Dactionary: ... The Dictionary With Attitude

By Philip J Bradbury

Words - shortest, longest, silliest, backwards, forwards, weirdest, history of, uninvented, real meanings and others you've never heard of - and unsubstantiated opinions fill this fascinating book. You'll be educated, amused, annoyed and deeply moved by the words we use, the words we don't but should, the words we do but shouldn't and where they all come from ... probably!

You'll be educated, amused, annoyed and deeply moved by the words we use, the words we don't but should, the words we do but shouldn't and where they all come from ... probably!

Juicy excerpts from the book ...

Aaaaa - The slightly aghast word I uttered at the thought of writing a dactionary. [See Mmmmm]
Abbreviation - A long word that means a short word.
Abomination - In Jewish literature (and the bible) it originally meant the intention of nationalists to become god-emperors in Rome (Revelation 17:4, 5, 21:27). It has now become to mean extreme aversion or an object of detestation.
Abstemious - One of only two words in the English language that have all five vowels in order. [See Facetious]

Acomodador - From the Mexican Indians, acomodador means the giving up point, the thing, person or event that stops us from achieving our desired goals.

Adam - The first man, Adam is the name of the one made out of admah, the Hebrew word for the ground. He is sapiens because he has knowledge, is able to name things and to choose the fruits of paradise to enjoy. The temptation for Adam and Eve is to give up being humus – humble and human – and to become gods, the ultimate act of pride. This lack of humility and humanity is their downfall: paradise is lost.

Adultery - Originally meaning wrongful marriage. For example, in Revelation 2:22, the marriage of Polemo of Cicilia to Bernice (a Jew) while he remained pagan, was considered adultery.
It has now come to mean sexual activity between two people while at least one of them is married to someone else.
I wonder if infants enjoy their infancy as much as adults enjoy their adultery.

Algebra - Mohammad al-Khwarizmi was a well-known mathematician in Baghdad around the year 800. He wrote a book about the solving of equations. It was called ilm al-jabr wa'l muqabalah (the science of transposition and cancellation). The term al-jabr from this title gave the English word, Algebra.

Apocalypse – to reveal or to unveil. Literally, it means reveal-ation. The Book of Revelation in the Bible predicts an unveiling of great truth and unimaginative wisdom. The Apocalypse is not the end of the world but the end of the world as we know it.
Apocryphal - Having hidden or secret meanings; applied specially to certain books (or parts of books) included in the Septuagint and Vulgate translations of the Old Testament but not accepted as canonical by Jews or Protestants, and to later books (Apocrypha in the New Testament) never accepted as canonical or authoritative by a considerable part of the Christian Church. [See Bible]

I could go on ...

• Language: English
• Publisher: Philip J Bradbury
• Release date: Apr 6, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458070654

Philip J Bradbury

I am a writer (20 books), publisher (25 books & a magazine) and teacher/trainer for 25 years – accounting, business, men’s groups, AIDS and personal and spiritual growth.I’ve also spent time with several indigenous elders and wisdom-sharers to receive information from as many perspectives as possible. The more people I’ve talked to, the more similarities there are in their stories. ... they all point to this moment of disruption to expose and expunge the untruths, in order to move to the next 2,400-year period of Caring, Connection and Communication.Therefore, I’m here to help you cope with the current changes so you can create your higher life in order to create the community we all long for ... and know is coming.Summary list of writing/publishing experiences:• Writer of 20 published books,• Publisher of books• Commissioning Editor for Business Books• Publisher of national magazine,• Website Editor/Writer• Columnist for magazines in four countries,• Editor for national magazine,• Reporter for weekly newspaper,• Professional freelance writer, proof-reader and editor for clients in Australia, Czech Republic, Norway, Slovenia, Germany, Romania, Arabia, Britain, Canada and America.I spent 20 years in a boring job to impress my father. I finally realised he wasn’t impressed with an accountant son so I slunk sideways into business coaching and teaching and wondered why I’d avoided what I loved for so long. 20 years later, I still love teaching/coaching and have done it ever since, in different countries and in different guises:* Business coaching in NZ, UK and Australia* University lecturing in NZ and UK* Personal development workshops in NZ and Sth Africa* Grief counselling in NZ* Men’s groups in NZ* AIDS workshops in Sth AfricaFrom time to time, I played in other occupations, just because I could:* Busking* Building houses* Truck driving, reporter/photographer for a newspaper* Magazine columnist then editor* Magazine publisher* Commissioning editor of books* Writer of 20 books (to date)I’ve become a Jack of all trades, master of some and a Master of Change, so can help you with your change.Along the way I picked up some qualifications:* BBS – Bachelor of Business [Economics & Accountancy majors] degree.* ACA – Qualified Accountant.* CAT – Certificate in Adult Teaching.* Diploma of Leadership & Management* Diploma of Business* Diploma in Transactional Analysis* Grief Counselling* Life CoachingI also had time with indigenous elders:* A Hopi Elder from Sedona* A Sangorna in South Africa* Several Kaumatua in New Zealand* An Aboriginal elder near Alice Springs

Book preview

Circles of Gold

Philip Bradbury

Other books by Philip Bradbury

Non Fiction

Whose Life Is It Anyway?

The Lawless Way

Change Your Mind, Change Your World

(with Anna Bradbury)

The Meaning of Larf

Understanding Men

Stepping Out Of Debt And Into Financial Freedom

Dactionary – the dictionary with attitude

Fiction

An Olympic Challenge

The Royal Bank of Stories

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Circles of Gold

Copyright  2011 by Philip Bradbury

Smashwords edition

ISBN 978-1-4659-1499-6

Published by: Bradbury Corporation LLP

www.bradburycorp.info

www.thewritesite.biz

Typed (with two fingers) by Philip Bradbury

Typeset (with brilliance and majesty) by Philip Bradbury

Front cover designed (with flair and imagination) by Philip Bradbury

All rights reserved. Although this book is copyright and you’re not supposed to reproduce it in any form, I know that some of you will. As a sculptor of words, I’m well aware that it’s so easy for anyone to pretend these words are theirs and receive acclaim for that. If you can live with that then, please, go ahead.

All I can do is ask that you treat the spirit of these words with respect, treat me with respect and enjoy the product thereof. I can live with that.

With Love, Philip Bradbury

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Donal Arrives

Once upon a time, when dreaming was useful, a child was born. His father, with youthful exuberance, watched his son enter his world and exclaimed, Oh, me God, he’s beautiful! He’s ... He stopped exclaiming for he had seen something he had not expected. His silence was palpable as he frowned and quickly forced a smile back to his face. Too late. His straining wife, focused on her own exertions, pains and joys, sensed a peripheral shiver touch her heart. She looked at her husband’s wooden smile and knew all was not well. The midwife and her two assistants – village girls learning this important craft – caught the cool wind of concern and they stopped momentarily, uneasily, for a second that travelled into eternity.

An impartial observer would have sensed nothing but, for those involved, a ripple of time, a shadow of unease, passed through all of them. They then returned to what needed to be done, pretending they had not seen what was fully evident.

The naked wee babe was wiped of the wax over his pink body with damp cloths infused with herbs, and then placed on his mother’s naked belly, flesh to flesh. Her fervent panting had by now given way to gentle sighs and grateful smiles and all looked a picture of peace as the three other women gathered their ewers, bowls, utensils