abrade

abrade - verb - to wear off or down by scraping or rubbing; to scrape off

suttee

suttee - n - A Hindu practice whereby a widow immolates herself on the funeral pyre of her husband: now abolished by law.

This wicked practice was outlawed by the English. The widow's immolation was supposed to be voluntary, but it's been much debated how great an influence social pressures played in her decision.

It's amazing the extent to which Franz Boaz's cultural relativism has become part of the collective consciousness. Allen Bloom told how his studentss could never bring themselves to condemn suttee; their most common opinion was that the English shouldn't have been there in the first place. I tried Bloom's experiment on a friend. "Were the English right to put a stop to this monstrous practice?" I asked. I'll bet you can guess his answer.

darn

darn - v. - to mend with interlacing stitches; to embroider by filling with long running or interlacing stitches

Wikipedia is a little more descriptive:

Darning is a sewing technique for repairing holes or worn areas in fabric or knitting with needle and thread alone. It is often done by hand, but it is also possible to darn with a sewing machine. Hand darning employs the darning stitch, a simple running stitch in which the thread is "woven" in rows along the grain of the fabric, with the stitcher reversing direction at the end of each row.
Darning also refers to any of several needlework techniques worked in darning stitches:

Pattern darning is a type of embroidery that uses parallel rows of straight stitches of different lengths to create a geometric design.

Net darning, also called filet lace, is a 19th century technique using stitching on a mesh foundation fabric to imitate lace.

Needle weaving is a drawn thread work embroidery technique that involves darning patterns into barelaid warp or weft threads.

This picture didn't teach me anything, so I included it for a laugh. Apparently, this is a picture of "darning." Let me know if you can figure it out.

cumber

cumber - verb - to hinder or hamper; to inconvience or trouble

shrew

shrew - n - A woman of violent temper and speech.

Guess which Shakespeare play is next on my list? I saw the movie, starring Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, in 1967. Burton in Elizabethan costume brought down the house. (There was a popular misconception that Elizabeth Taylor was just another pretty face. She certainly was pretty, but she was also a first-rate actress, as you can see in such movies as Raintree County, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (left, with Paul Newman), Suddenly Last Summer, and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?)

applique

applique - n. - a cutout decoration fastened to a larger piece of material

militate

militate - verb - to have force or influence

quilt

quilt - v. - to stitch (designs) through layers of cloth; to stitch or sew in layers with padding inbetween

Someday I'm going to make my own quilt...someday.

scientism

scientism - n - The belief that the assumptions, methods of research, etc., of the physical and biological sciences are equally appropriate and essential to all other disciplines, including the humanities and the social sciences.

This plausible but bad idea is the root of many, maybe most, modern evils and is the basis of such black arts as sociology, psychology, and economics.

ontology

ontology - n - The branch of metaphysics that studies the nature of existence or being as such.

I was - and occasionally still am - deeply interested in philosophical questions. The question ontology deals with is, "What is reality?" Bishop George Berkeley (1685-1753) thought reality was no more than sensual impressions projected on our senses from God's mind, a notion that holds up surprisingly well against attempts at refutation. Ronald Knox wittily summarized Berkeley's thought in two limericks:

There was a young man who said "God
Must think it exceedingly odd
If he finds that this tree
Continues to be
When there's no one about in the Quad."

"Dear Sir, your astonishment's odd;
I am always about in the Quad
And that's why this tree
Will continue to be
Since observed by Yours faithfully, God."

pleat

pleat - noun - a fold in cloth made by doubling the marterial upon itself then pressing or stitching it into place.

This is a technique of gathering a wide amount of cloth into a narrower circumference, most commonly seen in skirts or kilts.

(I think I beat Natalie to this word )

embroidery

embroidery - n. - the art or process of forming decorative designs with hand or machine needlework; elaboration by use of decorative and often fictitious detail

macrame

macrame - noun - an elaborately patterned lace-like webbing made of hand-knotted cord, yarn or the like and used for wall decorations, hanging baskets, garments, accessories, etc; the technique or art of producing such a work.

I have always enjoyed knots. At one point in my life I could name off a couple of dozen knots, show you how to tie them, explain their use as well as the history of the knot. Macrame has been one of those endeavors in the knot world I've never taken to, but have always wanted to try. It seems to be going the way of tatting these days (which I have tried successfully, I might add), you just don't see much of it around any more. Still, I might have to find some time under a rock or something and give this a try. It might be fun.

shirring

shirring - n. - a decorative gathering (as of cloth) made by drawing up the material along two or more parallel lines of stitching

I'm back, too! I know you were dying to learn more sewing words!

This word is in the definition of my previous word "smocking". I'm guessing that means shirring and smocking are the same thing with two different words to describe it. Here's another picture to help visualize (it's not so pretty but I like that it shows the stitching):

Romanesque

Romanesque - adj - Noting or pertaining to the style of architecture prevailing in western or southern Europe from the 9th through the 12th centuries, characterized by heavy masonry construction with narrow openings, features such as the round arch, the groin vault, and the barrel vault, and the introduction or development of the vaulting rib, the vaulting shaft, and central and western towers for churches.

I can't let Jeff have all the fun, and I've got a personal anecdote bearing on today's word.

I'm not just being nerdish when I emphasize the importance of translation when you select a book originally written in a foreign language. I almost went nuts reading Regine Pernoud's excellent Those Terrible Middle Ages, until I realized that the whole thing made sense once I substituted 'Romanesque' for 'Roman'.

For an example of Romanesque architecture, here's the Cathedrel at Aachen.

commodious

commodious - adj - comfortably or conveniently spacious; roomy

recidivism

recidivism - n - Repeated or habitual relapse, as into crime.

A major problem with our legal system is that it leaves convicts few options other than continuing in a life of crime. In theory, a criminal has paid his debt to society once he's finished serving his sentence. Realistically, he's unemployable at any but the most menial jobs, which means he's forced to keep on paying that supposedly discharged debt indefinitely. Is it any surprise that recidivism is so common?

George Bernard Shaw(1856-1950), a Fabian socialist who claimed to be a better playwright than Shakespeare, had an idea that bears closer examination. Shaw recognized the problem I've outlined above and suggested a solution. Suppose a man is convicted of a non-violent crime, something other than rape or murder, e.g., robbing the local Quikki Mart. Shaw suggested releasing the man with a warning and with no public record kept. Suppose our released criminal doesn't take the hint and robs Apu a second time. Release him with a sterner warning and still nothing on the public record. If he falls back a third time, execute him for being an incorrigible criminal. The more I think about it, the more I can't help feeling that this may be the best solution.

ectoplasm - n - The visible substance believed to emanate from the body of a spiritualistic medium during communication with the dead; am immaterial or ethereal substance, especially the transparent corporeal presence of a spirit or ghost.

I'm back!

Today's word was inspired by Richard Matheson's novel Hell House, which is one of the best ghost stories I've ever read. Highly recommended. (The photograph was taken December, 1948, in total darkness using a Kodak Infrared plate.)

fanfaronade

fanfaronade - noun - swaggering; empty boasting; blustering manner or behavior; ostentatious display; fanfare

explicate

explicate - verb - to explain; to clear of difficulties or obscurity