PoochyB’s Wordstock

Wachovia CEO Ken Thompson may rue the day he heard of Golden West.

rue 
v.   rued, ru·ing, rues

v.   tr.
To feel regret, remorse, or sorrow for.

v.   intr.
To feel regret, remorse, or sorrow.

Even when the airline industry went into a nosedive after the September 11 attacks, CEOs couldn’t pull off the kind of merger that could have helped them cut costs and stanch their collective losses, which have topped $29 billion since 2001.

stanch 
tr.v.   stanched also staunched, stanch·ing also staunch·ing, stanch·es also staunch·es

1. To stop or check the flow of (blood or tears, for example).
2. To stop the flow of blood from (a wound).
3. To stop, check, or allay: “My anxiety is stanched; I am at peace” (Scott Turow).