Word For The Day, Tuesday, August 12, 2003

The Verbivores | 8/12/03 | Teacher

[RikaStrom]

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”. Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the “word of the day”; in a sentence. The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day. Practice makes perfect.....post on....

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attenuate \at*ten*u*ate\, verb; adjective
attenuating, attenuates, attenuated; intransitive verb
attenuation; noun

1. To make slender, fine, or small: The drought attenuated the river to a narrow channel.
2. To reduce in force, value, amount, or degree; weaken: Medicine attentuated the fever's effect.
3. To lessen the density of; rarefy.
4. Biology: To make (bacteria or viruses) less virulent.
5. Electronics.: To reduce (the amplitude of an electrical signal) with little or no distortion.
6. To become thin, weak, or fine.
7. Reduced or weakened, as in strength, value, or virulence.
8. Botany: Gradually tapering to a slender point.

We may reject and reject till we attenuate history into sapless meagerness. --Sir F. Palgrave

Etymology: [Latin attenu re, attenu t- : ad-, ad- + tenu re, to make thin (from tenuis, thin. See ten- in Indo-European Roots).]

[Texan5]

I dry my clothes outside by choice (I do have a dryer) because I like the fresh smell, but if you let the damn laundry freeze (and I have, twice) it stinks of the smoke from your fireplace, and you are right, it has to be rewashed because of the birds**t. My husband makes fun of my clothesline all the time-he hates it, and says it looks like trash lives here in a nice house.

[honeygrl]

and i meant to type "brake" but I can't spell.

[secret garden]

I was referring to the Archbishop(who is a dead ringer for Coburn) and think with all the hubbub going on with the Anglican Primates(and conservative, orthodox congregations here in the states) he cannot sweep this latest abomination under the rug. Things are presently hitting the fan and meetings within conservative dioceses are being scheduled throughout the country, as early as next week. A bishop in Texas used the analogy of the disciples panic during the storm when reminding his church of the need to retain faith and proceed cautiously while contemplating these actions.

[secret garden]

Orange Crush?

[secret garden]

Couldn't BIF also stand for Biden Intelligence Factor? Of course, we'd use the same definition...

[Slip18]

We have a huge mulberry tree right now. The birds poo blue! And then I must pull out the little trees they planted with their droppings.

[Slip18]

I used to hang a lot of my delicates outside when I lived in SoCal. If you hung things out in this heat, they would be destroyed. They'd burn!

I do agree with you, though, the laundry does smell better when hung outside.

[Texan5]

Correct-it would be redundant. You could apply BIF to about 3/4 of the liberals. The remaining 1/4 are just evil.

[Eala]

Good point. This is pushing some people who were pretty much ready to move into moving (I've encountered some locally for whom this was the final straw), but it's going to take weeks, even months, before we'll be able to assess the actual fallout.

[secret garden]

I stood up for you over there. His post sounds like another Dana Carvey geezer rant.
Real guys(like the WFTD guys) don't use the word "snippy". ;)

[Texan5]

Haha! I have this image of undies bursting into flames on the clothesline...

We have been fortunate here the past couple of summers. It has been wet and cooler than it has been in many years. It did not even get up to 86 today, and I may be able to turn off the A/Cs tonite if it doesn't rain. Temperature is predicted to be below 90-95 till early next week. It is also cooler here in the hills on the water than in the city-much cooler.

[Gabz]

LOL!!!

I've already drawn all the plans!!!!

[VRWCmember]

See post 155. Sheesh, what did I do? Expose reality?

Click here to see my $0.02 worth.

Like I told SG earlier, we watch out for our own.

[VRWCmember]

His post sounds like another Dana Carvey geezer rant. Real guys(like the WFTD guys) don't use the word "snippy". ;)

More like the Church Lady. Deejay says she is a grandma.

[Gabz]

You all did a bang up job!!!!!!

[WhyisaTexasgirlinPA]

Except of course, for Miss Whyisa, who NEVER refuses sex...

Well why would I do something stupid like THAT?!

[VRWCmember]

Maybe the birds didn't do doodoos in those days.

At least, not in the winter (perhaps they had flown south).

[Gabz]

I like hanging stuff outside also - especially sheets. And hubby actually put up the clothesline for me - he likes the way stuff smells too.

My favorite smell is when I don't get it in before it rains and then it has to redry - then it really smells fresh.

[Gabz]

Like I told SG earlier, we watch out for our own.

You got that right. Nobody messes with a WFTDer without having some serious second thoughts later on!!!!

[Argh]

Well, if one is not fussy or discriminating about whom one doesn't refuse, fair enough...