Today's Words: Facetious, Venerable and Sierra

Facetious

(fuh-see-shuhs) Adjective

not meant to be taken seriously or literally.

More about Facetious

First recorded in 1585–95.

From Middle French facecieux, from facetie, “a jest,” from Latin facētia, “a jest, witticism” (see facetiae+-ious)

Examples of Facetious

She made a facetious comment about moving to Mars to escape the traffic.

The author’s facetious tone made the article entertaining despite the serious topic.

Venerable

(ven-er-uh-buhl) adjective

commanding respect because of great age or impressive dignity.

More about Venerable

First used in Middle English between 1400–50.

From the Latin venerābilis, equivalent to venerā(rī), “to venerate worship” + -bilis, "-ble," an adjective-forming suffix.

Examples of Venerable

They visited the venerable ruins, awed by their historical significance.

She was a venerable figure, known for her extensive knowledge and wise counsel.

Sierra

(see-er-uh) noun

a chain of hills or mountains, the peaks of which suggest the teeth of a saw.

More about Sierra

First used between 1590–1600.

From Spanish: literally, “saw” from the Latin serra.

Compare with serrate

Examples of Sierra

The winding road through the sierra offered breathtaking views at every turn.

Adventurers flock to the sierra for its challenging trails and scenic vistas.

Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com

Comments

When Punjab Chief Minister's Son Was Paraded On Underwear

Year, 1959, Place Amritsar. Some Indian Army Officers & their wives went to the Railway Station to see off one of their colleagues. Some goons made lewd remarks against the women & tried to molest them. The Army Officers chased the goons who took shelter in a nearby Cinema Theatre. The matter was reported to Commanding Officer Col Jyothi Mohan Sen. On learning about the incident, the Col ordered the Cinema Hall to be surrounded by troops. All the goons were dragged out, the leader of the goons was so heady and drunk with power; he was none other than the son of Chief Minister of Punjab, Pratap Singh Kairon, a close associate of the then PM, Jawahar Lal Nehru. All the goons were stripped to their underwear, paraded in the streets of Amritsar & later interned in the Cantonment. The next day, the Chief Minister became furious & tried to release his son from Indian Army's incarceration. Do you know what happened? His vehicle was not allowed to go into the Cantonment a...

Countries with Surplus Budgets

*By Dr. Devan A budget surplus is one of the clearest signals of fiscal discipline, economic prudence, and long-term stability in governance. While many nations run chronic deficits, there remain countries that stand apart, demonstrating to the world that living within one’s means is not only possible but advantageous. A budget surplus occurs when a government’s revenues exceed its expenditures over a fiscal period. This provides room for investment in infrastructure, health, education, and sovereign wealth funds, while also acting as a shield against future economic downturns. In this essay, I will explore which countries currently maintain budget surpluses, why they succeed in doing so, what structural characteristics enable this, and what lessons deficit-ridden nations may derive from their example. Defining the Budget Surplus A government raises money primarily through taxes, duties, royalties, and state-owned enterprise dividends. Against this revenue, it spends on public wages, d...

World-renowned Cartoonist BG Gujjarappa says: My Best is Yet to Come

Many people are in the fond practice of complaining every now and then that they hardly get any time to pursue their passions. Maybe, they could be genuine in their own ways, but never ever in the case of the veteran artist, political cartoonist, caricaturist, children’s illustrator, and also into multimedia, Banagere Gangaiah Gujjarappa. Perhaps BG Gujjarappa or Gujjar as he is popularly well-known is a household name to readers of Newspapers, Tabloids, Periodicals, and a variety of books for several decades. Hemavathi connection: Sexagenarian BG Gujjarappa (03 June 1955), belongs to Doddabanagere village in the hitherto drought-prone Sira Taluk of Tumakuru district. Doddabanagere also happens to be the last village of Sira Taluk bordering Hemavathi village, an artist’s paradise in the Anantapur district of Andhra Pradesh. The Siddeshwara Temple is renowned for the four famous Shiva shrines as Lord Shiva appears in the human form, like in seated yoga posture, deep in meditation etc. q...

MY Articles

Search This Blog