noun
something of very small value: I don't care a farthing for your opinion.
A farthing was formerly an English coin of the smallest denomination, worth a quarter of a penny. Originally the coin was made of silver, then of a copper alloy, and finally of bronze. The coin was discontinued in 1961. The Middle English name for the coin was ferthing, farthing (with still more variants), made of silver, and came from Old English 蹿脓辞谤迟丑颈苍驳, 蹿脓辞谤迟丑耻苍驳 鈥渁 quarter, a fourth part, a farthing.鈥 The Old English forms are derivatives of 蹿脓辞谤迟丑补 鈥渇ourth鈥 and the noun suffix –ing 鈥渙ne belonging to, descended from,鈥 sometimes used to form diminutives, as here. Farthing entered English before a.d. 1000.
… when he cares not a farthing for the general good, and will sell his vote for a dollar … then his vote becomes a public pest.
Most of the tunes are pegged to the show-within-the-show, which we couldn鈥檛 give a farthing about.
noun
Philosophy.
wisdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them.
Phronesis, 鈥渨isdom in determining ends and the means of attaining them, practical understanding, sound judgment,鈥 comes from Latin 辫丑谤辞苍脓蝉颈蝉, from Greek 辫丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉, meaning 鈥減ractical wisdom, prudence in government and public affairs鈥 in Plato, Aristotle, and other heavy hitters. 笔丑谤贸苍脓蝉颈蝉 is a derivative of the verb 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 鈥渢o think, be minded, be wise鈥; 辫丑谤辞苍别卯苍 in turn is a derivative formed from the noun 辫丑谤脓苍 (stem phren-), whose myriad meanings include 鈥渕idriff, diaphragm, heart (as seat of the passions and bodily appetites), mind (seat of the mental faculties and perception).鈥 Phronesis entered English in the 16th century.
… courage also requires us to apply what Aristotle in Nicomachean Ethics聽calls 鈥phronesis鈥澛or practical wisdom.
The best analysis of practical wisdom I know of occurs in the chorus of 鈥淭he Gambler鈥 … 鈥淵ou got to know when to hold 鈥榚m / Know when to fold 鈥榚m / Know when to walk away / Know when to run.鈥
noun
a relaxing of tension, especially between nations, as by negotiations or agreements.
顿茅迟别苍迟别, 鈥渁 relaxation of tension, especially between nations,鈥 still feels like a French word, as its spelling and pronunciation show. French 诲茅迟别苍迟别 comes from Old French destente, a derivative of destendre 鈥渢o relax,鈥 a compound of the prefix des– 鈥渁part, away鈥 (from the Latin prefix dis– with the same meanings) and the verb tendre 鈥渢o stretch鈥 (from Latin tendere). 顿茅迟别苍迟别 entered English in 1908 at the time of the 诲茅迟别苍迟别 between Great Britain and France.
There is hope that the U.S. and China will at least reach some sort of detente on trade.
The fairly stunning detente in what was shaping up to be a protracted war of digital assistants for ultimate domination of the smart home could lead to any number of smart home innovations now that the two systems are being allowed to work in tandem.