January 2009
75 posts
David Foster Wallace Dictionary →
philematophobe
noun • a person who dislikes kissing
scombroid
adjective • /ˈskɒmbrɔɪd/ • resembling the mackerel
supernumerary
noun • a person serving no apparent function
adjective • exceeding the usual number
elemeno
noun • a nonexistent letter of the alphabet which some children think comes between ‘k’ and ‘p’
ephthatha
verb, imperative • be opened
From the Greek εφφαθα, which is a transliteration of the Aramaic ‘ethpthaḥ’, the passive imperative of the verb ‘pthaḥ’, ‘to open’.
Used in Mark 7:34 - And looking up to heaven, he sighed and said to him, “Ephphatha”, which is ‘be opened’.
catachresis
noun • /kætəˈkɹiːsɪs/ • the misuse of words; applying a term to something which it should not properly describe
From Ancient Greek κατάχρησις, from καταχρῆσθαι ‘to misuse’.
dingus
noun • something whose name is either unknown or forgotten
repine
verb (intrans.) • /rəˈpaɪn/ /riˈpaɪn/ • (poetic/literary) feel or express discontent; fret
Save The Words →
Adopt a neglected word.
33 Names of Things You Never Knew had Names →
xanthodont
noun • \zan′thō-dont\ • a person with yellowish teeth
gallimaufry
noun • /ˈgøləˈmɔfri/ • a confused jumble or medley of things
ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from archaic French galimafrée ‘unappetizing dish,’ perhaps from Old French galer ‘have fun’ + Picard mafrer ‘eat copious quantities.’
rantipole
noun • a wild, ill-behaved, or rude young person
quincunx
noun • /ˈkwɪnkʌŋks/ • five objects arranged in a square, with one object at each of the square’s four corners and the fifth in the square’s center (like the five on dice).
preantepenultimate
adjective & noun • \prē-ˈan-tē-pi-ˈnəl-tə-mət\ • fourth from last
xenodochial
adjective • (archaic) friendly to strangers
shibboleth
noun • /ˈʃɪbəlɛθ/ • a word, especially seen as a test, to distinguish someone as belonging to a particular nation, class, profession etc. a slogan, jargon word, or catchphrase closely associated with a particular group and not used very much, or at all, outside of it. Can also apply to ideas, customs, and uses of language. a common or longstanding belief or custom associated with a particular...
borborygmus
noun • /ˈbɔːbəˈɪɡməs/ • stomach growling caused by movement of gas through the intestines
from Greek βορβορυγμός
humuhumunukunukuapuaa
noun • hoo moo-hoo-moo-noo koo-noo-koo-ah-poo ah-ah • a small tropical Hawaiian fish.
copacetic
adjective • /kəʊpəˈsɛtɪk/ • fine, excellent, completely satisfactory
also spelled copasetic, copesetic, copesettic, kopasetic
origin unknown: “there are at least five competing explanations, with no very good evidence for any of them.”
bon mot
noun • /ˈbɒn.ˈmoʊ/, (French) /bɔ̃.ˈmoʊ/ • a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism.
From French “good word”.
glycolimia
noun • a craving for sweets
meshuggah
adjective • /mɪˈʃʊgə/ • crazy; idiotic.
From Yiddish meshuge; Hebrew meshugga.
skosh
noun • /skəʊʃ/ • a small amount; a little.
From Japanese 少し sukoshi.
American Dialect Society Word of the Year: Bailout →
Other awards given in the press release:
Most useful: Barack Obama, used as a combining form (i.e., in puns).
Most creative: recombobulation area, an area at Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee in which passengers that have just passed through security screening can get their clothes and belongings back in order.
Most unnecessary: moofing, from “mobile out of office,” meaning working on...
hypophora
noun • asking a question and then immediately answering it.
pusillanimous
adjective • /ˈˈpjusəˈlønəməs/ • showing a lack of courage or determination; timid.
from ecclesiastical Latin pusillanimis, from pusillus ‘very small’ + animus ‘mind,’ + -ous
incarnadine
noun • /ɪn’kɑ:nədaɪn/ • the blood red color of raw flesh; a bright crimson or pinkish-red color.
adjective • of the blood red color of raw flesh; of a bright crimson or pinkish-red color.
verb (trans) • to color (something) the blood red color of raw flesh, a bright crimson, or pinkish-red.
shamocrat
noun • one who pretends to be possessed of wealth, influence, rank, or indeed any quality which is only conspicous by its absence.
from John Farmer’s Americanisms, Old and New
List of English back-formations →
According to Wikipedia, “back-formation refers to the process of creating a new lexeme (less precisely, a new “word”) by removing actual or supposed affixes.” Some examples: edit derives from editor, sculpt from sculptor, emote from emotion, and burgle (no kidding) from burglar. Importantly, words like “emotion” enter the language fully-formed, and speakers...
fox-mark
noun • a brown spot or stain on a print, book, etc. caused by damp affecting impurities of the paper
cacoepy
noun • /kæˈkəʊɪpɪ/ • incorrect pronunciation
cacology
noun • /kəˈkɑlədʒi/ • bad choice of words
epeolatry
noun • /ɛpɪˈɒlətrɪ/ • the worship of words
monorchid
noun • an individual or animal having only one testicle
nugacity
noun • /njuˈgæsɪti/ • a trivial or frivolous thing or idea
Common Errors in English Usage →
Staggeringly comprehensive—learn about solecisms you never knew existed!
didicoi
noun • /ˈdɪdiˈkɔɪ/ • a gypsy or itinerant thinker
(also did•di•coy)
perhaps from an alteration of Romany dik akei, ‘look here.’
specular
adjective • /ˈspɛk.jə.lər/ • of, relating to, or having the qualities of a mirror.
elide
transitive verb • /ɪˈlaɪd/ • 1) to omit (a vowel, consonant, or syllable) in pronunciation. 2) to suppress; omit; ignore; pass over.
If you’re feeling clever, pronounce the word “‘lide”.
jo
noun • /dʒoʊ/ • beloved one; darling; sweetheart.
jejune
adjective • /dʒɪ.ˈdʒun/ • a) devoid of significance or interest; dull; insipid. b) juvenile; immature; childish; puerile. c) lacking knowledge or experience; uninformed. d) lacking nutritive value.
verecund
adjective • modest, bashful
thelemic
adjective • permitting people to do as they like
pogonotrophy
noun • the cultivation of a beard; beard-growing.
cf.: pogonology, the study of beards, and pogonotomy, shaving.
rastaquouère
noun • 1) a social upstart, especially from a Mediterranean or Latin American country. 2) a dashing but untrustworthy foreigner
bathykolpian
adjective • deep-bosomed