dictionary.reference.com/wordo.../24.ht

Great phrase. I'm glad to learn it.

Aplomb, today's word, is great too. I love the derivation, which is from latin for lead, and close kin to our word "plumb" which means exactly vertical as determined by a lead weight on the end of a string, called a plumb bob. People use the word "plumb" around here all the time to mean "exactly" as in " that girl's plumb crazy about horses" or whatever.

I've been playing free rice a lot. Great game for word freaks.
www.freerice.com

I think we can learn a lot about the evolution of thought from the evolution of language shown in the study of entymology. This is one of my favorite sites.
www.etymonline.com/index.php

I'm going to spout off now about the word "forte" , which most everyone pronounces now as "fortay" but which was pronounced "fort" by educated english speakers 50 years ago. Now when i pronounce the word correctlly, people sneak sly little meaningful glances at each other to share their secret about what a dumb southern hick i am. Damn.

Anyway, "forte" means a persons strengths, and comes from the strong part of a sword, near the handle. The word "foible" means a persons weaknesses, and refers to the part of the weakest part of a sword, near the tip.

English is a wonderful language is many ways. What other language has a word meaning " possessing beautiful buttocks" ( callipygian)
www.etymonline.com/index.php

in⋅vo⋅lu⋅tion  [in-vuh-loo-shuhn] Show IPA
–noun
1. an act or instance of involving or entangling; involvement.
2. the state of being involved.
3. something complicated.
4. Botany, Zoology.
a. a rolling up or folding in upon itself.
b. a part so formed.
5. Biology. retrograde development; degeneration.
6. Physiology. the regressive changes in the body occurring with old age.
7. Grammar. a complex construction in which the subject is separated from its predicate by intervening clauses or phrases.
8. Mathematics. a function that is its own inverse.

in·vo·lu·tion (ĭn'və-lōō'shən)
n.
The act of involving.

The state of being involved.

A decrease in size of an organ, as of the uterus following childbirth.

A progressive decline or degeneration of normal physiological functioning occurring as a result of the aging process.

Intricacy; complexity.

Something, such as a long grammatical construction, that is intricate or complex.

Mathematics An operation, such as negation, which, when applied to itself, returns the original number.

Embryology The ingrowth and curling inward of a group of cells, as in the formation of a gastrula from a blastula.

Medicine

A decrease in size of an organ, as of the uterus following childbirth.

A progressive decline or degeneration of normal physiological functioning occurring as a result of the aging process.


[Latin involūtiō, involūtiōn-, from involūtus, past participle of involvere, to enwrap; see involve.]
in'vo·lu'tion·al adj.

Medical Dictionary

Main Entry: in·vo·lu·tion
Pronunciation: "in-v&-'lü-sh&n
Function: noun
1 a : an inward curvature or penetration b : the formation of a gastrula by ingrowth of cells formed at the dorsal lip
2 : a shrinking or return to a former size <involution of the uterus afterpregnancy>
3 : the regressive alterations of a body or its parts characteristic of the aging process; specifically : decline marked by a decrease of bodily vigorand in women by menopause

Medical Dictionary
involution in·vo·lu·tion (ĭn'və-l&oomacr;'shən)
n.

A decrease in size of an organ, as of the uterus following childbirth.

The ingrowth and curling inward of a group of cells, as in the formation of a gastrula from a blastula.

A progressive decline or degeneration of normal physiological functioning occurring as a result of the aging process. Also called catagenesis.

in'vo·lu'tion·al adj.