GRIFTERS—IN POLITICS, ON OLD-TIME RADIO, AND AT THE MOVIES
A GRIFTER is one who obtains money or property illicitly, a confidence man. And, note, with few exceptions (see “Con Women—Balancing the Game), grifting seems to be a masculine endeavor. … Continue reading
WORDS ON MUSIC
“IF ONE HEARS bad music,” Oscar Wilde said, “it’s one’s duty to drown it in conversation.” Natural philosopher and polymath Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz commented, “Music is a calculation performed by … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—KAKISTOCRACY, KLEPTOCRACY
ALAS, WHAT an optimist I was back in April 2016! In what turned out to be the first of my Etymology for our Times series, the topic was ”Governing by … Continue reading
ON THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY
WE SEEM to be burdened at the moment with the least historically informed leader in U.S. history. I offer our president’s misdating the career of Andrew Jackson (“I mean, had … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—TREASON, TRAITOR
RECENT HAPPENINGS in Helsinki have added the words “treason” and “traitor” to the SimanaitisSays Etymology for our Times. What follows here focuses on the words’ English language usage and origin, … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—RIDICULE, DERISION, MOCKERY
MINIONS SHAMED in restaurants. A giant balloon to float above London. A ballad celebrating inarticulate ramblings about mouth, brain, and Elton John. What a perfect time to add the word … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—ELOQUENT, INARTICULATE
EVERY SO often, the meaning of a word surprises me. As an example, consider the word “eloquent.” It conjures up thoughts of classic Roman orations or the most memorable of … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY—DESPICABLE
HOLDING INNOCENT children hostage in return for building a wall is despicable. And thus, the word “despicable” earns a place in the SimanaitisSays series Etymology for our Times. Merriam-Webster defines … Continue reading
BEREFT OF INSULTS?
THESE DAYS, one can easily run short of invectives. However, in the spirit of literary recycling, we can learn from a master of the English language, William Shakespeare. Here’s a … Continue reading
ETYMOLOGY: DEVIL, DIABOLICAL
DEVIL AND DIABOLICAL are perfect additions to the SimanaitisSays series of Etymology for our Times, what with the Trump administration’s Wall hostage program of children. The words’ origins trace to … Continue reading
Simanaitis Says 