Word: Pasquinade

Just as an aside, before subscribing to word of the day, I anticipated that the words offered up would include a good number that I knew already. Not so. So far, there's been a word previously foreign to me every day. I feel so...uninformed.

I'm not sure how often one would have an opportunity to use pasquinade as it's first defined; the second might more likely be used (though I can't recall ever encountering it).

The Word of the Day for Jan 31 is:

pasquinade \pass-kwuh-NAYD\ noun

1 : a lampoon posted in a public place
2 : satirical writing : satire

Did you know?
In 1501, a marble statue from ancient times was unearthed in Rome and erected near that city's Piazza Navona. The statue depicted a male torso and was christened "Pasquino" by the Romans, perhaps after a local tailor. In those days, the citizens of Rome could not speak out against their political and religious leaders without fear of punishment, so criticism was expressed anonymously, often by means of publicly posted lampoons. The Pasquino statue became a prime location for posting such lampoons. These postings, which still appear to this day, became known in English as "pasquinades" (from the Italian "pasquinata"). The term has since expanded in usage to refer to any kind of satirical writing (such as in a magazine).

My example:
In the blogging world, Jack was known for frequently employing pasquinade in his journal.

Comments

[lakkris]

reminds me of Passamaquaddy from Pete's Dragon.

[Cyn]

Now that is a nice sentence!

[E-Doo]

This virtual meeting place is littered with wordsmiths skilled in the art of writing sharp pasquinade.