In view of the fact that many people here are not native speakers, I thought we could use a word of the day post. Here\'s one that has come up recently in the forums:
DE-COR-UM:
1. Appropriateness of behavior or conduct; propriety: ?In the Ireland of the 1940\'s... the stolidity of a long, empty, grave face was thought to be the height of decorum and profundity? (John McGahern).
2. decorums The conventions or requirements of polite behavior: the formalities and decorums of a military funeral.
3. The appropriateness of an element of an artistic or literary work, such as style or tone, to its particular circumstance or to the composition as a whole.
For instance, ad hominem attacks (like calling someone by name and then labeling them \"stupid\") lack decorum.
What do you think should be next, \"hubris\" or the phrase \"constructive criticism\" ?