The word for today is…

acumen (noun) – Quickness, accuracy, and keenness of judgment or insight.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : A keen mind and a sharp wit can pierce the soul as easily as a needle passes through cloth. Remember the analogy between a jabbing needle and piercing perception, and you will readily recall the history of acumen. Our English word retains the spelling and figurative meaning of its direct Latin ancestor, a term that literally means “sharp point.” Latin ac?men traces to the verb acuere, which means “to sharpen” and is related to acus, the Latin word for “needle.” In its earliest English uses, acumen referred specifically to a sharpness of wit. In modern English, it conveys the sense that someone is perceptive enough to grasp a situation quickly and clever enough to apply that ability.

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Peter is a fourth-generation New Zealander, with his mother's and father's folks having arrived in New Zealand in the 1870s. He lives in Lower Hutt with his wife, some cats and assorted computers. His...