here's some education for you:
today, via merriam-webster's word of the day email notification...which, i might add, arrives to my blackberry at 5:45 am every morning forcing me to open my eyes a whole hour earlier than what's necessary (thanks, merriam!)...but, back to my point, i learned something new.
so, at a normal hour, hint hint merriam, i reviewed the word of the day to much disappointment. 5:45 for this, really? the word seemed so basic.
demean.
get real. why don't you just have the word be apple or jump? i mean, yesterday it was philoprogenitive. nice. i like that. i yearn for the day when i can zing all of my friend(s) by using said word in a conversation. pre-thinking this, it'll go something like, "oh you hate kids? not me, i'm always feeling all philoprogenitive-y. oh, you don't know what that means? my bad. i learned it as a kid, sorry...it means wanting to have babies. you're welcome."
what was i talking about? oh yeah...demean.
so, i was disappointed and simultaneously acting all sorts of superior to such an easy word. in fact, to show who's boss, i wasn't even going to open the email, rather delete it on the spot. who has the time? i mean, i might as well open up my spam folder and read "soft wet asian lips!" while i'm at it. i'm sure jasmine flavors, the sender, has something equally non-important to say.
but something made me open it. the demean email...not asian lips.
wait, what? i read the definition twice.
demean \dih-MEEN\ verb: to conduct or behave (oneself) usually in a proper manner.
example sentence: sylvia was proud of the polite way her young children demeaned themselves in front of the dinner guests.
ok, something is wrong with a)merriam webster for making such a huge slip-up and b) sylvia for priding herself on the fact that her kids demean themselves in front of dinner guests. what'd they do, pee on themselves? that is hardly a behavior i would promote to youth.
anyway,
even though i was super pissed at both merriam and sylvia, i kept reading:
did you know?
there are two words spelled "demean" in english. the more familiar "demean" — "to lower in character, status, or reputation" — comes straight from "mean," the adjective that means "spiteful." today's featured word, on the other hand, comes from the anglo-french verb "demener" ("to conduct"). this verb is generally used in contexts specifying a type of behavior: "he demeaned himself in a most unfriendly manner"; as you may have already guessed, the noun "demeanor," meaning "behavior," comes from this "demean."
omg. lightbulb. i've come full circle now.
it's odd, but demean regards conducting oneself or behaving in a particular manner, or to undermine or belittle either your own or someone else's dignity.
gotcha.
if i do say so myself, i like the second version better. personally, if i'm demeaning, it's because i'm going for your jugular, not because i'm dancing around and playing a flute solo in front of dinner guests.
just fyi. you're welcome.
