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Word For The Day, Wednesday, April 18, 2007 - deus ex machina
Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary ^ | 04/18/2007 | The Janitor

Posted on 04/18/2007 5:55:29 AM PDT by VRWCmember



In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".

deus ex machina • \DAY-us-eks-MAH-kih-nuh\ • noun

a person or thing (as in fiction or drama) that appears or is introduced suddenly and unexpectedly and provides a contrived solution to an apparently insoluble difficulty

Example sentence:

Only a deus ex machina could resolve the novel's thorny crisis.

Did you know?
The New Latin term "deus ex machina" is a translation of a Greek phrase and means literally "a god from a machine." "Machine," in this case, refers to the crane that held a god over the stage in ancient Greek and Roman drama. The practice of introducing a god at the end of a play to unravel and resolve the plot dates from at least the 5th century B.C.; Euripides (circa 484-406 B.C.) was one playwright who made frequent use of the device. Since the late 1600s, "deus ex machina" has been applied in English to unlikely saviors and improbable events that bring order out of chaos in sudden and surprising ways.

Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.

The Review threads are linked for your edification. ;-)
Practice makes perfect.....post on....


Review Threads:
Review Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish (Be SURE to check out posts #92 and #111 on this thread!)
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate
Review Thread Four: Word For the Day, Friday 7/25/03: Potation
Review Thread Five: Word For the Day, Monday 8/19/03: Stolid
Review Thread Six: Word for the Day, Tuesday 11/09/2004: Peripatetic (Post #125 may be my best anagram post ever)


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To: sig226
I recommend the film Adaptation as one of the more enjoyable pieces I've seen as a student of film.

The film adaptation of what? Most film adaptations are nowhere near as good as the original novel.

81 posted on 04/19/2007 6:36:27 AM PDT by VRWCmember (Go Rudy Go! (And take McCain with you!))
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To: VRWCmember

The title of the film is Adaptation. Highly recommended.


82 posted on 04/19/2007 3:41:53 PM PDT by sig226 (Where did my tag line go?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 81 | View Replies]


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