"When you're in jail, a good friend will be trying to bail you out. A best friend will be in the cell next to you saying, 'Damn, that was fun'." Groucho Marx
It is vocabulary time again. Here is part one, part two, part three and part four.
mancinism
the condition of being left-handed
macroverbumsciolist
nonce word 1) a person who is ignorant of large words
2) a person who pretends to know a word, then secretly refers to a dictionary.mastigophorer
obs. a fellow worthy to be whipped.
matutolypea
getting up on the wrong side of the bed.
CNN has the link to a Mental Floss story about the etymology of some common words. I found it quite interesting. Here is an excerpt and a link:
1. Dunce
Dictionaries don’t play fair, and John Duns Scotus is proof.
The 13th/14th-century thinker, whose writings synthesized Christian theology and Aristotle’s philosophy, was considerably less dumb than a brick. Unfortunately for Scotus, subsequent theologians took a dim view of all those who championed his viewpoint.
These “Scotists,” “Dunsmen,” or “Dunses” were considered hairsplitting meatheads and, eventually, just “dunces.”
2.(slipping a) Mickey
When you have to drug somebody against their will (hey, you gotta do what you gotta do), it just wouldn’t sound right to slip ’em a Ricardo, a Bjorn, or an Evelyn. It’s gotta be a Mickey.
At the turn of the 20th century, Mickey Finn was a Chicago saloon owner in one of the seediest parts of town — and he fit right in.
Finn was known for serving “Mickey Finn Specials,” which probably included chloral hydrate, a heavy sedative. After targeted customers passed out, Finn would haul them into his “operating room” and liberate them of all valuables (including shoes).
Never a Host of the Year candidate, this Mickey seems to have thoroughly earned his legacy, so don’t hesitate to use it the next time you drug and rob your own customers.
It is vocabulary time again. Here is part one, part two and part three.
tem·er·ar·i·ous (tÄ•m‘É™-râr‘Ä“-É™s)
adj. Presumptuously or recklessly daring[L. tentigo, -inis, a tension, lecherousness, fr. tendere, tentum, to stretch.]
1. Stiff; stretched; strained. [Obs.] Johnson.
2. Lustful, or pertaining to lust. [Obs.] B. Jonson.
n.[L., from urinari to plunge under water, to dive.]
One who dives under water in search of something, as for pearls; a diver.u·su·fruct (yÅ«‘zÉ™-frÅkt‘, -sÉ™-)
n.The right to use and enjoy the profits and advantages of something belonging to another as long as the property is not damaged or altered in any way.
It is vocabulary time again. Here is part one and part two.
Jack·pud·ding
n.A merry-andrew; a buffoon.
Job·ber·nowl
n.[OE. jobbernoule, fr. jobarde a stupid fellow; cf. E. noll.]
A blockhead.[fr. Nike, the Greek goddess of victory + hedoné, pleasure] the pleasure derived from anticipating success
[fr. L. quid nunc, what now] nonce-word curiosity, love of news or gossip (also quid-nunc-ism)
It is Vocabulary Time Part II. The First edition can be found here.
de·fal·cate (dÄ-făl‘kÄt‘, -fôl‘-, dÄ•f‘É™l-)
intr.v., -cat·ed, -cat·ing, -cates.To misuse funds; embezzle.
Dac·tyl·on·o·my
n.[Gr. da`ktylos finger + no`mos law, distribution.]
The art of numbering or counting by the fingers.re·cru·desce (rÄ“‘krÅ«-dÄ•s‘)
intr.v., -desced, -desc·ing, -desc·es.To break out anew or come into renewed activity, as after a period of quiescence.
vi·del·i·cet (vÄ-dÄ•l’Ä-sÄ•t’, vÄ«-, wÄ-dÄ’lÄ-kÄ•t’) pronunciation
adv. (Abbr. viz.)That is; namely. Used to introduce examples, lists, or items.
It is time for more obscure words for our enjoyment. My pal Robert Avrech usually asks his readers to use the words he provides in a sentence. Not me, I want you to go and sprinkle them in comments on other blogs. Don’t forget to tell them where you received such a fine education.
If this works out, in no time at all we’ll have a roomful of Ivy Leaguers fighting to comment here. And then again, maybe not.
One more note, if you should ever find yourself using any of these words on a game show I must ask a favor. I want 10 percent of your winnings, or at least mention the name of the blog because you know that Trebek wishes that he could be part of a fine blog like The Shack.
[Port.] yearning or longing, but more than that…
[L. scaturiens, p. pr. of scaturire gush out, from scatere to bubble, gush.]
Gushing forth; full to overflowing; effusive. [R.]
A pen so scaturient and unretentive.
1) the eve of May Day on which witches are held to ride to an appointed rendezvous
2) something (as an event or situation) having a nightmarish quality
[fr. parley, call for truce + ?] Scot. obs.
a call for a truce by one who has fallen in fighting or play; a request for a time out