Tuesday, January 20, 2009

A Joyfully Broken Chicane

The word of the day is chicane. I just heard it come from the mouth of an NBC reporter.

Let's use it in a sentence:

With the inauguration of Barack Obama, the racial chicane of Amercian history has been permanently dismantled.

4 comments:

Naked Boy said...

I just learned the word last week at a Village Council meeting. And now as usual, I am seeing the word all over the place, including here.

evilganome said...

According to the American Heritage dictionary.

v. chi·caned, chi·can·ing, chi·canes
v. intr.
To resort to tricks or subterfuges; use chicanery.
v. tr.
To trick; deceive.
n.
Chicanery.
Games A bridge or whist hand without trumps.

[French chicaner, from Old French, to quibble.]
chi·canZer n.

It would seem to describe the former administration quite well.

tornwordo said...

Up here a chicane is an argument. Many words from old French live on in Quebec. I didn't know until now that it was a viable English word as well.

Doralong said...

Chicane- a diversion or obstruction to impede forward motion. Well that pretty well covers the entirety of the Bush years now doesn't it?