Tuesday, 5 April 2016

Tuesday 5^th April 2016

Smithereens \ [smith-uh-reenz]

plural noun

1. small pieces; bits: broken into smithereens.

Quote

The books here have one thing in common: The design, art and photography they

contain circumvent established norms or smash accepted verities to smithereens.

Steven Heller, "Art and Outrage," New York Times, October 24, 2014

Origin

Smithereens is a variant of smithers with the Irish diminutive suffix -een. It entered English in the 1820’s.

thanks to: www.dictionary.com

Monday, 4 April 2016

Monday 4^th April 2016

noun

1. the lot, pack, or crowd: Send the whole boodle back to the factory.

2. a large quantity of something, especially money: He's worth a boodle.

3. a bribe or other illicit payment, especially to or from a politician; graft.

4. stolen goods; loot; booty; swag.

verb (used without object), boodled, boodling.

5.to obtain money dishonestly, as by bribery or swindling.

Idioms

6. kit and boodle. kit

Quote

He would like to have the whole boodle of them…

Oliver Wendell Holmes, The Autocrat of the Breakfast Table, 1858

Origin

Boodle is an Americanism. It may be related to the Dutch word boedel, which

means "property."

Friday 1^st April 2016

noun, Informal.

1. speech or writing designed to obscure, mislead, or impress; bunkum:

Quote

They talk about clothes and boys and all that kind of malarkey. You know.

Donna Tartt, The Secret History, 1992

Origin

Malarkey is an Americanism that arose in the 1920’s. It is of unknown origin.