Carmen Sylva(1843 – 1916), eigentlich Prinzessin Elisabeth Pauline Ottilie Luise zu Wied VA (Royal Order of Victoria and Albert), deutsche Schriftstellerin und Lyrikerin, durch Heirat Königin Elisabeth von Rumänien

noun: One skilled in using or coining words.

Definition: (noun) A glandlike organ, located outside or within a flower, that secretes nectar. Synonyms: honey gland. Usage: Deep in the Amazon, we came across a species of flower sporting a nectary larger than any we had ever seen. Discuss

Deutsches Sprichwort

noun: A habitual complainer.

Definition: (noun) The world of the dead. Synonyms: Scheol, underworld, Hades, infernal region, Hell. Usage: He had nightmares about going to some fiery, haunted netherworld and awoke the next morning vowing to repent. Discuss

“Set up as an ideal the facing of reality as honestly and as cheerfully as possible.”

Manfred Hinrich(1926 – 2015), Dr. phil., deutscher Philosoph, Philologe, Lehrer, Journalist, Kinderliederautor, Aphoristiker und Schriftsteller

noun: A mediocre musician.

Definition: (noun) Keen interest or enthusiasm. Synonyms: eagerness, avidness, keenness. Usage: A devoted fan, he followed the tennis tournament with avidity. Discuss

Andrew Carnegie(1835 – 1919), schottisch-US-amerikanischer Stahlmagnat

noun: 1. A very happy person. 2. One who deals in sand.

Definition: (noun) A source of nourishment; food. Synonyms: sustenance, victuals, aliment, nourishment, nutrition. Usage: The animals' habitat was destroyed in the storm, and they wandered the ravaged plains searching for nutriment. Discuss

noun: 1. One who makes little effort at work, such as while waiting to retire or find another job. 2. One who changes views to conform to prevailing circumstances. 3. A computer that transmits precise time information on a network.

Definition: (noun) A semi-solid mixture of hydrocarbons obtained from petroleum; used in medicinal ointments and for lubrication. Synonyms: mineral jelly, petroleum jelly. Usage: While her friends bought expensive designer lip balms, she stuck with her grandmother's remedy, a big jar of petrolatum. Discuss

Daniel Mühlemann(*1959), Naturfotograf, Aphoristiker und Übersetzer

Definition: (adjective) Difficult to carry or manage because of size, shape, weight, or complexity. Synonyms: unmanageable. Usage: She shifted the unwieldy groceries in her arms and looked for an empty shopping cart. Discuss

Ernst Ferstl(*1955), österreichischer Lehrer, Dichter und Aphoristiker

Definition: (noun) A person having a speaking, reading, or writing knowledge of several languages. Synonyms: linguist. Usage: He was a polyglot who spoke nine languages fluently. Discuss

«Vivere significa sporcarsi le mani. Vivere significa buttarsi con coraggio. Vivere significa cadere e sbattere il muso. Vivere significa andare al di là di voi stessi… tra le stelle.» (Leo Buscaglia)

«Non vivi in un mondo tutto da solo. Ci sono anche i tuoi fratelli.»

Helmut Glaßl(*1950), Dipl.-Ing., Maler, Aphoristiker

noun: The study of the physical geography of mountains, such as features, topographic relief, etc.

noun: The delusion that one is a beast.

Definition: (noun) A connoisseur of fine wines. Synonyms: wine lover. Usage: The oenophile was heartbroken when months of heavy rain ruined a particularly promising grape harvest. Discuss

“Funny business, a woman’s career: the things you drop on the way up the ladder so you can move faster. You forget you’ll need them again when you get back to being a woman. It’s one career all females have in common, whether we like it or not: being a woman. Sooner or later, we’ve…

Martin Gerhard Reisenberg(*1949), Diplom-Bibliothekar und Autor

noun: An abnormal desire to eat things not usually eaten, such as chalk or clay. Also known as pica.

Definition: (noun) A clavier with strings that are plucked by plectra mounted on pivots. Synonyms: harpsichord. Usage: Although the piano is a more versatile instrument with a greater range, some musicians still enjoy playing the cembalo for its distinct sound. Discuss

«Chi evoca la dittatura in tempi di democrazia offende i martiri di tutti i totalitarismi: quelli di Hitler e di Pol Pot, di Stalin e della Spagna di Franco, di Tito, del fascismo, del Portogallo di Salazar, i desaparecidos argentini, gli studenti cinesi, i vietnamiti e i coreani del nord, le vittime cilene e di…

Charles Haddon Spurgeon(1834 – 1892), englischer Theologe, Baptistenprediger

noun: Self-worship.

Definition: (noun) One who sells fruit, vegetables, fish, or other goods from a cart, barrow, or stand in the streets. Synonyms: barrow-man. Usage: Too far, in fancy, above the rest of mankind to trouble about their petty distinctions, he is equally at home with duke or costermonger. Discuss

“To grow mature is to separate more distinctly, to connect more closely.”

Friedrich von Schiller(1759 – 1805), Johann Christoph Friedrich Schiller, ab 1802 von Schiller, deutscher Arzt, Dichter, Philosoph und Historiker; gilt als einer der bedeutendsten deutschsprachigen Dramatiker und Lyriker

noun: A woman who is overbearing and obnoxious in planning her wedding.

Definition: (noun) A medicated lozenge used to soothe the throat. Synonyms: troche, cough drop. Usage: She believed that pastilles and lozenges were no better for a sore throat than regular hard candy. Discuss

«Di tutte le possibili perversioni sessuali, la religione è l’unica che è stata scientificamente sistemata.» (Louis Aragon)

«Prima di cominciare a ballare non mi piacevo tanto, passavo un sacco di tempo a disprezzarmi, insomma provavo un vero e proprio odio verso me stessa. Odio che è svanito completamente non appena ho imparato a gestire il mio corpo. »

Unbekannt

Definition: (noun) Excessive devotion to local interests and customs. Synonyms: provincialism, localism. Usage: He believes that Manhattan is the center of the universe, and his sectionalism is so acute that he is reluctant to visit friends in Brooklyn. Discuss

« Credo che nell'immaginario che mi accompagna abbia un ruolo chiave il rovescio a una mano. Elegante, per me, è cercare di essere educato in campo e nella vita, con l'avversario e con i miei figli. Elegante è incarnare il tennis nel modo giusto ed essere considerato il ponte tra la vecchia e la nuova…

«Di tutte le possibili perversioni sessuali, la religione è l’unica che è stata scientificamente sistemata.»

Guido Peters(1866 – 1937), österreichischer Komponist und Pianist

adjective: Pompous or pretentious.

« Credo che nell'immaginario che mi accompagna abbia un ruolo chiave il rovescio a una mano. Elegante, per me, è cercare di essere educato in campo e nella vita, con l'avversario e con i miei figli. Elegante è incarnare il tennis nel modo giusto ed essere considerato il ponte tra la vecchia e la nuova…

Helmut Glaßl(*1950)

noun: Fog or mist.

Definition: (noun) A large enclosure for holding birds in confinement. Synonyms: volary, bird sanctuary. Usage: We visited the aviary to see the exotic birds advertised in the brochure. Discuss

adjective: Reddish.

Definition: (noun) A petty, quibbling, unscrupulous lawyer. Synonyms: shyster. Usage: He was by all accounts a pettifogger, and judges dreaded having him appear in their courtrooms. Discuss

«La fotografia è verità, e il cinema è verità ventiquattro volte al secondo.» (Jean-Luc Godard)

«La televisione crea l'oblio, il cinema ha sempre creato dei ricordi.»

Walter Ludin(*1945), Schweizer Journalist, Redakteur, Aphoristiker und Buchautor, Mitglied des franziskanischen Ordens der Kapuziner

noun: 1. The state of being full. 2. Abundance.

Definition: (noun) A concise reference book providing specific information about a subject or location. Synonyms: handbook, vade mecum. Usage: Over the years, the prisoner had spent time memorizing every enchiridion he could find and had become a virtual encyclopedia of knowledge. Discuss

Manfred Hinrich(1926 – 2015), Dr. phil., deutscher Philosoph, Philologe, Lehrer, Journalist, Kinderliederautor, Aphoristiker und Schriftsteller

Definition: (noun) Sheer material, such as gauze or fine lace, used for veils. Synonyms: netting, gauze. Usage: The seamstress attached a lace trim to the veiling, so that it would match the bride's dress. Discuss

«Le opinioni espresse sui social sono in vendita. Tutti noi possiamo diventare influencer, costruirci un pubblico, e poi mettere all’asta la nostra reputazione e la nostra influenza in quella che è ormai la dimensione prevalente della nostra vita.»

Klaus Klages(1938 – 2022), deutscher Gebrauchsphilosoph und Abreißkalenderverleger

Definition: (noun) A central nervous system stimulant that increases energy and decreases appetite; used to treat narcolepsy and some forms of depression. Synonyms: pep pill, upper, speed. Usage: The doctor prescribed amphetamines to stimulate the narcoleptic patient's nervous system so that he would be less likely to unexpectedly fall asleep. Discuss

“Don’t reserve your best behavior for special occasions. You can’t have two sets of manners, two social codes – one for those you admire and want to impress, another for those whom you consider unimportant. You must be the same to all people.”

Deutsches Sprichwort

Definition: (noun) One to whom something is sold; a buyer. Synonyms: emptor, purchaser, buyer. Usage: There were three vendees from three different companies at the auction, and each hoped to acquire the same valuable item. Discuss

Oscar Wilde(1854 – 1900), eigentlich Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills, irischer Lyriker, Dramatiker und Bühnenautor

noun: 1. Someone who does not mingle at a social event, such as a party, dance, etc. 2. A person or an organization that is forced to stay at the sidelines of some activity.

Definition: (noun) A junction where one street or road crosses another. Synonyms: crossroad, crossway, intersection, crossing. Usage: When his jalopy broke down right in the middle of a busy carrefour, he swore he would invest in a more reliable car. Discuss

«La mia ex è ancora convinta che io sia eterosessuale.» (Alfonso Signorini)

noun: Someone conspicuously successful, especially one likely to attract hostility.

Definition: (noun) A notice of someone's death; usually includes a short biography. Synonyms: obituary. Usage: She dreamed of being a famous news reporter, but for years, she was stuck writing necrologies at the local paper. Discuss

«Non vi è persona al mondo che non si droghi. Dopo tutto, possiamo considerare ‘droga’ ciò di cui si sente il bisogno, dopo aver soddisfatto i minimi bisogni per la propria sopravvivenza.»

Abraham Lincoln(1809 – 1865 (ermordet)), 16. Präsident der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika

noun: Showiness.

Definition: (noun) Something to be done, especially an item on a program or list. Synonyms: order of business. Usage: It was getting late, so the members of the board decided to leave the last agendum for the next meeting. Discuss

verb tr., intr.: To connect in a sequence, especially in a way such that one element latches on to the next (instead of being connected by another medium, such as a piece of thread). noun: An interlinked sequence of things, events, people, etc.

Definition: (noun) A deceptive maneuver, especially to avoid capture. Synonyms: ruse. Usage: What could the bewildered scouts do, masters as they were of every war-like artifice save this one, but trot helplessly after him, exposing themselves fatally to view. Discuss

Phil Bosmans(1922 – 2012), belgischer Ordenspriester, Telefonseelsorger und Schriftsteller (›der moderne Franziskus‹). Die Texte von Phil Bosmans liegen in deutscher Sprache im Verlag Herder vor, (c) Verlag Herder GmbH, Freiburg. Wiedergabe mit freundlicher Genehmigung des Verlags

adjective: 1. Like a rose, especially in color: pink, red, etc. 2. Bright; favorable; promising. 3. Unreasonably optimistic.

Definition: (noun) A person who is an inspiration to others. Synonyms: notable, guiding light, leading light, notability. Usage: He is considered a luminary in his field, due to the groundbreaking research he has published. Discuss

Hugo von Sankt Viktor(um 1097 – 1141), christlicher Theologe des Mittelalters

Definition: (noun) A gold coin of the Byzantine Empire; widely circulated in Europe in the Middle Ages. Synonyms: solidus. Usage: The gold coin I found on my archaeology dig turned out to be an authentic bezant. Discuss

Ernst von Sachsen(1464 – 1513), Erzbischof von Magdeburg

Definition: (noun) The umbrellalike fruiting structure forming the top of a stalked fleshy fungus, such as a mushroom; the cap. Synonyms: cap. Usage: The recipe instructs the chef to separate the pileus from the stalk, presumably because the former adds more flavor to the dish. Discuss

Ernst Ferstl(*1955), österreichischer Lehrer, Dichter und Aphoristiker

noun: 1. A topic believed to be too controversial or charged to discuss. 2. A rail that runs near a railroad track to supply high-voltage power to an electric train.

Definition: (noun) A person having a strong liking for something. Synonyms: enthusiast. Usage: I am somewhat of a fowl fancier, and I have seldom seen a better grown goose. Discuss

«L’eleganza è l’equilibrio tra proporzioni, emozione e sorpresa.» (Valentino)

Christian Ernst(*1964), Professor für Personalmanagement und Berufsbildung

noun: A small amount of something, especially money.

Definition: (noun) A year. Synonyms: year. Usage: But wilt thou not give me another twelvemonth to pay my debt? Discuss

«Il 31 d'agosto | c'è una storia che nasce | e un'estate che muore.» (Brunori Sas)