Word of the Day

[Capper Al]

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\, noun:

1. Volition in its weakest form.
2. A mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.




My guess is that instead of being men of decision we are in reality men of velleity.
-- Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander


Have you come across the word velleity? A nice Thomistic ring to it. Volition at its lowest ebb. A small thing, a wish, a tendency. If you're low-willed, you see, you end up living in the shallowest turns and bends of your own preoccupations.
-- Don DeLillo, Underworld




A good word for gamblers. We like to think that we are men of decision.



Thanks to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.com/)

[Overlay]

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\, noun:

1. Volition in its weakest form.
2. A mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.




My guess is that instead of being men of decision we are in reality men of velleity.
-- Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander


Have you come across the word velleity? A nice Thomistic ring to it. Volition at its lowest ebb. A small thing, a wish, a tendency. If you're low-willed, you see, you end up living in the shallowest turns and bends of your own preoccupations.
-- Don DeLillo, Underworld




A good word for gamblers. We like to think that we are men of decision.



Thanks to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.com/)







The late poet Ogden Nash liked that word, also. He wrote a poem about it titled, "Where There's A Will, There's Velleity", which begins as follows:

Seated one day at the dictionary I was pretty weary and also pretty ill at ease,
Because a word I had always liked turned out not to be a word at all, and suddenly I found myself among the v's.
And suddenly among the v's I came across a new word which was a word called velleity,
So the new word I found was better than the old word I lost, for which I thank my tutelary deity.

I wish I could find the whole poem online, but I haven't been able to, yet. It was first published in his 1938 volume of poetry, I'm A Stranger Here Myself.

[DJofSD]

http://adorabletrivialities.blogspot.com/2006/06/little-ogden-to-cheer-up-your-day.html

2nd poem: http://www.aft.org/yourwork/tools4teachers/vday/responsibilityreadings2.cfm

[Greyfox]

The late poet Ogden Nash liked that word, also. He wrote a poem about it titled, "Where There's A Will, There's Velleity", which begins as follows:

Seated one day at the dictionary I was pretty weary and also pretty ill at ease,
Because a word I had always liked turned out not to be a word at all, and suddenly I found myself among the v's.
And suddenly among the v's I came across a new word which was a word called velleity,
So the new word I found was better than the old word I lost, for which I thank my tutelary deity.

I wish I could find the whole poem online, but I haven't been able to, yet. It was first published in his 1938 volume of poetry, I'm A Stranger Here Myself.

Where There's a Will, There's Velleity

Seated one day at the dictionary I was pretty weary and also pretty ill at ease,

Because a word I had always liked turned out not to be a word at all, and suddenly I found myself among the v's.

And suddenly among the v's I came across a new word which was a word called velleity,

So the new word I found was better than the old word I lost, for which I thank my tutelary deity,

Because velleity is a word which gives me great satisfaction,

Because do you know what it means, it means low degree of volition not prompting to action,

And I always knew I had something holding me back but I didn't know what,

And it's quite a relief to know it isn't a conspiracy, it's only velleity that I've got,

Because to be wonderful at everything has always been my ambition,

Yes, indeed, I am simply teeming with volition,

So why I was never wonderful at anything was something I couldn't see

While all the time, of course, my volition was merely volition of a low degree,

Which is the kind of volition that you are better off without it,

Because it puts an idea in your head but doesn't prompt you to do anything about it.

So you think it would be nice to be a great pianist but why bother with practising for hours at the keyboard,

Or you would like to be the romantic captain of a romantic ship but can't find time to study navigation of charts of the ocean of the seaboard;

You want a lot of money but you are not prepared to work for it,

Or a book to read in bed but you do not care to go into the nocturnal cold and murk for it;

And now if you have any such symptoms you can identify your malady with accurate spontaneity:

It's velleity,

So, don't forget to remember that you're velleitous, and if anybody says you're just lazy,

Why, they're crazy.

[Capper Al]

Thanks for not being velleitous on this.

[DJofSD]

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\, noun:

1. Volition in its weakest form.
2. A mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.




My guess is that instead of being men of decision we are in reality men of velleity.
-- Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander


Have you come across the word velleity? A nice Thomistic ring to it. Volition at its lowest ebb. A small thing, a wish, a tendency. If you're low-willed, you see, you end up living in the shallowest turns and bends of your own preoccupations.
-- Don DeLillo, Underworld




A good word for gamblers. We like to think that we are men of decision.



Thanks to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.com/)







"Change is not a destination, just as hope is not a strategy." -- Rudy Giuliani

Velleity is not motivation.

[Actor]

velleity \vuh-LEE-i-tee\, noun:

1. Volition in its weakest form.
2. A mere wish, unaccompanied by an effort to obtain it.




My guess is that instead of being men of decision we are in reality men of velleity.
-- Thomas Merton, Conjectures of a Guilty Bystander


Have you come across the word velleity? A nice Thomistic ring to it. Volition at its lowest ebb. A small thing, a wish, a tendency. If you're low-willed, you see, you end up living in the shallowest turns and bends of your own preoccupations.
-- Don DeLillo, Underworld




A good word for gamblers. We like to think that we are men of decision.



Thanks to Dictionary.com (http://dictionary.com/)






This post sent me to my dictionary three times. First I looked up velleity just to make sure my dictionary agreed with the posted definition. Next I looked up Volition just to make sure I knew what it meant, and finally Thomistic. I'm still not sure what a Thomistic ring would be. :confused:

I notice that the spellchecker does not like velleity.

Example of velleity: Wanting to sleep with the 18 year old blonde who lives down the street and knowing that hell will freeze over before it happens.

Can I pick tomorrow's Word of the Day? Huh? Huh? Please? Please?

[HUSKER55]

next time take your wallet ;) :D

[Capper Al]

Let's make the rules of play the first one to post a word each day wins the right to.

This post sent me to my dictionary three times. First I looked up velleity just to make sure my dictionary agreed with the posted definition. Next I looked up Volition just to make sure I knew what it meant, and finally Thomistic. I'm still not sure what a Thomistic ring would be. :confused:

I notice that the spellchecker does not like velleity.

Example of velleity: Wanting to sleep with the 18 year old blonde who lives down the street and knowing that hell will freeze over before it happens.

Can I pick tomorrow's Word of the Day? Huh? Huh? Please? Please?

[Greyfox]

Let's make the rules of play the first one to post a word each day wins the right to.

That's an 18 year old blonde male Capper Al. :lol:

[Capper Al]

That's an 18 year old blonde male Capper Al. :lol:

You're right.

[Pace Cap'n]

Some words you'd just as soon not know. I might write more later.

[Actor]

cal·li·pyg·i·an/ˌkaləˈpijēən/


I'll let you have the fun of looking it up. :lol:

I first ran across this word while reading the novel Vatican Roulette in 1970. I had to look it up.

I once told a girl she was callipygian. She said "Thanks, I think." The next day she gave me the evil eye and never spoke to me again.

[DJofSD]

"Honey, do these pants make me look fat?"

"Why, no, they make you look callipygian."

[thaskalos]

cal·li·pyg·i·an/ˌkaləˈpijēən/


I'll let you have the fun of looking it up. :lol:

I first ran across this word while reading the novel Vatican Roulette in 1970. I had to look it up.

I once told a girl she was callipygian. She said "Thanks, I think." The next day she gave me the evil eye and never spoke to me again.
Dont feel bad...the girl was misinformed.

The word is really a compliment.

"Calli" in Greek means "beauty".

[DJofSD]

Like in beautiful writing.

[thaskalos]

Like in beautiful writing.

Exactly! :ThmbUp:

[Tom]

"Honey, do these pants make me look fat?"

"Why, no, they make you look callipygian."

No, the make you look like a γουρούνι!!!:eek:

[thaskalos]

No, the make you look like a γουρούνι!!!:eek:

:lol:

This, on the other hand, can hardly be considered a compliment.

I see I'm going to have to watch what I say when I chat with Greek friends here from now on...:)

[DJofSD]

No, the make you look like a γουρούνι!!!:eek:
Is that a Greeced γουρούνι?

Or perhaps two γουρούνι in a bag?

[Actor]

The word is really a compliment.So is "You have a really nice @ss," but that would have gotten me slapped on the spot.

[Actor]

next time take your wallet ;) :DAre you suggesting that the girl is in business?

[Actor]

dirigisme \diːriːˈʒiːzəm\ noun

control by the state of economic and social matters