coup de foudre (noun)
Coup de foudre (koo duh FOO-druh), a French expression, literally means thunderbolt. It is often used to describe a sudden unforeseen event – in particular, love at first sight. As used by Susan Choi in My Education: “Coup de foudre; perhaps it was real. One went from believing, when twenty, that it was the kind of love that was real, to believing, once closer to forty, that it was not only fragile but false – the inferior, infantile, doomed love of twenty-year-olds.”
axiomatic (adjective)
Axiomatic (ak-see-uh-MAT-ik) means self-evident, obvious. As used by Charles Theodore Murray in Mlle. Fouchette: “Like most generalizations, the statement that a woman cannot climb a tree is not an axiomatic truth.”
ancillary (adjective)
Something that’s ancillary (AN-suh-lare-ee) provides necessary support to the primary activities or operation of an organization institution, industry, or system. As I used it today: “Understanding the limitations of compound interest can be a good thing if it spurs you to face reality and develop ancillary plans.”
tranche (noun)
A tranche (TRANTSH) is a portion of something, especially money. As I used it today: “Since I want [the investments I’m making in my family, friends, and various charities] to continue after K and I die, I’m finding them now with tranches of existing income-producing assets.”
circumvent (vert)
To circumvent (sur-kum-VENT) is to manage to get around an obstacle or difficulty; to avoid defeat, failure, unpleasantness, etc. by ingenuity or deception. As I used it today: “Recently, though, one of my CEOs did a very smart thing. Tired of circumventing my emails, she began sending me her suggestions.”
demonization (noun)
Demonization (dee-muh-nuh-ZAY-shun) is the portrayal of something as wicked and threatening. As used by Alec Baldwin in today’s quote, above: “The demonization of wealth in this country is mind-blowing.”
prescriptive vs. descriptive (adjective)
In general, prescriptive (pruh-SKRIP-tiv) refers to an action or behavior based on the imposition or enforcement of a rule or method, and descriptive (duh-SKRIP-tiv) refers to an action or behavior based on a norm or standard. As I applied these terms today: Prescriptive linguists argue that “words should be defined as they should be used by intelligent, educated speakers,” while descriptive linguists say that “what matters is whether the word is commonly used, not whether it improves or degrades the language.”
pseudonymous (adjective)
Pseudonymous (soo-DON-ih-mus) means having or using a fictitious name. As I used it today: “I have observed that there is another percentage that is equally reliable and yet rarely discussed: Ten percent of every customer base is costing the business money. Let’s call it Masterson’s Law in homage to Michael Masterson, an earlier pseudonymous incarnation of yours truly.”
animadversion (noun)
Animadversion (an-uh-mad-VER-zhun) is an unfavorable or critical remark. Example from Pencil Sketches by Eliza Leslie: “Albina soon perceived herself to be an object of remark and animadversion, and she was sadly at a loss to divine the cause.”
conundrum (noun)
A conundrum (Kuh-NUN-drum) is a confusing and difficult problem or question. As I used it today (see “Worth Reading,” above): “Believing inequality… is a challenge. A challenge that leaves the believer with a perpetual conundrum.”