Quote and Word for January 21 2016

January 21 2016

Quote of the Day

“People don't alter history any more than birds alter the sky, they just make brief patterns in it.” - Mort

Terry Pratchett

Word of the Day

thew

pron   \THOO\

Definition

 noun

 muscular power or development

 strength, vitality

 muscle, sinew — usually used in plural

Examples

 "In Rocco's melodramatically murky illustrations, men and women alike display rippling thews and plenty of skin as they battle ravening monsters." — Kirkus Reviews, 22 July 2015

 "As soon as his right arm received thew and sinew he learned to draw the long bow and speed a true arrow." — J. Walker McSpadden, Robin Hood and His Merry Outlaws, 1923

Did You Know?

 Thew has had a long, difficult past during which it discovered its strengths and weaknesses. In Middle English it carried a number of meanings, referring to a custom, habit, personal quality, or virtue. The word began to tire in the 16th century but was soon revitalized with a new meaning: it began to be used specifically for the quality of physical strength and later for the muscles demonstrating that quality. In time, the word buddied up with sinew in both literal and figurative turns of phrase, as in "the thews and sinews of my body ached" and "their love affair was the thew and sinew of the story."

Merriam-Webster