<html> <head> <META HTTP-EQUIV="Content-Type" CONTENT="text/html; = charset=us-ascii"> <meta name=Generator content="Microsoft Word 10 (filtered)"> <title>Merriam Webster - Word of the Day</title> <style>  </style> </head> <body bgcolor=white lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=blue = leftmargin=0 topmargin=0 marginwidth=0 marginheight=0> <div class=Section1>       Timely Huh?       =       `Tom Driscoll     <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 = width=720 style='width:7.5in'> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <img width=780 height=66 src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/wotdemail_head.gif" = border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td width=122 valign=top style='width:91.5pt;padding:0in 0in = 0in 0in'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0 width=122 style='width:91.5pt'> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <img width=122 height=110 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/wotdemail_pic.gif" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=white style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in = 0in'> <img width=122 height=45 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_wotdemail_nav.g= if" border=0> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=white style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in = 0in'> <a = href="http://www.merriam-webster.com"><img border=0 width=122 = height=26 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_wotdemail_mwon.= gif"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=white style='background:white;padding:0in 0in 0in = 0in'> <a = href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/game/"><img border=0 width=122 = height=21 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_wotdemail_wg.gi= f"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <a href="http://www.wordcentral.com"><img border=0 width=122 height=23 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_wotdemail_wc.gi= f"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <a href="http://www.merriam-websterunabridged.com"><img border=0 width=122 height=27 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_wotdemail_unab.= gif"></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0 width=100 style='width:75.0pt'> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <img border=0 width=122 = height=39 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/wod_underlink_filler.gi= f"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <img border=0 width=122 = height=57 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_haveasay_wide.g= if"> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor=whitesmoke = style='background:whitesmoke;padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <form> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0> <tr> <td colspan=2 valign=top style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt = 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=hidden name="poll_id" value=163> <input type=hidden name="poll_question" value="In my free time, besides sending e-mail, when I'm = online I'm most likely...
"> In my free time, besides sending e-mail, when I'm online I'm = most likely... </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=radio name=q1 value=1>   </td> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> Catching up on the = news </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=radio name=q1 value=2>   </td> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> Chatting with = friends </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=radio name=q1 value=3>   </td> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> Making travel = reservations </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=radio name=q1 value=4>   </td> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> Playing games </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=radio name=q1 value=5>   </td> <td style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> Using a search = engine </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2 style='padding:1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt 1.5pt'> <input type=submit name=submit value=Vote>   </td> </tr> </table> </form> </td> </tr> <tr> <td bgcolor="#3399CC" style='background:#3399CC;padding:0in = 0in 0in 0in'>   </td> </tr> </table>   </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td valign=top style='padding:0in 0in 0in 0in'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0 width="100%" style='width:100.0%'> <tr> <td width=414 valign=top style='width:310.5pt;padding:3.75pt = 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt'> <table class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellspacing=0 = cellpadding=0> <tr> <td colspan=2 valign=bottom style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt = 9.0pt 9.0pt'> The = Word of the Day for Mar 07 is: = </td> </tr> <tr> <td style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt'> tub-thumper</spa= n> \TUB-thum-per\ (noun) : a vociferous supporter (as of a cause) </td> <td valign=top style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt'> <a = href="http://www.merriam-webster.com/sound/t/tubthu01.wav"><img border=0 width=16 = height=11 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/webster_sound2.gif"></s= pan></a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2 style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt'> Example sentence: Aunt Lucille was a tub-thumper for temperance who never passed up an opportunity to sermonize = fervently on the evils of "demon drink" and the virtues of = abstinence. </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2 style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt'> Did you know? Tub-thumpers are a noisy (and = sometimes amusing) lot. The earliest ones were preachers or public = speakers with a predisposition for pounding their fists on the pulpit or = speaker's podium — perhaps to wake up their listeners! Back in the = 17th century, the word "tub" was sometimes used as a = synonym of "pulpit"; John Dryden, for example, used the word thus = in 1680 when he wrote, "Jack Presbyter shall here erect his = throne, Knock out a tub with preaching once a day." "Tub-thumper" has been naming loud, impassioned = speakers since at least 1662, when it was used by a writer named Hugh = Foulis to describe "a sort of people ... antick in their = Devotions." *Indicates the sense illustrated in the example = sentence.   <a = href="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/redirector.iphtml?item=782&= amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Eentspire%2Ecom%2Fderivation%2Fℑ=http= ://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/782_r3c2.gif&r3c2=782_r3c2.g= if"><img border=0 width=468 = height=60 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/782_r3c2.gif"></= a> </td> </tr> <tr> <td colspan=2 style='padding:9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt 9.0pt'> <div class=MsoNormal align=center = style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> Subscribe to or unsubscribe from Word of the Day via = the Web: <a = href="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/register.iphtml">click = here</a> To change the email format from html to text: <a = href="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/changeofaddress.iphtml">click= here</a> Questions about your subscription? <a href="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/faq.html">click = here</a> © 2003 by <a = href="http://www.Merriam-Webster.com">Merriam-Webster</a>, Incorporated </td> </tr> </table> </td> <td width=125 valign=top bgcolor="#E5E5E5" = style='width:93.75pt; background:#E5E5E5;padding:3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt 3.75pt'> <a = href="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/redirector.iphtml?item=782&= amp;url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Emerriam%2Dwebster%2Ecom%2Fgame%2Fℑ=h= ttp://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/782_r1c3.gif&r1c3=782_r1c= 3.gif"><img border=0 width=125 = height=125 = src="http://www.startsampling.com/sm/wod/images/782_r1c3.gif"></= a> <div class=MsoNormal align=center = style='text-align:center'> <hr size=2 width="100%" align=center> </div> Immerse yourself in the fascinating world of the English language. 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