Wood On Words
Can’t get enough words about words with Sunday’s newspaper column? Then this blog’s for you, my word-craving friend. I work the late shift, so don’t look for responses until the next day.

Tough stuff

June 1st, 2008 at 09:58am Barry Wood

The adjective “adamant” can mean “too hard to be broken” or “not giving in or relenting; unyielding.”

It’s not the same as being demanding. It’s stubborn resistance.

It comes from the Greek “daman” for “to subdue” paired with the prefix for “not.” In olden days, “adamant” also was a noun for “a hard stone or substance that was supposedly unbreakable.”

“Adam Ant” also was the stage name of an English singer and musician of the 1980s.

I was not a fan.

Entry Filed under: adamant, Adjectives

1 Comment Add your own

  • 1. Leonardo duh Vinci  |  June 2nd, 2008 at 5:52 am

    I agree with your appraisal of Adam Ant and others of that ilk, a whole lot of quite a bit.

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