avulsion 

[uh-vuhl-shuhn]

noun
1. a tearing away.
2. Law . the sudden removal of soil by change in a river’s course or by a flood, from the land of one owner to that of another.
3. a part torn off.

Medical: an avulsion fracture – bone that is broken off from the rest of the bone, usually by a strong impact or when a tendon or ligament is torn from the bone, taking a piece with it.

agee

[uh-jee]

adverb British Dialect .

to one side; awry.

29 July 2012

jollification

[jol-uh-fi-key-shuhn]
noun
jolly merrymaking; jolly festivity.

27 July 2012

Philopedia

– one who loves and is pleased by education and culture.

The prefix ‘Philos’ (classical Greek): loved, beloved, dear, pleasing, loving, friendly, fond

The suffix ‘pedia’ is from the greek root paideia, meaning education, culture.

26 July 2012

Catawampus

[kat-uh-wom-puhs]

adjective
1. askew; awry.
2. positioned diagonally; cater-cornered

Sockdolager

[sok-dol-uh-jer]

noun, older slang

1. something unusually large, heavy, etc.
2. a decisive reply, argument, etc.
3. a heavy, finishing blow: His right jab is a real sockdolager.

Interesting fact: Sockdolager is one of the last words that Abraham Lincoln heard before he was assassinated.  The word was used as the cue for John Wilkes Booth to shoot the President.

[muhs-kuh vol-i-tanz]

plural: muscae voli·tantes [muhs-kee vol-i-tan-teez, muhs-ee]

noun, Ophthalmology .

– floater (this is the name for the spots that float before the eyes)

23 July 2012

Lollapalooza

[lol-uh-puh-loo-zuh]

[noun] Slang

– an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.”

22 July 2012

tawpie

\TAW-pee\, noun:

A foolish or thoughtless young person.

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21 July 2012

sui generis

[soo-i ge-ne-ris; Eng. soo-ahy jen-er-is, soo-ee]

Latin .

of his, her, its, or their own kind; unique.

20 July 2012

animus

[an-uh-muhs]

noun

1. strong dislike or enmity; hostile attitude; animosity.

2. purpose; intention; animating spirit.

3. (in the psychology of C. G. Jung) the masculine principle, especially as present in women ( contrastedwith anima).

hubris
[hyoo-bris, hoo-]
noun
excessive pride or self-confidence; arrogance.

egregious

[ih-gree-juhs, -jee-uhs]

16 July 2012

hippopotomonstrosesquipedaliophobia

[hip-poh-poht-oh-mon-stro-says-kwip-ad-dal-ee-oh-fob-bee-uh]

noun

– fear of long words.

idyll

[ahyd-l]noun
1. a poem or prose composition, usually describing pastoral scenes or events or any charmingly simple episode, appealing incident, or the like.
2. a simple descriptive or narrative piece in verse or prose.
3. material suitable for such a work.
4. an episode or scene of idyllic charm.
5. a brief or inconsequential romantic affair.

14 July 2012

acatalepsy
[ey-kat-l-ep-see]

noun Philosophy .

Luddite

[luhd-ahyt]

– noun

1. any of the textile workers opposed to mechanization who rioted and organized machine-breaking between 1811 and 1816

2. any opponent of industrial change or innovation

– adjective

3. of or relating to the Luddites

[origin: alleged to be named after Ned Ludd,  an 18th-century Leicestershire workman, who destroyed industrial machinery]

Hot on the heels of yesterday’s WOTD, which was ‘mumpsimus‘, is the equally intriguing ‘sumpsimus‘.

sumpsimus

\SUHMP-suh-muhs\,

noun:

1. Adherence to or persistence in using a strictly correct term, holding to a precise practice, etc., as a rejection of an erroneous but more common form (opposed to mumpsimus).
2. A person who is obstinate or zealous about such strict correctness (opposed to mumpsimus).

And now let all defenders of present institutions, however bad they may be — let all violent supporters of their old mumpsimus against any new sumpsimus whatever, listen to a conversation among some undergraduates.
— Frederic William Farrar , Julian Home
She is a master of sumpsimus, more anal in language usage than Doc in his rigid professionalism. She insists on saying It is I, or He gave the book to John and me.
— Ann Burrus, Astride the Pineapple Couch
Like its counterpart mumpsimus, sumpsimus comes from to a story about an illiterate priest. In this case, sumpsimus refers to the opposite practice as mumpsimus.

mumpsimus \MUHMP-suh-muhs\, noun:

1. Adherence to or persistence in an erroneous use of language, memorization, practice, belief, etc., out of habit or obstinacy.
2. A person who persists in a mistaken expression or practice.

“I profess, my good lady,” replied I, “that had any one but you made such a declaration, I should have thought it as capricious as that of the clergyman, who, without vindicating his false reading, preferred, from habit’s sake, his old Mumpsimus…
— Sir Walter Scott, THE TALISMAN

Mr. Burgess, who sticks (I fancy) to his old mumpsimus, thought that the other gentleman might have given the canoe a shove to get it clear of the lock…
— Ronald A. Knox, THE FOOTSTEPS AT THE LOCK

Mumpsimus comes from a story (perhaps first told by Erasmus, 1466-1536) about an illiterate priest who mispronounced a word while reciting the liturgy. The priest refused to change the word, even when he was corrected.

Agemate

noun

[ayj-meyt]

A person of about the same age as another.

Agemate entered English in the late 1500s when the word mate meant “guest” in Old English.

[im-brohl-yoh]

noun, plural im·bro·glios.
1. a misunderstanding, disagreement, etc., of a complicated or bitter nature, as between persons or nations.
2. an intricate and perplexing state of affairs; a complicated or difficult situation.
3. a confused heap.

5 July 2012

Today’s word is in commemoration of the Queensland Maroons winning their 7^thconsecutive State of Origin Series at Lang Park last night as they vanquish their hapless opponents, the New South Wales Blues!

Erythrophobia

[ih-rith-ruh-foh-bee-uh]

1. abnormal fear of the color red.

2. extreme fear of blushing.

With Queensland on the brink of winning a record 7 straight State of Origin series, and New South Wales desperate to win their first series since 2005, today’s WOTD is in recognition of tonight’s blood-bath at Lang Park, Brisbane.

hecatomb
[hek-uh-tohm, -toom]
noun
1. (in ancient Greece and Rome) a public sacrifice of 100 oxen to the gods.
2. any great slaughter: the hecatombs of modern wars.

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3 July 2012

absquatulate

[ab-skwoch-uh-leyt]

verb (used without object), slang

– to flee, abscond.

related forms:
absquatulater (noun)
absquatulation (noun)
absquatulated (verb)

2 July 2012

ad hominem
[ad hom-uh-nuhm ‐nem, ahd-]
adjective
1. appealing to one’s prejudices, emotions, or special interests rather than to one’s intellect or reason.
2. attacking an opponent’s character rather than answering his argument.
Compare ad feminam.

Origin:
[Latin: lit, to the man]

World English Dictionary
ad hominem (æd ˈhɒmɪˌnɛm)

— adj , — adv
1. directed against a person rather than against his arguments
2. based on or appealing to emotion rather than reason

[literally: to the man]