san-guine / ˈsaŋ-gwən   adjective   cheerfully optimistic or hopeful That glorious vision of doing good is so often the sanguine mirage of so many good souls. from ‘A Tale of Two Cities’ by Charles Dickens, 1812-1870   bloodred While far overhead hang gloriously Large luscious berries of sanguine dye, For the best grows highest, always highest, Upon the mulberry-tree. from ‘The Mulberry-Tree’ by... Read More

con-tempt  /   kən-tĕmpt   noun   scorn, disrespect You can have no influence over those for whom you have underlying contempt. Martin Luther King, Jr., 1929 – 1968   the state of being disgraced or despised Pride defeats its own end, by bringing the man who seeks esteem and reverence into contempt.  Henry Bolingbroke, 1366 – 1413   deliberate disobedience of, or disregard for,... Read More

im-pec-ca ble / im-ˈpek-ə-bəl   adjective   without fault or flaw When the mind is clear, behavior is always impeccable. Sylvia Boorstein, 1936-   sinless; unable to sin The dead, with each passing day in the afterlife, become more and more impeccable to those who remain earthbound. Anna Godbersen, 1980-

tack   tack  /  tăk   noun   (in equestrian regard) a broad name for horseback riding gear; saddles, bridles, reigns, etc. Cowboys have traditionally used many different kinds of materials including leather, rope and more recently paracord to create all manner of tack for horses. Nicky Ellis, “Tips to Help You Make your Own Horse Tack Using Para Cord”, www.horsesandfoals.com, July 18, 2019... Read More

ad-vent / ˈad-ˌvent   noun   in Christianity, the four weeks leading up to Christmas (usually capitalized) It is the beauty of Advent to awaken in all of us memories of goodness and thus to open doors of hope. Pope Benedict XVI, 1927-   in Christianity, the arrival of Christ (usually capitalized) We celebrate the First Advent to whet our appetites for the Second.... Read More

an-tic-i-pate /  an-ˈti-sə-ˌpāt   verb   to expect or wait for excitedly The trick to happiness wasn’t in freezing every momentary pleasure and clinging to each one, but in ensuring one’s life would produce many future moments to anticipate. from ‘Oathbringer’ by Brandon Sanderson, 1975-   to foresee Anticipate the good so that you may enjoy it. Ethiopian Proverb   to do preemptively Anticipate... Read More

shop / ˈshäp   noun   a building housing merchandise; a small store To open a shop is easy – the hard part is keeping it open. Chinese Proverb   the workspace for a craftsperson or other manual laborer He who goes to the blacksmith’s shop comes home with scorched clothes. Afghan Proverb   a business, office, etc. A public relations shop does far... Read More

feast / ˈfēst   noun   a large, abundant meal; banquet Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast. William Shakespeare, 1564-1616   something that provides great enjoyment The heart at rest sees a feast in everything. Indian Proverb   a religious observance in honor of a deity, person, or event For many people, the big feast of the year is Christmas, but... Read More

sple-dif-er-ous / splen-ˈdi-f(ə-)rəs   adjective   magnificent; overly showy I want to write something most splendiferous today, and I am sure to find it in your face. from ‘Tommy and Grizel’ by J.M. Barrie, 1860-1937

pi pi  /  pī noun (1), plural pis   the 16th letter of the Greek alphabet (Π, π) , equivalent to the Roman letter P Since partnering with The Dictionary Project in 2005, the Alpha Pi Chapter of Delta Kappa Gamma has provided dictionaries to over 7,000 students.   an irrational mathematical number equal to approximately 3.14159265, represented by the symbol π, which expresses... Read More