Word games

Look it up: I found this sentence in a Washington Post story on Jeff Ruland, a former NBA star turned University of the District of Columbia coach. And just as he tries to teach his daughters the lessons he has learned throughout his pertinacious life, he hopes to impart those same teachings to the players on his team.

Naturally, I had to look up pertinacious.

per·ti·na·cious
Pronunciation: \ˌpər-tə-ˈnā-shəs\
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin pertinac-, pertinax, from per- thoroughly + tenac-, tenax tenacious, from tenēre
Date: 1626

1 a : adhering resolutely to an opinion, purpose, or design b : perversely persistent
2 : stubbornly tenacious
synonyms see obstinate

— per·ti·na·cious·ly adverb

— per·ti·na·cious·ness noun

— per·ti·nac·i·ty \-ˈna-sə-tē\ noun

So Ruland is persistent and tenacious. Actually, that's a perfect definition of Ruland.

Another one: In another Post story, I found this paragraph. Trust dies. The worst people, the natural-born sycophants, attach themselves to the owner.

Yes, we'll look up sycophants.

sy·co·phant
Pronunciation: \-fənt also -ˌfant\
Function: noun
Etymology: Latin sycophanta slanderer, swindler, from Greek sykophantēs slanderer, from sykon fig + phainein to show — more at fancy
Date: 1575

: a servile self-seeking flatterer
synonyms see parasite

— sycophant adjective

The story's about the Redskins, so the term sycophants probably fits.

Contact: Reach me at tgilli52@gmail.com or nc3022@yahoo.com.

More EDITOR@WORK blog entries

• You really DO need an editor

• Reminders for would-be novelists

• What I do when I'm editing

• What I charge (it's a deal) and what I edit

• Slogging through the Internet

• J-school: More eyes on your stories

• J-school: Go out and learn

• Rookie mistakes for magazine writers

Entries from The Dog Blog

• Katie cried

• Growl and pull

• 10 years with Lady

• ... said the spider to ...

• The Dog Diary (2014)

• YIP! YIP! The stereo-sound huskies

• What Lady and Michael Jackson had in common

Blog entries from The Auto Racing Journal

• Angel in Black: Remembering Dale Earnhardt Sr.

(a book of great stories about the Intimidator)

• Then Junior Said to Jeff...

(the book of great NASCAR stories)

• My best day as a sports writer

• Jeff Gordon's milk toast to Dale Earnhardt

• Wayne Auton: A life in racing

More blog entries by Tom Gillispie

• Resume for a writer and editor

• An editor's views on powerful writing

• Advice for be and would-be novelists

• Links to TG's stories online

• Favorite quotes

• What I do when I'm editing

Anecdotes by Tom Gillispie

• Wipeout at Death Valley

• Days with rainbows

• A desperate writer working in the dark

• Yer outta there!