Word of the day: quiff

The word of the day is quiff:

a lock or curl of hair brought forward over the forehead.

"curl or lock of hair over the forehead," 1890, originally a style among soldiers, of unknown origin. Perhaps connected with quiff "a puff or whiff of tobacco smoke" (1831, originally Southern U.S.), held to be a variant of whiff (q.v.). (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/quiff)

"Zadak is a youthful forty-three, with a sharp quiff and an unlined face, and was a comedy nerd before he became a comedy manager: hanging around the Second City Chicago, moving to L.A. to study screenwriting, hoping to be an improv guy himself."

- Zadie Smith, "Brother from another mother: Key and Peele's chameleon comedy", 23 February and 2 March 2015 The New Yorker (http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/02/23/brother-another-mother)

word of the day: gormless

The word of the day is gormless:

Etymology:  < gaum, dial. < gome n.² notice, understanding + -less suffix.

orig. dial.

Wanting sense, or discernment. (OED)

"Of the Old and New People of Willesden I speak; I have been chosen to speak for them, though they did not choose me and must wonder what gives me the right. I could say, “Because I was born at the crossroads of Willesden, Kilburn, and Queen’s Park!” But the reply would be swift and damning: “Oh, don’t be foolish, many people were born right there; it doesn’t mean anything at all. We are not one people and no one can speak for us. It’s all a lot of nonsense. We see you standing on the balcony, overlooking the Embassy of Cambodia, in your dressing gown, staring into the chestnut trees, looking gormless. The real reason you speak in this way is because you can’t think of anything better to do.”"

 - Zadie Smith, "The Embassy of Cambodia", 11 & 18 February 2013 The New Yorker