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The Random Text Says: "" Exercise in Futility? November 11th, 2001 - 7:00 a.m. I'm Currently Avoiding:Dum de dum...it's taken me like two hours just to get this far. That's really, really sad. Another twenty minutes gone by. Today, miserable that it is, November 11 is .... Air Day (Hmm...actually, every day is air day, because if there wasn't any air, we'd be dead.) ingratiate (v. in-GRAY-shee-ayt) : to gain favor or favorable acceptance for by deliberate effort -- usually used with "with"
The Latin noun gratia, meaning grace or favor, was combined with the prefix in- to give us the verb ingratiate. When you ingratiate yourself, you are putting yourself in someone's good graces and gaining their approval or favor. But if you use outrageous or obviously insincere flattery in trying to win someone's regard, your efforts run the risk of being labeled as bootlicking, apple-polishing, or brownnosing. English words related to ingratiate include gratis and gratuity. Both of these reflect something done or given as a favor through the good graces of the giver. jejune (adj. jih-JUNE) 1 : lacking nutritive value 2 : devoid of significance or interest : dull 3 : juvenile, puerile Starved for excitement? You won't get it from something jejune. That term derives from the Latin jejunus, which means empty of food, meager, or hungry. Back in the 1600s, English speakers used jejune in senses very similar to those of its Latin parent, lamenting jejune appetites and jejune morsels. Something that is meager rarely satisfies, and before long jejune was being used not only for meager meals or hunger, but for things wanting in intellectual or emotional substance. The word most likely gained its childish sense when people confused it with the look-alike French word jeune, which means young.
People say that I need to update more, but people are also obsessive-compulsive updaters, so what do they know? I seem to be writing things here every 15, 20 minutes or so. Basically whenever I actually remember that this window exists. Oh look, there went another 15 minutes. Anyway, I should finish this exercise in futility. Go read lots and lots of entries by People because I said so and because it's his 500th entry today and that's something to celebrate and be proud of. Feeling lucky? Choose an Entry At RANDOM! Yes. Random. Randomosity is cool...come on, you know you want to... Well, if you don't subscribe to peer pressure, then just go Back or Forward with the Dragons below:
Read Older Rants / Take the Current Poll / Visit the Polls Page / Sign The *NEW* Message Board
And I like it that way.
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