Word for the Day: RICTUS

www.vocabulary.com ^ | 01/26/2018 | Red Badger

[Red Badger]

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ric·tus ˈriktəs/ noun noun: rictus; plural noun: rictuses

a fixed grimace or grin. "Ned's smile had become a rictus of repulsion"

Origin: early 19th century: from Latin, literally ‘open mouth,’ from rict- ‘gaped,’ from the verb ringi .

A rictus is a frozen, fake smile. If the star of a play finds herself overcome by stage fright, she might forget her lines and stand, trembling, her mouth twisted into a rictus.

The word rictus most often describes a smile that doesn't convey delight or happiness — instead, it's a kind of horrified, involuntary grin. Your smile might freeze on your face in a rictus during a truly terrifying amusement park ride, or your discomfort as you watch your friend sing badly in a talent show might be reflected in your rictus of a grin. In Latin, rictus means "open mouth," from rict-, or "gaped."

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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. Amuse me or enlighten me for extra credit. A link to current news story gets extra credit, too.

[Red Badger]

Class is in session!................No talking during tests!.....................

[DCBryan1]

[WayneS]

Barack Obama lectured his audience for hours on end, all the while maintaining the rictus of a sociopathic totalitarian.

[teeman8r]

rictus? darn near killed us.

[Bobalu]

I'm from the Hemingway school, always endeavor to be understood by the widest possible audience.

Using rictus in a sentence just makes 99% of readers say "What".

That said, I just love the works of William F Buckley Jr.

You read Buckley with a dictionary close at hand.

[Red Badger]

I KNEW that was coming!..................

[Blue Collar Christian]

GMTA

[Red Badger]

Who izzat?

Looks familiar.....................

[DCBryan1]

RICTUS ERECTUS from Mad Max Fury Road

[DCBryan1]

RICTUS ERECTUS

....and not related to BIGGUS DICKUS

[Red Badger]

That Roman guard looks like Denis Leary.......................

[BipolarBob]

The FIRST thing I thought of when I saw this thread.

[Panzerlied]

The Republicans tricked us
Said the Dems with a rictus
They really were fit to be tied.
Our Hill is a looser
And Bill's still a boozer
We're in trouble, that can't be denied

[Red Badger]

True................A+++!................

[Red Badger]

Evil bastard..................A+++!................

[Dr. Ursus]

I once watched Buckley debate Allan Lowenstein. They were dropping big words every sentence!

[TruthShallSetYouFree]

Pelosi, Botoxed, face in rictus:
“We’re democrats! They should have picked us!
The Prez and both houses
Have gone to those louses
Boy, was Hillary surprised when they kicked us!”

[Red Badger]

Yes!...........A+++!.....................

[Polyxene]

Rictus training is part of DemocRAT congressional orientation. Lead Rictus: Upchuck Schumer