{"id":352,"date":"2021-08-07T13:26:09","date_gmt":"2021-08-07T18:26:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=352"},"modified":"2021-08-07T13:32:34","modified_gmt":"2021-08-07T18:32:34","slug":"word-of-the-week-62-meme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/?p=352","title":{"rendered":"W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#62 –  meme<\/a><\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Memes<\/em><\/strong>\u00a0<\/strong>are to culture what genes are to life. Just as biological evolution is driven by the survival of the fittest genes in the gene pool, cultural evolution may be driven by the most successful\u00a0memes<\/em><\/strong>.<\/strong>\u2014 Richard Dawkins<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meme is a word that I have seen popping up all over the place.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have a clue what it meant nor how to pronounce it. No doubt I’m aging myself.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Webster defines it as an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.  Also as an amusing or interesting item (such as a captioned picture or video) or genre of items that is spread widely online especially through social media<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cT<\/em>he band encouraged fans to make <\/em>memes<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>to advertise the U.S. release of their EP.\u201d<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe grumpy cat <\/em>meme<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>frowned its way onto the Internet in September 2012 and never turned its dissatisfied head back. Since then, the image of the cranky cat has grown more and more popular in direct proportion to appearing less and less impressed by fame.\u201d<\/em>\u2014 <\/em>Anastasia Thrift<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is pronounced like \u201cmean\u201d with an \u201cm\u201d. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Although Webster says it is a noun, I have seen it used frequently as an adjective:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

 \u201cThe exhibition seeks to give a sense not only of Holmes’s origins but of the real-world milieu in which Conan Doyle set him and of his <\/em>memetic<\/em><\/strong> <\/em><\/strong>spread through the culture.<\/em>\u2014 Sam Leith<\/em><\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s also used frequently in the financial markets to describe a type of stock.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHer focus on meme-<\/strong>worthy investments and her ubiquitous presence on Twitter and financial news channels have thrust her alongside market influencers<\/em>\u201d\u2026.WSJ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRobinhood Markets has profited off the <\/em>meme<\/em><\/strong> stock movement. Now the company is looking more like a meme<\/strong> stock itself.<\/em>\u201d WSJ<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In financial markets it describes (adjective) certain kinds of companies that are speculative investments and generate little or no profit\u00a0but have the potential to change the world through \u201cdisruptive innovation.\u201d\u00a0 Tesla is a prime example.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Meme is another great word for Word of the Week.\u00a0 It is becoming popular.\u00a0 It is short and simple and will make you appear to be intelligent, but not pretentious…however please pronounce it correctly. To hear the correct pronunciation, go to the following link:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Interesting Word:  Metaverse.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I am not including Metaverse (capitalized) as a \u201cWord of the Week\u201d because I have read the definition and then re-read it…then re-read it again and still don\u2019t have a clue what it means. It has been said however that it is the next huge technological leap.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just let you read what Wikipedia has to say.\u00a0 You can take it from there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe\u00a0Metaverse<\/strong>\u00a0is a collective virtual shared space\u00a0including the sum of all\u00a0virtual worlds\u00a0and the Internet. It may contain derivatives or copies of the real world, but it is distinct from\u00a0augmented reality. The word “metaverse” is made up of the prefix “meta” (meaning beyond) and the stem “verse” (a backformation from “universe”); the term is typically used to describe the concept of a future iteration of the internet, made up of persistent, shared, 3D virtual spaces linked into a perceived virtual universe\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What’s that?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

ephemeral – lasting a very short time or perhaps only one day. “Custer was chasing an ephemeral Indian city.”

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

\u201cMy mother always used to say that the older you get the better you get, unless, of course, you\u2019re a banana\u201d  Betty White<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

Everyone loves Betty\u2026.how could you not? (that’s a rhetorical question)<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With a television career spanning over 8 decades, She has worked longer in that medium than anyone else in the television industry, for which she was awarded a Guinness World Record. She has received eight Emmy Awards in various categories.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

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

Sixty-two 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 a situation or feeling less intense. “I pray our Heavenly Father may assuage you of the anguish of your grief.”
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 – 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 – <\/a>to shorten by or as if by cutting off – “A truncated version of this report is on the web.”
10 – nascent – <\/a>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 – 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 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.
47 \u2013 taciturn – a person who is reserved or uncommunicative in speech\u2026saying little.  It usually connotes unsociability. \u201cNothing bothered the taciturn Hogan more that excessive praise.\u201d
48 \u2013 fungible – capable of mutual substitution: interchangeable\/  \u201cThe court’s postulate is that male and female jurors must be regarded asfungible.\u201d
<\/em>49 \u2013 filibuster – The use of tactics in an attempt to delay or prevent action especially in a legislative assembly. This currently requires a 60 vote Senate majority. \u201cThey stopped the bill from coming to a vote by the use of a filibuster\u201d.
<\/em>50 \u2013 hegemony – preponderant influence or authority over others: Domination. \u201cThey battled for hegemony in Asia.\u201d<\/em>
51 \u2013 de facto – being such in effect though not formally recognized or contrary to established law \u201ca de facto state of war\u201d <\/em>for a war that has not been officially declared.
52 \u2013 blockchain \u2013 an open, distributed leger that can record transactions between two parties efficiently and in a verifiable and permanent way.
53 \u2013 b\u00eate noire \u2013 A person or thing one particularly dislikes or is strongly detested. \u201cThe abuse of women was a b\u00eate noire for Lincoln.\u201d
54 \u2013 evince -\u201cto constitute outward evidence of\u2026.to display clearly: reveal. \u201cHe evinced a depraved mind.\u201d
55 \u2013 virago – a loud overbearing woman.  Domineering, violent, or bad tempered. \u201cDemocrats, on the other hand, saw Jessie as a Republican virago.\u201d
56 \u2013 metonym –  a name, or expression used as a substitute for something else with which it is closely associated. \u201cWashington is a metonym for the federal government of the US.\u201d<\/em>
57 – ennui – a noun meaning a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. Boredom. ” The drama is about ennui, malaise and the conflicts they create”. AHN wee
58 – felicitous is an adjective and is defined as  well chosen or suited to the circumstances such as \u201ca felicitous phrase\u201d.
59 – Imprimatur – a noun meaning sanction or approval. \u201cHe gave the book his imprimatur.\u201d
60 \u2013 fiat – An authoritative determination or decree. \u201cHe runs the company by fiat.\u201d<\/em>
61 <\/em>\u2013 salient – <\/em>meaning most notable or important.  Of notable significance. \u201cIt succinctly covered all the salient points of the case.\u201d<\/em>
62 – meme – an idea, behavior, style, or usage that spreads from person to person within a culture.  \u201cThe band encouraged fans to make memes to advertise the U.S. release of their EP.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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

<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Memes\u00a0are to culture what genes are to life. Just as biological evolution is driven by the survival of the fittest genes in the gene pool, cultural evolution may be driven by the most successful\u00a0memes.\u2014 Richard Dawkins Meme is a word that I have seen popping up all over the place.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t have a clue … Continue reading W<\/strong>ORD OF THE <\/strong>W<\/strong>EEK <\/strong>#62 –  meme<\/a><\/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\/352"}],"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=352"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":364,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/352\/revisions\/364"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=352"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=352"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wordofweek.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=352"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}