March 2018 WOTDs

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March 2018 WOTDs

31 March 2018

espy

[ih-spahy]

verb (used with object), espied, espying.

1. to see at a distance; catch sight of.

Origin of espy

Middle English, Old French, German
1175-1225; Middle English espyen; Old French espier ≪ Germanic; compare German spähen to spy

Related forms

unespied, adjective

Synonyms

discern, descry, discover, perceive, make out.

Espy

[es-pee]

noun

1. James Pollard [pol-erd] (Show IPA), 1785–1860, U.S. meteorologist.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for espy

Contemporary Examples

But in 2003, Foxx hilariously sang a tribute to Serena Williams at the espy Awards.
13 Award Show Hosts Dos and Don’ts
Sujay Kumar
November 29, 2010

Historical Examples

If danger lay there I could not espy it nor detect its presence.
The House Under the Sea
Sir Max Pemberton

There were no tall trees near behind which we could run should he espy us.
My First Voyage to Southern Seas
W.H.G. Kingston

As soon as we were outside the door, whom should we espy there, in the large hall, just at the entrance?
Cuore (Heart)
Edmondo De Amicis

I’ve lodged them with the Capuchins, where not even a prying sunbeam can espy them.
Fiesco or, The Genoese Conspiracy
Friedrich Schiller

“I should like to buy the squirrel, if espy will sell him,” said Phonny.
Stuyvesant
Jacob Abbott

They rode on rapidly, intending to go to the house and inquire for espy.
Stuyvesant
Jacob Abbott

No,” said the great boy; “it belongs to espy, and I am going to keep it for him.
Stuyvesant
Jacob Abbott

But God had ane other work to wyrk then the eyes of men could espy.
The Works of John Knox, Volume 2 (of 6)
John Knox

Now and then one could espy amongst the branches a beautiful mot-mot.
A Glimpse at Guatemala
Anne Cary Maudslay

30 March 2018

rarebit

[rair-bit]

noun

1. Welsh rabbit.

Origin of rarebit

1715-1725 First recorded in 1715-25
Can be confused

rabbet, rabbit, rarebit, rebate.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for rarebit

Historical Examples

They had the Welsh rarebit, with beer, and Carl helped to make it.
The Trail of the Hawk
Sinclair Lewis

“Let’s stop in and have a rarebit,” he suggested one midnight.
Sister Carrie
Theodore Dreiser

We are going over to the Lewinsohns for four-handed rummy and then a rarebit.
Local Color
Irvin S. Cobb

28 March 2018

nanoscale

[nan-uh-skeyl, ney-nuh-]

adjective

1. of or relating to microscopic particles of matter, devices, etc., that are measured in nanometers or microns:
a nanoscale sensor made of a single molecule.
noun
2. Measurements. a scale of measurement that uses nanometers or microns as units of measure.

Origin of nanoscale

1980-1985 First recorded in 1980-85; nano- + scale2

Dictionary.com

nanoscale in Science

nanoscale (nān’ə-skāl’)

Relating to or occurring on a scale of nanometers.

The American Heritage® Science Dictionary
Copyright © 2002. Published by Houghton Mifflin. All rights reserved.

Anagram

canal ones
nasal cone

27 March 2018

boustrophedon

[boo-struh-feed-n, -fee-don, bou-]

noun

1. an ancient method of writing in which the lines run alternately from right to left and from left to right.

Origin of boustrophedon

Greek

1775-1785-85; < Greek boustrophēdón literally, like ox-turning (in plowing), equivalent to bou- (stem of boûs) ox + -strophē- (see strophe ) + -don adv. suffix

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for boustrophedon

Historical Examples

It is written in the most ancient Greek characters, and in the boustrophedon manner.
Museum of Antiquity
L. W. Yaggy

The words of the text are ranged in squares in such a manner as to be read either vertically or boustrophedon.
Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 15, Slice 6
Various

Anagram

rebound photos
bedpost honour
rosebud photon
both ponderous

26 March 2018

cicerone

[sis-uh-roh-nee, chich-uh-; Italian chee-che-raw-ne]

noun, plural cicerones Italian, ciceroni [chee-che-raw-nee]

1. a person who conducts sightseers; guide.

Origin of cicerone

Italian, Latin

1720-1730; Italian < Latin Cicerōnem, accusative of Cicerō Cicero, the guide being thought of as having the knowledge and eloquence of Cicero

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for cicerone

Historical Examples

Having introduced us, she desired him to act as cicerone to me until I was tired.
The First Violin
Jessie Fothergill

Then, as the Emperor has been often at Lyndalberg, he can act as cicerone for a stranger.
The Princess Virginia
C. N. Williamson

To the animated and curious Frenchwoman what a cicerone was Ernest Maltravers!
Ernest Maltravers, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

So she had a right to come there as well as he,—and she could act as cicerone !
Tales of Trail and Town
Bret Harte

Well, we have arrived, said the cicerone, stopping at a mound of ruins.
The Hero of the People
Alexandre Dumas

Not at all, it was the call of the cicerone who had something to impart.
The Surprises of Life
Georges Clemenceau

The detective who was to be our cicerone was known to every evil-doer in the metropolis.
London in the Sixties
One of the Old Brigade

He had, of course, much to see, and it was a delight to me to be his cicerone.
William Sharp (Fiona Macleod)
Elizabeth A. Sharp

In doing so we are in the hands of a cicerone who is not satisfied to speak by rote.
The Marquis D’Argenson: A Study in Criticism
Arthur Ogle

“With your permission, Walter, I will take the part of cicerone,” said the new voice.
The Wizard’s Son, vol. 3
Margaret Oliphant

Anagram

nice core

25 March 2018

gomero/gomera

noun

Mexican term for opium poppy worker. The person who slashes the poppy so that the “goma” will exude. During the 1950’s, the term was used to describe people who worked in the opium business in the golden triangle of Mexico (where Sinaloa, Durango and Chihuahua meet in the Sierra Madre Oriental). Un gomero is a male, una gomera is a female.

In the 1950’s, a nickname for people from Culiacán Sinaloa was “gomero”. Los gomeros from Sinaloa were also called “gangsters with huaraches”.

Example

His father had been a gomero, an opium farmer, like all his uncles and everyone else he knew, tending the fields, irrigating the crops, then slicing the seed head with razor blades and carefully collecting the thick white sap until they had enough to sell to the middlemen who drove around the area and screwed everyone on price: everyone except his father.
Chapter 48
Solomon Creed (Book #1)
Simon Toyne

24 March 2018

goma

noun

– Crude opium (1960s+ Narcotics), ‘they were smoking goma’.

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.

Examples from the Web for goma

Historical Examples

Soon after Holy Week, I was hurriedly implored one morning to go and see an old man who was suffering from “goma.”
A Glimpse at Guatemala
Anne Cary Maudslay

23 March 2018

gomer

[goh-mer]

noun, Slang.

1. an undesirable hospital patient.
2. an enemy aviator, especially in a dogfight.
3. an inept or stupid colleague, especially a trainee (US military slang)

Origin of gomer

1965-1970 First recorded in 1965-70; of disputed orig.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for gomer

Contemporary Examples

Historical Examples

gomer stands for the Germans in part, for those who descended from gomer.
The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882
Joseph Wild

The gomer chamber (which see) is generally adopted in our service.
The Sailor’s Word-Book
William Henry Smyth

That the descendants of the gomer moved northward and established themselves in parts of Germany seems to be an established fact.
The Prophet Ezekiel
Arno C. Gaebelein

Slang definitions; phrases for gomer

gomer

noun

A patient needing extensive care; a vegetative comatose patient : We got a real gomer in from ICU yesterday/ He says the guy’s a total gomer now (1960s+ Medical)
A first-year Air Force Academy cadet, esp a clumsy trainee (1950s+)
[origin uncertain; medical sense said to be an acronym of ”get out of my emergency room”]

The Dictionary of American Slang, Fourth Edition by Barbara Ann Kipfer, PhD. and Robert L. Chapman, Ph.D.
Copyright (C) 2007 by HarperCollins Publishers.

22 March 2018

entreaty

[en-tree-tee]

noun, plural entreaties.

1. earnest request or petition; supplication.

Origin of entreaty

1515-1525 First recorded in 1515-25; entreat + -y3

Synonyms

appeal, suit, plea, solicitation.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for entreaty

Historical Examples

“Hear me,” he went on, in an agony of entreaty mingled with something like anger.
Weighed and Wanting
George MacDonald

She then went away, at her friend’s entreaty, after emptying her purse in my nurse’s hands.
My Double Life
Sarah Bernhardt

Her entreaty was so earnest, that the boy had not the heart to stay there.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

That was my mother’s position, and neither argument nor entreaty could move her from it.
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle

The words were those of entreaty, but the voice was that of authority.
Beauty and The Beast, and Tales From Home
Bayard Taylor

What you must read unmoved by the pity too far for entreaty.
Poems
William D. Howells

His level glance met Sir Richard’s in earnestness and entreaty.
The Lion’s Skin
Rafael Sabatini

It was an entreaty that she might be permitted to come and see me.
That Boy Of Norcott’s
Charles James Lever

Protesting that I had strong reasons to believe so, I renewed my entreaty.
Jack Hinton
Charles James Lever

How could I resist a request, perhaps an entreaty, from her?
Tom Burke Of “Ours”, Volume II (of II)
Charles James Lever

Anagram

try eaten
yen treat
neat tyre
tea entry

21 March 2018

honey-tongued

[huhn-ee [tuhngd]

adjective

(of a person) speaking sweetly or softly, or in a way that is intended to please, often without being sincere; (of a statement, piece of text, etc.) written or spoken in this way

Examples

As a handsome, honey-tongued politician, he convinced the nation that going to war was a good idea.
a honey-tongued lie.

His beautiful verses contain echoes of Shakespeare’s honey-tongued romantic poetry.

Oxford Learners Dictionaries

Anagram

thou edgy neon

20 March 2018

homunculus

[huh-muhng-kyuh-luh s, hoh-]

noun, plural homunculi [huh-muhng-kyuh-lahy, hoh-]

1. an artificially made dwarf, supposedly produced in a flask by an alchemist.
2. a fully formed, miniature human body believed, according to some medical theories of the 16th and 17th centuries, to be contained in the spermatozoon.
3. a diminutive human being.
4. the human fetus.

Origin of homunculus

1650-1660; < Latin, equivalent to homun- (variant of homin-, stem of homō man; see Homo ) + -culus -cule1

Related forms

homuncular, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for homunculus

Historical Examples

I prefer the talk of the French homunculus ; it is at least more amusing.
A Bundle of Letters
Henry James

The homunculus offered me his last book, with his last smile.
The Crime of Sylvestre Bonnard
Anatole France

He satisfied himself that the brain of this homunculus was discernible.
A Few Words About the Devil
Charles Bradlaugh

As he watches, the outlines of a diminutive human being—a mannikin or ‘ homunculus ‘—become visible and rapidly gain distinct form.
The Faust-Legend and Goethe’s ‘Faust’
H. B. Cotterill

Meanwhile the homunculus has found congenial spirits among the sea-nymphs and sirens on the shores of the Aegean.
The Faust-Legend and Goethe’s ‘Faust’
H. B. Cotterill

The homunculus in an ecstasy of love dashes himself against her chariot.
The Faust-Legend and Goethe’s ‘Faust’
H. B. Cotterill

It is often asked, and I think we may fairly ask, what Goethe meant to symbolize by his homunculus.
The Faust-Legend and Goethe’s ‘Faust’
H. B. Cotterill

Adams came finally to acknowledge the unusual powers of the Western ” homunculus ” as a debater.
Stephen Arnold Douglas
William Garrott Brown

It has been ascertained that A. homunculus had an external lachrymal foramen.
The Cambridge Natural History, Vol X., Mammalia
Frank Evers Beddard

That minikin shivering old man, that homunculus, that thing, master of Europe and the West?
Wilderness of Spring
Edgar Pangborn

Anagram

much loon us
uncool mush

19 March 2018

nepenthe

[ni-pen-thee]

noun

1. a drug or drink, or the plant yielding it, mentioned by ancient writers as having the power to bring forgetfulness of sorrow or trouble.
2. anything inducing a pleasurable sensation of forgetfulness, especially of sorrow or trouble.

Origin of nepenthe

Latin Greek

1590-1600; < Latin nēpenthes < Greek nēpenthés herb for soothing, noun use of neuter of nēpenthḗs sorrowless, equivalent to nē- not + pénth(os) sorrow + -ēs adj. suffix

Related forms

nepenthean, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for nepenthe

Historical Examples

Perhaps it was a berry of the nepenthe, which brought oblivion.
The Works of Theophile Gautier, Volume 5
Theophile Gautier

This particular preparation of valerian is nepenthe for the nerves.
The Bishop’s Secret
Fergus Hume

In the Odyssey, in connection with Helen, mention is made of nepenthe.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern
Edgar Saltus

Crown us with asphodel flowers, that are wet with the dews of nepenthe.
Great Inventions and Discoveries
Willis Duff Piercy

I am getting restless again, and there flow the waters of nepenthe.
The Call of the Town
John Alexander Hammerton

I did not find the nepenthe I sought for anywhere on draught, so I went home in disgust.
Belford’s Magazine, Vol. II, No. 3, February 1889
Various

nepenthe was an Egyptian drug that dispelled the memory of whatever is sad.
Historia Amoris: A History of Love, Ancient and Modern
Edgar Saltus

I drank of the nepenthe cup, and in it my past was washed out and my soul was drowned.’
The Unknown Sea
Clemence Housman

I do not employ opium as an aid to my social activities; I regard it as nepenthe from them and as a key to a brighter realm.
The Yellow Claw
Sax Rohmer

The other, beneath its bitter lash, becomes a human dynamo, plunging into the nepenthe of toil.
The Lash
Olin L. Lyman

Anagram

he pen ten

18 March 2018

limey

[lahy-mee]

Slang: Usually Disparaging and Offensive.

noun, plural limeys.

1. a British sailor.
2. a British ship.
3. a British person.
adjective
4. British.

Origin of limey

1885-1890 First recorded in 1885-90; See origin at lime-juicer, -y2

Usage note

This term (and the earlier lime-juicer) was probably first applied by Americans to British sailors, used with disparaging intent and perceived as insulting. Historically, it also referred to a British immigrant in Australia. Later it became a more neutral nickname for any British person.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for limey

Contemporary Examples

Maybe they needed to do that because Freud himself was hardly a true limey.
Lucian Freud, the Conservative Radical
Blake Gopnik
July 21, 2011

Historical Examples

We are a little mortary and limey at present, but we are getting on capitally.
Reprinted Pieces
Charles Dickens

A plasterer with limey overalls gazed at the wagon intently until it passed by.
Watch Yourself Go By
Al. G. Field

The same facts exist with regard to a loam, a calcareous (or limey) soil, or a vegetable mould.
The Elements of Agriculture
George E. Waring

Anagram

my lie

17 March 2018

irremediable

[ir-i-mee-dee-uh-buh l]

adjective

1. not admitting of remedy, cure, or repair:
irremediable conduct.

Origin of irremediable

Latin

1540-1550 From the Latin word irremediābilis, dating back to 1540-50. See ir-2, remediable

Related forms

irremediableness, noun
irremediably, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for irremediable

Historical Examples

Why seek for knowledge, which can prove only that our wretchedness is irremediable ?
Tales And Novels, Volume 8 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

And so the altercation in the night went on, over the irremediable.
Chance
Joseph Conrad

He suffered too much under a conviction of irremediable folly.
Nostromo: A Tale of the Seaboard
Joseph Conrad

Anagram

blearier dime
emailed brier
a berried lime
I relied amber

16 March 2018

pummel

[puhm-uh l]

verb (used with object), pummeled, pummeling or (especially British) pummelled, pummelling.

1. to beat or thrash with or as if with the fists.

Also, pommel.

Origin of pummel

1540-1550 First recorded in 1540-50; alteration of pommel

Related forms

unpummeled, adjective
unpummelled, adjective

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pummel

Contemporary Examples

Since then, conflict has continued to pummel much of the eastern part of the Congo, but Kisangani has remained relatively calm.
‘Argo’ in the Congo: The Ghosts of the Stanleyville Hostage Crisis
Nina Strochlic
November 23, 2014

On Sunday, Iroquois defenders used them to intimidate and pummel Canadians in a second-half surge.
A Millennium After Inventing the Game, the Iroquois Are Lacrosse’s New Superpower
Evin Demirel
July 21, 2014

In an attempt to vanquish the monster, the superheroes step in and pummel him, knocking him to the ground.
The Rise of Superhero Therapy: Comic Books as Psychological Treatment
Alex Suskind
February 17, 2014

Barbie Nadeau on how one botched road could pummel Italy’s economy.
The Mafia-Built Highway That Could Cost Italy $471 Million
Barbie Latza Nadeau
July 7, 2012

A Wiig character invariably has a captive audience—including us—which they pummel with their own anxiety.
Kristen Wiig Blows Up
Bryan Curtis
May 18, 2010

Historical Examples

But to pummel was one thing, and to arouse Mr. Ketch was another.
The Channings
Mrs. Henry Wood

Will you take it back, or shall I pummel the stuffing out of you?
Tabitha’s Vacation
Ruth Alberta Brown

The saddle should have what is called a third pummel, or leaping-horn.
Hints on Horsemanship, to a Nephew and Niece
George Greenwood

Oh, that I could pummel Mr. Learning for writing it up there!
The Crown of Success
Charlotte Maria Tucker

I would strike while the iron is hot; and pummel the dog to some purpose.’
The Punster’s Pocket-book
Charles Molloy Westmacott

Anagram

plum me

15 March 2018

pommel

[puhm-uh l, pom-]

noun

1. a knob, as on the hilt of a sword.
2. the protuberant part at the front and top of a saddle.
3. Architecture. a spherical ornament or finial.
4. Gymnastics. either of the two curved handles on the top surface of a side horse.
verb (used with object), pommeled, pommeling or (especially British) pommelled, pommelling.
5. to beat or strike with or as if with the fists or a pommel.
Also, pummel.

Origin of pommel

Middle English, Old FrenchLatin
1300-1350; (noun) Middle English pomel < Middle French, derivative of Old French pom hilt of a sword < Latin pōmum fruit; see pome, -elle

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for pommel

Historical Examples

No maker’s name, but the date 1638 is stamped upon the pommel.
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle

He threw a leg over the pommel of his saddle and the three men halted in a group.
Dr. Sevier
George W. Cable

De Spain raised his right hand from his thigh to the pommel of his saddle.
Nan of Music Mountain
Frank H. Spearman

Anagram

elm mop

14 March 2018

surmise

[verb ser-mahyz; noun ser-mahyz, sur-mahyz]

verb (used with object), surmised, surmising.

1. to think or infer without certain or strong evidence; conjecture; guess.
verb (used without object), surmised, surmising.
2. to conjecture or guess.
noun
3. a matter of conjecture.
4. an idea or thought of something as being possible or likely.
5. a conjecture or opinion.

Origin of surmise
Middle English, Anglo-French, Latin, Middle French

1350-1400; Middle English surmisen < Anglo-French surmis(e), Middle French (past participle of surmettre to accuse; Latin supermittere to throw upon), equivalent to sur- sur-1+ mis (masculine), mise (feminine); Latin missus, missa, equivalent to mit(tere) to send + -tus, -ta past participle suffix

Related forms

surmisable, adjective
surmisedly [ser-mahyzd-lee, -mahy-zid-] (Show IPA), adverb
surmiser, noun
unsurmised, adjective
unsurmising, adjective

Synonyms

1. imagine, suppose, suspect. See guess.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for surmise

Contemporary Examples

He could surmise one item in keeping with young women of Somali heritage.
How ISIS’s Colorado Girls Were Caught
Michael Daly
October 22, 2014

“In retrospect, one could surmise that ISIS has been working towards this point for years now,” he says.
The Terrorist Caliph as Nation Builder in Iraq, Syria, and Beyond
Jamie Dettmer
July 8, 2014

In any event, Sarkozy supporters are correct to surmise that his detention is bad timing for the comeback bid.
France’s Ex-Prez Sarkozy Placed Under Formal Investigation for Corruption
Tracy McNicoll
July 2, 2014

She did, however, choose to surmise that “The nationality of the shooter, it sounds Hispanic, Latino,” based on his name.
The Ug

Anagram

miser us

13 March 2018

bon mot

[bon moh; French bawn moh]

noun, plural bons mots [bon mohz; French bawn moh] (Show IPA)

1. a witty remark or comment; clever saying; witticism.

Origin of bon mot

1725-1735; < French: literally, good word; see boon2, motto

Can be confused

bon mot, mot juste.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bon mot

Historical Examples

There was a bon mot, which blazed with all the soft brilliancy of sheet lightning.
The Young Duke
Benjamin Disraeli

A bon mot which was carefully copied into The English Mercury.
Memoirs of the Court of Queen Elizabeth
Lucy Aikin

I must leave behind me the remembrance of a bon mot, or I shall be forgotten.
Devereux, Complete
Edward Bulwer-Lytton

12 March 2018

asomatous

[ey-soh-muh-tuh s, uh-soh-]

adjective

1.having no material body; incorporeal.

Origin of asomatous

Late Latin, Greek

1725-1735; < Late Latin asōmatus < Greek asṓmatos bodiless, equivalent to a- a-6+ sōmatos, adj. derivative of sôma body; see soma1, -ous

Dictionary.com

Examples

As opposed to something asomatous, a word, my dear boy, I know will have immediately leapt into your brain, meaning, as you doubtlessly know, without bodily form.
Leon Rooke, Swinging Through Dixie, 2016

In fact, He dispatched His mercy to me through an Angel (capital “A”.) But this was not an asomatous creature … No. She is a person like us, a regular human being …
Apostolos Doxiadis, Three Little Pigs, 2015

Anagram

a atom sous
Samoa to us

11 March 2018

bosh(1)

[bosh]

noun

1. absurd or foolish talk; nonsense.

Origin of bosh(1)

Turkish

1830-1835; < Turkish boş empty; popularized from its use in the novel Ayesha (1834) by British author James J. Morier (1780-1849)

bosh(2)

[bosh]

noun, Metallurgy.

1. the section of a blast furnace between the hearth and the stack, having the form of a frustum of an inverted cone.

Origin

1670-80; probably < German; akin to German böschen to slope, Böschung slope, scarp

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bosh

Contemporary Examples

“Somebody had to break the ice,” bosh, whose own sexuality has been questioned in recent years, says.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion
Justin Jones
August 13, 2014

And just as the NBA and WNBA continue to develop as open-minded sports leagues, bosh plans to develop even further as a designer.
Miami’s Chris Bosh Goes High Fashion
Justin Jones
August 13, 2014

But in New York this week, bosh said he had to take a step back from basketball and simply take in his surroundings.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

But the tasty meal of steak, lobster, and shrimp was only the beginning of a night to remember for bosh and company.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

But after few rounds of simply making baskets, the game turned a tad more serious, bosh says.
Chris Bosh On the NBA Star-Studded New York City Fundraiser for Obama
Allison Samuels
August 24, 2012

Historical Examples

What a lot of bosh is talked about lovers,” his comment ran.
Dust
Mr. and Mrs. Haldeman-Julius

This stupendous mass of bosh could not have been produced unless there were a demand for it.
The Curse of Education
Harold E. Gorst

That talk about me trying to get you out of Illington, Blaine, is all bosh, and you know it.
The Crevice
William John Burns and Isabel Ostrander

How even such a banquet of bosh was got ready in the time remained a riddle.
The Innocence of Father Brown
G. K. Chesterton

If my reader finds this bosh and abracadabra, all right for him.
Fantasia of the Unconscious
D. H. Lawrence

10 March 2018

bunkum or buncombe

[buhng-kuh m]

noun

1. insincere speechmaking by a politician intended merely to please local constituents.
2. insincere talk; claptrap; humbug.

Origin of bunkum

Americanism; after speech in 16th Congress, 1819-21, by F. Walker, who said he was bound to speak for Buncombe (N.C. county in district he represented)

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for bunkum

Historical Examples

That fifty dollars being put on for anybody else was bunkum.
Thoroughbreds
W. A. Fraser

“All bunkum and wind,” said he, pitching them into a corner.
Kilgorman
Talbot Baines Reed

It’s for them that all these atrocities are invented—most of them bunkum.
The Hero
William Somerset Maugham

I suppose you will say next that I hypnotised her—or some bunkum of that sort!
The Seven Secrets
William Le Queux

Tall talk’s his jewelry: he must have his dandification in bunkum.
Beauchamp’s Career, Complete
George Meredith

I regret, however, to have to write that this idea of self-sacrifice is really all bunkum.
Egyptian Birds
Charles Whymper

Slavery speeches are all bunkum ; so are reform speeches, too.
The Attache
Thomas Chandler Haliburton

No, not they; they want Irish votes, that’s all—it’s bunkum.
The Attache
Thomas Chandler Haliburton

It must not be supposed, however, that this was all bunkum to Mr. Spokesly.
Command
William McFee

Then all that talk of yours about getting me out of danger was bunkum ?
Jacob’s Ladder
E. Phillips Oppenheim

9 March 2018

terrene

[te-reen, tuh-, ter-een]

adjective

1. earthly; worldly.
2. earthy.
noun
3. the earth.
4. a land or region.

Origin of terrene

Middle English Latin

1300-1350; Middle English < Latin terrēnus pertaining to earth. See terra

Related forms

terrenely, adverb

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for terrene

Historical Examples

But the visitor could not convey celestial realities to terrene minds.
Mountain Meditations
L. Lind-af-Hageby

They conduct to the terrene genera of the great family Colubrid.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier

It grows to a length of eight feet, and its habits are terrene.
Reptiles and Birds
Louis Figuier

Anagram

reenter

8 March 2018

picayune

[pik-ee-yoon, pik-uh-]

adjective, Also, picayunish, Informal.

1. of little value or account; small; trifling:
a picayune amount.
2. petty, carping, or prejudiced:
I didn’t want to seem picayune by criticizing.
noun
3. (formerly, in Louisiana, Florida, etc.) a coin equal to half a Spanish real.
4. any small coin, as a five-cent piece.
5. Informal. an insignificant person or thing.

Origin of picayune

French Provençal

1780-1790; < Provençal picaioun small copper coin (compare French picaillons), derivative of an onomatopoetic base *pikk- beat, here referring to the coining of coppers

Related forms

picayunishly, adverb
picayunishness, noun

Synonyms

1. trivial, insignificant. 2. narrow-minded.

Anagram

epic yuan
a puny ice

7 March 2018

sool

/suːl/

verb (transitive)

1. to incite (a dog) to attack
2. to attack

Derived Forms

sooler, noun

Word Origin

C17: from English dialect sowl (esp of a dog) to pull or seize roughly
Collins English Dictionary – Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Examples from the Web for sool

Historical Examples

But sool ’em becoming effusive there was a pause until she could be persuaded that “nobody wanted none of her licking tricks.”
We of the Never-Never
Jeanie “Mrs. Aeneas” Gunn

A cheerful nightcap; but such was our faith in sool ’em and Brown as danger signals, that the camp was asleep in a few minutes.
We of the Never-Never
Jeanie “Mrs. Aeneas” Gunn

6 March 2018

eidolon

[ahy-doh-luh n]

noun, plural eidola [ahy-doh-luh], eidolons.

1. a phantom; apparition.
2. an ideal.

Origin of eidolon

1820-1830 First recorded in 1820-30; See origin at idol

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for eidolon

Historical Examples

Accounts say that it was her double, or eidolon, which figured at Troy.
Blackwood’s Edinburgh Magazine, Vol. 65, No. 400, February, 1849
Various

Alas, yes, the eidolon of him was,—in Weber’s and other such brains.
The French Revolution
Thomas Carlyle

For the time his thought was quit of its consequence; no eidolon outwardly repeated his inward vision.
Between The Dark And The Daylight
William Dean Howells

Anagram

I noodle
idol one
die loon

5 March 2018

irregardless

[ir-i-gahrd-lis]

adverb, Nonstandard.

1. regardless.

Origin of irregardless

1910-1915; ir-2(probably after irrespective) + regardless

Can be confused

irregardless, regardless (see usage note at the current entry)

Usage note

Irregardless is considered nonstandard because of the two negative elements ir- and -less. It was probably formed on the analogy of such words as irrespective, irrelevant, and irreparable. Those who use it, including on occasion educated speakers, may do so from a desire to add emphasis. Irregardless first appeared in the early 20th century and was perhaps popularized by its use in a comic radio program of the 1930s.

Dictionary.com

Examples from the Web for irregardless

Contemporary Examples

Besides, like knowing some French or making sure not to say “irregardless,” having a B.A. is a class marker in America.
Did Needs-Blind Admission Create the College Debt Crisis?
John McWhorter
July 6, 2014

Word Origin and History for irregardless

an erroneous word that, etymologically, means the opposite of what it is used to express. Attested in non-standard writing from at least 1870s (e.g. “Portsmouth Times,” Portsmouth, Ohio, U.S.A., April 11, 1874: “We supported the six successful candidates for Council in the face of a strong opposition. We were led to do so because we believed every man of them would do his whole duty, irregardless of party, and the columns of this paper for one year has [sic] told what is needed.”); probably a blend of irrespective and regardless. Perhaps inspired by the colloquial use of the double negative as an emphatic.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper

Anagram

girls readers
riders glares

 

djent

[duh-jent]

noun

– style of progressive metal, named for an onomatopoeia of the distinctive high-gain, distorted, palm-muted, low-pitch guitar sound first employed by Meshuggah and Sikth. Typically, the word is used to refer to music that makes use of this sound, to the sound itself, or to the scene that revolves around it.

wikipedia.org

3 March 2018

Mumblecrust

noun

Mumblecrust isn’t a terribly flattering term. Although, if you are in fact a mumblecrust, you probably don’t care if you’re thrown this insult—you’ve got bigger issues. The word refers to a toothless, haggard beggar (as portrayed in a medieval comedy show).

www.dictionary.com

2 March 2018

Shot-clog

noun

You know that one person who always tags along on group outings . . . and you really don’t want them there, but you feel bad and they usually pick up the tab. Well, that person is known as a shot-clog. Shot refers to the bill, and the clog part is derived from a weight attached to an animal’s leg that is used to impede their progress. Bottom line: This shot-clog may bring some of the group down, but they offer to pay the bill so . . . another round for everyone!

www.dictionary.com

Anagram

go cloths

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