calumny

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for June 18, 2021 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>calumny</strong> &#149; \KAL-um-nee\&nbsp; &#149; <em>noun</em><br /> <p><strong>1 :</strong> a misrepresentation intended to harm another's reputation</p> <p><strong>2 :</strong> the act of uttering false charges or misrepresentations maliciously calculated to harm another's reputation</p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>"[Heinrich von Kleist] sets his novella in the 14th century, when duelling was seen as a trial by battle in which the 'Judgment of God' would prevail. A murder, a wronged noblewoman, shame, <em>calumny</em>, castles, a melodramatic ending, Kleist's story pulls together all the key elements of the genre." — <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/may/12/top-10-books-about-duels#:~:text=Kleist%20sets%20his%20novella%20in,key%20elements%20of%20the%20genre">Dan Glaister, <em>The Guardian</em> (London), 12 May 2021</a></p> <p>"Almost without exception I find the exchanges on this page to be polite and well-reasoned. However, recently there was a series of letters that made my blood boil. How could so many seemingly reasonable people be so wrongheaded? I am speaking, of course, of the exchange of views on Brussels sprouts. I'm sure many of you were equally taken aback. How could such a wonderful food be the object of such vile <em>calumnies</em>?" — <a href="https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/food-and-drink/let-s-give-brussels-sprouts-the-same-appreciation-we-give-cabbage-1.4462169">Russ Parsons, <em>The Irish Times</em>, 6 Feb.2021</a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p><em>Calumny</em> made an appearance in these famous words from William Shakespeare's <em>Hamlet</em>: "If thou dost marry, I'll give thee this plague for thy dowry: be thou chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go." T