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Thursday, February 20, 2003 |
gaucherie: Dictionary.com Word of the Day. gaucherie [Dictionary.com Word of the Day]
Word of the Day for Thursday February 20, 2003
gaucherie goh-shuh-REE, noun:
1. A socially awkward or tactless act.
2. Lack of tact; boorishness; awkwardness.
If you find yourself sitting next to an obviously prosperous guest at a dinner party and your host introduces him (it will be a him) as a "successful barrister", you will be guilty of a gaucherie of the crassest kind if you exclaim: "How fascinating! If I promise not to call you Rumpole, will you tell me about your goriest murder trials?"
--Nick Cohen, "Don't leave justice to the judges," New Statesman, December 13, 1999
Here we see the insecure, unattractive woman who at long last has found someone even more insecure and unattractive than herself, calling attention to her companion's gaucherie in order to feel, for once in her life, like the belle of the ball.
--Florence King, "Out and About," National Review, November 9, 1998
Gaucherie comes from the French, from gauche, "lefthanded; awkward," from Old French, from gauchir, "to turn aside, to swerve, to walk clumsily."
Synonyms: blunder, faux pas, gaffe. Find more at Thesaurus.com.
6:57:05 PM
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Report #25 - Nearing the end in Iraq. Well, this seems to be about it for my time in Iraq. I was denied an extention on my visa (they never explain why) and had to struggle to even get extra days just so I could get ready to leave. Other people get up to 2 1/2 months, but its all at the whim of the Foreign Ministry. Maybe they've been reading my journals... I'm quite satisfied with what I've seen so far though. My only complaint is the lack of trips outside of Baghdad, although the capital city has so much to explore anyhow. But it seems as if a war is at least a good month off if not more. People are unsure of Bush's motivations, but its doubtful he could come up with anything before that. I simply cannot afford such a stay, and Im even beginning to question the wisdom of being here during a war - I would be totally cut off and unable to report on anything. I'd only be of use if I survived months later and could return with my film. Its proabably best just to share the personal stories I have so far obtained with Americans. I've also begun to question the value of being here if bombs are to be dropping. It really wont make much of an actual difference other than reporting on the aftermath. If I really am set on having my person serve as a deterrant to conflict and abuses, I should be in Palestine. There, as I well know from experience, the mere sight of a foreigner will diretly affect how Israeli troops treat locals. A single American standing in downtown Hebron can do more to stop foolish conflict than one hundred in a hotel in Baghdad. So as it is, my scheduled return flight is not until March 4 or so, and so long as I'm in the region, I intend to return to the Occupied Territories and meet up with old friends whose fates I worry about. Baghdad will survive without me. It has to, unless this really is a mad mad world. [MidEastLog]
6:54:57 PM
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