Odd Word Of the Day

Exculpate :

To clear from alleged fault or guilt; to prove to be guiltless; to relieve of blame; to acquit.

Origin:
Exculpate is ultimately derived from Latin ex- , "without" + culpare , "to blame," from culpa , "blame, fault."

prevaricate

To depart from or evade the truth; to speak with equivocation.
Origin:
Prevaricate derives from the past participle of Latin praevaricari , "to pass in front of, or over, by straddling; to walk crookedly; to collude," from prae , "before, in front of" + varicare , "to straddle," from varicus , "straddling," from varus , "bent."

chatoyant
1.
Having changeable lustre; twinkling.
2.
(Of a gem, esp a cabochon) displaying a band of light reflected off inclusions of other minerals

Origin:
Chatoyant's poetic origin lies in the French chatoyer , "to gleam like a cat's eyes," from the French chat , "cat."

byzantine
1.
Complex or intricate.
2.
Characterized by elaborate scheming and intrigue, esp. for the gaining of political power or favor.

3.
Of or pertaining to Byzantium.

4.
Of or pertaining to the Byzantine Empire.

5.
Noting or pertaining to the architecture of the Byzantine Empire and to architecture influenced by or imitating it.

Origin:
Byzantine derives its general reference to complexity from the intricate workings of the government of Byzantium, an ancient center of both the Roman and Ottoman empires.

TODAY'S NAUGHTY-SOUNDING WORD: "PRICKLOUSE"





pricklouse, n. a tailor - so called in contempt, while princod n. is a pincushion, not to mention a plump man or woman.

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Source: The Vulgar Tongue, Francis Grose.


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lickerish
1.
Fond of and eager for choice food.
2.
Greedy; longing.

3.
Lustful; lecherous.

Origin:
Likerish shares a common ancestor with the less positive term lecherous . The Old French licherous ,"pleasing to the palate," evolved into both English words

"H" IS FOR HUCKLE MY BUFF

H is for HUCKLE MY BUFF. Now there's a mirthful mouthful if ever there was one. It has nothing to do with a discrete invitation to attend a toga party but everything to do with a hot beer, egg, and brandy beverage.

Example of use while skating on thin ice with one's boss: "Believe me, another Huckle My Buff and you won't feel a thing!"

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Image Credit: Duane Bryers at flick.com

autoschediastical
Something improvised or extemporized.

Origin: Autoschediastical enters English from the Greek by way of the German autoschediázein , "to extemporize."

mansuetude
Mildness; gentleness.

Origin:
Mansuetude derives from the Latin mansuescere , literally "to tame by the hand."

"strozzapreti" & "vermicelli" & "muscatel"

Did you know that the Italians have over 500 different names of different kinds of macaroni not to mention oodles of things other than noodles, some of which when translated into English might sound distinctly unappetizing?

There's: -
"strozzapreti" (tr. stangled priests),
"vermicelli" (tr. little worms), or
"muscatel" (tr. wine with flies in it)


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klatsch
A casual gathering of people, esp. for refreshments and informal conversation.

Origin:
Klatsch comes from the German word for "gossip."

creolize

1.
To combine local and foreign elements into a new, distinct whole.
2.
To render a pidgin into a distinct, spoken language.

Origin:
Creolize is a verb alteration of creole , which derives from the Spanish criollo , "a person native to a locality."

concupiscible
Worthy of being desired.

Origin:
Concupiscible has Latin roots in concupiscere , "to be desirous of."

fain
1.
Gladly; willingly.

Origin:
Fain has ancient roots in the Old English fæg , "happy."

totemic
1.
Pertaining to an object or natural phenomenon with which a family or group considers itself closely related.
2.
Relating to a representation of such an object serving as the distinctive mark of the clan or group

Origin:
Totemic derives from the Algonquian (probably Ojibwa) odoodeman , "his sibling kin, his group or family," hence, "his family mark."

homograph

A word of the same written form as another but of different meaning, whether pronounced the same way or not
Origin:
Homograph conbines the Greek roots homos , "same," and graphos , "drawn or written."

dharna
In India,the practice of exacting justice or compliance with a just demand by sitting and fasting at the doorstep of an offender until death or until the demand is granted.

Origin:
Dharna is a Hindi word literally meaning "a placing."

jobbery
The conduct of public or official business for the sake of improper private gain.

Origin:
Jobbery combines the sense of job and robbery and reflects the historically negative connotation of job , whose definition may derive from gob , as in "a mass or lump."

vulpine
1.
Cunning or crafty.
2.
Of or resembling a fox.

Origin:
Vulpine derives from the Latin word for "fox," vulpinus

ambisinister

Clumsy or unskillful with both hands
Origin:
Ambisinister is a combination of the Latin roots Ambi- , "both," and sinister , "to the left side."

elide
1.
To suppress; omit; ignore; pass over.
2.
To omit (a vowel, consonant, or syllable) in pronunciation.

3.
In law, to annul or quash.

Origin:
Elide derives from the Latin elidere , "to wound."

Taphephobia:

Fear of being buried alive.

effluvium

A slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, esp. one that is disagreeable
Origin:
Effluvium comes into English from the Latin effluere , "to flow out."