person, not the organ about which every French person is concerned). Bon is a masculine singular adjective meaning 鈥済ood,鈥� which comes straight from Latin bonus. Vivant is the masculine singular present participle of vivre 鈥渢o live,鈥� straight from Latin 惫墨惫别谤别. The plural of bon vivant is bons vivants, which has the same pronunciation. One also sees the feminine form (not nearly so common), bonne vivante and its plural bonnes vivantes. Bon vivant entered English at the end of the 17th century.
how is bon vivant used?
… his creditors had tampered with his honest name and reputation as a bon vivant. He have bad wine! For shame! He had the best from the best wine-merchant …..
Jean-Jacques was a bon vivant and might even bring along a couple Cuban cigars ….