Wednesday, January 7th, 2009...10:32 am

Learn-A-Word Wednesday: otiose \OH-shee-ohs; OH-tee-\

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adjective:

1. Ineffective; futile.
2. Being at leisure; lazy; indolent; idle.
3. Of no use.

Although the wild outer movements and the angular Minuet can take such clockwork precision, the Andante, with its obsessive, claustrophobic dialogues between strings and bassoons, seemed sluggish and otiose.
– Tim Ashley, “VPO/Maazel”, The Guardian, April 16, 2002

Otiose is from Latin otiosus, “idle, at leisure,” from otium, “leisure.”

I’ve been rebelling against the New Year’s resolutions deal. Sure, I’ve been thinking about them, those positive changes, health issues, to-do lists, de-clutter projects, yada yada. But mostly I’ve been otiose.

Just the word “resolutions” makes me need to sit down. I imagine a large summit meeting, draft resolutions circulated, committee meetings, wording revisions, then at last, a very public signing ceremony for the Final Resolutions. Which get violated the next month by each party.

That’s what has been happening in my head.

And you? Are you jumping on those resolutions? It’s been a week!

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