Welcome to another mind-boggling episode of Word Woman's Weekly Work-Out! Expand your vocabulary and keep your mind in good working order with the Word of the Week:
Annus mirabilis: A wonderful year. It now means any year which the speaker regards as especially outstanding, notable. But, in England particularly, the term refers to the year 1666, the year that marked two notable events: a victory over the Dutch fleet and, in September, the great London fire in which a large part of the city was destroyed. Both events were commemorated in a poem by John Dryden having the title "Annus Mirabilis". -- "Horsefeathers and Other Curious Words", Charles E. Funke, Harper & Brothers, 1958.
Example: The troubled economy, paired with our high-profile presidential election, leave one wondering if 2008 will go down in American history as an annus mirabilis.
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