Tuesday, October 13, 2009

quone

quone: Medical term. When a patient gets difficult you have to quone them.

brickbat

Brickbat
  1. A piece of brick used as a weapon, especially if thrown, or placed in something like a sock and used as a club.
  2. A criticism or uncomplimentary remark hurled at artwork or other recipient.

Monday, October 12, 2009

Polemics


Polemics (pronounced /pəˈlɛmɪks/, /poʊ-/) is the practice of disputing or controverting religious, philosophical, political, or scientific matters. As such, a polemic text on a topic is often written specifically to dispute or refute a position or theory that is widely viewed to be beyond reproach.

The antonym of a polemic source is an apologia.

Polemic journalism was common in continental Europe when libel laws weren't stringent. The Research Support Libraries Programme "Pamphlet and polemic: pamphlets as a guide to the controversies of the 17th-19th centuries", co-managed by the University of St. Andrews, the University of Aberdeen, and University of Wales Lampeter, collected and placed thousands of pamphlets on-line as a study of polemic rhetoric of that era. There are other meanings of the word as well. Polemic is also a branch of theology, pertaining to the history or conduct of ecclesiastical controversy.

The word is derived from the Greek word polemikos (πολεμικως), which means "warlike", "hostile". Plato uses a character named Polemarchus in his dialogue Republic as a vehicle to drive forward an ethical debate

Sunday, October 11, 2009

dragée


A dragée (pronounced [dræˈʒeɪ] dra-ZHAY, from Greek tragêmata "sweets, treats") is a form of confectionery that can be used for decorative or symbolic purposes in addition to consumption.

A classic, popular version of dragée are whole almonds coated with a sugar shell in various colors. Called mulabbas in Arabic, confetti in Italian and Jordan almonds or sugared almonds in English, these confections have a long history, and are traditionally associated with weddings and special celebrations. Throwing or handing out these candies at such occasions (hence the name for the multi-colored paper confetti which usually now replaces them) dates back centuries, and is meant to ensure prosperity, fertility, happiness, and good luck.

Friday, October 9, 2009

Nonpareils


Nonpareils are a decorative confection of tiny sugar balls, traditionally an opaque white but now available in myriad colors. They are better known as hundreds and thousands or sprinkles in many Western countries. Their origin is uncertain, but they may have evolved out of the pharmaceutical use of sugar, as they were a miniature version of comfits . The French name has been interpreted to mean they were "without equal" for intricate decoration of cakes, desserts, and other sweets, and the elaborate pièces montées constructed as table ornaments.

Thursday, October 8, 2009

Metazoan

Metazoan: Any animal that undergoes development from an embryo stage with three tissue layers, namely the ectoderm, mesoderm, and endoderm. The term applies to all animals except the sponges.

synanthrope

 A synanthrope (from ancient Greek σύν sýn "together, with" and ἄνθρωπος ánthrōpos "man") is an organism that evolve...