di-ver-sion |diˈvər zh ən; dī-|
noun
1 an instance of turning something aside from its course : a diversion of resources from defense to civil research.
• Brit. an alternative route for use by traffic when the usual road is temporarily closed; a detour : the road was closed and diversions put into operation.
2 an activity that diverts the mind from tedious or serious concerns; a recreation or pastime : our chief diversion was reading.
• something intended to distract someone's attention from something more important : a subsidiary raid was carried out on the airfield to create a diversion.
DERIVATIVES
diversionary |-ˌnerē| adjective
ORIGIN late Middle English : from late Latin diversio(n-), from Latin divertere ‘turn aside’ (see divert ).
In other words, "Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain." And speaking of other words...
1. Hornswoggle
verb [ trans. ] (usu. be hornswoggled) informalget the better of (someone) by cheating or deception : you mean to say you were hornswoggled?
2. Subterfuge
noundeceit used in order to achieve one's goal.• a statement or action resorted to in order to deceive.
3. Flimflam
nounnonsensical or insincere talk : I suppose that you suspect me of pseudointellectual flimflam.• a confidence game : flimflams perpetrated against us by our elected officials.
4. Mislead
verb ( past and past part. -led ) [ trans. ]cause (someone) to have a wrong idea or impression about someone or something : the government misled the public about the road's environmental impact.
5. Hoax
verb [ trans. ]deceive with a hoax.
6. Confuse
verb [ trans. ]cause (someone) to become bewildered or perplexed : past and present blurred together, confusing her still further.
7. Hoodwink
verb [ trans. ]deceive or trick (someone) : an attempt to hoodwink the public.
This entry is multi-partisan.
The payoff.
8. Sublimate
1 [ trans. ] (esp. in psychoanalytic theory) divert or modify (an instinctual impulse) into a culturally higher or socially more acceptable activity : people who will sublimate sexuality into activities which help to build up and preserve civilization | he sublimates his hurt and anger into humor.
9. Ploy
nouna cunning plan or action designed to turn a situation to one's own advantage : the president has dismissed the referendum as a ploy to buy time.
10. Dodge
nouna sudden quick movement to avoid someone or something.• a cunning trick or dishonest act, in particular one intended to avoid something unpleasant : bartering can be seen as a tax dodge.
11. (to lead) Astray
adverb1 the shots went astray: off target, wide of the mark, awry, off course; amiss.2 the older boys led him astray: into wrongdoing, into error, into sin, into iniquity, away from the straight and narrow, off the right course.
12. Dupe
verb [ trans. ]deceive; trick : the newspaper was duped into publishing an untrue story.
nouna victim of deception : knowing accomplices or unknowing dupes.
13. Trick
verb [ trans. ]1 (often be tricked) deceive or outwit (someone) by being cunning or skillful : buyers can be tricked by savvy sellers.• ( trick someone into) use deception to make someone do (something) : he tricked her into parting with the money.• ( trick someone out of) use deception to deprive someone of (something) : the king was tricked out of his land.
14. Divertissement
nouna minor entertainment or diversion : as a Sunday divertissement Wittgenstein would play Schubert quartets.
15. Take For A Ride
verb [ trans. ]to swindle
16. And finally...Diversion can be preferable to reality.
There are times when life presents us with events that demand diversion - any diversion - as is the case with this bit of nun-sense nonsense.
noun
1 spoken or written words that have no meaning or make no sense : he was talking absolute nonsense.• [as exclam. ] used to show strong disagreement : “Nonsense! No one can do that.”• [as adj. ] denoting verse or other writing intended to be amusing by virtue of its absurd or whimsical language : nonsense poetry.
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