Sunday, February 3, 2008

Anybody we know???

Word of the Day
Pansophist (noun)

Pronunciation: [pæn-'so-fist]

Definition: Someone who leaves the impression that they know everything; a "know-it-all."
Usage: Today's noun may be used as an adjective, too; the noun is "pansophy" ['pæn-sê-fi]. Like pansophists themselves in the era of specialization, this word has become a rarity. It does retain a certain usefulness though and, like all our words, provides a few more threads about where we come from and how we have changed.
Suggested Usage: Don't you hate to hear yourself use hyperhyphenated words like "over-the-hill," "stick-to-itiveness," "johnny-come-lately"—ugh! Now you have a subtle cerebral substitute for that old hyperhyphenated "know-it-all:" "That supercilious pansophist doesn't impress me at all with his encyclopedia of trivia." Unfortunately, the age of pansophy and Renaissance men has passed; there is simply too much knowledge today.
Etymology: Greek pansophos "all-wise" from pan "all" + sophos "wise." The noun from the latter, sophia "knowledge, wisdom," appears in "philosophy" from Greek philosophia "love of knowledge." We have long since forgotten that "sophisticated" is supposed to mean "knowledgeable." Interesting fact: the patron saint of the Roman Catholic Church is the masculine St. Peter (the rock) while the Eastern Orthodox Church's patron saint is the feminine St. Sophia (wisdom).
–Dr. Language, YourDictionary.com

Probably descibes 90% of the population of the world.....................

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