Word of the Day for Monday November 14, 2005 aplomb \uh-PLOM\, noun: Assurance of manner or of action; self-possession; confidence; coolness. Then, unexpectedly, she picked up a microphone and began to sing. She sang several songs, handling herself with the aplomb of a professional entertainer. --"Rediscovering Japanese Life at a Bike's Pace," [1]New York Times, April 24, 1988 For all the slings and arrows, he seems almost preternaturally good-natured; set upon by a group of drunken revelers at dinner in Des Moines,... he weathers their boozy blandishments and inevitable potato jokes with admirable grace and aplomb. --"Quayle Running Against His Own Image," [2]Los Angeles Times, August 1, 1999 His initial broadcasting success was due at least as much to his considerable professional aplomb as it was to his father's broadcasting connections. --John A. Jackson, [3]American Bandstand: Dick Clark and the Making of a Rock 'n' Roll Empire _________________________________________________________ Aplomb is from the French word meaning "perpendicularity, equilibrium, steadiness, assurance," from the Old French phrase a plomb, from a, "according to" (from Latin ad) + plomb, "lead weight" (from Latin plumbum, "lead"). References 1. http://www.nytimes.com/ 2. http://www.latimes.com/ 3. http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0195130898/ref=nosim/lexico Dictionary.com Entry and Pronunciation http://dictionary.reference.com/search?r=9&q=aplomb