inasmuch

/ˌɪnəzˈmʌt͡ʃ/

From contraction of the phrase in as much (“to such a degree”), from Middle English in als mikel, a Northern form.

Not only so, but where they see the place of their fathers and of the just, they are hereby punished; for a chaos deep and large is fixed between them, inasmuch that a just man that hath compassion on them, cannot be admitted, nor can an unjust man if he were bold enough to attempt it, pass over it.

1836, Wilson C. Rider, A Course of Lectures on Future Punishment, page 125:

As to what in general respects the life of souls, or spirits lately decease, it was made manifest to me by much experience, that a man, when he comes into another life, does not know that he is in another life, imagining that he is still in the world, yea, in his own body; inasmuch, that when he is informed that he is a spirit, he is filled with wonder and astonishment, as well because he is altogether as a man, as to his senses, desires and thoughts, as from this, that he did not believe, when he lived in the world, that he was a spirit, or (as is the case with some) that a spirit could be such.

1848, Emanuel Swedenborg, Selections from the Memorabilia of Swedenborg:

Inasmuch some desire to hold fast to the counsel or conclusions of the old brethren, which was, that previous to marriage the bans were published three times, which they think is a good order, and not at all inconsistent with the gospel; but now some assert that this publishing at the close of the meeting was against their conscience, and think that the effect of the word preached before was thereby interrupted; while, on the other hand, brethren think that there is danger in solemnizing marriage without publishing before, inasmuch we can not know how matters stand with young fold, and there might be danger, even if they are neighbour's or brother's children and we think, if we were so closely restricted by our conscience not to publish the bans, then we would also marry none.

1876, Minutes of the Annual Meetings of the Brethren, page 53:

It seemed to me that the King was making uncomplimentary remarks about his dead father in the coffin, inasmuch to say that his father in the coffin was the same kind of man as what people were accusing me of being.

1913, United States. Army Medical Department, Bulletin, page 109:

Inasmuch as the phase line has a negative slope at #x5C;bar#x7B;k#x7D;, the equilibrium is readily identified as a stable one […]

2005, Alpha C. Chiang and Kevin Wainwright, Fundamental Methods of Mathematical Economics, fourth edition, McGraw-Hill, page 500:

(dated) In like degree; in like manner; to the same or similar degree; likewise.


ramen

Borrowed from Japanese ラーメン (rāmen), from Mandarin 拉麵／拉面 (lāmiàn, “pulled noodles”). Doublet of laghman, lamian, and ramyeon.

der

[...] For thine is the colander, the noodle, and the sauce, forever and ever. RAmen.

2005, Mel Sharples, “Prayer In City Council Meetings??”, in ott.general (Usenet):

… For thine are Meatballs, and the beer, and the strippers, for ever and ever. RAmen.

2006, bg1...@apexmail.com, A Pastafarian's prayer, alt.atheism

They will let me wear The Chosen Attire at work, however. Ramen.

2006, Roger Bryant, “Re: Is this all?”, in alt.religion.pastafarianism (Usenet):

No, no, no! Until YOU stand before His Noodliness when you die. And if you do not believe in the Flying Spaghetti Monster (RAmen brother!) then you will not get to partake of the beer volcanoes, nor enjoy the strippers in Heaven.

2008, Terry, Re: We do not have a 'soul' = an immaterial and immortal piece, alt.agnosticism

YHWH" = tetragrammaton. "FSM" = tetrazziniton. Ramen.

2008, DuhIdiot, Re: Let's sanitize song lyrics by removing references to religious garbage, alt.atheism

May the Fork be with you... RAmen.

2009, JFlexer, MAN PRAYS TO FLYING SPAGHETTI MONSTER (plus other March 4 FlashNews.com Shorts), alt.gossip.celebrities


day in, day out

Even if you like peanut butter sandwiches, eating the same sandwiches day in, day out will get old.

There were derailments happening day in and day out, due in part to 'shunting mishaps' but more frequently involving wagons in freight trains due to a combination of poor track and speed.

2022 January 26, John Crosse, “When the tide turned to a safer railway...”, in RAIL, number 949, page 52:

(idiomatic) Every day; daily; constantly or continuously (especially, of something that has become routine or monotonous).


thereunder

From Middle English therunder, þer-under, þar under, from Old English þǣrunder, equivalent to there + under. Cognate with Dutch daaronder (“thereunder”), German darunter (“thereunder”), Swedish därunder (“thereunder”).

c. 2008, HILDEGARDE (LORETTA SELL) PAPERS SCOPE AND CONTENT, Marquette University
The photographs span circa 1910-1997. The images are arranged topically, thereunder chronologically.


theretofore

From Middle English ther-to-fore, þeretofore, þer to-fore, þer toforn, þær toforen, from Old English þǣr tōforan, equivalent to there + tofore.


thereat

From Middle English thereat, ther-at, þeratte, þerat, from Old English þǣræt, from Proto-West Germanic *þārat, from Proto-Germanic *þarat, equivalent to there + at.

“Surely,” said I, “surely that is something at my window lattice; / Let me see, then, what thereat is, and this mystery explore—

1845 February, — Quarles [pseudonym; Edgar Allan Poe], “The Raven”, in The American Review, volume I, number II, New York, N.Y., London: Wiley & Putnam, […], →OCLC:

The Stafford Railway, which connected this important canal with Stafford, was opened on November 1, 1805, and "the immediate result was a reduction in the price of coal at Stafford, and there was some public rejoicing thereat."

1939 November, Kenneth Brown, “Stafford's First Railway”, in Railway Magazine, page 333 - excerpt from "Stafford in Olden Times", a reprint of articles published in the Staffordshire Advertiser:

Old Deacon Smith was quick to see the impression made by Abby Howard upon the mind of his son, and he was wonderfully pleased thereat, for Abby was the oldest daughter of the good Deacon Howard, and was herself a church member, and pious. He had more hope for his son now, than he had felt for years.

1850, T. S. Arthur, “Deacon Smith and his Violin”, in Sketches of Life and Character, Philadelphia: J. W. Bradley, →OCLC, page 74:

Then said the gods, “Earth is no place for laughter.” Thereat They strode to Pegāna’s outer gate, to where the Pestilence lay curled asleep, and waking him up They pointed toward Harza, and the Pestilence leapt forward howling across the sky.

1906, Lord Dunsany [i.e., Edward Plunkett, 18th Baron of Dunsany], Time and the Gods, London: William Heineman, →OCLC, page 25:

The public has a right to know about the perpetration of acts of terrorism, or attempts thereat, and the media should not be penalised for providing such information.

2008, Joint Declaration on Defamation of Religions, and Anti-terrorism and Anti-extremism Legislation:


spirally

The bees always alighten at the bottom of the spike, and, crawling spirally up it, sucked one flower after the other.

1862, Journal of Horticulture and Practical Gardening - Volume 3, page 163:

a spirally grooved surface


posthaste

From the former instruction on letters ‘haste, post, haste’, later reinterpreted as a compound of post + haste.

It is imperative that you finish your task posthaste.

"Sasi cannot last through the night." These words from his physician, and the spectacle of my friend, now reduced almost to a skeleton, sent me posthaste to Serampore.

1946, Paramahansa Yogananda, “Chapter 17”, in Autobiography of a Yogi:

Quickly, as fast as someone travelling post; with great speed.


therewith

c. 1200, from Middle English therwith, from Old English þǣrwiþ (“therewith, in return, in exchange, against”), equivalent to there + with. Cognate with Danish derved (“therewith”), Swedish därvid (“therewith, thereby”). Parallel with Dutch daarmee, German damit (“therewith”), though etymologically different. See also theremid.

inh

I have learned, in whatever state I am, therewith to be content.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Philippians 4:11:

In untechnical language, we may describe letters of horning as the authority by which a person, directed by the decree of a court of justice to pay or perform anything, is ordered to comply therewith.

1876, A concise law dictionary by Herbert Newman Mozley and George Crispe Whiteley, barrister at law:

'I take the privilege, Mistress Ruth, of saluting you.' ...And therewith I bussed her well.

1869, Richard Blackmore, Lorna Doone, page 1:

Thereupon, forthwith; with that being said or done.


scrofulously

en-adv

scrofulously (comparative more scrofulously, superlative most scrofulously)

more scrofulously (comparative)
most scrofulously (superlative)


DW

(dance) Initialism of diagonally to the wall.


back and forth

ذَهَابًا وَإِيَابًا

from one place to another and back again

From one place to another and back again.


mathematically

mathematically (comparative more mathematically, superlative most mathematically)

more mathematically (comparative)
most mathematically (superlative)

It is mathematically impossible to divide by zero.

It was a figure quite out of key with that lonely landscape, for it wore a panama hat and a neat dark suit, cut to the order of present day dandyism, which required coats to be tight-waisted up to the armpits and trousers belted in that they might bulge out into extra wide mathematically squared bags.

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 63:


breezily

breezily (comparative more breezily, superlative most breezily)

more breezily (comparative)
most breezily (superlative)

He swings breezily into the title song.


crosswise

crosswise (comparative more crosswise, superlative most crosswise)

more crosswise (comparative)
most crosswise (superlative)

From Middle English croswyse, crose wyse, equivalent to cross + -wise.


solemnly

solemnly (comparative more solemnly, superlative most solemnly)

more solemnly (comparative)
most solemnly (superlative)


wickedly

wickedly (comparative more wickedly, superlative most wickedly)

more wickedly (comparative)
most wickedly (superlative)

From Middle English wyckedly, wykkedlyche, equivalent to wicked + -ly.

[T]he sedate monk's hood lifted its head still higher and looked gloomily and wickedly down on it, while it nodded and kept time to the cuckoo's song, as if it were counting how many days it had to live.

1886, Peter Christen Asbjørnsen, translated by H.L. Brækstad, Folk and Fairy Tales, page 280:


unlawfully

unlawfully (comparative more unlawfully, superlative most unlawfully)

more unlawfully (comparative)
most unlawfully (superlative)

The deceased was unlawfully killed during a riot.


lawfully

lawfully (comparative more lawfully, superlative most lawfully)

more lawfully (comparative)
most lawfully (superlative)

From Middle English lawfully, lawfulliche, lawefulliche; equivalent to lawful + -ly.


at once

And they all atonce begane to make excuſe. The fyrſt ſayd vnto him: I have bought a ferme / and I muſt nedes goo and ſe it / I praye the have me excuſed.

1526, [William Tyndale, transl.], The Newe Testamẽt […] (Tyndale Bible), [Worms, Germany: Peter Schöffer], →OCLC, Luke xiiij:[18], folio cj, recto:

Those two great champions did attonce pursew / The fearefull damzell with incessany payns [...].

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

Can you pat your head and rub your belly at once?
He tried to eat four cookies at once.

The [Washington] Post's proprietor through those turbulent [Watergate] days, Katharine Graham, held a double place in Washington’s hierarchy: at once regal Georgetown hostess and scrappy newshound, ready to hold the establishment to account.

2013 August 10, Lexington, “Keeping the mighty honest: A new wave of press barons should not allow newspapers to become niche products”, in The Economist, volume 408, number 8848:

[T]he book, constructed in short, lucid episodes, can be satisfyingly read as a sequence of provocative talks, at once well informed and vatic.

2014 September 26, Tom Payne, “Sapiens: a Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari, review: 'urgent questions' [print version: The story of our species, 27 September 2014, p. R32]”, in The Daily Telegraph (Review):

At the same time; simultaneously; together.

Tell the doctor to come at once. She is having a baby.

Mr. Cooke at once began a tirade against the residents of Asquith for permitting a sandy and generally disgraceful condition of the roads. So roundly did he vituperate the inn management in particular, and with such a loud flow of words, that I trembled lest he should be heard on the veranda.

1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter IV, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

One saint's day in mid-term a certain newly appointed suffragan-bishop came to the school chapel, and there preached on “The Inner Life.” He at once secured attention by his informal method, and when presently the coughing of Jarvis […] interrupted the sermon, he altogether captivated his audience with a remark about cough lozenges being cheap and easily procurable.

1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter III, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:

Sparks from the derailed bogie of the train were first noticed by the signalman at Slough West box, who immediately sent to Slough Middle box the "Stop and Examine" signal, followed at once by "Obstruction Danger" when he realised that the coach was derailed.

1960 March, “Talking of Trains: The Slough derailment”, in Trains Illustrated, page 132:

As soon as Julia returned with a constable, Timothy, who was on the point of exhaustion, prepared to give over to him gratefully. The newcomer turned out to be a powerful youngster, fully trained and eager to help, and he stripped off his tunic at once.

1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 19, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:

think all one's Christmases have come at once


scholarly

scholarly (comparative more scholarly, superlative most scholarly)

more scholarly (comparative)
most scholarly (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-scholarly.wav


pro tem

Clipping of pro tempore, from Latin prō tempore (literally “for a time”)

uder

(chiefly US) temporarily; for the time being


o'er

non-rhotic, without the horse–hoarse merger


terribly

en-adv

terribly (comparative more terribly, superlative most terribly)

more terribly (comparative)
most terribly (superlative)

The lion roared terribly.

The mere sensuous impact of trumpet or saxophone, whatever it happened to be playing, was an echo, even though a faint echo, of that excitement and abandon. He wanted to taste, smell, hear: his senses were terribly alive.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 519:

(literary or dated) So as to cause terror or awe.

He's terribly busy and you really shouldn't bother him.

The parsnip, stilton and chestnut combination may taste good, but it's not terribly decorative. In fact, dull's the word, a lingering adjectival ghost of nut roasts past that I'm keen to banish from the table.

2011 December 15, Felicity Cloake, “How to cook the perfect nut roast”, in Guardian:

She took part in the karaoke, but sang terribly.


a

From Northern Middle English aw, alteration of all.


a

Do you have the answer for 23a?

(chiefly US) Alternative spelling of a.m. (“ante meridiem”) or am


mockingly

mockingly (comparative more mockingly, superlative most mockingly)

more mockingly (comparative)
most mockingly (superlative)

I remember how mockingly bright the day seemed as I went back on my melancholy pilgrimage to the little house at Woking, how busy the streets and vivid the moving life about me.

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 291:

Said, written, or done with the intent to mock, or ridicule; with mocking effect.


al desko

Lunches usually consist of cold sandwiches consumed al desko.

1981 January 30, Stephanie Mansfield, “The Last Memo”, in The Washington Post:

The number of folks who have taken to dining al desko is causing some new problems in the workplace.

1994 March 29, “Workers Are Increasingly In To Lunch”, in Philadelphia Daily News:

A recent study published in a British daily claimed that dining ‘al desko’ was fast becoming the new norm for office workers.

2004 November 12, Alex Elgar, “Dining 'Al desko'”, in The CB Friday:

We need to encourage our children to ask the child sitting alone at lunch whether they'd like company, and we need to do the same for that work colleague who always eats their lunch alone al desko, even when we'd rather dine on our own.

2020, Noreena Hertz, chapter 11, in The Lonely Century, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN:

(humorous) At a desk (typically used of eating).


sullenly

sullenly (comparative more sullenly, superlative most sullenly)

more sullenly (comparative)
most sullenly (superlative)

Sullenly, jocularly, resentfully, or derisively, names and addresses were extorted from the company, and each member given a jerk of the head to get out of this.

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 160:

Sullenly they paid what was asked, sullenly left, Hamzah feigning a kick at the glass showcase filled with loaves and Chinese cakes.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972:


enigmatically

enigmatically (comparative more enigmatically, superlative most enigmatically)

more enigmatically (comparative)
most enigmatically (superlative)

He hurried out, glad to escape, leaving Cora frowning enigmatically under her hair.

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 234:

Acting in a manner that suggests an enigma.

"Leila!" she said enigmatically. "Have you seen her?" / "I went to her flat last week with Dad—he likes her." / "Delilah is her real name, you know. All men like her. And Captain Fort is her lover."

1919 October, John Galsworthy, chapter I, in Saint’s Progress, London: William Heinemann, published December 1919, →OCLC, part III, 1 §, page 220:

Functioning in a way that is unexplainable.


evenings

From evening + -s (adverbial suffix). Compare with Dutch avonds, Low German avends, German abends.

He had ordered her not to go out evenings, and warned her that she must never let him catch her in company with a young man, who was paying attention to her belonging to Colonel Lloyd.

1846 [1845], Frederick Douglass, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave, Boston: Anti-Slavery Office:

(informal, somewhat dated) In the evening, during the evening.


duly

duly (comparative more duly, superlative most duly)

more duly (comparative)
most duly (superlative)

From Middle English duely, dewly, dulyche, dueliche, duweliche (“rightly, properly”), equivalent to due + -ly.

The citizen's concern was duly noted in the meeting minutes.

Walcott's display deserved a goal and it duly arrived after 55 minutes. As he had done throughout, the forward ran straight at Chelsea's defence, riding two challenges and even falling before firing an emphatic shot past Cech.

2011 October 29, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 3 - 5 Arsenal”, in BBC Sport:

Their first-half display was nowhere near good enough and they were duly punished by Beerensteyn's ruthlessness, with Wiegman also paying for some questionable team selections.

2023 December 1, Emma Sanders, “England 3-2 Netherlands”, in BBC Sport:

In a due, fit, or becoming manner; as it ought to be; suitably; properly.

The inquest on keeper Davidson was duly held, and at the commencement seemed likely to cause Tony Palliser less anxiety than he had expected.

1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 4, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:


exceeding

exceeding (comparative more exceeding, superlative most exceeding)

more exceeding (comparative)
most exceeding (superlative)

Those which write the life of Augustus Cæsar, note this in his military discipline, that he was exceeding liberall and lavish in his gifts to such as were of any desert[…].

1603, Michel de Montaigne, chapter 7, in John Florio, transl., The Essayes […], book II, London: […] Val[entine] Simmes for Edward Blount […], →OCLC:

[…] a mighty huge hole or gulf all round, in manner of a hollow globe cut through the midst, exceeding deep and horrible to see to, full of much darkness, […]


straight from the horse's mouth

straight from the horse's mouth (not comparable)

En-au-straight from the horse's mouth.ogg

This idiom comes from British horse-racing circles, likely because the presumed ideal source for racing tips would be the horse rather than spectators or riders.

If you don't believe me, go talk to him and hear it straight from the horse's mouth. It's true.

(idiomatic) Directly from the source; firsthand.

из пе́рвых рук (iz pérvyx ruk, literally “from the first hands”)


left and right

You can't expect to eat desserts left and right and not gain weight.

And then all the distributions come in and they screw it all up. Because they break binary compatibility left and right

2014, Linus Torvalds, DebConf: Q&A with Linus Torvalds:

(Canada, US) All over the place; indiscriminately; frequently or excessively.


alfresco

From Italian al fresco. Compare Spanish al fresco.

As it was a sunny afternoon, we decided to dine alfresco on the patio.

We sat alfresco on the edge of a “square,” in reality a pond of cobbly mud with a plinth plonked in its navel […]

2004, David Mitchell, Cloud Atlas, London: Hodder and Stoughton, →ISBN:

(art) Onto fresh plaster that is still moist.


forthright

forthright (comparative more forthright, superlative most forthright)

more forthright (comparative)
most forthright (superlative)

From Middle English forthright, forþriʒt, forthricte, from Old English forþrihte (“straightway, at once, plainly”), from forþriht + -e (“adverbial suffix”).

inh

(archaic) Straight forward, in a straight direction.


asunder

en-adv

asunder (comparative more asunder, superlative most asunder)

more asunder (comparative)
most asunder (superlative)

From Middle English asunder, asondre, onsunder, on sondre, from Old English asundran, onsundrum (“asunder, apart, privately”), from Proto-Germanic *sunder, *sundraz. Equivalent to a- + sunder. Cognate with Danish sønder, Swedish sönder, Dutch zonder, German sonder, Icelandic sundur, Faroese sundur and Norwegian sunder/sønder; akin to Gothic 𐍃𐌿𐌽𐌳𐍂𐍉 (sundrō).

to tear asunder

Page. I warrant you, he’s the man should fight with him.
Robert Shallow. […] It appears so by his weapons. Keep them asunder:

c. 1597 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merry Wiues of Windsor”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act III, scene i]:

Let vs breake their bandes asunder, and cast away their cords from vs.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 2:3:

He desired I would stand like a Colossus, with my Legs as far asunder as I conveniently could.

1726 October 28, [Jonathan Swift], Travels into Several Remote Nations of the World. […] [Gulliver’s Travels], London: […] Benj[amin] Motte, […], →OCLC, (please specify |part=I to IV), page 57:

On both of those occasions, he came back to the fire with the inexplicable air upon him which I had remarked, without being able to define, when we were so far asunder.

1866, Charles Dickens, “The Signal-Man”, in All the Year Round:

You don't want to hurt me / But see how deep the bullet lies / Unaware that I'm tearing you asunder / There is thunder in our hearts

1985, Kate Bush (lyrics and music), “Running Up That Hill”:

[…]Mr. Clooney published his essay in The New York Times, and the president’s relationship with Hollywood was torn asunder.

2024 July 11, Theodore Schleifer, Jacob Bernstein, Reid J. Epstein, “How Biden Lost George Clooney and Hollywood”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:

(archaic, literary) Into separate parts or pieces.


prepubescently

prepubescently (comparative more prepubescently, superlative most prepubescently)

more prepubescently (comparative)
most prepubescently (superlative)

During the period of life before the age a person is first capable of sexual reproduction; before puberty.


south-west

south-west (not generally comparable, comparative more south-west, superlative most south-west)

more south-west (comparative)
most south-west (superlative)

Little detailed information is available on the series of violent shocks which occurred in Hopeh province, north-eastern China, in March 1966. The earthquake of 7 March (No. 184), whose epicentre was located in the region of Hsing-t’ai, about 400 km south-west of Pekin, probably caused extensive damage since the magnitude was 7 and the focus shallow.

1970, “Earthquakes”, in Annual summary of information on natural disasters 1966, Belgium: Unesco, →OCLC, page 26:

(chiefly UK) Alternative form of southwest


middling

middling (comparative more middling, superlative most middling)

more middling (comparative)
most middling (superlative)

The noun is probably from middle (noun) + -ing; the adjective is most likely derived from the noun, and the adverb from the adjective.

St. Jerom ſeated, a middling ſized upright plate, from J. Palma, dated 1596. I think this is one of the fineſt prints by this great maſter. The drawing is admirable, and the engraving is executed with the utmoſt freedom.

1785, Joseph Strutt, “HENRY GOLTZIUS”, in A Biographical Dictionary; Containing an Historical Account of All the Engravers, from the Earliest Period of the Art of Engraving to the Present Time; and a Short List of Their Most Esteemed Works. …, volume I, London: Printed by J. Davis, for Robert Faulder, New Bond Street, →OCLC, page 343:

Iwami, otherwise Sekisju, is two days journey long, going from ſouth to north, a middling good country, producing plenty of cannib, and affording ſome ſalt.

1811, Engelbert Kempfer [i.e., Engelbert Kaempfer]; J[ohann] G[aspar] Scheuchzer, transl., “The Division and Sub-division of the Empire of Japan into Its Several Provinces; as also of Its Revenue and Government”, in The History of Japan; republished in John Pinkerton, editor, A General Collection of the Best and Most Interesting Voyages and Travels in All Parts of the World; Many of which are Now First Translated into English. Digested on a New Plan, volume VII, London: Printed for Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, Paternoster-Row; and Cadell and Davies, in the Strand, →OCLC, page 665

(colloquial, regional British) Fairly, moderately, somewhat.

(colloquial, regional British) Not too badly, with modest success.


all at once

When all at once I saw a crowd, / A host, of golden daffodils

1815, William Wordsworth, The Daffodils:

I was on my way to the door, but all at once, through the fog in my head, I began to sight one reef that I hadn't paid any attention to afore.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter IV, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:

(idiomatic) Unexpectedly; without warning; all of a sudden.

There are too many to get in the lift all at once, so some must wait.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: All at the same time; all together.


fleetingly

fleetingly (comparative more fleetingly, superlative most fleetingly)

more fleetingly (comparative)
most fleetingly (superlative)


fair dinkum

She checked what he had produced against the diagram in her book, smiled and said, “Fair dinkum, you really do teach maths,” which took Daniel a little by surprise as he wasn’t sure what “fair dinkum” meant, but as it was accompanied by a smile he assumed it was some form of approval.

1991, Jeffrey Archer, As the Crow Flies, Pan Macmillan, published 2004, unnumbered page:

Fair dinkum, I'm being straight up with you now, I could have hit him.

1995, Edward Berridge, The Lives of the Saints, page 33:

Kevin, fair dinkum mate, you've got to put your boot into the ball, you're too slow to do all this finessin'.

2004, Sally Warhaft, Well May We Say: The Speeches That Made Australia, page 466:

2011, Annabel Stafford, The Mob Can't Hurt You, University of Technology, Sydney, The Life You Chose and That Chose You: The 25th UTS Writers' Anthology, unnumbered page,
Well, then I've started fucken crying cause I'm fair dinkum scared the prick's gonna kill me. […] Fair dinkum, it sounds like the whole fucken town's out.


Dei gratia

From Latin Deī grātiā (“by the grace of God”).


evasively

en-adv

evasively (comparative more evasively, superlative most evasively)

more evasively (comparative)
most evasively (superlative)


wheresoever

From Middle English hwer se eaver, hwer-se-eaver, hwer so ever, qheresoevere, quar-sua-ever, quere-so-ever, wer so ever, wharsoever, where-sere, wheresoever, where so evere, wher ser, wher-sever, wher-so-ever, wher so evere, wher-so-evere, whe[r] so er, whor so ever. By surface analysis, where + so + ever. Cognate with West Frisian hwērsāea (“wheresoever”).


short-term

short-term (comparative shorter-term, superlative shortest-term)

shorter-term (comparative)
shortest-term (superlative)


maddeningly

maddeningly (comparative more maddeningly, superlative most maddeningly)

more maddeningly (comparative)
most maddeningly (superlative)

Hardman ran to the corner and jumped into a trishaw. The driver was maddeningly slow and stupid.

1958, Anthony Burgess, The Enemy in the Blanket (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 378:

Precise herbed-lamb packets amid art nouveau swirls of asparagus noodles, a lacy tuile that adds a peekaboo seductivity to potato gnocchi — [Anthony] Martin’s presentations are bold and beautiful, yet his flavor pairings are almost maddeningly subtle, driving overanalytical foodies to despair.

2011 January 13, Phil Vettel, “Chef of the Year: Anthomy Martin”, in Chicago Tribune, 164th year, number 13, section 5, page 4:

Using her hands like windshield wipers, she tried to flick snow away from her mouth. When she clawed at her chest and neck, the crumbs maddeningly slid back onto her face. She grew claustrophobic.

2012, John Branch, “Snow Fall : The Avalanche at Tunnel Creek”, in New York Times:


nationally

nationally (comparative more nationally, superlative most nationally)

more nationally (comparative)
most nationally (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-Flame, not lame-nationally.wav

The speech was televised nationally.

The impact on rural communities of rail closures was acute, but I would argue that the worst outcome it created was the long-term diminishment of suburban capacity outside London, which has had a far more insidious effect on rail usage nationally.

2023 March 8, Gareth Dennis, “The Reshaping of things to come...”, in RAIL, number 978, page 49:


capriciously

capriciously (comparative more capriciously, superlative most capriciously)

more capriciously (comparative)
most capriciously (superlative)

"Where are we going?" she asked, jibbing capriciously in the descent.

1930, Norman Lindsay, Redheap, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1965, →OCLC, page 119:

In a capricious manner; without caution or concern.


overlong

overlong (comparative more overlong, superlative most overlong)

more overlong (comparative)
most overlong (superlative)

[…] she casteth the rest into the fire, and there withall sodainely flings herselfe into it: Which is no sooner done, but the people cast great store of Faggots and Billets vpon hir, lest she should languish over-long […]

1613, Michel de Montaigne, translated by John Florio, Essays, London: Edward Blount and William Barret, Book 2, Chapter 29, pp. 396-397:

[…] his wandering restless glance lingered over-long even on his girl cousin, so that his pretty sharp-voiced wife recalled him with a little sneer she slipped sidewise into something else she said.

1935, Pearl S. Buck, A House Divided, London: Methuen, Part 1, pp. 54-55:

He does not need to think overlong to know what the right thing is.

2002, J. M. Coetzee, chapter 20, in Youth, London: Secker & Warburg, page 165:


unfeelingly

unfeelingly (comparative more unfeelingly, superlative most unfeelingly)

more unfeelingly (comparative)
most unfeelingly (superlative)

In an unfeeling manner; without concern or regard for feelings.


someday

Transmit the message to the receiver / Hope for an answer someday

1979, Talking Heads (lyrics and music), “Life During Wartime”, in Fear of Music:

Sometime; at some unspecified time in the future.


agen

1832-1837, John Clare, Approaching Night
O, how I long to be agen
That poor and independent man,
With labour's lot from morn to night
And books to read at candle light;


halfway

From Middle English halfwey, from Old English healfweġ (“half-way”), equivalent to half- + way. Cognate with Saterland Frisian hoolfwais (“halfway”), Dutch halfweg (“halfway”), German halbwegs (“halfway”), Danish halvvejs (“halfway”), Swedish halvvägs (“halfway”).

I was already halfway home when I missed my keyring.

"He comes halfway and I come halfway," said Mr. Korson, 56.

2010 March 25, Corey Kilgannon, “When Meeting Halfway Means in the Street”, in The New York Times:

Half of the way between two points; midway.

a halfway decent place to sleep


covalently

covalently (comparative more covalently, superlative most covalently)

more covalently (comparative)
most covalently (superlative)


faintly

faintly (comparative faintlier, superlative faintliest)

faintlier (comparative)
faintliest (superlative)

From Middle English feintli, feintliche, equivalent to faint + -ly.

So this was my future home, I thought![…]Backed by towering hills, the but faintly discernible purple line of the French boundary off to the southwest, a sky of palest Gobelin flecked with fat, fleecy little clouds, it in truth looked a dear little city; the city of one's dreams.

1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:

Faintlier, faintlier came the footfalls to his ear, until of all the faint sounds that came, by the abandoned air, to his ear, not one was a footfall, as far as he could judge.

1953, Samuel Beckett, Watt, 1st American edition, New York, N.Y.: Grove Press, published 1959, →OCLC:

In a faint manner; very quietly or lightly.

слабо

in a faint manner; very quietly or lightly


firsthand

Hell and tarnations, I've known them for muddleheads and blockheads half my life, and firsthand, but I sure didn't expect them to take leave of their senses, insulting our office of President, making our Party into a white demagogue's party, slapping the Negro vote in the face.

1964, Irving Wallace, The Man, page 537:

In the course of three intensive days in and around Guiyu's four villages, the small investigative team witnessed firsthand what passes for recycling of e-waste in Asia.

2002, Jim Puckett, 5:35 from the start, in Exporting Harm: The High-Tech Trashing of Asia, spoken by Mary Ryan, Basel Action Network, →OCLC:

2003, Katherine Edgar, “Levant”, in Jennifer Speake, Literature of Travel and Exploration: G to P
However, the romantic subjective approach persisted, allowing the nontraveling reader the illusion of experiencing the region at firsthand, […]

He wasn't a gabber, nor a squawker not a ratfink nor a snitch. He wasn't a whistleblower. He wasn't a gossip. He didn't talk about someone behind their back. Banks knew that firsthand because he had tried on several occasions to get Quinley to talk about other people, and Quinley would never do it. He'd laugh and change the subject.

2007, Ichabauk Rum, “Handra Delamore”, in Ill: A Novel: Book One, Lincoln, Neb.: iUniverse, →ISBN, page 63:

In 2000 America witnessed the bare-knuckle tactics of the GOP firsthand in Florida — tactics that included intimidation of black voters, phony felon lists, hired thugs sent by Tom DeLay to stop the recount, a secretary of state who did all that could be done to push the election in Bush's favor, and so on.

2007, Elliot D. Cohen, Bruce W. Fraser, The Last Days of Democracy: How Big Media and Power-hungry Government are Turning America into a Dictatorship, →ISBN, page 278:

Howard Davidowitz, who has studied consumer habits firsthand for decades, said that in the last three years he has seen more cash purchases at luxury boutiques like Louis Vuitton and semiluxury chains like Coach. Mr. Davidowitz, chairman of Davidowitz & Associates, a retail consulting firm, suspects now that $2,000 handbags and $700 shoes are commonplace, more women pay in fresh bills from the A.T.M. to cover their tracks.

2007 January 14, Shivani Vora, “Money Doesn’t Talk”, in New York Times:

On my first trip to China after normalization, I saw firsthand the possibility of leveraging Deng Xiaoping’s very real fear of the Soviets to gain specific intelligence aid from the People’s Republic of China.

2007, Joe Biden, “This Can't Hurt Us”, in Promises to Keep, New York: Random House, published 2008, →ISBN, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 143:

The other girls were frumpier, more sturdy and heavily made up. These boys must have thought this little darling on my lap a perfect vixen, but I knew firsthand the master of vixenry, and was only lightly impressed by the affections of one of her fairy minions.

2013, The Albino Album: A Novel, page 419:

The point man is the only one besides the Shooter who could verify the kill shots firsthand, and he did just that to another SEAL I spoke with.

2013 February 11, Phil Bronstein, “The Man Who Killed Osama bin Laden… Is Screwed”, in Esquire Magazine:

“Ladies, look with your eyes, not just your iPhones,” Reddick said. “I know everything is Facebookable, but sometimes you have to experience things firsthand.”

2013 August 14, Matt DeBow, “Bug Chicks invade library”, in Lebanon Express, 126 years, number 26, page A4:

[…] I witness firsthand the difficult "downstream" outcomes (Grusky 2014) of social class stratification in a university setting where approximately 3,400 undergraduates (13% of the undergraduate population) are first in their families to attend and/or graduate from college (first-gens).

2016, Dwight Lang, “Witnessing Social Class in the Academy”, in Allison L. Hurst, Sandi Kawecka Nenga, editors, Working in Class: Recognizing How Social Class Shapes Our Academic Work, Lanham, Md.: Rowman & Littlefield, →ISBN, part 2 (Teaching), page 102:

The growing popularity of dark tourism suggests more and more people are resisting vacations that promise escapism, choosing instead to witness firsthand the sites of suffering they have only read about, said Gareth Johnson, a founder of Young Pioneer Tours, which organized trips for Ms. Joyce and Mr. Faarlund.

2022 October 28, Maria Cramer, “Beaches? Cruises? ‘Dark’ Tourists Prefer the Gloomy and Macabre”, in The New York Times, →ISSN:


au contraire

/əʊ ˈkɒntɹɛː(ɹ)/

/oʊ ˌkɔnˈtɹɛ(ə)ɹ/

/oʊ ˌkɑnˈtɹɛ(ə)ɹ/

Travellers have written and spoken so much of the beauty of this celebrated piece of water, that I expected to be disappointed; but, au contraire, I am almost inclined to write a rhapsody myself.

1856, Isabella L. Bird, The Englishwoman in America:

Fembots: (one by one) You can't resist us, Mr. Powers. / Austin Powers: Au contraire, baby. I think that you can't resist me.

1997, Mike Myers, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery (motion picture):

The A-list cannot be loved by all the people all of the time. Au contraire, the bigger and better and more gorgeous one gets, the more likely one is to inspire antipathy.

2005 August 20, Polly Vernon, “Celebrity etiquette”, in The Observer, →ISSN:

(usually humorous, emphatic) On the contrary.

напротив

on the contrary — see also on the contrary


queenly

queenly (comparative queenlier, superlative queenliest)

queenlier (comparative)
queenliest (superlative)


crisscross

From Middle English crist-crosse, crists-crosse (“Christ's cross”).


hat in hand

Hat in hand, the sailors stood deferentially in a semicircle before him.

1849, Herman Melville, chapter 61, in Redburn: His First Voyage:

"D'you think the proud English corporations are going to let you inside? Not them. The most you'll get will be the scraps that fall from their table, my poor Lazarus, and for these you'll have to go hat in hand to Dives."

1915, John Buchan, chapter 5, in Salute to Adventurers:

Turkish leaders are accustomed to visiting Europe with hat in hand, seeking to make compromises.

2015 October 5, James Kanter, Tim Arango, “Turkish Leader Says E.U. Should Do More About Syria”, in New York Times, retrieved 2015-10-07:

But the Americans should also not expect Mr Xi to be arriving hat in hand and eager to please.Many believe mutual suspicion will endure and the two leaders will not likely remove existing trade and economic roadblocks put up in the name of national security.

2023 November 15, Tessa Wong, “Xi Jinping arrives in US as his Chinese Dream sputters”, in BBC:

(idiomatic) With humility; in an apologetic or self-effacing fashion.


post hoc

post hoc (comparative more post hoc, superlative most post hoc)

more post hoc (comparative)
most post hoc (superlative)

Ultimately, the wisdom of preemption will be judged post hoc.

2005 Fall, David B. Rivkin Jr., “THE VIRTUES OF PREEMPTIVE DETERRENCE”, in Harvard Journal of Law & Public Policy, volume 29, number 1, page 85:


jestingly

jestingly (comparative more jestingly, superlative most jestingly)

more jestingly (comparative)
most jestingly (superlative)

[S]he flattered me, tickled me, stroaked me, groped me, frizled me, curled me, kissed me, embraced me, laid her Hands about my Neck, and now and then made jestingly, pretty little Horns above my Forehead: […]

1653, Francis Rabelais [i.e., François Rabelais], translated by [Thomas Urquhart] and [Peter Anthony Motteux], chapter 14, in The Works of Francis Rabelais, Doctor in Physick: Containing Five Books of the Lives, Heroick Deeds, and Sayings of Gargantua, and His Sonne Pantagruel. […], London: […] [Thomas Ratcliffe and Edward Mottershead] for Richard Baddeley, […], →OCLC; republished in volume I, London: […] Navarre Society […], [1948], →OCLC, book the third:

This was spoken jestingly, but it appeared to her so just a picture of Mr. Darcy, that she would not trust herself with an answer; and, therefore, abruptly changing the conversation, talked on indifferent matters till they reached the parsonage.

1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter 10, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume II, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC:

Were you free to chuse,
As jestingly I’ll put the supposition,
Without a thought reflecting on your Katherine,
What sort of woman would you make your choice?

1827, Charles Lamb, “The Wife’s Trial; Or, The Intruding Widow”, in The Poetical Works of Charles Lamb, 3rd edition, London: Edward Moxon, published 1838, page 264:

1918, E. Craigie Melville, “In Camp” in Poems from the Trenches, Somerville, Mass.: The Thistle Press, p. 18,
Still I shall hate to leave you for the sake of those splendid nights
When the long, hard day is over and Sergeant has douzed the lights,
And we lie on those beds of straw that unfortunate Tommies get,
And jestingly jolly each other as we smoke a last cig’rette;

They heard her talking normally, even jestingly, with one of the aunts, and they admired her for her courage.

1961, V. S. Naipaul, A House for Mr Biswas, Vintage International, published 2001, Part Two, Chapter 6:


westward

westward (comparative more westward, superlative most westward)

more westward (comparative)
most westward (superlative)

From Middle English westward, from Old English westweard.

ride westward.

Looke here my boies, see what a world of ground,
Lies westward from the midst of Cancers line,
Vnto the rising of this earthly globe,

1590, Christopher Marlowe, Tamburlaine the Great, London, act V, scene 6:

Westward the course of empire takes its way;

c. 1728, George Berkeley, “Verses, on the Prospect of Planting Arts and Learning in America”, in The Works of George Berkeley, D.D., London: Thomas Tegg, published 1837, page 394:

1857, John Henry Hopkins Jr., “We Three Kings” (Christmas carol),
O star of wonder, star of night,
Star with royal beauty bright,
Westward leading, still proceeding,
Guide us to thy perfect light.


bleakly

bleakly (comparative more bleakly, superlative most bleakly)

more bleakly (comparative)
most bleakly (superlative)


damned

damned (comparative more damned, superlative most damned)

more damned (comparative)
most damned (superlative)

What's so damned important about a football game?


boorishly

boorishly (comparative more boorishly, superlative most boorishly)

more boorishly (comparative)
most boorishly (superlative)


FFS

Swisher then looked back at a number of tech CEOs booked for the conference in the past — from Steve Jobs to Elon Musk — and relayed that “we never promised anything or gave them any heads up. We’re journalists FFS.”

2023 September 28, Benjamin Lindsay, quoting Kara Swisher, “Kara Swisher Defends Ex-Twitter Exec Upstaging CEO Linda Yaccarino”, in TheWrap:

(Internet slang, text messaging, vulgar) Initialism of for fuck's sake; also ffs.


time after time

Time after time he tries, and time after time, he fails.

Again and again; repeatedly; every time; always.


continuously

The river continuously flows to the sea, it will never pause to let us cross on dry land.

In the year 1633, the Bridget Nuns, near Xanthus, behaved like sheep, jumping about and bleating continuously.

1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 99:


tongue-in-cheek

This phrase alludes to the facial expression created by putting one's tongue in one's cheek. The term first appeared in print in 1828, but it isn't entirely clear that it was used with the modern, rather than a literal, sense. A later citation from Richard Barham is unambiguous.

He portrayed them tongue-in-cheek as great lawgivers, as Solons.


over and above

More than is necessary or than expected.

(law) more than is required e.g. by a contract.


all that

We do not have all that much time to finish.

By now, I hope that you are getting the message that life really isn't all that complicated.

2023 March 8, James R. Schmalenberg, Life Really Isn’t All That Complicated: But You Do Have To Think, FriesenPress, →ISBN, page 13:

(idiomatic, in negative constructions) Very.


all the same

He knew it was risky. He did it all the same.

It's a distant solar system / I tried to phone but they don't list 'em / So I asked her for a number all the same

1996, “Cosmic Girl”, in Travelling Without Moving, performed by Jamiroquai:

(idiomatic) Anyway; nevertheless; nonetheless.

His speeches are all the same.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see all, same.


improperly

improperly (comparative more improperly, superlative most improperly)

more improperly (comparative)
most improperly (superlative)

From Middle English improprelich, impropreliche, impropurly, inproperlye; equivalent to improper + -ly.


candidly

candidly (comparative more candidly, superlative most candidly)

more candidly (comparative)
most candidly (superlative)


everlasting

everlasting (comparative more everlasting, superlative most everlasting)

more everlasting (comparative)
most everlasting (superlative)

/ˌɛvɚˈlæstɪŋ/

/ˌɛvəˈlɑːstɪŋ/

From Middle English, equivalent to ever + lasting.

The Jones man was looking at her hard. Now he reached into the hatch of his vest and fetched out a couple of cigars, everlasting big ones, with gilt bands on them.

1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter X, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y., London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:


sted

From Middle English sted, from Old English stede (“place, spot, locality”).

der

(This version CORRECTS Corrects title of movie to ‘Echoes of the Rainbow’ sted ‘Echoes of a Rainbow.’)

2010 February 22, “Hong Kong rejoices over Berlin film prize”, in Long Island Press, retrieved 2012-07-25:

Eds: CORRECTS name of city to 'Pass Christian' sted 'Port'. Moving on general news and financial services. AP Video.

2010 May 10, Vicki Smith, Holbrook Mohr, “Gulf Oil Spill: Unemployed Fishermen Struggling To Get By”, in Huffington Post, retrieved 2012-07-25:

(journalism, slang) short for instead of


af

Alternative forms: AF, asf

Bored af!!!!

2009 April 6, Ashley Kull, “Bored af!!!!”, in Twitter, archived from the original on 2016-06-14:

‘Seen them there a few times. Arrives early, leaves alone. Social though. Friendly. Dishy af.’
Dishy af. You can say that again.

2021, Isabel Waidner, Sterling Karat Gold, Peninsula Press, page 16:

(postpositive, vulgar, slang, Internet slang, text messaging) Initialism of as fuck.


plonk

He dropped his bag of tools plonk in the middle of the table.

(followed by a location) Precisely and forcefully.


underfoot

From Middle English underfoote, underfote, equivalent to under- + foot. Cognate with Middle Dutch ondervoet (“underfoot”). Compare also Middle Low German undervôt (“pedestal, base”).

cog

The workers were all big, burly, hard-hearted men, tromping through the marsh in their heavy boots without sparing so much as a single thought for the masses of tiny frogs they crushed underfoot.

The green turf was velvet underfoot.

1895, S. R. Crockett, A Cry Across the Black Water:

With 3,600 h.p. underfoot, acceleration was reasonably brisk, but the flickering wheel-slip indicator light showed the prudence of not putting full power through the traction motors while there were traces of early-morning dampness on the rails.

1960 August, R. K. Evans, “Railway Modernisation in Spain”, in Trains Illustrated, page 494:

It would be easier to do a big project like that someday when we don't have a bunch of newcomers underfoot.

If you're not going to help, at least get out from underfoot.

In the way; situated so as to obstruct or hinder.


figuratively

en-adv

figuratively (comparative more figuratively, superlative most figuratively)

more figuratively (comparative)
most figuratively (superlative)

TAIWAN, or Chinese Formosa, is considered a Foo or district of the province of Fokien, and is governed by a Taoutai extraordinary, who, though responsible to the provincial viceroy, possesses the privilege of memorialising the Throne direct. “The district of Taiwan,” says the Chinese Government Chart, of which a copy was supplied to me by the Formosan authorities, “is bounded in the rear by mountains, and in front by the sea. The ancestral hills of Formosa derive their origin from the Woo-hoo-mun (Five Tiger Gate), the entrance to Foochow, whence they glided across the sea. In the ocean towards the east are two places called Tungkwan (Damp Limit) and Pih-mow (White Acre), which mark the spots where the dragons of the Formosan hills emerged. These sacred reptiles had pierced unseen the depths of ocean, and announcing their ascent to the surface by throwing up the bluff at Kelung-head, by a number of violent contortions heaved up the regular series of hills, valleys, and plains that extend north and south in varied undulations for the space of 1000 leagues (applied figuratively). The mountain-peaks are too multitudinous to enumerate, and the geography of the island too comprehensive to take into present consideration ; we will therefore confine ourselves to a few general remarks. In rear of the hills, eastward, flows the ocean ; facing them, to the westward, is the sea ; and between lies the prefecture of Taiwan.”

1864, Robert Swinhoe, “Notes on the Island of Formosa.”, in The Journal of the Royal Geographic Society of London, volume XXXIV, London: John Murray, published 1865, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 6:

1897 Easton's Bible Dictionary available on Wikisource
Shepherd A word naturally of frequent occurrence in Scripture. […] This word is used figuratively to represent the relation of rulers to their subjects and of God to his people.

Figuratively, the cat was out of the bag.

figure of speech
figure of speech#English

(as a sentence adverb) Used to indicate that what follows is to be taken as a figure of speech, not literally.


travers

From French travers (“breadth, extent from side”). See traverse.

bor

1523-1525, John Bourchier, 2nd Baron Berners, Froissart's Chronicles
The earl […] caused […] high trees to be hewn down, and laid travers one over another.


all-out

en-adv

all-out (comparative more all-out, superlative most all-out)

more all-out (comparative)
most all-out (superlative)

The tanks attacked all-out with the infantry.

竭盡全力

in a manner in which one uses every available means


in situ

Borrowed from Latin in + sitū, ablative singular of situs.


exceptionally

exceptionally (comparative more exceptionally, superlative most exceptionally)

more exceptionally (comparative)
most exceptionally (superlative)

The shed, a steel-framed structure with a single-span roof devoid of intermediate support, is exceptionally well-lit by continuous glazing on the roof and along much of the sides, while there is fluorescent roof lighting for night work.

1960 July, “New Eastern Region diesel depot at Finsbury Park”, in Trains Illustrated, pages 422–423:

To an unusual, remarkable or exceptional degree.


mutually

mutually (comparative more mutually, superlative most mutually)

more mutually (comparative)
most mutually (superlative)

LL-Q1860 (eng)-I learned some phrases-mutually.wav

The contract was mutually binding.

in the same way, each to the other; reciprocally

узае́мна

The adventure was mutually beneficial.

in a shared manner; equally; affecting all parties the same way


immensely

immensely (comparative more immensely, superlative most immensely)

more immensely (comparative)
most immensely (superlative)

I enjoyed the party immensely.

This question is immensely difficult.

Then, too, he was always ready to constitute himself a hostile army or a band of marauding Indians on the shortest possible notice: in brief, a distinctly able man, with talents, so far as we could judge, immensely above the majority.

1895, Kenneth Graham, The Golden Age, London, page 3:

The dirty secret of the internet is that all this distraction and interruption is immensely profitable. Web companies like to boast about "creating compelling content", or offering services that let you "stay up to date with what your friends are doing"[…]and so on. But the real way to build a successful online business is to be better than your rivals at undermining people's control of their own attention.

2013 June 21, Oliver Burkeman, “The tao of tech”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 2, page 27:

Greatly; hugely; extremely; vastly; to a great extent.


ibid

Alternative form of ibid. ("in the same place")


BB

Initialism of bareback (“without a condom”).


concomitantly

concomitantly (comparative more concomitantly, superlative most concomitantly)

more concomitantly (comparative)
most concomitantly (superlative)

The focus of lexicographers of Indian English has to date been on nativised lexis and borrowings, that is, Indianisms. Concomitantly, their focus has been entirely off all other lexis.

2012, James Lambert, “Beyond Hobson-Jobson: A new lexicography for Indian English”, in World Englishes, page 306:


astraddle

The Charioteer rides afore, a-ſtraddle on the Beam that makes the Yoke for the Oxen, which is covered with Scarlet, and finely carved underneath […]

1698, John Fryer, “Takes Notice of Broach; the Change of Governors at Surat; Intestine Broils of the Empire; Rencounters of the English; and Portentous Accidents of This Year”, in A New Account of East-India and Persia, in Eight Letters. Being Nine Years Travels, Begun 1672. And Finished 1681. […], London: […] R[obert] R[oberts] for Ri[chard] Chiswell, letter VI, page 410:

A faint string of smoke was rising from a cigarette-tray—a number of Vanity Fair sat astraddle on the table.

1922, F[rancis] Scott Fitzgerald, “A Matter of Civilization”, in The Beautiful and Damned, New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →OCLC, book 3, section “The False Armistice”, page 356:

She climbed his body and wrapped her legs around him and they made love there, man standing, woman astraddle, in the stone odor of demolition.

2003, Don DeLillo, Cosmopolis, New York: Scribner, Part Two, Chapter 4, p. 177:


confidentially

confidentially (comparative more confidentially, superlative most confidentially)

more confidentially (comparative)
most confidentially (superlative)

He leant towards her confidentially, "He was thrown out of Rome, see?"

1966, James Workman, The Mad Emperor, Melbourne, Sydney: Scripts, page 75:


how come

US English, 1848, probably from older forms such as "How comes it that... ?" or "How does it come that... ?" and "How did it come to be like this?"
Compare West Frisian hoe kom (“how come”), Dutch hoe komt het (“how comes it; why”), Afrikaans hoekom (“how come; why”).

cog

How come you didn’t leave when you had the chance?

(idiomatic, informal) Why; why is it; for what reason or purpose; due to what cause?


fingers crossed

We'll make it to the finals, fingers crossed.


tops

Your essay should be two pages, tops.

(informal) At the very most; as a maximum.


cracking

It was a cracking good show.

(British) Very, usually associated with praise.


all over

He was covered all over with mud.

I've looked all over for it.

Dancing with everyone, singing show tunes all night: that was Luke all over.

täysin (genitive) kaltaista (+ possessive suffix)

Once the performance was all over, they left.

Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see all over.


sexually

en-adv

sexually (comparative more sexually, superlative most sexually)

more sexually (comparative)
most sexually (superlative)

She kissed him sexually.

The firm discriminated sexually in its hiring and retention practices.

With respect to sex (either of the two divisions of organisms).

He was sexually active by the age of fifteen.

AIDS and gonorrhea are sexually transmitted diseases.

A parrot is a sexually reproducing organism.


bain

bain (comparative more bain, superlative most bain)

more bain (comparative)
most bain (superlative)

From Middle English bain, bayne, bayn, beyn (“direct, prompt”), from Old Norse beinn (“straight, right, favourable, advantageous, convenient, friendly, fair, keen”).

der

(now chiefly dialectal) Readily; willingly.

(now chiefly dialectal) Nearby; at hand.


ea.

Fresh 2 lb. pkg. Sweet Strawberries $2.99 ea.

2017 Maceys grocery circular (July 3-8; Utah)


evermore

From Middle English evermore (written as two words before 14th century), equivalent to ever + -more.

But love me for love's sake, that evermore / Thou may'st love on through love's eternity.

c. 1845–1846, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, “Sonnets from the Portuguese”, in Poems. […], new edition, volume II, London: Chapman & Hall, […], published 1850, →OCLC, sonnet XIV, page 451:

[N]ote by the way, that if honey be deſpumed, that is to ſay, skummed and clarified, it is evermore the better for any uſe.

1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XXII.] Of the nature and properties of Honey. […].”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The Naturall Historie of C. Plinius Secundus. […], 2nd tome, London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC, page 135:


prosperously

en-adv

prosperously (comparative more prosperously, superlative most prosperously)

more prosperously (comparative)
most prosperously (superlative)

In a prosperous manner; so as to prosper.


recte

From Latin recte (“rightly, correctly”).

The Seignory of Castleton, containing 200 (sic, query recte 12,000) acres

1924 December 31, Robert Dunlop and Geo. O'Brien, "An Unpublished Survey of the Plantation of Munster in 1622", The Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, Sixth Series, Vol. 14, No. 2 p.132

ELECTION OF GRAND COUNCIL [ recte COMMITTEE ]

1972 T. P. O'Neill (ed.) Private Sessions of Second Dáil (Dublin) 26 August 1921

Here is a list of errors not observed by the corrector.
193: and (recte 'as')
735: a quartere (add 'ȝеге')
796: noblel (recte 'noble' or 'nobel')
1527: him (recte 'hem')
2455: holid (? recte 'helid')

1974 Edmund Colledge THE CAPGRAVE 'AUTOGRAPHS', Transactions of the Cambridge Bibliographical Society, Vol. 6, No. 3, p.142

Used parenthetically in a verbatim quotation to correct an error in the source (compare sic, which notes an error without correcting it)


smoothly

smoothly (comparative smoothlier or more smoothly, superlative smoothliest or most smoothly)

smoothlier (comparative)
more smoothly (comparative)
smoothliest (superlative)
most smoothly (superlative)

From Middle English smoþely; equivalent to smooth + -ly.

talk smoothly

The plans didn't go as smoothly as we'd hoped.


ravenously

ravenously (comparative more ravenously, superlative most ravenously)

more ravenously (comparative)
most ravenously (superlative)

Francesca marked with delight the eager manner in which Guido began his meal, and almost forgot her own hunger in the amusement of watching him eat so ravenously;...

1834, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], chapter XVII, in Francesca Carrara. […], volume II, London: Richard Bentley, […], (successor to Henry Colburn), →OCLC, page 195:


endwise

endwise (comparative more endwise, superlative most endwise)

more endwise (comparative)
most endwise (superlative)

With the end towards the front or towards the observer.


crazily

crazily (comparative more crazily, superlative most crazily)

more crazily (comparative)
most crazily (superlative)

Word is the club's crazily rich Middle Eastern owner's have got wind of the player's sorrow and, according to Maxifoot, are preparing an offer "worthy of a pharaoh" for Ronaldo, who has long been considered a mummy's boy.

2012, Football transfer rumours: Cristiano Ronaldo to City, United or PSG?, The Guardian

With this crazily brilliant, pocket-sized hotel clinging like an eagle's lair to the cliffs just outside Sorrento, owner Marco DeLuca has created somewhere that's so much more than just a place to sleep.

2014, Europe's best secret seaside hotels, Condé Nast Traveller:

We have worked crazily long hours and it has been gruelling, exhausting.

2020 December 2, Andy Byford talks to Paul Clifton, “I enjoy really big challenges...”, in Rail, page 50:


tardily

tardily (comparative more tardily, superlative most tardily)

more tardily (comparative)
most tardily (superlative)


towards

[tʰə̥ˈwɔːdz]

[tʰə̥ˈwɔɹ̠d̠z]

[tʰw̥ɔɹ̠d̠z]

From Middle English towardes, from Old English tōweardes, tōwærdes, equivalent to toward + -s (adverbial suffix).

Thus as he spake, lo far away they spyde / A varlet running towards hastily […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto IV”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

In the direction of something (indicated by context).


friendlily

friendlily (comparative more friendlily, superlative most friendlily)

more friendlily (comparative)
most friendlily (superlative)

Her still small smile teased him and her grey eyes looked at him friendlily from under the slight droop of her lids.

1929, Josephine Tey, The Man in the Queue:

Friendlily, because he felt well-disposed toward the world —his setting had been at D –he patted her bare, pale shoulder.

1968, Philip K. Dick, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?:

(rare) In a friendly manner; like a friend; warmly; kindly.


knightly

knightly (comparative knightlier, superlative knightliest)

knightlier (comparative)
knightliest (superlative)

From Middle English knyghtly, knightlich; equivalent to knight + -ly. Cognate with Old English cnihtlīċ (“boyish”), Dutch knechtelijk (“servile”), German knechtlich (“menial”).

Mar. In Gods name, and the Kings, say who yͧ [thou] art.
And why thou com'st thus knightly clad in Armes?

1595 December 9 (first known performance), William Shakespeare, “The life and death of King Richard the Second”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies: Published According to the True Originall Copies (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iii], page 25:

Who backs a horse, or bears a hawk, or wears
A sword like him! Whose plume nods knightlier?

1822, Lord Byron, Werner, act IV, scene i

He, reverencing king's blood in a bad man,
Made such excuses as he might, and these
Full knightly without scorn; for in those days
No knight of Arthur's noblest dealt in scorn.

1859, Alfred Tennyson, “Guinevere”, in Idylls of the King, London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC, page 227:

In the manner of a knight; chivalrously.


scienter

From Latin scienter (“knowingly”), from sciō (“know”).


arm in arm

The two friends walked along arm in arm.

Buckingham, doth York intend no harm to us,
That thus he marcheth with thee arm in arm?

1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]:

[…] Laurie came running down stairs, and brought up with a start of surprise at the sight of Jo arm in arm with his redoubtable grandfather.

1868–1869, Louisa M[ay] Alcott, Little Women: […], (please specify |part=1 or 2), Boston, Mass.: Roberts Brothers, →OCLC, pages 82-83:

Foy had prepped his troops for a boisterous chorus of “We Shall Overcome.” They were joined together arm-in-arm, swaying and humming slowly to the beat.

2015, Paul Beatty, chapter 23, in The Sellout, New York: Macmillan:

With arms linked together; with arms around each other's shoulder or waist. (of two or more people)

del braç

arms linked or around each other's shoulder or waist

‘Frenchmen. Really, I mean to say, Stevens, Frenchmen. […] And to think we have to be seen by the world to be arm in arm with them. One wishes for a good bath at the mere reminder.’

1989, Kazuo Ishiguro, The Remains of the Day, London: Faber and Faber, pages 75–76:

(figuratively) In collusion, in concert (with someone).


taciturnly

taciturnly (comparative more taciturnly, superlative most taciturnly)

more taciturnly (comparative)
most taciturnly (superlative)

quietly; not in a manner inclined to speaking.


prima facie

prima facie (comparative more prima facie, superlative most prima facie)

more prima facie (comparative)
most prima facie (superlative)

/ˈpɹiːmə ˈfæɪsiː/

/ˈpɹɑɪmə ˈfæɪsiː/

From Latin prīmā (“first”) faciē (“shape, figure”), literally “at the first appearance.”

[…] the nicest young man that ever was, — daintily gloved, patently booted, oilily curled, snowily wristbanded, with a lovely cambric (prima facie) handkerchief bound about his hyacinthine locks and polished hat.

1871, Gail Hamilton, Gala-days, page 191:

Prima facie this may not read like a true story.

1916 April 8, The National Provisioner, volume 54, number 15, page 36, column 2:

(law) At first sight; on the face of it.


post meridiem

From Latin post (“after”) + merīdiem, accusative singular of merīdiēs (“noon, midday”).

1853, John Drew, Manual of Astronomy: A Popular Treatise on Descriptive, Physical, and Practical Astronomy, with a Familiar Explanation of Astronomical Instruments and the Best Methods of Using Them, Second Edition, George Bell, page 237,
The civil day begins at midnight, and reckons 12 hours ante meridiem, or before noon, and 12 hours post meridiem, or after noon.

1923, Christopher Morley, The Powder of Sympathy, Doubleday, Page & Company, page 84,
We reached that amiable town around two hours post meridiem, exceedingly hungry from our anxieties en route.


deeply

deeply (comparative more deeply or (rare) deeplier, superlative most deeply or (rare) deepliest)

more deeply (comparative)
deeplier (comparative rare)
most deeply (superlative)
deepliest (rare superlative)

From Middle English depely, deplike, deopliche, from Old English dēoplīċe (“deeply”, adverb), from dēoplīc (“deep”), equivalent to deep + -ly.

I am deeply concerned about this matter.

I deeply regret my behaviour.

Strange friend, past, present, and to be, / Loved deeplier, darklier understood; / Behold I dream a dream of good / And mingle all the world with thee.

1850, [Alfred, Lord Tennyson], In Memoriam, London: Edward Moxon, […], →OCLC, Canto CXXVII, page 199:

To a deep extent or degree; very greatly.

The surface of the planet was deeply cratered.

So as to extend far down or far into something.

In this part of the river salmon swim deeply.

I thought deeply about the problem.

breathe deeply, drink deeply

(in relation to sleep) Soundly; so as to be hard to rouse.

a deeply flavoured curry

Her deeply hennaed hair, almost black at the roots, straggled loosely down both sides of her long face.

1968, Carl Ruhen, The Key Club, Sydney: Scripts, page 12:


boku

boku (comparative more boku, superlative most boku)

more boku (comparative)
most boku (superlative)

Alternative spelling of beaucoup (lots of)


unequivocally

unequivocally (comparative more unequivocally, superlative most unequivocally)

more unequivocally (comparative)
most unequivocally (superlative)

They strove to make their product unequivocally the best in the industry.

In a way that leaves no doubt; in an unequivocal or unambiguous manner, unquestionably.


scotfree

[…]albeit well knowne that they escaped not scotfrée,

1577, Raphael Holinshed, Chronicles of England, Scotland and Ireland, volume 3:

[…]but in the actual situation how would you not seem to act outrageously if you are to let go scotfree the men who confess that they have been acting illegally?

1915, George Willis Botsford, Hellenic Civilization, page 429:


point-blank

From French point blanc (“white point”), originally referring to the white spot to be aimed at on a target (see blank's "bull's eye") or alternatively into empty space being fired horizontally.

One day, when he was doing some valuation for me, he told me point-blank that clergymen seldom understood anything about business, and did mischief when they meddled; […]

1871–1872, George Eliot [pseudonym; Mary Ann Evans], chapter XXXVIII, in Middlemarch […], volume (please specify |volume=I to IV), Edinburgh, London: William Blackwood and Sons, →OCLC, book (please specify |book=I to VIII):

About a week afterwards she said to him, point-blank, “Are you seriously making love to your little cousin?”

1878, Henry James, chapter VIII, in The Europeans, Macmillan and Co.:

My father addressed himself to the gentleman point-blank, and there was quite a disturbance.

1891, Thomas Hardy, chapter XXVII, in Tess of the d’Urbervilles: A Pure Woman Faithfully Presented […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: James R[ipley] Osgood, McIlvaine and Co., […], →OCLC:

He was getting on well, so I understood, and had secured a fairly substantial position, and I had therefore ventured to ask him point-blank for the loan of fifty pounds.

1895, Marie Corelli, The Sorrows of Satan, →OCLC, page 12:

Montgomery fired and missed, bowed his head, threw up his arm, and turned to run. I fired, and the Thing still came on; fired again, point-blank, into its ugly face.

1896, H[erbert] G[eorge] Wells, The Island of Doctor Moreau (Heinemann’s Colonial Library of Popular Fiction; 52), London: William Heinemann, →OCLC; republished as The Island of Doctor Moreau: A Possibility, New York, N.Y.: Stone & Kimball, 1896, →OCLC:

For answer the girl raised her revolver and fired point-blank at him. Without a sound he sank to the earth, dead.

1913 January–May, Edgar Rice Burroughs, “The Gods of Mars”, in The All-Story, New York, N.Y.: Frank A. Munsey Co., →OCLC; republished as The Gods of Mars, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., 1918 September, →OCLC:

In fact in 2017, former Facebook president Sean Parker told news media company Axios point-blank that the central question driving Facebook in its early days was ‘How do we consume as much of your time and conscious attention as possible?’

2020, Noreena Hertz, chapter 6, in The Lonely Century, Hodder & Stoughton, →ISBN:


thematically

thematically (comparative more thematically, superlative most thematically)

more thematically (comparative)
most thematically (superlative)


long-term

long-term (comparative longer-term, superlative longest-term)

longer-term (comparative)
longest-term (superlative)

These alternatives to sugar, when consumed long term, do not serve to reduce body fat in either adults or children, the W.H.O. said in a recommendation, adding that continued consumption could increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mortality in adults.

2023 May 15, April Rubin, “World Health Organization Warns Against Using Artificial Sweeteners”, in The New York Times:


arsy varsy

Alteration of arsy versy, from arse + vice versa

(idiomatic, British, vulgar) Tumbling upside down; head over heels; backwards.


ab ovo

Learned borrowing from Latin ab ōvō (literally “from the egg”).

learned borrowing

We should be led too far, nor would it possess sufficient interest for our readers, were we, in this place specially, to discuss this important and complicated question, and to show ab ovo why this notion has been rejected.

2011, Ludwig Büchner, J. Frederick Collingwood, Force and Matter: Empirico-Philosophical Studies, Intelligibly Rendered, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN:

The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary on Historical Principles

Oxford University Press
w:Oxford University Press


chary

en-adv

chary (comparative more chary, superlative most chary)

more chary (comparative)
most chary (superlative)

General American, Mary–marry–merry merger

From Middle English chari, charre, charri, chary, Early Middle English cearig, chariȝ (“concerned with, diligent; sad, sorrowful; of a person: cherished, loved”), from Old English ċeariġ (“careful; pensive; chary, wary; anxious, sad, sorrowful; dire, grievous”), from Proto-West Germanic *karag (“anxious; sad”), from Proto-Germanic *karō + *-gaz, ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *ǵeh₂r- (“exclamation; voice”) + *-kos (suffix forming adjectives with the meaning ‘pertaining to; typical of’)); analysable as care + -y.
The English word is cognate with Danish karrig (“miserly, stingy”), Dutch karig (“austere, scant, sparing”), Norwegian karrig (“barren; meagre; poor”), Old High German charag, karag (“sparing”) (modern German karg (“barren; meagre, poor”)), Old Saxon carag, karag, Swedish karg (“austere; barren; hungry; needy, poor”). See further at care.

cog

O therefore loue be of thy ſelfe ſo wary, / As I not for my ſelfe, but for thee will, / Bearing thy heart, which I will keep ſo chary / As tender nurſe her babe from faring ill, [...]

1609, William Shakespeare, “Sonnet 22”, in Shake-speares Sonnets. […], London: By G[eorge] Eld for T[homas] T[horpe] and are to be sold by William Aspley, →OCLC, lines 11–12:

Synonym of charily: carefully, cautiously, warily.


heuristically

en-adv

heuristically (comparative more heuristically, superlative most heuristically)

more heuristically (comparative)
most heuristically (superlative)


uniquely

uniquely (comparative more uniquely, superlative most uniquely)

more uniquely (comparative)
most uniquely (superlative)

a uniquely gifted musician

components that are uniquely numbered for identification


all told

From all + told (“counted”), from the original, now archaic sense of tell, which see.

I think they had over 300 people there, all told.

(idiomatic) With everything included, counted, or summed; in total.


doggy style

From the resemblance to the manner in which dogs mate.

[…]chimpanzees, gorillas, and monkeys usually copulate face to face though on occasion will perform that act "doggy" style.

1968, Dear Doctor Hip Pocrates; advice your family doctor never gave you, page 5:

And then we'll do it doggy style so we can both watch "X-Files"

1999, Jimmy Pop (lyrics and music), “The Bad Touch”, in Hooray for Boobies, performed by Bloodhound Gang:

(slang, of sexual intercourse) In a position whereby one partner is on all fours and the other partner is penetrating from behind.


ideally

ideally (comparative more ideally, superlative most ideally)

more ideally (comparative)
most ideally (superlative)

The summit of Mauna Kea is considered the ideal place to mount an astronomical observatory, for above the clouds there is only the stars and the skies are ideally transparent.

2004, Richard Fortey, The Earth, Folio Society, published 2011, page 46:

Ideally, we would have one textbook per student, but unfortunately some of you will have to share.


clumsily

clumsily (comparative more clumsily, superlative most clumsily)

more clumsily (comparative)
most clumsily (superlative)

But, bowing with sketchily joined hands, they smiled their way clumsily out, down to the darkness.

1959, Anthony Burgess, Beds in the East (The Malayan Trilogy), published 1972, page 514:

In a clumsy manner or way; without care or finesse, often hurriedly or awkwardly.

graponerament

done without care or finesse, often hurriedly or awkwardly


verily

From Middle English verraily, from verray (“true, very”) + -ly. More at very, -ly.

When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, John 13:21:

He would weep for hours together, and I verily believe that to the very end this spoilt child of life thought his weak tears in some way efficacious.

1898, H.G. Wells, The War of the Worlds, London: William Heinemann, page 218:

Are there three or four pleasing poems and are all the rest put in to fill up the book? Nay. verily! The poems in this collection are those that children love.

1904, Mary Elizabeth Burt, Poems That Every Child Should Know, Preface:


right away

This item is urgent, so please start on it right away.

(idiomatic) Very soon; quickly; immediately.

The locomotive was the now inevitable American 2-8-0, No. 2623. There she stood, effectively blocking the level crossing, simmering gently, massively inert. It was almost dark, and one's final sight was of her high, firelit cab, the enginemen nonchalantly leaning out, waiting for the right-away, while impatient road convoys piled up on both sides of the crossing.

1945 January and February, “Notes and News: American Locomotives in France”, in Railway Magazine, page 46:

(dated) The traditional call to the driver of a train or other conveyance intimating that it is safe to move off immediately.


a little

The door was opened a little.

Orion hit a rabbit once; but though sore wounded it got to the bury, and, struggling in, the arrow caught the side of the hole and was drawn out. Indeed, a nail filed sharp is not of much avail as an arrowhead; you must have it barbed, and that was a little beyond our skill.

1879, R[ichard] J[efferies], chapter II, in The Amateur Poacher, London: Smith, Elder, & Co., […], →OCLC:

Hi, Amelia! Are you busy? — I’m a little busy.
Audio (US): (file)

2016, VOA Learning English (public domain)

Scrooge McDuck "A little salty."
Zeus "Dip not good enough for you mortal? You offend Olympus!"

2018, “The Spear of Selene”, in Duck Tales:

(prefixed to adjectives or adverbs) sub-

She's a little strange, but nice enough.

It's a little big, don't you think?

It could do with a little work, that's for sure.


gey

Originally a variant form of gay, now associated with distinct senses.

I am nae believer in auld wives' stories about ghaists, though this is gey like a place for them - But mortal, or of the other world, here they come! - twa men and a light.

1816, Sir Walter Scott, The Antiquary, Oxford University Press, published 2002, page 207:

But I'll put a gold chain around his neck, An' a gey good chain it'll be.

2001, David Thomson, The People of the Sea: Celtic Tales of the Seal-folk, Canongate Books, page 213:

(Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) Very.


definitionally

In a definitional manner; as a definition.


on the sly

This diversion was enjoyed on the sly, and unknown to the ladies of the house.

1857, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 16, in The Virginians:

He was working for us on the sly at the Herald-Traveler-Record-American (before it shortened its topheavy name), then as now a reactionary, homophobic rag. Evidently he placed himself at some risk to help us, I learned later, because he was threatened with dismissal for his unauthorized use of the typesetter.

1984 December 15, John Kyper, “Remembering David Stryker”, in Gay Community News, volume 12, number 22, page 5:

(idiomatic) Slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily.

əlaltından

slyly, in an inconspicuous manner, so as not to be seen; secretly; stealthily


venomously

venomously (comparative more venomously, superlative most venomously)

more venomously (comparative)
most venomously (superlative)

Inherited from Middle English venymously; by surface analysis, venomous + -ly.

inh+

He spat venomously over the side of the tree and proceeded to tell me how different things had been when he was young.

1929, Robert Dean Frisbee, The Book of Puka-Puka, Eland, published 2019, page 192:


insidiously

en-adv

insidiously (comparative more insidiously, superlative most insidiously)

more insidiously (comparative)
most insidiously (superlative)


definitively

definitively (comparative more definitively, superlative most definitively)

more definitively (comparative)
most definitively (superlative)

In a way that is not only decisive, but also conclusive and final.

definitivament

in a decisive, conclusive and final manner


sunny side up

(US) Of an egg: fried on one side, served with the unbroken relatively soft yolk on the top.

(of a newborn) Born with one's head facing upward, as opposed to the normal downward-facing birth.


insignificantly

insignificantly (comparative more insignificantly, superlative most insignificantly)

more insignificantly (comparative)
most insignificantly (superlative)

In an insignificant manner, or to a degree that does not matter.


intuitively

intuitively (comparative more intuitively, superlative most intuitively)

more intuitively (comparative)
most intuitively (superlative)

Though he had never been to art school, he intuitively painted vivid landscapes.

"I will," said Constance, who felt intuitively that Lady Marchmont spoke the truth: "I thought that there was something very peculiar in your manner at Mrs. Howard's fête; and Lady Dudley——"

1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Confidence”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 100:

Thus, native speakers have an intuitive knowledge of the syntactic relations between the words in sentences in their language; in other words, they intuitively know how words are combined together to form Phrases, and Phrases are combined together to form sentences. [...]

1988, Andrew Radford, Transformational Grammar, Cambridge: University Press, →ISBN, page 4:

By intuition; with skill or accuracy, but without special training or planning; instinctively.


forn

From Middle English forn, from Old English foran (“before, in front, forward, to the front”). More at fore.

inh

1598-1602, [author unknown], The Parnassus plays
Stories of love, where forne the wondring bench, / The lisping gallant might injoy his wench.

(obsolete) Fore, before; in front of; forward; previously.


backstage

en-adv

backstage (comparative more backstage, superlative most backstage)

more backstage (comparative)
most backstage (superlative)

Backstage I'm lonely, backstage I cry / You've gone away and each night I seem to die a little

1966, “Backstage”, performed by Gene Pitney:


sulkily

sulkily (comparative more sulkily, superlative most sulkily)

more sulkily (comparative)
most sulkily (superlative)

But the pretty milk-maid was much too vexed to make any answer. She picked up the leg sulkily and led her cow away, the poor animal limping on three legs.

1900 May 17, L[yman] Frank Baum, “The Dainty China Country”, in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Chicago, Ill., New York, N.Y.: Geo[rge] M[elvin] Hill Co., →OCLC, page 230:

By hammering trenchantly on that point, Podson was induced to say sulkily, "Oh, all right, if you're so set on it...I never mentioned it. Hang it, I'm not likely to mention it to anybody, am I?"

1938, Norman Lindsay, Age of Consent, 1st Australian edition, Sydney, N.S.W.: Ure Smith, published 1962, →OCLC, page 88:


irreligiously

irreligiously (comparative more irreligiously, superlative most irreligiously)

more irreligiously (comparative)
most irreligiously (superlative)


carefully

carefully (comparative more carefully, superlative most carefully)

more carefully (comparative)
most carefully (superlative)

From Middle English carfulli, carefulliche, from Old English carfullīċe, ċearfullīċe (“carefully, diligently”), equivalent to careful + -ly.

[…] there was she faine / To call them all in order to her ayde, / And them conjure, upon eternall paine, / To counsell her, so carefully dismayd, / How she might heale her sonne […]

1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book III, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC:

As he was a politician, he discussed all subjects carefully, not offending anyone.

He carefully studied the papers, while planning his next move.

He carefully avoided the subject all evening.

Then his sallow face brightened, for the hall had been carefully furnished, and was very clean. ¶ There was a neat hat-and-umbrella stand, and the stranger's weary feet fell soft on a good, serviceable dark-red drugget, which matched in colour the flock-paper on the walls.

1913, Mrs. [Marie] Belloc Lowndes, chapter II, in The Lodger, London: Methuen, →OCLC; republished in Novels of Mystery: The Lodger; The Story of Ivy; What Really Happened, New York, N.Y.: Longmans, Green and Co., […], [1933], →OCLC, page 0091:

Conscientiously, painstakingly, fastidiously, meticulously


single file

They walked single file.


downmarket

downmarket (comparative more downmarket, superlative most downmarket)

more downmarket (comparative)
most downmarket (superlative)

Coordinate term: midmarket

Sadly, by the 1970s the arcade had gone downmarket with brash shop fronts and cheap shops, some of doubtful reputation.

2021 December 15, Robin Leleux, “Awards honour the best restoration projects: The Great Western Railway Craft Skills Award: Victoria Arcade”, in RAIL, number 946, page 59:

Towards the less prestigious sector of the market.


interminably

in an interminable manner; (seemingly) endlessly


goalside

When marking an attacker, always try to stay goalside to him.


implicitly

implicitly (comparative more implicitly, superlative most implicitly)

more implicitly (comparative)
most implicitly (superlative)


all-around

an all-around better player than me

Vacation with pay, annual passes, and all around better working conditions.

1911, The Railroad Telegrapher, volume 28, page 1730:

In addition, be sure to reinforce - as persistently as possible - that addressing questionable behavior makes for an all-around better organization.

2005, Christopher Bauer, Better Ethics Now: How to Avoid the Ethics Disaster You Never Saw Coming:

He graduated from the Police Academy in 1957 winning the Police Commissioner's Trophy for all around highest scores-academically, physically, and for firearm proficiency.

2010, Anne T. Romano, Italian Americans in Law Enforcement, page 84:

Collectively, the three sections in this chapter are intended to add to what has gone before regarding personal behavior and to serve as additional food for thought for those attempting to be all-around better people.

2013, Holland E. Bynam, On Being a Better You, page 26:


whole cloth

Some are strangely detailed, like the hugely antlered white deer-creature-cum-forest-god seemingly stolen whole cloth from Princess Mononoke.

2012 May 31, Tasha Robinson, “Film: Review: Snow White And The Huntsman”, in The A.V. Club:

(idiomatic) in full extent, wholesale, entirely, without changes or additions


syntactically

syntactically (comparative more syntactically, superlative most syntactically)

more syntactically (comparative)
most syntactically (superlative)

The sentence was syntactically correct, but made no sense.

Thus, there is a third kind of judgment, which we shall call characterization. The wa-phrase and ga-phrase serve syntactically to distinguish predicational judgment not only from nonpredicational description but also from characterizational judgment.

1965 June 4, Shigeyuki Kuroda, “Generative grammatical studies in the Japanese language”, in DSpace@MIT, retrieved 2014-02-24:


haltingly

haltingly (comparative more haltingly, superlative most haltingly)

more haltingly (comparative)
most haltingly (superlative)

He spoke haltingly of his battle with cancer and its affect on his family.

I just learned how to read Korean this summer and am still new to the language, so I still read and pronounce the words haltingly when I try to read a sentence in Korean. I take over a minute, whereas one with an excellent command of the Korean language would take 12.5 seconds.

Mr. Biden’s core supporters expressed confidence in his performance, in which he spoke knowledgeably, if haltingly, about foreign policy after hosting a summit of NATO leaders in Washington.

2024 July 12, Linda Feldmann, “Biden is on a knife’s edge: Can he hang on?”, in The Christian Science Monitor:

In a halting or limping manner; full of pauses or hesitation.


AUC

From Latin AUC, (anno) ab urbe condita (“in the year from the city having been founded”) or anno urbis conditae (“in the year of the city's having been founded”), both in reference to Rome's legendary establishment by Romulus. The era was not in common use by the Romans, who preferred dating by the years' consuls, but Roman historians give several dates for this era. The one most commonly used in the present day is Varro's, which dates from the third year of the sixth Olympiad (753 bc).

(historical) According to the Roman era, which reckons the number of years passed from the foundation of the city of Rome by Romulus, now usually taken as 753 bc.


penologically

The DOC has offered no evidence to suggest that these actions were taken for any other reason, penologically legitimate or otherwise.

2001, US Court of Appeals, Rauser v Horn:


nip and tuck

nip and tuck (comparative more nip and tuck, superlative most nip and tuck)

more nip and tuck (comparative)
most nip and tuck (superlative)

Of unknown origin. First use appears c. 1845, in the publication American Whig Review.

A man told me that they was both admitted to practice in the S'preme Court in '39, on the same day, sir. Then you know they was nip an' tuck after the same young lady.

1901 May, Winston Churchill, chapter V, in The Crisis, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC:

"I am glad I happened to reach him," he said, in an effort to relieve her embarrassment. "We had it nip and tuck," he added, lightly. "My lungs are lined with dust."

1913, Will N. Harben, The Desired Woman:

Obama's road to the White House was far from assured during the 2008 primary season when he ran nip and tuck with McCain in early Gallup Poll trial heats for the general election.

2009, Alec M. Gallup, Frank Newport, Gallup Poll: Public Opinion 2008, page 379:

With the advantage of changing hands, or shifting back and forth among the available alternatives.

tasaväkisesti

evenly matched with vacillating advantage


passing

[...] for she was called a fair lady, and a passing wise, and her name was called Igraine.

1485 July 5, Sir Thomas Malory, chapter I, in William Caxton, editor, Le Morte D’Arthur, volume 1:

How wonderful is Death, / Death and his brother Sleep! / One, pale as yonder waning moon / With lips of lurid blue; / The other, rosy as the morn / When throned on ocean's wave / It blushes o'er the world: / Yet both so passing wonderful!

1813, Percy Bysshe Shelley, “Canto I”, in Queen Mab; […], London: […] P. B. Shelley, […], →OCLC, page 3:

She's passing fair; but so demure is she / So quiet is her gown, so smooth her hair, […]

1926, Dorothy Parker, “Roundel”, in Enough Rope, page 89:

I find it passing strange that convicts understand honest folk, but honest folk don't understand convicts.

2010 October 29, Simon Hattenstone, quoting David Taylor, “Letters from lifers”, in The Guardian:

(literary or archaic) Surpassingly, greatly.


plentifully

plentifully (comparative more plentifully, superlative most plentifully)

more plentifully (comparative)
most plentifully (superlative)

From Middle English plentefully, plentefullych, plentyfullyche, equivalent to plentiful + -ly.

O love the Lord, all ye his saints: for the Lord preserveth the faithful, and plentifully rewardeth the proud doer.

1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 31:23:


illegally

illegally (comparative more illegally, superlative most illegally)

more illegally (comparative)
most illegally (superlative)

He received a ticket for illegally parking next to a fire hydrant.

The dangers of scofflawry vary wildly. The person who illegally spits on the sidewalk remains disgusting, but clearly poses less risk to others than the company that illegally buries hazardous chemical waste in an unauthorized location.

1983 January 24, Frank Trippett, “Essay: A Red Light for Scofflaws”, in Time:


relentlessly

relentlessly (comparative more relentlessly, superlative most relentlessly)

more relentlessly (comparative)
most relentlessly (superlative)

sprightliness and vivacity which time has relentlessly taken from his person

The leadership team must believe in it and pursue it relentlessly, along with the leader herself.

2022, Gary A. Garfield, Driving Results:


bigtime

This was the first test for that message -- and it failed bigtime.

2018 March 15, Bill Press, “‘Lamb the Sham’ beats ‘Trump the Chump’”, in Chicago Tribune:


in lieu

time off in lieu (of overtime pay)

paid in lieu as liquidated damages


once in a blue moon

See blue moon. First use appears c. 1833. See cite below.

Coordinate term: once in a purple moon

We are no advocates for the eternal system of producing foreign operas to the exclusion of the works of English composers, but once in a blue moon such a thing may be allowed.

1833, J. Lection (publisher), The Athenæum, page 780:

[T]ime expanded and space contracted, and the name Blue Moon took on a symbolic meaning, as if the future, so delicately plausible, were of a kind that might happen once in a blue moon only.

1933, James Hilton, Lost Horizon, published 1973, page 133:

(idiomatic) Very rarely; very infrequently.


mindbogglingly

mindbogglingly (comparative more mindbogglingly, superlative most mindbogglingly)

more mindbogglingly (comparative)
most mindbogglingly (superlative)

Space […] is big. Really big. You just won’t believe how vastly, hugely mindbogglingly big it is.

1979 October 12, Douglas Adams, chapter 8, in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, London: Pan Books, →ISBN, page 62:

It is barrenness on such a mind-bogglingly enormous scale that it takes your breath away.

2005, Sean Dooley, The Big Twitch, Sydney: Allen and Unwin, page 165:

In a mindboggling manner; in such a way as to boggle the mind; so as to be beyond comprehension or understanding.


wholeheartedly

wholeheartedly (comparative more wholeheartedly, superlative most wholeheartedly)

more wholeheartedly (comparative)
most wholeheartedly (superlative)

He jumped in wholeheartedly and began to learn the language.

Fans relished the traditional FA Cup fanfare from the Coldstream Guards and the hymn Abide With Me before throwing themselves wholeheartedly into an experience they have been largely deprived of since the first coronavirus lockdown began in March 2020.

2021 May 15, Phil McNulty, “Chelsea 0-1 Leicester”, in BBC Sport:

In a wholehearted manner; enthusiastically; without reserve.

قلبا وقالبا

in a wholehearted manner; with one's whole heart; enthusiastically


approximately

approximately 60 beats per minute

In every box of matches there are approximately 40 matchsticks.

Per 100 g of chocolate there is approximately 11.6 g of saturated fat.

Returning to our own epistemic situation, we do not know the sense in which quantum mechanics and relativity will be taken to be approximately true after their descriptive infelicities are addressed.

2007 October 24, Jeffrey Alan Barrett, “Approximate Truth and Descriptive Nesting”, in Erkenntnis, volume 68, number 2, →DOI:

Imprecise but close to in quantity or amount.

afërsisht

imprecise but close to in quantity or amount


backwards

backwards (comparative more backwards, superlative most backwards)

more backwards (comparative)
most backwards (superlative)

From Middle English bakwardis, bakwardis, a variant of Middle English bakwarde, bakward (“backward”). Equivalent to backward + -s. Compare Saterland Frisian bäkove (“backwards”).

The length of the stoppages could not well be reduced; indeed, they are already too short if we are to believe the tale now current of a wandering Jew sort of passenger—a lady of advanced years who can only alight from a train backwards. Every time she begins to get out a porter rushes up crying "Hurry up, ma'am; train's going!"—and pushes her in again!

1944 May and June, “When the Circle was Steam Operated”, in Railway Magazine, page 150:

Synonym of backward; see usage notes there.

look as if one has been dragged through a hedge backwards


up the gut

American football
American football#English

Describing a play in American football in which the player runs the ball through the middle of the field through defenders.


legally

legally (comparative more legally, superlative most legally)

more legally (comparative)
most legally (superlative)

You can legally park in the lot on weekends without paying the fee, they won't ticket you.

On the question of whether a memorandum of understanding is legally binding, British courts have held that this is determined by the presence (or, as the case may be, absence) of an intention to create a legal obligation, on the part of the states parties concerned, at the time of entry into the arrangement.

2012, Dinah Shelton, International Law and Domestic Legal Systems, page 624:

As permitted by law; not contrary to law.

Legally, I think you are covered, but there are angry guys with baseball bats outside.