obeisance (o-BAY-sans, o-BEE-) noun

   1. A movement of the body expressing deep respect or deferential courtesy,
      as before a superior; a bow, curtsy, or other similar gesture.

   2. Deference or homage.

[Middle English obeisaunce, from Old French obeissance, from obeissant,
present participle of obeir, to obey.]

   "I was always glad to be relieved from my duty, and went straight to the
   bedroom after doing obeisance to my father."
   M.K. Gandhi, The Story of My Experiments With Truth, 1927.

Five or seven messages in a week? That was a close poll. We received 4112
votes for five compared to 4049 for seven. This is your list and accordingly,
beginning with next week AWAD will go out five days a week.

Thanks to everyone for taking the time to voice your opinion. Your love and
concern shows--a good number of people sent their votes for five to indicate
that we, the people at Wordsmith, should take some time off.

Here are some selections from the comments that came with the ballots.
(Ballot, from Italian ballotta, a small ball used to register a vote.
So for this poll, maybe I should call these emailots).          -Anu

   If you go to five, you'll have to change the name of this valuable
   mailing to FWAW. Scott Murphree-Roberts

   I'd vote with the Beatles - eight days a week! Please don't stop AWAD at
   weekends! Barbara Cooper, Rome, Italy

   With so many words to learn, we need at least seven days a week.
   Helen Slade

   Oh, Like I'd Just Stop BREATHING on Weekends?
   More work for you, more fun for me. Seems like a no-brainer to me!
   Thanks for the great service! Hampton G. Miller

   In the Middle East, Thursday and Friday are the weekend. Here in New
   Zealand, our Monday is your (North American) Sunday. The "weekend"
   therefore stretches from Thursday to Monday. Seen from a global
   perspective (which is the only reasonable view to take on a language as
   ubiquitous as English) the issue is therefore meaningless. Regards,
   Philip Gould

   I like 7. I enjoy the email, and use it to verify that my email is up and
   running. Audrey Calvo

   If, like the gallant little tailor, you're up to seven at a blow, so am I!
   Heartfelt thanks for 'A word a day' and AWADtalk -- the highlights of my
   day! Cheers, Paulb

   Take a break on weekends! Give me time to absorb all the wonderful new
   words you have sent during the week! Maddytg

   Take the weekend off. Although I will miss the extra two entries, I'd
   rather see you conserve your efforts. I would hate to see this wonderful
   service burn out because of fatigue. Jane Dinielli

   Have weekends free. I think AWAD is great, but I also think you deserve
   time off. I hope enough others agree! Art Funkhouser, Bern, Switzerland

   I say take a break but I really love your programme - even if it does
   spell the American way, eh? Rod Dawson, Canada

   I love wordsmith. I feel smarter, look smarter. But I want to be dumb on
   weekends and find that I don't pay attention as much. Please don't think
   that we don't love you as much as ever just because we want slightly less
   of you. Janice Heilmann

This week's theme: words from Gandhi's autobiography.

.............................................................................
The Lord prefers common-looking people. That is the reason He makes so many
of them. -Abraham Lincoln, 16th president of the U.S. (1809-1865)

Q: Can I make a link from my Web site to the AWAD site?
A: Certainly. You may use this HTML: <a href="http://wordsmith.org/awad/">
   <img src="http://wordsmith.org/awad/images/awad-icon.gif" border=0
   width=154 height=32 alt="A.Word.A.Day"></a>

Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/obeisance.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/obeisance.ram