dishearten Definition: (verb) To shake or destroy the courage or resolution of; dispirit. Synonyms: put off Usage: These difficult economic conditions dishearten people and undermine their hope. Discuss.  

Ezra Pound (1885) A major shaper of 20th-century poetry, Pound was one of the most famous and controversial modern literary figures—praised as a subtle and complex poet, dismissed as a naive egotist and pedant, and condemned as a traitor and […]

A good dinner brings out all the softer side of a man. Under its genial influence the gloomy and morose become jovial and chatty. Jerome K. Jerome (1859-1927)  

typify Definition: (verb) Embody the essential characteristics of or be a typical example of. Synonyms: epitomize Usage: The fugue typifies Bach’s style of composition. Discuss.  

Marie of Edinburgh, Queen of Romania (1875) No ordinary queen, Marie took an active role in Romania’s wartime activities, beginning with helping bring the country into the Allied camp in World War I and ending with her representation of Romanian […]

From all accounts, the world has been getting worse and worse ever since it was created. All I can say is that it must have been a remarkably delightful place when it was first opened to the public, for it […]

catnap Definition: (noun) A short sleep or doze. Synonyms: forty winks, snooze Usage: After making sure that my office door was locked and that I would not be caught, I settled in for a quick catnap at my desk. Discuss. […]

Richard Evelyn Byrd (1888) A pioneer in aviation and exploration, Byrd was a member of the first expeditions to fly over the North and South Poles, undertaken in 1926 and 1929 respectively. The North Pole flight earned him a Congressional […]

There are a thousand hacking at the branches of evil to one who is striking at the root. Henry David Thoreau (1817-1862)  

The Kray Twins (1933) Partners in crime, twins Reginald and Ronald Kray were the foremost perpetrators of organized crime in London’s East End during the 1950s and 60s. The brothers managed to escape justice for some time, thanks in part […]

I don’t think, sir, you have a right to command me, merely because you are older than I, or because you have seen more of the world than I have; your claim to superiority depends on the use you have […]

skepticism Definition: (noun) Doubt about the truth of something. Synonyms: disbelief, incredulity, mental rejection Usage: Ghek made no reply, nor did his expressionless face denote either belief or skepticism. Discuss.