Dictionary "U"

UBIETY (from) Latin ubi, where. The 1934 New Century Dictionary lists this one as ubiety, the state of being in a definite place. The 1938 Webster's Unabridged lists the spelling as ubeity, the condition of having definite place. The 1969 American Heritage dropped it. So will I.

UNDERACHIEVER (from) achievement tests. A non-conformist.

UNDERSTAND (from) Old English understanden (from) IndoEuropean sta, to stand. In order to uphold certain upstanding principles (so our understanding not be held up) we must stand under the umbrella of understanding. The word overstand would be more American. Why hasn't this word come to us as standunder? Because dunder refers to a dunce, or dunderhead. Do you remember Stan Dunder? He was Head of Bureaus and wouldn't understand the importance of The Corporation.

"It is a common fault never to be satisfied with our fortune, nor dissatisfied with our understanding." -- Rochefoucauld

"Understanding is knowing on one definite grade of significance, and it is on this account that intellectual concepts are all abstractions. This is also the reason why knowledge intellectually gained is so clear and precise -- so satisfactory to the tidy mind; so unsatisfactory to the mind that hungers for meanings." -- GNM Tyrrel, 1930.

UNIVERSITY (from) Latin universus, whole. A society of masters and students. An institution of varied knowledge that is divided into separate departments. As each department's specialized language grows, and the tunnel down which it peers gets smaller and smaller, its ability to effectively communicate with the other departments diminishes. This is too bad for the university as a whole, but it certainly served the king for which the first western university was built. The various departments were rendered unable to successfully combine their knowledge and compete with the king. The dependency of universities upon The Bureaucracy continues in order to maintain technological superiority. The Bureaucracy depends on the university more now than ever as America's big universities receive many billion dollars a year from private and public sources to research weapons of destruction manufactured in the name of peace and jobs. The problem appears to be universal, but my universe is so large that the problem appears only to be planetary.

UNPLANNED PARENTHOOD (from) libido, desire, lust. The organization of billions of humans that are voluntary members of Earth's most organic function. Return to PLANNED PARENTHOOD

UP (from) Old English up < upo, under, up from under, over. I like that. Let's look closer. Latin sub, under, also yielded supinus, lying on the back, supine. Greek hupo became hypo-, under. Celtic wasso was "one who stands under." Sanscrit upa is "near to." I'm not near to an understanding of this one yet, but I'll get over it. Best I can figure it's a relative term depending upon where one stands on the planet. Ever notice that, due to the fact that we are standing on a spherical planet, everyone has their own up?

UPPER CLASS (from) the sweat of the lower class and the taxes of the middle class. A select self-named economic group with the longest distance to fall.

UPTRODDEN (from) Old English up-, on high + Old English treden, run, walk & step (on the downtrodden). Those who refuse menial work, won't thank the middle class, and would trod on their own in order to make progress.