Inauspiciously

3 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Inauspicious \In`aus*pi"cious\, a.
     Not auspicious; ill-omened; unfortunate; unlucky;
     unfavorable. "Inauspicious stars." --Shak. "Inauspicious
     love." --Dryden. -- {In`aus*pi"cious*ly}, adv. --
     {In`aus*pi"cious*ness}, n.
     [1913 Webster]



From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  inauspiciously
       adv : in an inauspicious manner; "he started his new job
             inauspiciously on Friday the 13th" [syn: {unpropitiously}]
             [ant: {auspiciously}, {auspiciously}]

From THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY ((C)1911 Released April 15 1993) [devils]:

  INAUSPICIOUSLY, adv.  In an unpromising manner, the auspices being
  unfavorable.  Among the Romans it was customary before undertaking any
  important action or enterprise to obtain from the augurs, or state
  prophets, some hint of its probable outcome; and one of their favorite
  and most trustworthy modes of divination consisted in observing the
  flight of birds -- the omens thence derived being called _auspices_. 
  Newspaper reporters and certain miscreant lexicographers have decided
  that the word -- always in the plural -- shall mean "patronage" or
  "management"; as, "The festivities were under the auspices of the
  Ancient and Honorable Order of Body-Snatchers"; or, "The hilarities
  were auspicated by the Knights of Hunger."
  
      A Roman slave appeared one day
      Before the Augur.  "Tell me, pray,
      If --" here the Augur, smiling, made
      A checking gesture and displayed
      His open palm, which plainly itched,
      For visibly its surface twitched.
      A _denarius_ (the Latin nickel)
      Successfully allayed the tickle,
      And then the slave proceeded:  "Please
      Inform me whether Fate decrees
      Success or failure in what I
      To-night (if it be dark) shall try.
      Its nature?  Never mind -- I think
      'Tis writ on this" -- and with a wink
      Which darkened half the earth, he drew
      Another denarius to view,
      Its shining face attentive scanned,
      Then slipped it into the good man's hand,
      Who with great gravity said:  "Wait
      While I retire to question Fate."
      That holy person then withdrew
      His scared clay and, passing through
      The temple's rearward gate, cried "Shoo!"
      Waving his robe of office.  Straight
      Each sacred peacock and its mate
      (Maintained for Juno's favor) fled
      With clamor from the trees o'erhead,
      Where they were perching for the night.
      The temple's roof received their flight,
      For thither they would always go,
      When danger threatened them below.
      Back to the slave the Augur went:
      "My son, forecasting the event
      By flight of birds, I must confess
      The auspices deny success."
      That slave retired, a sadder man,
      Abandoning his secret plan --
      Which was (as well the craft seer
      Had from the first divined) to clear
      The wall and fraudulently seize
      On Juno's poultry in the trees.
                                                                    G.J.