ex-is-ten-tial / eg-(ˌ)zi-ˈsten(t)-shəl   adjective   of or relating to the state of being or existing We are always doing something to cover up our basic existential anxiety. Charlotte Joko Beck, 1917-2011   grounded or based in the experience of being The rightful claim to dissent is an existential right. Friedrich Dürrenmatt, 1921-1990   having a place or being in time and space The... Read More

rye   rye  /  rī   noun   a cool climate annual grass (Secale cereale) A shallow, worn-out soil should not be used for corn, but for cowpeas or rye. From “Agriculture for Beginners” by Charles William Burkett, 1873 – 1962   the grain of Secale cereale which is ground into flour, used to make whiskey or used as food for livestock Every New... Read More

they / ˈt͟hā   pronoun   those people, animals, etc. Some people want to be praised for the rest of their lives for what they have done well for one day. Chinese Proverb   used to refer to an unspecified person or people, or people in general Listen to what they say of the others and you will know what they say about you.... Read More

ten-u-ous / ˈten-yə-wəs   adjective   lacking substance; very flimsy or weak The same thing that makes friendship so valuable is what makes it so tenuous: it is purely voluntary. from ‘We Learn Nothing’ by Tim Kreider, ?-   very thin As we drove out of Louton and the road began a series of sweeping curves that climbed up the mountain, the tenuous thread... Read More

ea-gle / ˈē-gəl   noun   any large bird of prey belonging to hawk family Accipitridae which lives primarily in North America Even the mightiest eagle comes down to the treetops to rest. Ugandan Proverb   in golf, a score of two below par on a single hole There’s no question that the galleries still like to see birdies and eagles. Arnold Palmer, 1929-2016... Read More

game / ˈgām   noun   organized play or amusement Life is more fun if you play games. Roald Dahl, 1916-1990   an activity that is competitive or cooperative in nature with a set of rules, usually done for fun or sport Bridge is the king of all card games. Bill Gates, 1955-   an instance of such an activity A man of high... Read More

pov-er-ty / ˈpä-vər-tē   noun   the state of having little to no money or possessions Anyone who has ever struggled with poverty knows how extremely expensive it is to be poor. James A. Baldwin, 1924-1987   deficiency of necessary qualities If the incidence of disease depends on the poverty of the soil, it would seem that there must be something very wrong somewhere... Read More

weakly   weak-ly  /  wēk-lē   adjective   sickly or lacking strength The sickly, weakly, timid man fears the people, and is a Tory by nature. Thomas Jefferson, 1743 – 1826   adverb   without strength or vigor I’ve known people who had fantastic ideas, but who couldn’t get the idea off the ground because they approached everything weakly. Donald Trump, 1946 –  ... Read More

dim-ple / ˈdim-pəl   noun   a small hollow or indentation in a soft spot on the face or body In the eyes of a lover a pock-marked face is one with pretty dimples. Japanese Proverb   a depression in a surface If valleys are the dimples on the face of the earth, as Steven King once said, then Silicon Valley is the deepest,... Read More

sub-lime / sə-ˈblīm   adjective   grand or lofty in thought, expression, etc. Anything which elevates the mind is sublime. Greatness of matter, space, power, virtue or beauty, are all sublime. John Ruskin, 1819-1900   complete Taste is the good sense of genius; without taste, genius is only sublime folly. Alexander Pope, 1688-1744   outstanding Know how sublime a thing it is to suffer... Read More