{"id":110,"date":"2021-02-27T09:04:41","date_gmt":"2021-02-27T14:04:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=110"},"modified":"2021-02-27T09:50:56","modified_gmt":"2021-02-27T14:50:56","slug":"word-of-the-week-46-raconteur","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=110","title":{"rendered":"W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#46 \u2013 raconteur<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

My good friend Joan suggested this word several weeks ago.\u00a0 I liked the word and put it on my list for inclusion in future Word of the Weeks\u2026.but then to upgrade its position I recently read it in a new bio I am reading on Abe Lincoln (like we need another bio on Abe).\u00a0 I like to use words that I have recently read, which, I believe make them more useable for my grandsons, while not being pretentious.

About Thomas Lincoln, Abe\u2019s father, at his dinner table:
\u201cHe kept his company in good humor, for he was an excellent raconteur<\/strong> who loved fun \u2013 jokes and equaled Abe in telling stories\u201d.<\/em>\u00a0 “Abe” by David C Reynolds<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Raconteur <\/strong>is a noun and means a person who is skillful in telling anecdotes and stories in a skillful and amusing way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Its pronounced RACK on teur.  To hear this correct pronunciation go to\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/raconteur<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another recent use of raconteur:
Illusionist and raconteur<\/strong> Helder Guimar\u00e3es is back with another virtual show for the Geffen Playhouse series.\u2014<\/em> L.A. Times

<\/strong>This is a great word to work into your vocabulary.  Use of it will make you appear intelligent, even if you are not.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A previous \u201cWord of the Week\u201d revisited:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

indolent –<\/strong>  <\/strong>habitually lazy – “His failure in life may stem from his indolent ways as a youth”.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

https:\/\/www.merriam-webster.com\/dictionary\/indolent<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quote of the Week:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhy not go out on a limb?  That is where the  fruit is.\u201d<\/em>  Will Rogers<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And finally this to put a smile on that face\u2026.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Until next Saturday,<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gramps<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Forty six weeks of great words:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

1 –   exacerbate – to make worse “Your input just exacerbates an already difficult situation.”
2 –   assuage- to make as situation or feeling less intense. “I pray our Heavenly Father may assuage you of the anguish of your grief.”
<\/a>3 –   force majeure’ –  unforeseeable circumstance that prevents someone from fulfilling a contract. “The tenant will not be required to pay rent due to the force majeure’ clause.
4 –   sanguine – <\/a>optimistic or positive, especially in an apparently bad or difficult situation. “I’m trying to be sanguine about this, but I see a major roadblock”
5 –   segue – (seg way) proceed to what follows without pause.  “She has the skill to easily segue from political conversations into subjects less controversial.”
6 –   bifurcate – to cause to divide into two branches or parts. “We have decided to bifurcate this large project.”
7 –   indolent –  <\/strong>habitually lazy – “His failure in life may stem from his indolent ways as a youth”.
8 –   ameliorate – to make better or more tolerable –  “this drug should ameliorate your pain”
9 –   truncate – to shorten by or as if by cutting off – “A truncated version of this report is on the web.”
10 – nascent – coming or having recently come into existence  “His nascent idea for a business turned into a goldmine”
11 – b\u00e9chamel – a rich white sauce – “He made a lump-free b\u00e9chamel for her, and, in return, she gave him her love.”
12 – anarchy –  absence of government – “The revolution began when anarchy took root in just one city”.
13 – rhetorical question – a question not intended to require an answer. “Is this a beautiful day or what?”
14 – milieu – the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops.- “His discipline is a result of growing up as part of the military milieu”
15 – nadir – the lowest point – “The stock market reached its current nadir in March”
16 – black swan event – comes as a surprise and has a major effect. “This pandemic is considered by many to be a black swan event.”
17 – myopic – narrow in perspective and without concern for broader implications.  “Your myopic view of this project is disturbing”.
18 – quixotic –  <\/strong>foolishly impractical especially in the pursuit of ideals – “His quixotic pursuit for her affection was quite simply foolish.”
19 – prescience – human anticipation of the course of events – foresight.  “His intuitive prescience helped to make him a success”
20 – laconic and laconic riposte – use of a minimum of words, and a short clever response to an insult or challenge.  In response to a demand to immediately surrender he sent back the following: “Nuts”.
21 – protean – ability to change, versatile.  “The coronavirus is protean in its ability to either make you sick or not.”
22 – ephemeral – lasting a very short time or perhaps only one day. “Custer was chasing an ephemeral Indian city.”
23 – catch-22 – a dilemma or difficult circumstance from which there is no escape because of mutually conflicting or dependent conditions.  From the novel “Catch-22”.
24 – arrogate – to take or claim something without justification. “In order to accomplish his dream he arrogated to himself controversial powers”.
25 – obtuse – difficult to understand, lacking intellect.  “The responses to his remarks this week were even more obtuse.” 
26 – purloin – to appropriate wrongfully (steal), often pertaining to a theft that is a breach of trust.  “When she opened her new office she purloined one of my listings”.
27 – salience – the quality of being particularly noticeable or important.  “It is not clear that raising the electoral salience of the Supreme Court will work to the president\u2019s advantage.
28 – confabulate – to talk normally or to hold a discussion.  “He likes to confabulate.”
29 – animus – a usually prejudiced and often spiteful or malevolent ill will. \u201cI have no animus or agenda for the Affordable Care Act.\u201d
30 \u2013 puerile – to act or communicate in a juvenile, silly or childish manner. \u201cHis puerile ways are giving a poor impression at his job interviews\u201d.
31 \u2013 regnant – having the greatest influence – \u201cThe regnant belief\u201d.
32 \u2013 roil \u2013 to be agitated or chaotic \u2013 \u201cthe politics of slavery was roiling the United States\u201d.
33 \u2013 sonder – The realization that each random passerby is living a life as vivid and complex as your own.
34 \u2013 inculcate – To instill or teach someone an attitude, idea, or habit by persistent instruction. \u201cThey will try to inculcate you with a respect for culture.\u201d
35 \u2013 mendacity \u2013 untruthfulness, lying. \u201cHe blew the whistle on the mendacity of the politician.\u201d
36 \u2013 pejorative \u2013 Expressing contempt or disapproval.  Having negative connotations.   \u201cPermissiveness is often used a pejorative term\u201d.
37 \u2013 dystopian \u2013 A world or society in which people lead wretched, dehumanized fearful lives, often associated with a totalitarian government or an environmentally degraded world. \u201cThe dystopian future of a society bereft of reason\u201d.
38 \u2013 Occam\u2019s razor \u2013 The simplest answer may be the preferred answer.
39 \u2013 execrate or execrable \u2013 very bad \u2013 \u201cThe execrable hotel food.\u201d
40 \u2013 immutable \u2013 unchangeable \u2013 Do not make the mistake of assuming that public opinion is immutable.   
41 \u2013 prurient – having or encouraging an excessive or unwholesome interest in matters of sex. 
 \u201cShe\u2019d been the subject of much prurient <\/em><\/strong>curiosity\u201d.
42 \u2013 obsequious – exhibiting fawning attentiveness. Exaggerated deference of manner.  \u201cWaiters who are obsequious in the presence of celebrities.\u201d
43 \u2013 iconoclast –  a person who attacks settled beliefs or institutions \u201cHe was a prolific writer with a reputation for iconoclastic insight and irreverent prose.\u201d
44 \u2013 oblique – something not parallel nor at a right angle to a specified or implied line \u2013 slanting.
\u201cWe sat on the settee oblique to the fireplace. Or something not done in a direct way such as \u201cHe issued an oblique attack on the president\u201d.
45 \u2013 profligate \u2013 wasteful \u2013 wildly extravagant.  \u201cHe has always been a profligate spender, which is why he is broke.\u201d
46 – raconteur \u2013 a good teller of stories.  \u201cWe always invite her to dinner because she is a fine raconteur\u201d.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My good friend Joan suggested this word several weeks ago.\u00a0 I liked the word and put it on my list for inclusion in future Word of the Weeks\u2026.but then to upgrade its position I recently read it in a new bio I am reading on Abe Lincoln (like we need another bio on Abe).\u00a0 I … Continue reading W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#46 \u2013 raconteur<\/strong><\/span> →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=110"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":117,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/110\/revisions\/117"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=110"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=110"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=110"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}