Word of the Day

[glennagirl.livejournal.com]

Thanks to everyone for such a great response to this feature. I'm having a great time reading all of the comments, and I hope you are as well.  Here's today's word...

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 16

Propitious

[prə-pi-shəs]Part of speech: adjective

Origin: late middle english, 15th century

• Auspicious or advantageous
• Indicative of good fortune
• Kind, gracious

Examples of Propitious in a sentence

• My new car is a propitious sign that I'm on the right track.
• The Queen's propitious behavior made her much beloved by the people.

Napoleon Solo was known for his propitious record in the field.

About Propitious

Talk about a propitious occurrence: On October 14, 1912, Teddy Roosevelt was leaving a Milwaukee hotel for a campaign stop when he was shot in the chest. The bullet was propitiously slowed by the 50-page speech Roosevelt had in his pocket. He was able to deliver the speech that same day, saying "It takes more than that to kill a bull moose."

Did you Know?

Though propitious and auspicious are very similar in meaning, there are some subtle differences between them. The former is generally used to describe things that help us achieve success, while the latter is more commonly used when foreshadowing success to come.

Comments

[pfrye.livejournal.com]

Mr. Waverly's propitious demeanor hid a ruthless and calculating nature that was as necessary to U.N.C.L.E. as section two.

[mrua7.livejournal.com]

As Napoleon and Illya hung on for dear life to their capsized dinghy, Illya muttered to his partner. "I would say those dark storm clouds are not a propitious omen for us my friend."

"You can say that again..."

"Those dark storm clouds are not a propitious omen for us."

"I heard you the first time Illya."

"Then why did you just say...tsk."