Amateur
Amateur am·a·teur /ˈæmətər/ Adjective/Noun Adjective for enjoyment rather than money, not professional “As a professional journalist who nonetheless champions a people’s internet, I am happy to compete against the thousands of amateur bloggers out there reporting and commenting on the same stories I do.” – Douglas Ruskkoff (1961 -) Noun a hobbyist, someone who is not a paid professional “Every artist was first an amateur.”... Read More
Cadence
Cadence ca·dence /ˈkādn(t)s/ Noun the rhythm of a sequence of sounds or words “Fiction does not invent out of a vacuum, but it invents; and what it invents is, first, the fabric and cadence of language, and then a slant of idea that sails out of these as a fin lifts from the sea.” – Cynthia Ozick (1928 -)
Recur
Recur re·cur /rəˈkər/ Verb to happen again and again “He is a benefactor of mankind who contracts the great rules of life into short sentences, that may be easily impressed on the memory, and so recur habitually to the mind.” – Samuel Johnson (1709 – 1784)
Idiosyncratic
Idiosyncratic id·io·syn·crat·ic /ˌidēəsiNGˈkradik/ Adjective distinctive to a particular person or thing, marked by quirks or habits that diverge, sometimes oddly, from what’s typical or expected “The liveliness of literature lies in its exceptionality, in being the individual, idiosyncratic vision of one human being, in which, to our delight and great surprise, we may find our own vision reflected.” – Salman Rushdie (1947 – )
Salient
Salient sa·lient /ˈsālyənt/ Adjective prominent, conspicuous, striking, noticeable “The most salient characteristic of life is its urgency, ‘here and now’ without any possible postponement.” – José Ortega y Gasset (1883 – 1955)
Congenial
Congenial con·ge·nial /kənˈjēnyəl/ Adjective pleasant, agreeable, suited to one’s needs or nature “Quite possibly, the purpose of the universe is to provide a congenial home for self-conscious creatures who can ask profound questions and who can probe the nature of the universe itself.” – Owen Gingerich (1930 – 2023)
Tranquility
Tranquility tran·quil·i·ty /traNGˈkwilədē/ Noun the state of being calm; peacefulness “It is neither wealth nor splendor, but tranquility and occupation which give happiness.” – Thomas Jefferson (1743 – 1826)
Conjecture
Conjecture con·jec·ture /kənˈjek(t)SHər/ Noun an opinion or judgment, a guess, a theory “Rumor is a pipe Blown by surmises, jealousies, conjectures.” – Henry IV, Part 2 by William Shakespeare (1564 – 1616)
Discern
Discern dis·cern /dəˈsərn/ Verb to distinguish, to perceive “The first point of wisdom is to discern that which is false; the second, to know that which is true.” – Lactantius (250 – 325)
Originality
Originality orig·i·nal·i·ty /əˌrijəˈnalədē/ Noun freshness of idea or expression, arising from a person’s own thought rather than from copying “Even in literature and art, no man who bothers about originality will ever be original; whereas if you simply try to tell the truth (without caring twopence how often it has been told before) you will, nine times out of ten, become original without ever... Read More