Word of the Day

[Augustine2004]

belvedere





a structure, such as a summer house or an open roofed gallery, with a command of a fine view.

Courtesy Wikipedia



The word belvedere comes from the Italian phrase meaning 'beautiful view.'



Lady Spruance suggested that Teabeltane and she go to the South belvedere. 'I have a surprise,' she said archly.

[Augustine2004]

Benchley, Robert Charles





(1889-1945). U.S. actor, film director, drama critic, and comic essayist. Acclaimed America's greatest humorist [not a recommendation, just a citation]





After dinner, Lady Gurance and Teabenkline argued whether James Thurber's 'The Secret Life of Walter Mitty' did top every one of Robert Charles Benchley's short stories, while Jack and Jane could hardly contain their laughter at Gurance and Teabenkline's comical gestures meant to illustrate all those stories.

[Augustine2004]

bend sinister





Essay. In heraldry, a regular bend is a diagonal band on a coat of arms that goes down from the right upper part (right being that of the putative bearer of the coat). The bend sinister goes from the opposite upper corner, see the illustration of the Lincolnshire County Council coat http://www.civicheraldry.co.uk/lincs.html







Lady Sminister protested. 'No, it can't be the right coat, that has to be a bend sinister, but that bend is only regular.'

[Augustine2004]

Benedicite

benedict

benedick

Benedict

Benedictine

benediction

Benedictus







Essay. The odd balls are benedict and benedick. Both words mean a 'confirmed' bachelor who has recently married [let us hope I will become a benedict soon] (from Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing). The rest of the words have meanings in Christianity. Benedicite is a canticle that begins, 'Benedicite, omina opera omini Domino' ('All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord'). Benedict of Nursia is a monk who found the monastic order of Benedictines. Benediction is a blessing or the act of blessing, or the invocation of divine blessing, usually at the end of a service, or the state of blessedness. Benedictus is a short canticle that begins, 'Benedictus qui venit in nomine Domini' ('Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord).







The minister, recently a benedict, led the congregation in singing the Benedicite, followed by the Benedictus. His wife then said a benediction to end the service.

[Augustine2004]

Benelux





Economic union established (1948) by Belgium, the Nethrlands, and Luxembourg. Became the world's first completely free international market for goods and labor [I doubt that, will look for corroborating literature] (1960).





Teabex read in the Wikipedia Benelux entry: 'The treaty establishing the Benelux Economic Union (Benelux Economische Unie/Union Économique Benelux) was signed on February 3, 1958 in The Hague and came into force on November 1, 1960 to promote the free movement of workers, capital, services, and goods in the region.' He frowned; he still thought that the use of the word 'completely' was inaccurate. After all, the treaty in itself implied some sort of state control, did it not? To be sure, perhaps what was meant was that the market became free to span the three nations.

[Augustine2004]

Bentham, Jeremy





the one who laid the foundations of utilitarianism (ethical system), also called Benthamism.







More regarding Jeremy Bentham and his work can be found in Wikipedia

[Augustine2004]

benthic

benthal

benthonic

benthos

benthograph





Essay. No doubt some of you quickly recognized benthic ('of or pertaining to the bottom of a sea or lake, especially at a considerable depth'). The next two words may puzzle you momentarily, though. If so, gotcha! They both mean the same thing as the first word. Now that you know, benthos is fairly obvious: 'the bottom of a sea or lake, especially at a considerable depth'. But benthograph? 'Tis a steel sphere containing cameras and lights, designed to operate at great depths for underwater exploration.





Teabenthic chortled with delight as the first images of the benthograph came pouring into the control room. 'Benthic Ed, always a deep guy,' Teabenthic sang.

[Augustine2004]

Bentley, Edmund Clerihew





British man of letters notable for the classic detective story Trent's Last Case and for his invention of the short verse biography called a 'clerihew.' (Example below.)







Bentley was famous chiefly for inventing 'clerihews,' like this one:

Sir Christopher Wren
Said, "I am going to dine with some men.
If anyone calls
Say I am designing St. Paul's."

[Don't forget 'clerihew'; I won't make that a WotD.]

[Augustine2004]

Benton, Thomas Hart

Benton, Thomas Hart





Essay. Two famous persons, both Americans. I don't know if Thomas the painter was named after Thomas the senator, though Wikipedia said the painter was the senator's grand nephew. More on the senator http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...on_(politician). The painter http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_...enton_(painter).







In his lecture before the American Academy of Historians, the poor professor made a colossal blunder. He attributed a painting to Thomas Hart Benton the senator. Whereupon Dr Joseph Mickle rose to say that the painting was done after the good senator had died, in 1858.

[Augustine2004]

bentwood





wood steamed to make it more pliable and then bent into shape.

Adjective. Of or designating furniture made of bentwood.







Teabentup searched the room for clues, and noticed its two chairs were bentwood. He quickly recognized the style, that of Gruenwood, and made a mental note to visit him soon.

[Augustine2004]

Coma Berenices ('Berenice's Hair')





constellation in the northern sky.





More in the Wikipedia article on Coma Berenices, including the associated myth, the Coma cluster of galaxies and the Black Eye Galaxy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coma_Berenices

[Augustine2004]

berceuse





a cradlesong or lullaby.

A musical composition with a soothing accompaniment, usually in moderate 6/8 time.





Hearing a familiar song, Millicent glanced right, looking for who was singing. There on a wood park bench was a young woman singing a berceuse to an swaddled infant in her arms.

[Augustine2004]

Bering, Vitus (also Behring)

Bering Sea

Bering Strait




Essay. A Danish explorer (1680-1741) who worked for Russia. In 1728 he traversed the Bering Strait, proving that Asia and North America are separate continents. The part of the North Pacific Ocean north of the Aleutian Islands and south of the Bering Strait is named the Bering Sea.







In Archangel, Teabeing went in search of a great-great-grandson of Vitus Bering, the great Danish explorer for Russia, hoping that the relative would throw some light on what the carvings on the ivory may mean.

[Augustine2004]

Berkeleianism




George Berkeley's philosophy that holds that material objects have no existence independent of a mind perceiving them and that the uniform and continuous nature of the universe must be maintained by a divine mind always perceiving everything.





George Berkeley, an Irish philosopher and clergyman, developed a philosophy, Berkeleianism, to counter Thomas Hobbes' materialism. One thing George said: To be is to perceive or be perceived.

[Augustine2004]

Bermuda rig





A fore-and-aft rig distinguished by a tall triangular mainsail. Also called the 'Marconi rig.'







The Bermuda rig is widely used on cruising and racing vessels.