November 2011
1 post
kassiber
noun • a letter smuggled out of jail, a secret coded message.
this german loanword is derived from the yiddish word kessaw meaning “written.”
October 2011
1 post
aread (verb) • to divine the meaning of obscure words, interpret a dream, or solve a riddle or enigma.
serendipitist (noun) • a person with an aptitude for making lucky discoveries by accident.
ululate (verb) • to howl or wail; to lament loudly.
these are some of the unusual words that make a cameo in the first chapter of a novel-length book that i wrote.
September 2011
2 posts
over at the ragbag (a component of the internet) i recently wrapped up my word summer series. i have cross-posted a few of these here throughout the summer but because of trust issues, i have not posted all of them…until…now…so…here…you…go…
crookle · to coo as a pigeon
pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis · a factitious word alleged to...
smogger
noun • the road-sign language of hobos
the pictographic language has a rich history which is said to have been introduced into england in the time of henry viii. here is a great resource for many of these long-lost signs.
August 2011
2 posts
belgard
noun • a kind or loving look
2 tags
schlimmbesserung
noun • a so-called improvement that makes things worse
June 2011
2 posts
tagavaka →
noun • a boat that has purposely sailed away, for love, adventure, or suicide
tagavaka is a word from the tokelauan lanugauge. this article from gentlemen’s quarterly magazine explains:
Some-times boats are blown off course; there’s even a Tokelauan word for this: lelea. It’s theorized that the very existence of people on the island—it has been inhabited for a thousand...
fribble
verb • /frĭbˈəl/ • to waste; to fritter (something) away.
noun • a frivolity; a trifle; frivolous person.
May 2011
1 post
frivoller
noun • a person with no serious aim in life
April 2011
2 posts
zaftig/zoftig
adjective • (US) voluptuous, well-proportioned (to describe a woman)
From Yiddish זאַפֿטיק (zaftik, “juicy, fat”), from German saftig “juicy”.
March 2011
4 posts
blatherskite
noun • /’blaT͟Hərˌskīt/ • 1) a babbling, foolish person; a person who talks nonsense at great length. 2) foolish talk, nonsense.
sitzfleisch
noun • the ability to endure a boring activity
from German sitzen ‘to sit’ and fleisch ‘flesh’
1 tag
diegesis
noun • a narration or recitation.
From Ancient Greek διήγησις (diegesis, “narration”), from διηγέομαι (diegeomai, “(I) narrate”).
2 tags
prolepsis
noun • IPA: /pɹoʊˈlɛpsɪs/ • 1) the assignment of something to a period of time that precedes it (rhetoric). 2) the anticipation of an objection to an argument (logic). 3) a construction that consists of placing an element in a syntactic unit before that to which it would logically correspond (grammar, rhetoric). 4) a so-called “preconception”, ie a pre-theoretical notion which can...
February 2011
1 post
drachenfutter
noun • (German, literally “dragon fodder”) a peace offering to a wife from a guilty husband
January 2011
5 posts
triskaidekaphobia
noun • fear, hatred, or dislike of the number 13.
From Ancient Greek τρεῖς (treis, “three”) + καί (kai, “and”) + δέκα (deka, “ten”) + -phobia.
saccade
noun • /səˈkɑːd/ • 1) a sudden jerking movement (rare). 2) a rapid jerky movement of the eye (voluntary or involuntary) from one focus to another. 3) the act of checking a horse quickly with a single strong pull of the reins. 4) the sounding of two violin strings together by using a sudden strong pressure of the bow (music).
From French saccade, “a jerking movement”, derived from...
champerty
noun • investing money into an individual’s law suit
From Middle English champartie, from Middle French champart.
chyron
noun • graphics or words at the bottom of a TV screen usually unrelated to the current viewing content
Genericization of the trademark of Chyron Corporation, who manufacture on-screen graphics for television broadcasts.
Free OED for a month! →
Through February 5th, you can get a free trial of the new online Oxford English Dictionary. Use the username trynewoed and the password trynewoed.
November 2010
5 posts
forswat
adjective • covered with sweat
sprezzatura
noun • studied nonchalance.
From Italian, coined in The Book of the Courtier (1528), which describes it as “a certain nonchalance, so as to conceal all art and make whatever one does or says appear to be without effort and almost without any thought about it.”
concinnity
noun • the harmonious reinforcement of the various parts of a work of art (music)
From Latin concinnitās, “skillfully put together”, coined by Sir Thomas Elyot.
divagate
verb • /dīˈvə-gātˌ, dĭvˈə-/ • to wander about; stray; ramble; digress.
perichareia
noun • excessive and violent rejoicing.
October 2010
1 post
fillibrush →
verb • to praise ironically
September 2010
2 posts
here, for (basically) the first time ever are the 19 words of the ragbag word summer series. it is rumored that brad pitt and angelina jolie are going to name their next child after one of these words—but their attorney won’t let me reveal which. frowny face.
acyrological · incorrect in use of words
lobcock · a blundering fool
crwth · an ancient celtic violin
pfuiteufel · an exclamation...
lucullan
adjective • /lü-ˈkə-lən/ • lavish, luxurious
Also spelled lucullian, lucullean
From the Roman politician Licinius Lucullus, who was known for luxurious banquets.
August 2010
3 posts
godwottery
noun • affectedly archaic language or writing
decussate
adjective • 1) X-like, 2) having opposite leaves arranged alternately at right angles (botany).
verb • to form an X; to cross; to intersect
From Latin decusso, -are, -avi, -atus, to arrange crosswise or mark with a cross.
brachiation
noun • movement by swinging the arms from one hold to the next
July 2010
2 posts
2 tags
vivisepulture
noun • an act or instance of burying someone alive
grimoire →
noun • /ɡrɪmˈwɑr/ • a textbook of magic
June 2010
2 posts
capernoited
adjective • slightly intoxicated or tipsy.
apodyopsis
noun • the act of mentally undressing someone.
May 2010
3 posts
Augean
adjective • /ô-jēˈən/ • extremely filthy from long neglect; extremely corrupt.
from Augeas, king of Elis, a figure in Greek mythology whose stables were never cleaned until Heracles had to clean it in a single day as one of his Labors.
malapert
adjective • /mălˈə-pûrtˌ/ • impudently bold in speech or manner; saucy.
noun • an impudent, saucy person.
aristarch
noun • a severe critic.
from Ἀρίσταρχος (Aristarchus), a critic of Alexandria, noted for his severity, especially in regard to the Homeric poems.
April 2010
15 posts
carfax
noun • a junction of four roads; the main intersection in a town.
From an Anglicisation of the Latin quadrifurcus “four-pronged, four-forked”
2 tags
armsaye
Alternatively: armscye.
noun - the armhole in a clothing item
Originally “arm’s eye”.
eunoia
noun • beautiful thinking; (medical) a state of normal mental health
From the Greek εὔνοια “well mind” (lit).
cumshaw
noun • / kŭmˈshôˌ / • a gift; a tip or gratuity.
from Chinese (Xiamen) 感謝, kam siā, grateful thanks
2 tags
erinaceous
adjective • /ˌɛ.rɪˈneɪ.ʃəs/, /ˌɛ.rəˈneɪ.ʃəs/ • of, relating to, or resembling a hedgehog
From Latin erinaceus “hedgehog”
2 tags
pareidolia
noun • /pær.aɪˈdəʊ.li.ə/, /pɛɹ.aɪˈdo.li.ə/ • a psychological phenomenon involving a vague and random stimulus (often an image or sound) being perceived as significant or known to the viewer (eg faces in clouds, canals on Mars)
From the Greek παρα- (para-), “amiss, wrong” + εἴδωλον (eidōlon), “image”
tintinnabulation
noun • /ˌtɪntɪnˌnæbjəˈleʃən/ • a tinkling, like the ringing or sounding of a bell
From Latin tintinnabulum “a bell”, from tintinno, tintinnare, a reduplicated form of tinnio, tinnire, tinnivi/tinnii, tinnitum, “to ring, jingle, clink; to pay (ie clink coins); to scream in a shrill voice”. This is also the root of tinnitus, but not tinny.
frangible
adjective • fragile
From Latin frango, frangere, fregi, fractum “to break”
gelogenic
adjective • (dʒɪlʊˈdʒɛnɪk) • laughter-provoking
hieromachy
noun • /haɪəˈrɒməkɪ/ • a fight or quarrel between priests