Message-ID: <16708541.1075846744273.JavaMail.evans@thyme> Date: Mon, 4 Dec 2000 16:01:00 -0800 (PST) From: wsmith@wordsmith.org To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org Subject: A.Word.A.Day--gnathonic Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit X-From: Wordsmith X-To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org X-cc: X-bcc: X-Folder: \Susan_Scott_Dec2000_June2001_2\Notes Folders\All documents X-Origin: SCOTT-S X-FileName: sscott5.nsf gnathonic (na-THON-ik) adjective Sycophantic; fawning. [From Latin gnathonicus, derivative of Gnathon- (stem of Gnatho) name of a sycophantic character in the Roman comedy Eunuchus by Terence.] "And that's why today any myrmidon, any gnathonic sycophant, any obsequious assistant or menial hanger-on is called a toadeater or, more often, a toady." Michael Gartner, Words, Newsday, Dec 27, 1987. This week's theme: fictional characters who live on in the dictionary. ............................................................................ A man there was, tho' some did count him mad / The more he cast away, the more he had. -John Bunyan, preacher (1628-1688) [Pilgrim's Progress] Q: Some time ago you featured a quote about foo in AWAD. Could you resend it? A: You may search the archives at http://wordsmith.org/awad/search.html or browse them at http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives.html All the words and quotes since the beginning of AWAD are available there. Pronunciation: http://wordsmith.org/words/gnathonic.wav http://wordsmith.org/words/gnathonic.ram