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Enjoy a year's worth of poems, puns, and puzzles in The Best of an Almanac of Words at Play. http://www.merriam-webster.com/book/puzzspec/wordplay.htm *************************************************************** The Word of the Day for January 30 is: impromptu \im-PRAHMP-too or im-PRAHMP-tyoo\ (adjective) *1 : made, done, or formed on the spur of the moment : improvised 2 : composed or uttered without previous preparation : extemporaneous Example sentence: When we dropped by unexpectedly, Aunt Louise threw together an impromptu dinner from the odds and ends in her refrigerator. Did you know? If you think that "impromptu" looks like a relative of "prompt," you're right; both are ultimately derived from the Latin "promere," meaning "to bring forth, take out." "Impromptu" was borrowed from French, where it meant "extemporaneously," but French speakers picked it up from the Latin phrase "in promptu," a "promere" descendant meaning "in readiness" or "at hand." There is also another, much rarer descendant of "promere" in English -- the noun "promptuary," meaning "a book of ready reference." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence. ---------------- Brought to you by Merriam-Webster, Inc. http://www.Merriam-Webster.com ---------------- Subscribe or unsubscribe to Word of the Day via the Web at: http://www.Merriam-Webster.com/service/subinst.htm To join the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-subscribe-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com To leave the list via e-mail, send a blank e-mail to: mw-wod-signoff-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions about your subscription? Write to: mw-wod-request@listserv.webster.m-w.com Questions or comments about the Word of the Day? Write to: word@Merriam-Webster.com © 2002 by Merriam-Webster, Incorporated
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