ASF Word of the Day

doughty
adjective
archaic•humorous

1. brave and persistent.

Origin
late Old English dohtig, variant of dyhtig, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch duchtig and German tüchtig

laconic
adjective

1. (of a person, speech, or style of writing) using very few words.

Origin


mid 16th century (in the sense ‘Laconian’): via Latin from Greek Lakōnikos, from Lakōn ‘Laconia, Sparta’, the Spartans being known for their terse speech.

Philip II of Macedonia, father of Alexander the Great, forced the Greek city-states into submission then turned to Sparta, warning them "If I invade Laconia, I shall turn you out." The Spartans' reply was one word: "If." Philip proceeded to invade Laconia, devastated much of it and ejected the Spartans,

Dona ferentes wishes to add a new word

Illeism is the act of referring to oneself in the third person instead of the first person. It is a rhetorical device used to convey objectivity or authority, as seen in Julius Caesar's writings, and can also be a psychological tool for emotional regulation and wise decision-making.

Characteristics and Uses:

• Origin:
  The term comes from the Latin word "ille," meaning "he" or "that man".
• Rhetorical Device:
  It can be used to:
• - Impart objectivity: Presenting oneself as an impartial observer, a technique employed by politicians and historical figures like Julius Caesar to lend their words an air of historical fact.
  - Convey self-importance: Used in literature or by public figures to express self-grandeur or authority.
  
  - Create comedic effect: For self-irony or to portray a character with inflated self-importance.

Some terms being used to describe France’s ongoing political turmoil

(Spoiler alert - in another language)

1. Le chaos​

While the French word for ‘chaos’ is spelled in the same way as English, its pronunciation is slightly different.
Rather than using the long ‘ay’ vowel sound, you need to use a short ‘ah’ before sliding onto the ‘oh’ sound. Make sure you do not pronounce the ‘s’ at the end. You could also think of it as saying the French capital letters K and O: [kah-oh].

2. Un tohu-bohu​

Tohu-bohu is used to describe a commotion, in a similar way to terms used in English such as: ‘hurly-burly’, ‘hullabaloo’, or ‘brouhaha’.
The word comes from the Hebrew expression, tohou va-yohou, that appeared in the Bible’s Book of Genesis to describe the state of the world immediately after it was formed, before the creation of light. From this context, the term was understood to refer to something confusing and chaotic - a meaning that is still used today.

3. Le bazar​

You could also hear people use the phrase c’est le bazar to describe something as being a chaotic mess.
Bazar literally translates as bazaar - a bric-a-brac shop or jumble sale where a variety of random items can be found and purchased. This idea of disorder leads to the metaphoric use of un bazar in French, not only describing literal untidiness but also senseless behaviour or decision making.

4. Une pagaille
The word pagaille (which can also be spelled as pagaïe and pagaye), can be used to describe something as being in disarray or a complete shambles.
You could also hear people referring to une pagaille générale, with générale (general) simply reinforcing the phrase’s intensity. Similar English examples include: ‘utter disorder’ or ‘complete mayhem’.

5. Un bordel
Bordel is an informal term that should only be used with friends and close family members. Some people consider it a swear word.
It literally translates as ‘brothel’ however it is more commonly used to refer to a messy, complicated, or confusing place or situation. Adjectives such as sacré (sacred) or noir (black) can also be used to emphasise the strength of the word.
You could hear people say, "c'est un/le bordel" or "mais quel bordel".

6. La chienlit
In June 2024, Emmanuel Macron decided to dissolve parliament, citing the need to avoid “la chienlit”.
This word was made famous by Charles de Gaulle when he used it to describe the growing momentum behind student protests in May 1968. It stems from the name of a character in the Paris carnival, Chie-en-lit (literally: **** in bed), which was reportedly mistranslated by anglophone media outlets as ‘dog’s bed’ (‘chien-lit’). Rather than alluding to a ‘circus’, the protests were framed as a ‘dog’s dinner,’ both of which capture the chaotic connotations behind De Gaulle’s sentiment.

7. C’est le Bronx​

This saying is slightly less common but is generally used to refer to a chaotic, uncontrollable environment. The expression stems from The Bronx, one of five districts of New York, back when it used to be considered one of the most dangerous places in America.

churlish​

adjective

1. of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl

2. marked by a lack of civility or graciousness

3. difficult to work with or deal with


In Old English, the word ceorl referred to a free peasant—someone who was neither part of the nobility nor enslaved or in debt. In Anglo-Saxon England, which lasted roughly from the 5th to 11th centuries, ceorls had many rights that peasants of lower social status did not, and a few even rose to the rank of thane. However, as most ceorls were driven into the class of unfree villeins over the centuries, especially following the Norman Conquest, the connotation of the word ceorl—spelled cherl in Middle English and then finally churl—diminished as well, eventually coming to mean “a lowly peasant” and later “a rude, ill-bred person.” Similarly, churlish began in the form ceorlisc in Old English as a simple descriptor of someone with the rank of ceorl, but today it describes a boorish
person, or their rude and insensitive behavior

picayune
North American English

adjective

1. informal
   of little value or significance

noun

1. a small coin of little value, especially a 5-cent piece.
   • informal
     an insignificant person or thing.

Origin


early 19th century: from French picaillon, denoting a Piedmontese copper coin, also used to mean ‘cash’, from Provençal picaioun, of unknown ultimate origin

redound
verb

1. 1.
   formal
   contribute greatly to (a person's credit or honour).
   
   
2. 2.
   archaic
   come back upon;  rebound on
   

Origin


late Middle English (in the sense ‘surge up, overflow’): from Old French redonder, from Latin redundare ‘surge’, from re(d)- ‘again’ + unda ‘ a wave