A.Word.A.Day--buttle

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The Magic of Words

Nov 4, 2010

This week's theme
Back-formations

This week's words
comminate
aesthete
dentulous
buttle

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

buttle

PRONUNCIATION:

(BUT-l)

MEANING:

verb intr.: To do a butler's work.

ETYMOLOGY:

Back-formation from butler, from Old French bouteillier (cup-bearer), from bouteille (bottle). Originally, a butler was in charge of the wine. Earliest recorded use: 1867.

USAGE:

"The top hotels in Saudi Arabia are staffed by foreign men -- something I realized must be the case when my butler at the Al Faisaliah folded my underwear unprompted. If I were buttled by a Saudi, we'd probably be shuttled to Deera Square -- or Chop Chop Square, as it's better known -- where the public beheadings occur."
Maureen Dowd; A Girls' Guide to Saudi Arabia; Vanity Fair (New York); Aug 2010.

Explore "buttle" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Insanity - a perfectly rational adjustment to an insane world. -RD Laing, psychiatrist and author (1927-1989)

Ratings on doctors and dentists Angie's List: Thousands of unbiased ratings and reviews

WildWords - Not Your Grandma's Game New tiles, squares, and rules put all words in play. See how. Very cool concepts. Sponsors' links

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