cater
verb, transitive. To provide food and drink, typically at social events and in a professional capacity. To provide what is needed or required. To try to satisfy a particular need or demand.
Ed cradled his head in both hands and stared at the surface of his desk. He could hear Mary talking to their daughter, Ellen, in the kitchen. As happened more and more often these days, the girl had had another crisis at school. Instead of calming and recovering after she arrived home, she was spiraling into a pattern of regret and self-recrimination. Ed feared that Mary’s probing and suggestions were making it worse, rather than helping. Sometimes, he felt that his wife catered to their daughter’s problems, rather than trying to help her to rise above them.
His thoughts turned to his sister Jennifer. He could remember her going through similar spells when she was in school, and she never seemed to find a way to solve her problems. Jenny had grown into a troubled woman, alone except for her mother and siblings. Last winter, she had tried to take her own life. They knew that she wanted help because she had done so in the parking lot of her workplace, where someone was sure to find her. One of her co-workers had done so, and had called an ambulance. Jenny had gone into a rehabilitation facility after her initial hospital stay, but had left after she began to feel better--a matter of days rather than the weeks Ed felt that she had needed. She hadn’t lost any weight. She hadn’t pursued psychotherapy any longer after leaving. She had moved in with their mother, who was doing her best to take care of Jenny and maintain both their households, despite her own troublesome health.
That situation was not going to end well, Ed thought. Mom had such diminished reserves of strength these days. He wished, for the hundredth or thousandth time, that his father was still alive. With his passing, Ed knew, his family now considered him to be the patriarch, to whom they could turn when they were at a loss as to how to solve their problems. He knew that in time, Ellen woulld do the same, but for now, he let Mary do the heavy lifting.
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
Friday, October 19, 2018
Sunday, October 14, 2018
Bandy
bandy
verb, transitive. To bat to and fro, as a tennis ball; to toss from side to side or pass about from one to another; to exchange words argumentatively; to discuss lightly or banteringly; to use in a glib or offhand manner.
Also a noun and an adjective.
Trish gazed at her niece--her namesake--and pressed her lips together. She hated seeing the young woman so unhappy.
“Want to take a walk with me?” she asked her.
Patricia nodded and got to her feet listlessly. The two descended the porch steps and headed toward the street.
As they negotiated the damp pavement with its mosaic of fallen leaves, Trish mentally rehearsed what she wanted to say for several minutes before she spoke: “You know that your dad is upset that you dropped out of school. He’s trying hard to avoid unloading his frustration on you. He knows that he needs to let you find your way through this.”
Patricia shook her head, watching the pavement in front of them. “I feel so bad, even though I know it’s the right thing for me to do right now. There was just so much--so much reading, so much homework, so many papers. Every day, more and more. I knew I would never be able to get on top of it all!”
Trish nodded. “David had a similar problem his freshman year. He got used to it by the end of his first semester, but it was a struggle. He waited until nearly the end of his first sophomore semester to drop out. His reasons were different from yours.
“A friend and I talked about the problems people have when they start college. He told me that colleges and universities use freshman year as a way to cull students who may not belong there. They use the required classes and make them extra-demanding; pile on the work until students reach a breaking point.”
“Well, they broke me,” Patricia admitted.
“Strained you,” Trish corrected her. “I don’t want to bandy words with you, hon. I think you just need time to figure out what you want out of life and how to achieve that. I think you should stick with your job for a year or two, and maybe take a class or two in subjects unrelated to what you thought you wanted to major in. Take things that might be fun, like--I don’t know--horticulture.”
“Horticulture!” At last, Trish saw the grin on the girl’s face that she had wanted to see.
“Okay, basket-weaving. Something you never thought you’d want to learn. Just give it a shot. And read. Read a lot. Read books that never appealed to you before, but keep reading the stuff you love, as well. Mix it up. Life is long. You can’t know what information and ideas may come in handy later.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
verb, transitive. To bat to and fro, as a tennis ball; to toss from side to side or pass about from one to another; to exchange words argumentatively; to discuss lightly or banteringly; to use in a glib or offhand manner.
Also a noun and an adjective.
Trish gazed at her niece--her namesake--and pressed her lips together. She hated seeing the young woman so unhappy.
“Want to take a walk with me?” she asked her.
Patricia nodded and got to her feet listlessly. The two descended the porch steps and headed toward the street.
As they negotiated the damp pavement with its mosaic of fallen leaves, Trish mentally rehearsed what she wanted to say for several minutes before she spoke: “You know that your dad is upset that you dropped out of school. He’s trying hard to avoid unloading his frustration on you. He knows that he needs to let you find your way through this.”
Patricia shook her head, watching the pavement in front of them. “I feel so bad, even though I know it’s the right thing for me to do right now. There was just so much--so much reading, so much homework, so many papers. Every day, more and more. I knew I would never be able to get on top of it all!”
Trish nodded. “David had a similar problem his freshman year. He got used to it by the end of his first semester, but it was a struggle. He waited until nearly the end of his first sophomore semester to drop out. His reasons were different from yours.
“A friend and I talked about the problems people have when they start college. He told me that colleges and universities use freshman year as a way to cull students who may not belong there. They use the required classes and make them extra-demanding; pile on the work until students reach a breaking point.”
“Well, they broke me,” Patricia admitted.
“Strained you,” Trish corrected her. “I don’t want to bandy words with you, hon. I think you just need time to figure out what you want out of life and how to achieve that. I think you should stick with your job for a year or two, and maybe take a class or two in subjects unrelated to what you thought you wanted to major in. Take things that might be fun, like--I don’t know--horticulture.”
“Horticulture!” At last, Trish saw the grin on the girl’s face that she had wanted to see.
“Okay, basket-weaving. Something you never thought you’d want to learn. Just give it a shot. And read. Read a lot. Read books that never appealed to you before, but keep reading the stuff you love, as well. Mix it up. Life is long. You can’t know what information and ideas may come in handy later.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
Monday, September 17, 2018
Abbreviate
abbreviate
verb, transitive. To make briefer, to shorten, to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole.
As Mr. Kempke launched into his usual drone five minutes into class, Charley surveyed his fellow students, one by one. He needed to borrow someone’s notes taken during the previous day’s class, in order to prepare for the quiz Kempke planned to give them on Firday.
His gaze stopped on Hillary Meyer--the only student already diligently scribbling away as Kempke talked. Charley was reluctant to engage the girl in conversation. His friends would wonder what possessed him to spend time talking to such a dog, but he needed the information that he knew she possessed. He had cut classes yesterday and forged his dad’s signature on the written excuse he had handed in to the office this morning. He needed class notes that were richly detailed, and he could tell that Hillary’s would fill that requirement.
She was still busy annotating in her notebook when class ended. Charley stepped across two aisles and paused beside her. She capped her pen and peered at his face through her glasses. Their lenses were so thick that they magnified her eyes, which were, he noticed for the first time, a rich hazel.
“Hillary, I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from yesterday. I was out sick.”
She studied him as she shoved her pen, notebook and textbook into her massive tote without looking. “You don’t have anything contagious, do you?”
Charley was startled. What had caused his absence? For a moment, he couldn’t remember the reason he had included in the note he had written. He found himself gazing at Hillary’s smooth, faintly-rose-tinted cheeks, unmarred by a single pimple, thinking it a shame that such lovely skin was hidden behind those massive spectacles.
“Upset stomach,” he blurted, remembering. “Something I ate the night before.”
Hillary considered him, then heaved her tote from the floor to her desktop. “Can you photocopy them and return them today? I have to study, too, you know.”
Charley doubted that, but assured her that he could do as she asked, although he regretted the necessity of spending money to photocopy the notes. Without saying anything more, Hillary retrieved the notebook from the interior of her tote and offered it to him. Charley opened it and leafed through to the last used page, then turned back a page or two.
“Just let me find where you started yesterday’s notes,” he mused. Hillary stood and leafed back two pages further than he had.
“There.” She pointed at the top of the page, where she had jotted the date.
Charley read for a moment, then frowned. “What’s this ‘IR?’ What does that mean?”
“’Industrial Revolution.’ I abbreviated it after the first few minutes of note-taking. Didn’t you?”
Charley met her gaze with consternation, unwilling to admit that his own notes were so sketchy that he had never had to solve the problem of how to condense the material so as to make note-taking less laborious. When he didn’t reply, she pulled her tote’s strap over her shoulder and moved toward the classroom door. “At first, I abbreviated it as ‘Indus Rev,’ then ‘Ind Rev.’ Finally, I just shortened it to ‘IR.’ Saves a lot of ink.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
verb, transitive. To make briefer, to shorten, to reduce to a shorter form intended to stand for the whole.
As Mr. Kempke launched into his usual drone five minutes into class, Charley surveyed his fellow students, one by one. He needed to borrow someone’s notes taken during the previous day’s class, in order to prepare for the quiz Kempke planned to give them on Firday.
His gaze stopped on Hillary Meyer--the only student already diligently scribbling away as Kempke talked. Charley was reluctant to engage the girl in conversation. His friends would wonder what possessed him to spend time talking to such a dog, but he needed the information that he knew she possessed. He had cut classes yesterday and forged his dad’s signature on the written excuse he had handed in to the office this morning. He needed class notes that were richly detailed, and he could tell that Hillary’s would fill that requirement.
She was still busy annotating in her notebook when class ended. Charley stepped across two aisles and paused beside her. She capped her pen and peered at his face through her glasses. Their lenses were so thick that they magnified her eyes, which were, he noticed for the first time, a rich hazel.
“Hillary, I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from yesterday. I was out sick.”
She studied him as she shoved her pen, notebook and textbook into her massive tote without looking. “You don’t have anything contagious, do you?”
Charley was startled. What had caused his absence? For a moment, he couldn’t remember the reason he had included in the note he had written. He found himself gazing at Hillary’s smooth, faintly-rose-tinted cheeks, unmarred by a single pimple, thinking it a shame that such lovely skin was hidden behind those massive spectacles.
“Upset stomach,” he blurted, remembering. “Something I ate the night before.”
Hillary considered him, then heaved her tote from the floor to her desktop. “Can you photocopy them and return them today? I have to study, too, you know.”
Charley doubted that, but assured her that he could do as she asked, although he regretted the necessity of spending money to photocopy the notes. Without saying anything more, Hillary retrieved the notebook from the interior of her tote and offered it to him. Charley opened it and leafed through to the last used page, then turned back a page or two.
“Just let me find where you started yesterday’s notes,” he mused. Hillary stood and leafed back two pages further than he had.
“There.” She pointed at the top of the page, where she had jotted the date.
Charley read for a moment, then frowned. “What’s this ‘IR?’ What does that mean?”
“’Industrial Revolution.’ I abbreviated it after the first few minutes of note-taking. Didn’t you?”
Charley met her gaze with consternation, unwilling to admit that his own notes were so sketchy that he had never had to solve the problem of how to condense the material so as to make note-taking less laborious. When he didn’t reply, she pulled her tote’s strap over her shoulder and moved toward the classroom door. “At first, I abbreviated it as ‘Indus Rev,’ then ‘Ind Rev.’ Finally, I just shortened it to ‘IR.’ Saves a lot of ink.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
Wednesday, June 13, 2018
Zero
zero
verb, transitive. To concentrate firepower on the exact range of, usually used with “in,” as “zero in”; to adjust an instrument to zero; to phase out or reduce to zero.
verb, intransitive. To adjust fire, as of artillery, on a specific target, usually used with “in; to move near to or focus attention as if on a target.
Also a noun and an adjective.
The kid was busy at the sink, finishing the most recent task Aaron had assigned him. Aaron decided to let him carry on and continued assembling ingredients on the table. The final thing he fetched was a small digital scale--his latest acquisition. He adjusted its unit value to pounds and ounces, then looked up as his assistant approached.
“Next?” the kid asked him.
“We’re going to make an Italian cream cake.” Aaron made a sweeping gesture across the table to indicate the containers and measuring implements he had gathered there. “I’ve done the mise en place,” he continued, hoping that he wouldn’t have to explain what that phrase meant.
“Thank you,” the kid said with a nod.
“Good. I’ll talk you through it.” Aaron stepped back and indicated that the kid should stand before the scale. “First, check the units on the scale. Look at your recipe. What should the scale read?”
“Pounds and ounces.”
“Correct. Place the large bowl on the scale, then zero it by pressing the ‘Tare’ button.” Aaron watched as the kid followed the instruction, then mused, “it seems as if ‘tare’ ought to be a verb. If it was, it would be less to say. I could just tell you to put the bowl on the scale, then to tare the scale. More efficient.” The kid met Aaron’s gaze and nodded. “Start with the flour.”
After the kid had weighed out the correct amount, Aaron instructed him to zero the scale again and add the next ingredient on the list. The process continued through the rest of the ingredients that had to be weighed, then those that had to be measured. The kid whisked the bowl of dry ingredients to remove any lumps, turned to the liquids and combined them, then gradually added the latter to the former. The cake, when it was done, was as good as any that Aaron’s bakery had ever produced.
The next morning, the kid was waiting at the shop door when Aaron arrived. He returned Aaron’s greeting, then said, “’Tare’ is a verb, sir. I had to look in two dictionaries, but in one of them it’s defined as a verb that means 'to zero.' So, I guess you can tell your trainees to ‘tare the scale.’”
Aaron smiled as he disabled the alarm. The kid was thorough, and capable of following up even without being told to. He might do, Aaron thought. Yes, he just might do.
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
verb, transitive. To concentrate firepower on the exact range of, usually used with “in,” as “zero in”; to adjust an instrument to zero; to phase out or reduce to zero.
verb, intransitive. To adjust fire, as of artillery, on a specific target, usually used with “in; to move near to or focus attention as if on a target.
Also a noun and an adjective.
The kid was busy at the sink, finishing the most recent task Aaron had assigned him. Aaron decided to let him carry on and continued assembling ingredients on the table. The final thing he fetched was a small digital scale--his latest acquisition. He adjusted its unit value to pounds and ounces, then looked up as his assistant approached.
“Next?” the kid asked him.
“We’re going to make an Italian cream cake.” Aaron made a sweeping gesture across the table to indicate the containers and measuring implements he had gathered there. “I’ve done the mise en place,” he continued, hoping that he wouldn’t have to explain what that phrase meant.
“Thank you,” the kid said with a nod.
“Good. I’ll talk you through it.” Aaron stepped back and indicated that the kid should stand before the scale. “First, check the units on the scale. Look at your recipe. What should the scale read?”
“Pounds and ounces.”
“Correct. Place the large bowl on the scale, then zero it by pressing the ‘Tare’ button.” Aaron watched as the kid followed the instruction, then mused, “it seems as if ‘tare’ ought to be a verb. If it was, it would be less to say. I could just tell you to put the bowl on the scale, then to tare the scale. More efficient.” The kid met Aaron’s gaze and nodded. “Start with the flour.”
After the kid had weighed out the correct amount, Aaron instructed him to zero the scale again and add the next ingredient on the list. The process continued through the rest of the ingredients that had to be weighed, then those that had to be measured. The kid whisked the bowl of dry ingredients to remove any lumps, turned to the liquids and combined them, then gradually added the latter to the former. The cake, when it was done, was as good as any that Aaron’s bakery had ever produced.
The next morning, the kid was waiting at the shop door when Aaron arrived. He returned Aaron’s greeting, then said, “’Tare’ is a verb, sir. I had to look in two dictionaries, but in one of them it’s defined as a verb that means 'to zero.' So, I guess you can tell your trainees to ‘tare the scale.’”
Aaron smiled as he disabled the alarm. The kid was thorough, and capable of following up even without being told to. He might do, Aaron thought. Yes, he just might do.
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
Sunday, June 10, 2018
Yank
yank
verb, transitive. To pull or extract with a quick, vigorous movement.
verb, intransitive. To pull on something with a quick, vigorous movement.
Also a noun.
Liz fumed as she laced her athletic shoes, wishing for the hundredth time that she had bought a different brand. These were too soft; too yielding. She was beginning to fear an injury because they felt so inadequate. The aches she felt around her insteps after her runs alarmed her. She was a big woman. Her feet needed support, not just cushioning. She yanked the lace tight and tied the knot, then turned to her other foot.
“Is something wrong?” her husband asked from the doorway.
Liz glanced up at him before returning her attention to her shoe. “Would you be upset with me if I told you that I want to drive to Edmond to buy a different pair of shoes?” She kept her eyes on her hands, knowing that he was probably gaping at her in disbelief.
He took his time responding. When he spoke, his voice was quiet: “I guess you should do as you think best, Liz. You’ve been complaining about those shoes since you bought them.”
She finished tying the second shoe and stood, looking at her feet while she wriggled her toes. “I know they’re really expensive,” she said, “but so is a podiatrist.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
verb, transitive. To pull or extract with a quick, vigorous movement.
verb, intransitive. To pull on something with a quick, vigorous movement.
Also a noun.
Liz fumed as she laced her athletic shoes, wishing for the hundredth time that she had bought a different brand. These were too soft; too yielding. She was beginning to fear an injury because they felt so inadequate. The aches she felt around her insteps after her runs alarmed her. She was a big woman. Her feet needed support, not just cushioning. She yanked the lace tight and tied the knot, then turned to her other foot.
“Is something wrong?” her husband asked from the doorway.
Liz glanced up at him before returning her attention to her shoe. “Would you be upset with me if I told you that I want to drive to Edmond to buy a different pair of shoes?” She kept her eyes on her hands, knowing that he was probably gaping at her in disbelief.
He took his time responding. When he spoke, his voice was quiet: “I guess you should do as you think best, Liz. You’ve been complaining about those shoes since you bought them.”
She finished tying the second shoe and stood, looking at her feet while she wriggled her toes. “I know they’re really expensive,” she said, “but so is a podiatrist.”
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
Wednesday, June 6, 2018
X
x
verb, transitive. To mark with an X; to cancel or obliterate with a series of X’s, usually used with “out”, as in “x’d out.” Also “x-ed”, “x’d” or “xed”; “x-ing” or “x’ing”.
Stu couldn’t help glancing at the stack of papers waiting for his examination before turning over the one before him. He certainly never expected that he would have to wade through hundreds of documents in order to investigate a crime when he opted for a law-enforcement career. “This bites. It bites big-time,” he thought. “I have an office the size of a closet, and the only time I get anywhere near a window is when I pass a couple of them on my way to the cafeteria at noon.” He heaved a massive sigh, relieved that there was no one with him in the office to hear it.
He returned to his study of the page before him. One-third of the way down the page, the type changed to a smaller size. Stu frowned and lifted the paper in order to read it more easily. That was when he saw it: someone had x-ed out a series of words in one paragraph in such a way that the deletions could have been mistaken for an ornamental pattern. Stu’s pulse quickened. He forgot the boredom he had felt only moments before. He moved the paper even closer in an effort to discern the words beneath the X’s. After a minute or two, he shook his head. Discovering what had been x-ed out was going to require one of the forensics experts’ tricks with different-colored lights and special software. His human eyesight was not enough.
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
verb, transitive. To mark with an X; to cancel or obliterate with a series of X’s, usually used with “out”, as in “x’d out.” Also “x-ed”, “x’d” or “xed”; “x-ing” or “x’ing”.
Stu couldn’t help glancing at the stack of papers waiting for his examination before turning over the one before him. He certainly never expected that he would have to wade through hundreds of documents in order to investigate a crime when he opted for a law-enforcement career. “This bites. It bites big-time,” he thought. “I have an office the size of a closet, and the only time I get anywhere near a window is when I pass a couple of them on my way to the cafeteria at noon.” He heaved a massive sigh, relieved that there was no one with him in the office to hear it.
He returned to his study of the page before him. One-third of the way down the page, the type changed to a smaller size. Stu frowned and lifted the paper in order to read it more easily. That was when he saw it: someone had x-ed out a series of words in one paragraph in such a way that the deletions could have been mistaken for an ornamental pattern. Stu’s pulse quickened. He forgot the boredom he had felt only moments before. He moved the paper even closer in an effort to discern the words beneath the X’s. After a minute or two, he shook his head. Discovering what had been x-ed out was going to require one of the forensics experts’ tricks with different-colored lights and special software. His human eyesight was not enough.
Definitions adapted from The New Oxford American Dictionary, Oxford University Press, Inc., 2005 (eBook Edition, copyright 2008), and from Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam Company, Publishers, Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, 1965, depending on which is more convenient to hand.
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