© Alfred Selacher(*1945), Schweizer Lebenskünstler

Definition: (adjective) Open to argument or debate. Synonyms: arguable, debatable, moot. Usage: He certainly looked at her friend a great deal, but the expression of that look was disputable. Discuss

Wer immer die Wahrheit sagt, kann sich ein schlechtes Gedächtnis leisten. Theodor Heuss1. Deutscher Bundespräsident1884 – 1963

© Hans Ulrich Bänziger(*1938), Schweizer Psychologe und Schriftsteller

noun: Water.

Definition: (adjective) Engrossed in oneself and one's own affairs; selfish. Synonyms: egocentric, egoistic. Usage: She's too self-centered to take any interest in my troubles. Discuss

noun: A rhythmic tapping of fingers, knuckles, or feet.

Definition: (noun) A large sandwich made of a long crusty roll split lengthwise and filled with meats and cheese (and tomato and onion and lettuce and condiments); different names are used in different sections of the United States. Synonyms: Italian sandwich, poor boy, sub, Cuban sandwich, grinder, zep, torpedo, wedge, submarine, bomber, hero. Usage: When…

«La sete di possedere è causa di ogni male: fu per essa che accaddero tutti i fatti che il mondo chiama poco puliti.» (Nikolaj Gogol)

«Gli uomini quando sono tristi si limitano a piangere sulla propria situazione. Quando si arrabbiano, allora si danno da fare per cambiare le cose.»

© Gerhard Kocher(*1939), Dr. rer. pol., Schweizer Politologe und Gesundheitsökonom

noun: A confused mess.

Definition: (verb) To link together or join (one) with another. Synonyms: complect, interconnect. Usage: The policies, though distinct, are interlinked. Discuss

«Quando ho letto “Il Signore degli Anelli” negli anni ’50 avevo trentatré anni e non potevo certo immaginare che avrei poi girato il film. Se allora mi avessero chiesto chi avrei voluto interpretare, avrei risposto senza dubbio: “Gandalf!”. Qualunque attore avrebbe voluto fare Gandalf. Lui è il mio personaggio preferito perché è lui a muovere…

An den Scheidewegen des Lebens stehen keine Wegweiser. Charlie ChaplinEnglischer Schauspieler1889 – 1977

© Hans-Jürgen Quadbeck-Seeger(*1939), Prof. Dr., deutscher Chemiker, Mitglied der Enquête-Kommission für Gentechnik des Deutschen Bundestages, wurde für sein Engagement mit dem Bundesverdienstkreuz ausgezeichnet

noun: 1. A gesture made by kissing one’s fingertip(s) and thumb and spreading them outward. 2. Something or someone considered excellent or perfect.

Definition: (verb) Use up (resources or materials). Synonyms: wipe out, eat up, exhaust, run through, consume. Usage: We must limit our use of substances that deplete the ozone layer or we will do irreparable harm to our planet. Discuss

Vater werden ist nicht schwer, Vater sein dagegen sehr. Wilhelm BuschDeutscher Dichter, Zeichner und Maler1832 – 1908

© Helmut Glaßl(*1950), Dipl.-Ing., Aphoristiker aus Erfurt

noun: 1. A powerful force that overcomes others around it. 2. Any of various plants with tall, flowering stems, like goldenrod or mullein. 3. An architectural molding featuring a snake motif, sometimes with vines and leaves.

Definition: (noun) The act of following someone secretly. Synonyms: shadowing. Usage: The constant tailing of my husband by private eyes has caused him to become paranoid. Discuss

«Un giorno Talete andò in gita alle piramidi e misurò la loro altezza sfruttando la loro ombra, e qualche proprietà dei triangoli simili. Da quel momento, la matematica non ha più smesso di essere usata per risolvere i problemi scientifici più svariati, teorici e applicati: non a caso, Galileo diceva che essa è il linguaggio…

Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker. Friedrich NietzschePhilosoph und Lyriker1844 – 1900

© Erhard Horst Bellermann(*1937), deutscher Bauingenieur, Dichter und Aphoristiker

Definition: (verb) Wear off or die down. Synonyms: lessen. Usage: The doctor told me that the pain should subside during the night and that I should feel much better by morning. Discuss

© Walter Jakoby(*1958), Wissenschaftler, Manager und Autor

Definition: (noun) The number of occurrences within a given time period. Synonyms: oftenness. Usage: The frequency of his seizures increased as he grew older. Discuss

noun: 1. A severe or uncontrollable loss of blood. 2. A rapid and significant loss of assets. verb intr.: To bleed copiously. verb tr.: To lose assets rapidly and in large amounts.

Definition: (noun) A feeling of profound respect for someone or something. Synonyms: reverence, awe, fear. Usage: Cornelius bade farewell to De Ruyter, to the Ruart de Pulten, and to glory, kissed the knees of the Grand Pensionary, for whom he entertained the deepest veneration, and retired to his house at Dort. Discuss

Mathematik ist das Alphabet, mit dessen Hilfe Gott das Universum beschrieben hat. Galileo GalileiItalienischer Physiker und Astronom1564 – 1642

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

Definition: (adjective) Pretentiously elegant. Synonyms: high-class. Usage: She felt awkward and out of place in the high-toned restaurant, with its elegant décor and elite clientele. Discuss

© Martin Gerhard Reisenberg(1949 – 2023), Diplom-Bibliothekar und Autor

noun: 1. A medical condition characterized by a deficiency of red blood cells or hemoglobin resulting in weakness, tiredness, shortness of breath, and paleness. 2. A lack of vitality, strength, or vividness.

Definition: (verb) Leave or give by will after one's death. Synonyms: will, leave. Usage: He bequeathed all his silver to his children. Discuss

«Ciò che è stato preso con la forza può solo essere ripreso con la forza.» (Gamal Abd el Nasser)

© Erhard Blanck(1942 – 2024), deutscher Heilpraktiker, Schriftsteller und Maler

adjective: 1. Disposed to violence and bloodshed. 2. Stubborn; obstructive. (chiefly used in British English)

«Metti tutto te stesso in tutto ciò che fai. Troverai che è divertente fare le cose seriamente.» (Wynton Marsalis)

Disticha Catonis„Distichen Catos“, früher auch Dicta Catonis „Sprüche Catos“, lateinische Sammlung ethischer Vorschriften von unbekannter Autorschaft. Entstanden im 3. oder 4. Jhdt. n. Chr. Wurde dem älteren Cato zugeschrieben, weil sein Name den Inbegriff moralischer Autorität verkörperte

Definition: (adjective) Capable of being measured. Synonyms: measurable. Usage: The mensurable increase in the cost of oil has had wide-reaching effects on the country's economy. Discuss

Ludwig Anzengruber(1839 – 1889), österreichischer Dramatiker und Erzähler

Definition: (verb) Walk leisurely and with no apparent aim. Synonyms: stroll. Usage: The teacher watched his students saunter back into the school building after lunch, apparently in no hurry to get to class on time. Discuss

Auch eine Enttäuschung, wenn sie nur gründlich und endgültig ist, bedeutet einen Schritt vorwärts. Max PlanckBegründer der Quantentheorie & Nobelpreisträger1858 – 1947

© Michael Scherr(*1973), Werbetexter und Aphoristiker

Definition: (noun) Someone who helps to gather the harvest. Synonyms: harvester. Usage: He was laying about him lustily with his sheath-knive, lopping the canes right and left, like a reaper, and soon made quite a clearing around us. Discuss

Durch die Gasse der Vorurteile muss die Wahrheit ständig Spießruten laufen. Indira Gandhiindische Politikerin (Premierministerin von 1966-77 und 1980-84)1917 – 1984

Karl von Österreich-Teschen(1771 – 1847), Erzherzog Carl Ludwig Johann Joseph Laurentius von Österreich, Herzog von Teschen, Feldherr und Mitglied des Hauses Habsburg-Lothringen, jüngerer Bruder von Kaiser Franz II; im Napoleonischen Krieg war er Generalissimus und besiegte Napoleon in der Schlacht bei Aspern, verlor jedoch die Schlacht bei Wagram und schloss den Waffenstillstand von Znaim

Definition: (verb) Shake or vibrate rapidly and intensively. Synonyms: shake. Usage: The old engine was juddering and smoking, so I took the car to the mechanic. Discuss

Unbekannt

adjective: Growing in waste places, disturbed land, or poor soil. noun: A plant that thrives in such conditions.

Definition: (verb) Pose a threat to; present a danger to. Synonyms: endanger, jeopardize, menace, threaten. Usage: You imperil the lives of other road users by driving drunk. Discuss

Als ich ein kleines Mädchen war, sagte mir niemand, dass ich hübsch sei. Man sollte allen kleinen Mädchen sagen, dass sie hübsch sind, selbst wenn es nicht stimmt. Marilyn MonroeUS-Schauspielerin1926 – 1962

© Thomas Damberger(*1987), ehemals Thomas Möginger, Psychologe

adjective: Whispering or rustling.

«Il mio modo di vedere le cose, il mio modo di vedere la vita, è vedere tutto come una lotta. E c'è una grande ricompensa che ho maturato giungendo a tale comprensione: che l'esistenza è una lotta.» (Harvey Keitel)

© Klaus Ender(1939 – 2021), deutsch-österreichischer Fachbuchautor, Poet, bildender Künstler der Fotografie

Definition: (adjective) Carefully observant or attentive; on the lookout for possible danger. Synonyms: open-eyed, vigilant, wakeful. Usage: I prefer to be good because it is good to be good, rather than because I can't be bad because some argus-eyed old frump won't let me have a chance to be bad. Discuss

adjective: Pleasing or charming, especially in a childlike or innocent manner.

Georg Trakl(1887 – 1914), österreichischer frühexpressionistischer Dichter und Lyriker

Definition: (adjective) Uttered in a monotonous cadence or rhythm as in chanting. Synonyms: chantlike, intoned. Usage: The art of his reading was supposed to lie in rolling out the words, quite independently of their meaning, in a loud and singsong voice alternating between a despairing wail and a tender murmur. Discuss

adjective: Relating to giving up, renouncing, or rejecting.

Definition: (adjective) Lacking conviction or boldness or courage. Synonyms: timid. Usage: Crupp…became within a few days so faint-hearted, that rather than encounter my aunt upon the staircase, she would endeavor to hide her portly form behind doors…or would shrink into dark corners. Discuss

Einen Fehler durch eine Lüge zu verdecken heißt, einen Flecken durch ein Loch zu ersetzen. AristotelesGriechischer Philosoph

D. H. Lawrence(1885 – 1930), David Herbert Lawrence; englischer Schriftsteller, der in der englischen Literatur des 20. Jahrhunderts als erster Schriftsteller von Rang aus einer Arbeiterfamilie stammte

Definition: (noun) Soft decayed area in a tooth; progressive decay can lead to the death of a tooth. Synonyms: tooth decay, cavity. Usage: Failure to properly care for one's teeth can lead to the development of painful caries. Discuss

Marcus Tullius Cicero(106 – 43 v. Chr.), römischer Redner und Staatsmann

Definition: (adjective) Marked by or promising bad fortune. Synonyms: ill-omened, ill-starred, unlucky, doomed. Usage: Freed after months of captivity, the aid workers are relieved to have survived their ill-fated trip abroad. Discuss

adjective: Relating to a discussion or debate involving subtle or hypothetical points. noun: 1. One who takes part in such a discussion. 2. One who does whatever pleases them. 3. A subtle or hypothetical point.

Der Umgang mit einem Egoisten ist darum so verderblich, weil die Notwehr uns allmählich zwingt, in seinen Fehler zu verfallen. Marie von Ebner-EschenbachÖsterreichische Schriftstellerin1830 – 1916

© Hans Norbert Janowski(*1938), deutscher Theologe, Publizist und Aphoristiker

Definition: (adjective) Characterized by liveliness and lightheartedness. Synonyms: perky, buoyant. Usage: You're very chirpy today—have you won the lottery or something? Discuss

noun: Self-rule.

Blumen sind das Lächeln der Erde. Ralph Waldo EmersonUS-Dichter und Philosoph1803 – 1882

© Stefan Fleischer(*1938), Rentner, vorher Organisator einer Großbank

Definition: (noun) A mistake that results from taking one thing to be another. Synonyms: confusion. Usage: Due to a mix-up over travel arrangements, I missed my flight and had to rent a car and drive the 700 miles home. Discuss

Definition: (adjective) (Of soil) soft and watery. Synonyms: boggy, marshy, miry, mucky, muddy, quaggy, sloughy, soggy, swampy, waterlogged, sloppy. Usage: The grass began to get squashy, and Kala Nag's feet sucked and squelched as he put them down. Discuss

noun: 1. A list of questions: a questionnaire. 2. One who asks questions. adjective: 1. Inquisitive. 2. Having or relating to questions.

«Dove è amore non c'è fatica, ma gioia.» (San Bernardo di Chiaravalle)

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

Definition: (adjective) Belonging to some prior time. Synonyms: erstwhile, one-time, sometime, former, old. Usage: The employers' associations, that had helped the captains of industry to tear and rend labor, were now torn and rent by their quondam allies. Discuss

adjective: Serving to clarify or explain.

«Dove è amore non c'è fatica, ma gioia.»

Ein einziger Grundsatz wird dir Mut geben, nämlich der, dass kein Übel ewig währt. Epikur von SamosGriechischer Philosoph

Lucius Annaeus Seneca(ca. 4 v. Chr. – 65 n. Chr.), genannt Seneca der Jüngere; römischer Philosoph, Stoiker, Schriftsteller, Naturforscher und Politiker; Selbsttötung auf Geheiß seines ehem. Schülers Nero (Römischer Kaiser von 54 – 68)

Definition: (noun) Armor plate that protects legs below the knee. Synonyms: jambeau. Usage: They then stripped him of a jacket that he wore over his armor, and they would have stripped off his stockings if his greaves had not prevented them. Discuss

«Dici sono una grande Stronza che non ci sa fare Una donna poco elegante Tu non lo sai non lo saprai cosa per me è il vero dolore Confondere il tuo ridere per vero amore Una volta 100 volte chiedimi perché Esser grandi ma immaturi è più facile ma perché Forse non era ciò che…

© Horst A. Bruder(*1949), Bankkaufmann

Definition: (adjective) Grossly wicked or reprehensible; abominable. Synonyms: flagitious. Usage: Abusing an animal is a heinous act. Discuss

Eine schmerzliche Wahrheit ist besser als eine Lüge. Thomas MannDeutscher Schriftsteller und Nobelpreisträger (Literatur 1929)1875 – 1955

Definition: (verb) To take into the body by the mouth for digestion or absorption. Synonyms: consume, have, take in. Usage: Chocolate can be lethal to dogs if they ingest too much of it. Discuss

noun: A traveler, especially a traveling merchant.

© Stefan Rogal(*1965), Autor, Herausgeber und Kolumnist

noun: The quality of being the only one of its kind: uniqueness or oneness.

Es gehört oft mehr Mut dazu, seine Meinung zu ändern, als ihr treu zu bleiben. Friedrich HebbelDeutscher Dichter1813 – 1863