Posts by: admin

noun: A glut of mostly unreliable, rapidly spreading information relating to an event, crisis, disease, etc.

Definition: (noun) A person who has recently attained high position or great power but not general acceptance or respect; an upstart. Synonyms: nouveau-riche, parvenu, upstart. Usage: The arriviste tried to gain acceptance into society through ostentatious displays of his newfound wealth, but his actions only inspired resentment. Discuss

«È forse questo che si cerca nella vita, nient'altro che questo, la più gran pena possibile per diventare se stessi, prima di morire.» (Louis-Ferdinand Céline)

Otto Weiß(1849 – 1915), Wiener Musiker und Feuilletonist

noun: An icicle-like formation of rust, as on an underwater shipwreck.

Definition: (noun) A horny material from the upper jaws of certain whales; used as the ribs of fans or as stays in corsets. Synonyms: whalebone. Usage: Baleen, formerly used in buggy whips, parasol ribs, and corsets, has largely been replaced by plastic in these items. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A facing, as of masonry, used to support an embankment. Synonyms: stone facing. Usage: Like seawalls, revetments armor and protect the land behind them. Discuss

«Non importa quanto ben fatta sia una racchetta di legno: non ce ne sono due uguali. C'è sempre una differenza di tocco o di bilanciamento. Con l'acciaio è possibile produrre racchette che concordano nelle più piccole specifiche.» (René Lacoste)

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

Definition: (noun) A painful sore with a hard pus-filled core. Synonyms: boil. Usage: His doctor referred him to a dermatologist who would examine the furuncle on his leg. Discuss

Elbert Hubbard(1856 – 1915 (auf der Lusitania)), Elbert Green Hubbard, amerikanischer Schriftsteller, Essayist, Philosoph und Verleger

noun: A place that is very busy, crowded, or noisy.

Definition: (noun) An instrument for measuring wind force and velocity. Synonyms: wind gauge. Usage: The storm chasers loaded their van with high-tech gear, including a number of powerful anemometers. Discuss

Willy Meurer(1934 – 2018), deutsch-kanadischer Kaufmann, Aphoristiker und Publizist, M.H.R. (Member of the Human Race), Toronto

noun: A reduction in value.

Definition: (noun) A label bearing the owner's name or other identification that is pasted usually on the inside cover of a book. Synonyms: ex libris. Usage: I learned from the bookplate that the previous owner of my copy of <i>Gone with the Wind</i> had been a woman named Scarlett. Discuss

«Ognuno di noi ha un pezzettino di Dio dentro di sè che aspetta solo di essere scoperto.» (Tina Turner)

«La gente pensa che la mia vita sia stata dura, ma io penso che sia stato un viaggio meraviglioso. Più invecchi, più ti rendi conto che non è quello che succede, ma come lo affronti. »

Paul Kunad(1864 – 1912), deutscher Journalist und Lyriker

«Tatiana è l'amica mia grassa, tarmente grassa che l'altro giorno sono andata a trovarla all'ospedale e affianco a lei c'era un auto botte e gli ho chiesto: a Tatià ma ch stai a fa?… no niente me sto a fa na flebo!!!» (Gabriele Cirilli)

noun: 1. In a ball game, a ball that moves close to the ground. 2. A horse that lifts its feet very little off the ground. 3. A bomb powerful enough to flatten a large area, such as a forest.

Definition: (adjective) Generally incompetent and ineffectual. Synonyms: inept. Usage: Much to his wife's dismay, Jim refused to call a professional, and continued his feckless attempts at repairing the plumbing in the house. Discuss

Klaus D. Koch(*1948), Dr. med., deutscher Mediziner und Aphoristiker

noun: Nonsense, such as foolish, deceptive, or pretentious talk.

Definition: (verb) To cause to expand by or as if by internal pressure; dilate. Synonyms: dilate. Usage: It is a mistake to think that that little room has elastic walls and can distend to any extent. Discuss

Pavel Kosorin(*1964), tschechischer Schriftsteller und Aphoristiker

Definition: (noun) A tool used by an engraver. Synonyms: pointel. Usage: The jewelry designer's studio was attached to her shop, so customers could watch her hammer metals and draw elegant designs with her graver. Discuss

Definition: (noun) A tiny or scarcely detectable amount. Synonyms: iota, scintilla, shred, smidgeon, whit. Usage: Sydney Carton drank nothing but a tittle coffee. Discuss

«Le aggressioni che non incontrano opposizione diventano malattie contagiose.» (Jimmy Carter)

«Ascolta | come mi batte forte il tuo cuore.»

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

noun: 1. A contest too close to call. 2. An undecided situation or one with no preference.

Definition: (adjective) Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence. Synonyms: faded, weakened. Usage: She placed a record in the player, and the attenuate tones of the old recording swept through the house. Discuss

«È possibile che non abbia mai preso l'Oscar perché i miei film lasciano più spazio alla storia che alla singola interpretazione. A me interessa che il film sia buono nel suo complesso, non avere il mio momento di gloria.» (Harrison Ford)

«Le aggressioni che non incontrano opposizione diventano malattie contagiose.»

Arthur Schnitzler(1862 – 1931), österreichischer Dramatiker und Erzähler

noun: 1. An enclosed area on a boat or ship that houses the steering wheel. 2. In baseball, the area in which it’s easiest for the batter to hit the ball with the most power. 3. One’s area of interest or expertise.

Definition: (noun) Boastful, unwarranted pride in one's accomplishments or qualities. Synonyms: boastfulness. Usage: I share my substance with the poor, making no display of good works, lest I let hypocrisy and vainglory, those enemies that subtly take possession of the most watchful heart, find an entrance into mine. Discuss

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

Definition: (adjective) Having a dark complexion or color. Synonyms: dusky, swart, dark-skinned. Usage: He is a noble of very lofty carriage, black hair, swarthy complexion, piercing eye, white teeth, and has a scar on his temple. Discuss

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg(1742 – 1799), deutscher Physiker und Meister des Aphorismus

noun: A last-ditch attempt, made in desperation, having little chance of success, but potentially resulting in a big payoff.

Definition: (noun) A section of DNA that contains the genetic code for a single polypeptide and functions as a hereditary unit. Synonyms: gene, factor. Usage: When cistrons are located in reproductive cells, they pass their information to the next generation. Discuss

William Cowper(1731 – 1800), englischer Dichter, Wegbereiter der Romantik. Aus seinen »Olney hymns« (1779) blieben viele als Kirchenlieder lebendig

Definition: (noun) An affectionate or humorous nickname. Synonyms: cognomen, moniker, nickname, soubriquet. Usage: Usually he saw things long before others were aware that there was anything to see—a trait that had won for him the sobriquet of Hawk. Discuss

«Ho comprato un buon paio di scarpe, girerò tutta Roma, lo faccio ritualmente, per incontrare le persone.» (Enrico Michetti)

Definition: (noun) A painful burning sensation in the chest caused by gastroesophageal reflux (backflow from the stomach irritating the esophagus); symptomatic of an ulcer or a diaphragmatic hernia or other disorder. Synonyms: heartburn. Usage: Even after he swore off spicy foods, his pyrosis kept him up at night. Discuss

Alexander Engel(1868 – 1940), österreichischer Schriftsteller

verb tr.: 1. To praise or flatter. 2. To hang someone.

Heinz Potthoff(1875 – 1945), deutscher Sozialreformer und liberaler Politiker

noun: 1. A naive and inept trainee or worker. 2. An undesirable hospital patient, one who may be unpleasant, senile, or unresponsive to treatment. 3. A conical chamber used in guns and mortars.

Definition: (noun) A brief loss of consciousness caused by a temporary deficiency of oxygen in the brain; a swoon. Synonyms: deliquium, faint, swoon. Usage: She was an enormous flirt, laughing at all the men's jokes and even feigning syncope to garner their concern. Discuss

«Quando con certe persone si è fatto il possibile per conquistarle, se la cosa non riesce c’è ancora una risorsa: non far più nulla.» (Jean de La Bruyère)

Maria Hecht(*1973), Lageristin

adjective: 1. Wise or learned. 2. Relating to wisdom, knowledge, or learning.

Definition: (noun) A journalist who writes editorials. Synonyms: columnist. Usage: He grew so weary of armchair-general editorialists that he stopped reading the Op-Ed pages altogether and picked up a book on political theory. Discuss

Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749 – 1832), gilt als einer der bedeutendsten Repräsentanten deutschsprachiger Dichtung

noun: 1. A method of analyzing workflow for process optimization. Also known as scientific management. 2. A modified form of Calvinism. Also known as New Haven theology.

Definition: (noun) A very small amount; a trace. Synonyms: mite, tinge, jot, hint, pinch, speck, touch. Usage: This dish could use a soupcon of salt. Discuss

«Un attimo e sono subito da lei! » (I Soliti Idioti)

Wolfgang Mocker(1954 – 2009), deutscher Journalist und Autor

noun: 1. A blacksmith or a metalworker. 2. A miner. 3. A person whose leg is broken or deformed. 4. A cuckold: a man whose wife is unfaithful. 5. One who is extremely logical and shows a lack of emotions, humor, etc. adjective: Extremely logical, unemotional, etc.

Definition: (noun) A restaurant that specializes in steaks. Synonyms: steakhouse. Usage: The best steak we ever ate was at a small chophouse in California. Discuss

«È l'ingordigia che fa apparire gli animali, agli occhi degli uomini, privi di ragionamento.» (Porfirio)

Emanuel Wertheimer(1846 – 1916), deutsch-österreichischer Philosoph und Aphoristiker ungarischer Herkunft

Definition: (noun) A consecrated mixture of oil and balsam, used for anointing in church sacraments such as baptism and confirmation. Synonyms: holy oil, sacramental oil. Usage: Though his parents told him it was unlikely, he believed he could remember the smell of the chrism used in his baptism. Discuss

Stephan Sarek(*1957), deutscher Schriftsteller

Definition: (noun) Any of the relatively cool dark spots appearing periodically in groups on the surface of the sun that are associated with strong magnetic fields. Synonyms: macula. Usage: Come, cheer up, old man; there's no use in losing your grip and going back to this child's play merely because this big sunspot is drifting…

Unbekannt

noun: 1. The side that’s dark or unlit. 2. The side that’s undesirable or evil.

“I can think of many reasonable excuses for needing a cocktail, but Cinco De Mayo is always a no-brainer.”

Richard Münzer(1864 – 1930), österreichischer Jurist, Bühnenschriftsteller und Erzähler

noun: 1. An apprentice or student. 2. A naive, ignorant, or untrained person.

Definition: (verb) To oppose, especially by contradiction. Synonyms: challenge, dispute. Usage: In vain did the poor old father weep and implore her pity; she was firm, and he dared not gainsay her. Discuss

Justus Vogt(*1958), denkender Lebender und lebender Denker

noun: Someone having great skills and powers.

Definition: (verb) Make something more diverse and varied. Synonyms: vary. Usage: After the third consecutive dinner of mashed potatoes, we began to hope that the cook would begin to variegate the menu. Discuss

noun: 1. A humanoid robot. 2. A person who behaves in a robot-like manner, showing little emotion or personality.

Definition: (noun) A bag carried over one shoulder to transport supplies, as on a hike. Synonyms: backpack, knapsack. Usage: She carried the heavy haversack for most of the hike. Discuss

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

Definition: (verb) To subject to smoke or fumes, usually in order to exterminate pests or disinfect. Synonyms: fume. Usage: When we found out there was an infestation next door, we considered fumigating our house too. Discuss

Otto Ernst(1862 – 1926), eigentlich Otto Ernst Schmidt, deutscher Erzähler, ursprünglich Volksschullehrer

Definition: (noun) The property of being close together. Synonyms: proximity. Usage: She loved Emma Jane, but it was a friendship born of propinquity and circumstance, not of true affinity. Discuss

«Lo spettacolo del cielo mi sconvolge. Mi sconvolge vedere, in un cielo immenso, la falce della luna o il sole. Nei miei quadri, del resto, vi sono minuscole forme in grandi spazi vuoti.» (Joan Miró)

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

Definition: (noun) A slogan used to rally support for a cause. Synonyms: cry. Usage: "Fight and fall, but fly not," that was our watchword. Discuss

«Quello che indosso è quello che sono.» (Anna Oxa)

Otto Pötter(*1948), Dichter, Aphoristiker, Mystiker, Schriftsteller

adjective: Foggy; damp; cold.

Definition: (noun) A pseudonym. Synonyms: nom de guerre, pseudonym. Usage: Aware that all kinds of people would be reading the bulletin board, he used an anonym when posting messages on it. Discuss

«Non sempre chi sorride è felice. Ci sono lacrime nel cuore che non arrivano agli occhi.»

Carl von Ossietzky(1889 – 1938), deutscher pazifistischer Chefredakteur der “Weltbühne”, Schriftsteller und Symbolfigur des Widerstands gegen das NS-Regime, Friedensnobelpreis 1935

noun: The practice of ending life to relieve suffering. Example: someone hopelessly injured, terminally ill, suffering from an incurable disease, etc.

Definition: (noun) A payment or profit received in addition to a regular wage or salary, especially a benefit expected as one's due. Synonyms: fringe benefit, perk. Usage: We had promised her a liberal perquisite in the event of our success. Discuss

Willy Meurer(1934 – 2018), deutsch-kanadischer Kaufmann, Aphoristiker und Publizist, M.H.R. (Member of the Human Race), Toronto

adjective, adverb: Just clear of the bottom (used for a ship’s anchor).

Definition: (noun) A downward slope or bend. Synonyms: fall, downslope, declension, declination, decline, descent. Usage: As best I could, I stumbled after him down a steep declivity beginning at the forest's edge. Discuss

Thomas Fuller (Historiker)(1608 – 1661), englischer Historiker

adjective: 1. Having eyelike spots. 2. Eyelike.

Definition: (noun) A tenant in someone's house. Synonyms: boarder, lodger. Usage: My aunt took in roomers for years and is still in touch with many of her former tenants. Discuss

«L'amore è tra me e quel fondo abissale che c'è dentro di me, a cui io posso accedere grazie a te. L'amore è molto solipsistico; e tu, con cui faccio l'amore, sei quel Virgilio che mi consente di andare nel mio Inferno, da cui poi emergo grazie alla tua presenza (perché non è mica detto…

Albert Einstein(1879 – 1955), theor. Physiker, geb. in Deutschland, 1896-1901 staatenlos, ab 1901 Schweizer Bürger, ab 1940 auch Bürger der USA. Forschungen zu Materie, Raum, Zeit und Gravitation; Hauptwerk ist die 1915 publizierte Allgemeine Relativitätstheorie. Nobelpreis für Physik 1921

adjective: Relating to or situated at the shore. noun: A shore, especially the area between high tide and low tide levels.

Definition: (adjective) Of or characteristic of the countryside or its people; rustic. Synonyms: rustic, arcadian, pastoral. Usage: The illustrations in the book depicted pleasant, bucolic scenes with farmers happily toiling in the fields. Discuss

Michael Marie Jung(*1940), Professor, deutscher Hochschullehrer, Führungskräftetrainer, Coach und Wortspieler

Definition: (noun) A lump of material formed from the content of a liquid. Synonyms: clot. Usage: His nose began to bleed again when a hearty sneeze dislodged the coagulum that had formed inside his nostril. Discuss

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

noun: 1. The act or practice of dressing up as a character from a work of fiction, such as a comic book, video game, film, etc. 2. The act of, or an instance of, pretending to be someone in a deceptive manner. verb tr.: 1. To dress up as a fictional character in cosplay. 2….

Definition: (noun) A place where bees and beehives are kept, especially a place where bees are raised for their honey. Synonyms: bee house. Usage: She had started her apiary with a small capital, a book of practical hints, and a second-hand queen. Discuss

«Quando nel 1924 venne in Italia Amundsen, il norvegese, lui non era un tecnico, era semplicemente un esploratore che aveva scoperto il Polo Sud e voleva arrivare anche al Polo Nord. Questa era tutta la sua ambizione; a lui non premeva il come arrivarci ma arrivarci, essere trasportato lì. Lui pressappoco mi ha considerato un…

noun: 1. A large, deep pit from which material such as slate, stone, etc. are extracted. 2. A rich source. 3. Something or someone hunted or chased. 4. A square or diamond-shaped stone, tile, glass pane, etc. verb tr.: To dig, cut into, or extract.

Definition: (noun) A written release from an obligation, specifically a receipt indicating payment in full. Synonyms: release. Usage: After years of haggling over debts and money owed, the two men resolved their dispute and drew up an acquittance. Discuss

Ernst Reinhardt(*1932), Dr. phil., Schweizer Publizist und Aphoristiker

noun: 1. A blue, bluish-green, or greenish-gray semi-precious stone. 2. A bluish-green color.

Definition: (noun) A mixture. Synonyms: mishmash, farrago, hodgepodge, mingle-mangle, oddments, odds and ends, omnium-gatherum, ragbag. Usage: The movie was a strange melange of romance, science fiction, comedy, and drama. Discuss

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

noun: A style of animation originating in Japan, characterized by stylized colorful art, exaggerated expressions, oversized heads, large expressive eyes, etc., meant for adults as well as children.

Definition: (noun) Swiftness of action or motion; speed. Synonyms: rapidity, quickness. Usage: These rapid attentions were bestowed with the celerity and skill of a practiced surgeon. Discuss

noun: Good times involving pleasant company, enjoyable conversation, etc.

Definition: (noun) A polite refusal of an invitation. Synonyms: regrets. Usage: His declination of the dinner invitation was a great disappointment to the would-be host. Discuss

Ernst Hohenemser(1870 – 1940), deutscher Aphoristiker

Definition: (noun) A place where goods are stored or deposited and from which they are distributed. Synonyms: transshipment center. Usage: Bahrain has been an entrepot of trade between Arabia and India since the second millennium BCE. Discuss

«La storia si accorge troppo tardi dei Grandi Maestri, perché la storia è fatta di uomini, gli uomini sono troppo spesso inadeguati al compito assegnatogli.» (Paolo Salvati)

Erhard Blanck(*1942), deutscher Heilpraktiker, Schriftsteller und Maler

Definition: (noun) A small, often temporary defensive fortification. Synonyms: sconce. Usage: Great mounds had been heaped about the crest of the hill, making a huge redoubt of it. Discuss

«Non pensavo che il sesso potesse essere così intenso, violento, divertente, eccitante, eccessivo. È un gioco che non è solo di testa, è un gioco che piglia anche l’anima.» (Silvio Muccino)

Georg Christoph Lichtenberg(1742 – 1799), deutscher Physiker und Meister des Aphorismus

noun: Describing the whole of something by specifying its two extremes, such as contrasting or complementary parts.

Definition: (noun) A scholar who is skilled in academic disputation. Synonyms: academician. Usage: The symposium was scheduled to end at seven, but the schoolman continued to lecture the group for an additional hour. Discuss

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

noun: An acronym or abbreviation whose expansion is not widely known.

Definition: (noun) A person excessively concerned with dress. Synonyms: dandy, dude, fashion plate, fop, gallant, sheik, beau, swell. Usage: The clotheshorse could be found at the boutique once a week, poring over a variety of suits, sweaters, and ties, and inevitably buying at least three of each. Discuss

«Un giorno senza un sorriso è un giorno perso.»