Word of the Day!

norm·core [ˈnôrmˈkôr]:
origin: [2009] portmanteau; normal + hardcore, accidently coined in a web comic called Templar, Az.

noun or adjective
Ultra-conformity; super normal; the trend for everyone to dress the same (known as "unpretentious"), by making zero fashion statement -- being deliberately nondescript or generic -- by wearing the latest trend of (expen$ive) brand name clothing* deemed acceptable or inoffensive in the slightest; a class conscious method of blending in. In other words, working hard to fit in while making it seem natural = high school FOREVER!

Clothing items are often androgynous or "unisex", meaning they work well on men and women, further blending the lines of conformity. *Acceptable brands (but not limited to): Aberchrombie & Fitch, American Apparel, Armani, Burburry, J. Crew, Nike, Northface, Uggs, and Vans.


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nud·nik [no͝od′nĭk]:
origin: [1945] Yiddish (Americanized), slang; nudne= boring, nudyen= to bore, so nud + nik= a type of person.

noun
To be a bothersome, obtuse, or pestering person; a bore. See also: "noodge".

The Yiddish word for a pain-in-the-ass or a willful idiot.

tri·ten·sil [trīˈtensəl]:
origin: [1300-1940] Middle English; tri= having three + tensil= (utensil) tool.

noun
The spork (spoon + fork) redesigned to include a knife on the side, less elegantly referred to as a sporf.

This 3-in-1 design is a revival of the one created during World War I by the same British company, Fortnum & Mason -- the new one is manufactured of biodegradable (disposable) material for department stores, although you can still buy the original metal ones in F&M's shops. The knife part of the tritensil spurned quite a few memes in this theme, although the edge is actually indented and harmless without exerted pressure applied (by a human hand).



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hoo·ha [ˈhü-ˌhä]:
origin: Yiddish; הו־האַ= hu-ha or “hullabaloo" or possibly French; houp-là= "upsy-daisy".

noun
1. A fuss, laughter, and/or disturbance; to make a lot of noise; an uproar or commotion.

2. In modern interpretations (seen here @ Urban Dictionary), hoo-ha sometimes is used as a replacement as a slang word for a rear end or women's genitalia.

"What is all this hoo-ha?! This is a library and people are trying to THINK!"

pu·rim [ˈpʊərɪm]:
origin: (1535) Hebrew; pūrīm= "lots"; the casting of dice by Haman to schedule the massacre date {Esth 9:24–26}

noun
Long ago and far away there was a man named Mordecai, who was cousin and foster parent to the fair & just Queen Ester. Mordecai was Jewish, as is the queen (secretly), but Hamman the Prime Minister of the King Ahasuerus's massive Persian empire is not.

When Mordecai refuses to bow to the anti-semite Hamman, the Prime Minister is so offended that he plans to have him and all jews killed as punishment; Hamman even has a gallows built specially for the job. However, thanks to timely actions, Mordecai is honored for saving the King's life, Ester pledges allegiance to her people while revealing that she is among those who would be killed, and Hamman is ironically hung from his own device! History worthy of the violence, justice, and intrigue found in any Hollywood film today.

Thus a holiday is formed, recognized on the 14th of Adar, to honor & remember the deliverance of the Jews from the massacre plotted by Haman: the Book of Ester is read twice, gifts are sent to freinds (mishloach manot), charity is given to the poor (matanot la'evyonim), and a celebratory feast is had (se`udat mitzvah).




flavors: apricot, cherry, prune, poppy and chocolate.

ha·man·tasch·en [ˈhä-mən-ˌtäsh-ən]:
origin: (1927) Yiddish; Hamen= villain in The Book of Esther + tash= pocket, purse, bag

noun, plural
A delicious mystery, for while eaten during Purim, no one is exactly certain why hamantashcen pastry ("hamantash" = singular) are called or made as they are.

Could the triad be the shape of a hat for Hamen's haberdashery? Or is it Queen Ester's three virtues? Is the pocket part to represent the silver Hamen tried to bribe the King with or do they resemble the dice he tossed (Royal Game of Ur) when deciding the date of their deaths? Is it a bastardized version of Yiddish word מאָן־טאַשן (montashn) or the German word Mohntaschen for "poppyseed pouch".

No matter, the results are always the same...a soft, rich, doughy cookie shaped into a pyramid and filled with various thick jams or sweetened fillings. Go ahead, eat your hat! Never has failure tasted so sweet.

schle•miel or shle•miel (ʃləˈmiːl):
origin: (1890–95) Yiddish; shlemil, Hebrew shəlumī'ēl= Shelumiel, a Biblical figure.

noun
A foolish person who always seems to louse things up.



shli·ma·zel or schli·ma·zel (ʃlɪˈmɑ zəl):
origin: (1945–50) Yiddish; shlim= bad (Middle High German slimp= wrong) + mazl= luck

noun
A person seemingly cursed with bad luck and/or poor timing.



Alternatively: The schlemiel always spills the soup and the schlemazel always gets spilled upon.