Altruism

al·tru·ism

   /ˈæltruˌɪzəm/ Show Spelled[al-troo-iz-uhm] Show IPA

–noun

1.the principle or practice of unselfish concern for or devotion to the welfare of others ( opposed to egoism).

2.Animal Behavior . behavior by an animal that may be to its disadvantage but that benefits others of its kind, as a warning cry that reveals the location of the caller to a predator.



aww....isn't it nice that we can learn to be altruistic from our selfless animal friends?

and now for Friday's ah HAHA Moment......

The Washington Post published a contest for readers in which they were asked to supply alternate meanings for various words. This is one of the entries…. 

Flatulence

(n.), the emergency vehicle that picks you up after you are run over by a steamroller.

Apathetic

Apathetic: the definition thanks to yourdictionary.com

apa·thetic (ap′ə t̸het′ik)

adjective

1. feeling little or no emotion; unmoved
2. not interested; indifferent; listless

Origin: < apathy, modeled on pathetic

Related Forms:

• apathetically ap′a·thet′i·cally adverb

ap·a·thet·ic (ăpˌə-thĕtˈĭk) also ap·a·thet·i·cal (-ĭ-kəl)

adjective

1. Feeling or showing a lack of interest or concern; indifferent.
2. Feeling or showing little or no emotion; unresponsive.

Origin: From apathy, on the model of pathetic.

Related Forms:

• apathetically apˌa·thetˈi·cal·ly adverb

the sentence for today is:

 When she bounded into the office and declared, "Good morning everyone! Can you believe it's Monday already!?" She was somewhat surprised at the apathetic response.

Mundane

Mundane....according to dictionary.com

mun·dane

   /mʌnˈdeɪn, ˈmʌndeɪn/ Show Spelled[muhn-deyn, muhn-deyn] Show IPA

–adjective

1. of or pertaining to this world or earth as contrasted with heaven; worldly; earthly: mundane affairs.

2. common; ordinary; banal; unimaginative.

3. of or pertaining to the world, universe, or earth.

Trying to think of new words for the week was getting rather mundane, so she asked her daughter for a suggestion.

...just kidding, I love choosing the words each day, though admittedly, my daughter did give me her two cents worth when asked today.  Happy Friday .....have a safe weekend. Love your families; be thankful and I hope I see you Monday!

Circumspect

Circumspect (adj.)   

todays definition is from vocabulary.com

Definition: unwilling to act without first weighing the risks or consequences
Synonyms: prudent, cautious, watchful, guarded, wary
Antonyms: audacious, foolhardy, careless, heedless


Tips: Circumspect is derived from the Latin circumspicere, “to look around,” from specere, “to look.” Think of looking around (inspecting) suspiciously and carefully before making a decision or taking action. For a memory trick, note how circumspect sounds "like search and inspect." Before making a decision, a person who is circumspect will "search and inspect" carefully. Circumspect is synonymous with prudent and wary. See a detailed analysis at prudent and at wary.



Sentence:  I spent a lot of money the last time I went into New York City to shop, so when I go in next week, I will be more circumspect. (cautious, prudent)

...have a great Wednesday everyone....now I'm off for a hike with my hiking group!

Soliloquy

so·lil·o·quy

noun \sə-ˈli-lə-kwē\

plural so·lil·o·quies

Definition of SOLILOQUY  (Mirriam-Webster)

1: the act of talking to oneself

2: a dramatic monologue that represents a series of unspoken reflections


Okay....I love this word! I hear it often and I thought it was a type of rambling conversation, but I really wasn't sure until I looked it up today. Last night I heard it on one of my favorite TV shows, "Brothers and Sisters".....and I thought, Okay, I must look that up...  (and then I actually remembered the word without writing it down!)

Probably the most famous example of a soliloquy is Hamlet's:

"To be or not to be-that is the question

Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer"...blah blah blah..

(no disrespect to William... it's just that it goes on and on and on)

I soliloquize often. At least now when my daughter shakes her head, rolls her eyes and looks at me half amused; half pathetically as she catches me soliloquizing yet once more (that day...)  -- I can hold my head up with pride and say to her, 

"What are you looking at?  Haven't you ever seen a soliloquist before?"