Message-ID: <27424086.1075858937615.JavaMail.evans@thyme>
Date: Thu, 25 Oct 2001 21:02:15 -0700 (PDT)
From: wsmith@wordsmith.org
To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
Subject: A.Word.A.Day--waspish
Mime-Version: 1.0
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit
X-From: Wordsmith <wsmith@wordsmith.org>@ENRON
X-To: linguaphile@wordsmith.org
X-cc: 
X-bcc: 
X-Folder: \SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged)\Scott, Susan M.\Inbox
X-Origin: Scott-S
X-FileName: SSCOTT5 (Non-Privileged).pst

waspish (WOS-pish) adjective

   1. Like a wasp, in behavior (stinging) or in form (slender build).

   2. Easily annoyed; irascible; petulant.

[From wasp, from Middle English waspe, from Old English waesp, from waeps.]

   "His occasionally waspish sense of humour always derided pomposity and
   self-regard."
   Sue Harper, Obituary: Robert Gray: He Unravelled the Links Between Class
   and Language, The Guardian (London), Apr 26, 2001.

This week's theme: animal words.

............................................................................
Why is it that we rejoice at a birth and grieve at a funeral? It is because
we are not the person involved. -Mark Twain, author and humorist
(1835-1910)

AWADmail Archives: http://wordsmith.org/awad/awadmail.html
AWAD Archives:     http://wordsmith.org/awad/archives.html
Unsubscribe:       http://wordsmith.org/awad/unsubscribe.html
Privacy Policy:    http://wordsmith.org/awad/privacy.html

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/waspish.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/waspish.ram