Posted on 08/07/2014 4:29:59 AM PDT by secret garden
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".
balkanize \BAWL-kuh-nyze\ verb
1. to break up (as a region or group) into smaller and often hostile units
2. divide, compartmentalize
Example sentences:
"Even if Richards wanted to balkanize his life into personal and professional spheres, he would have had difficulty, for his private life resounds with his public concerns, often in disturbing ways."
— Samuel G. Freedman, New York Times Magazine, November 22, 1987
"And such are the gifts of diplomatic nicety still being bestowed upon Russian President Vladimir Putin that the United States continues to treat him as a recalcitrant child at reform school rather than as a lying authoritarian who still seeks to partition or balkanize Ukraine."
— Michael Weiss, The Daily Beast, June 19, 2014
Etymology:
The Balkan Peninsula of southeastern Europe is named for the Balkan Mountains, which stretch through Bulgaria from its western border with Serbia to the Black Sea. ("Balkan" derives from a Turkish word that means "mountain.") The region known as the Balkans is commonly thought to include Albania, Greece, Romania, the European portion of Turkey, and often surrounding areas. The decline of the Ottoman Empire in the 18th century led to a series of revolts that accelerated the fracturing of the region into a number of smaller states whose unstable coexistence led to violence that came to a head in World War I. Since 1919, "balkanize" and its related noun, "balkanization" have come to refer to the kind of divisive action that can weaken countries or groups, as well as other things.
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 Thread One: Word For The Day, Thursday 11/14/02: Raffish
Review Thread Two: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/14/03: Roister
Review Thread Three: Word For The Day, Tuesday 1/28/03: Obdurate
WFB's attempt to emulate us ; ) No pushing at the door please!
I don’t know that the Asians who walk around with surgical masks all the time in public aren’t on to a good idea there....
Animals are a gift to us.
The ones he bounces back and forth between? A for you.
Or the hillbillys who shoot at anyone who comes near their holler. ;-)
they’re among the least likely to come down with the ebola.
Just ran into one of the supervising attys here, on his way in. He had on a beat to crap polo, SHORTS, black socks with sandals. I sort of raised an eyebrow at him and he said he’d gone to the Nats game last night via subway, straight from work, so his pants were here in his ofc. SO yea, he’s going to put on yesterday’s khakis and call it good. We are the height of professionalism here. he, seriously, looks like he could have wandered in from the homeless shelter across the street.
Maybe leave a small bottle of Febreeze on his desk...
I do not believe he is unclean, but he is certainly unkempt. he’s a brilliant writer though, and smart as a whip. father of 4 grown kids, I think he’s just a few years younger than I am.
Did the sequester take all of his other pairs of pants?
i’d say he’s a character, but he’s more the norm than the exception so....
so, what’s the deal with Jerry Jones?
I don’t know. This is the first I’ve heard of it. Looks juicy.
The story here is McCutchen getting beaned in the back and how bad his injury is going to be.
interesting, I had not heard about it.
The One claimed to want to "Vulcanize" the nation, but his record and actions
have shown the intent to balkanize the population for political & ideological ends...
A+ for you!
The Febreeze might undo some of the side effects of wearing clothes two days in a row.
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