windmill
v.— «We also learned we have windmilled ourselves when it comes to driving fuel-efficient cars and trucks. “Windmilled” is a term used to describe what happens when good intentions meet reality. When private entrepreneurs wanted to put windmills around Cape Cod to generate electricity, they ran into critics—among them Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has made a career out of campaigning for renewable energy, except, apparently, where he could actually see it.» —“Tracking, then taxing, mileage sounds like trouble” by Joe Soucheray Pioneer Press (Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minnesota) Feb. 21, 2007. (source: Double-Tongued Dictionary)
Further reading
There was a time when William Shakespeare was just another little seven-year-old in school. Classes in his day were demanding — and all in Latin. A new book argues that this rigorous curriculum actually nurtured the creativity that later flourished...
A hundred years ago, suffragists lobbied to win women the right to vote. Linguistically speaking, though, suffrage isn’t about “suffering.” It’s from a Latin word that involves voting. Plus: military cadences often include...