

Dec 24, 2018 This week’s theme

No el



This week’s words

morbidezza

vociferate

juxtapose

hawkshaw

quingentenary



Leda and the Swan (detail), c. 1532 Art: Antonio da Correggio No el A.Word.A.Day with Anu Garg



It’s that time of the year when the letter L gets to lie down and loosen up. In this week’s words, all other letters make an appearance, they report for duty, but L gets some time off.



At least that’s what we tell it. In reality, no one is working. We are having a party sans L. Why? Because it’s a No el celebration. Joyeux Noel! morbidezza PRONUNCIATION: (mor-bi-DET-suh)

MEANING: noun: An extreme softness, smoothness, or delicacy, especially in works of art, sculpture, music, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: daymare, mortify, From Italian morbidezza (softness, smoothness), from morbido (soft, smooth), from Latin morbidus (diseased), from morbus (disease). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mer- (to rub away or to harm), which also gave us morsel, mordant, mortal, mortgage, nightmare, amaranth, amaranthine premorse , and ambrosia . Earliest documented use: 1624.

USAGE: “I accompanied them to the door; what a pretty effect the snow background gives to young faces; it lends a pretty morbidezza to the colouring, a sort of very delicate green tinge to the paler shades.”

Arthur Christopher Benson; The Altar Fire; The Floating Press; 2014.



“The four Bellini songs are all gentle, slow, melancholy melodies dripping with morbidezza.”

Charles H. Parsons; Treasures of Bel Canto; American Record Guide (Washington, DC); Mar/Apr 2016.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: Where it is a duty to worship the sun, it is pretty sure to be a crime to examine the laws of heat. -John Morley, statesman and writer (24 Dec 1838-1923)





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