valetudinarian \val-uh-too-duh-NAIR-ee-un\ noun
: a person of a weak or sickly constitution; especially : one whose chief concern is being or becoming a chronic invalid
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | 
October 28, 2005 8:39 am | 
Comments (4)
amphibology \am-fuh-BAH-luh-jee\ noun
: a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way
Example sentence:
Not wanting to voice what I really felt, I resorted to amphibology and said, “Indeed! Bingley IS a rare sort of fellow.”
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | October 24, 2005 8:43 am | Comments (7)
Argus \AHR-gus\ noun \AHRRR-gah\ diminuitive*
1 : a hundred-eyed monster of Greek mythology
2 : a watchful guardian
3* : castle on an islet in Loch Linnhe at the mouth of Loch Laich near Portnacroish, Strathclyde, Scotland
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | October 19, 2005 11:12 am | Comments (3)
pomaceous \poh-MAY-shuss\ adjective
1 : of or relating to apples
*2 : resembling a pome
A much kinder, better sounding word than “pear shaped”, not that I’m resentful or anything.
*The word, which is ultimately derived from Late Latin “pomum” (meaning “apple”), was originally used of apples and things relating to apples, but later it was also applied to things that look like pears. (Pears, like apples, belong to the pome family.)
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | October 17, 2005 10:01 am | Comments (10)
…The genteel butler that has been Ask Jeeves Inc.’s face for nearly a decade is getting ousted in a corporate takeover. Jeeves, the slightly chubby and balding English butler based on P.G. Wodehouse’s eponymous and ever-resourceful manservant, isn’t the kind of image that e-commerce conglomerate InterActiveCorp wants representing the Ask Jeeves search engine, according to IAC Chairman Barry Diller…
…Diller announced that his company intends to drop Jeeves as a mascot and shorten the search site’s name to Ask or Ask.com. “Not that I don’t like that fat butler,” Diller said
Nor we the fat cat, classless corporate executive.
Oh, who am I kidding? What’s the percentage of Ask Jeeves users who even know who Wodehouse is to begin with? All gentle things coarsen these days or fade away completely.
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 26, 2005 4:42 pm | Comments (3)
In the entry below, I note that the NHC discussion correction looked like Haiku. My brain being what it is, I then thought “What fun ~ a Hurricane Haiku Hullabaloo!” Googling proper haiku format to set ground rules, I immediately came across this informative page containing THIS timely, hurricane related GEM:
kono dote-ni(5) noboru-bekarazu(7) keishichou(5) :
“Do Not Climb This Levee – The Police Department”
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 20, 2005 2:15 pm | Comments (15)
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 16, 2005 3:23 pm | Comments (11)
“Why didn’t they put Tom Bombadil in the movies? One time I asked my brother what he thinks Tom Bombadil looked like, and he said he thinks he looked like a hobbit or a dwarf. But who knows…
I wonder who is more powerful, Tom Bombadil or Sauron?”
“Tom Bombadil by far.“
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 15, 2005 2:37 pm | Comments (16)
assay \a-SAY\ verb
Example sentence:
Ah say, sir, ah say I have HAD it up to HERE with these Chicken Soup for the Soul Books! They are about as common as French hookers on Bastille Day, but raise less of a stench.
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 13, 2005 9:03 am | Comments (3)
apophasis \uh-PAH-fuh-sis\ noun
: the raising of an issue by claiming not to mention it
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 12, 2005 11:28 am | Comments (6)
bib·u·lous /’bi-by&-l&s/ adjective
Etymology: Latin bibulus, from bibere to drink
1 : highly absorbent*
2 a : fond of alcoholic beverages b : of, relating to, or marked by the consumption of alcoholic beverages
*See: Bingley
Littrachure | Mr. Bingley | September 7, 2005 8:52 am | Comments Off on Word of the Day
How about an 8’x 4 1/2′ abstract painting of a Feminine Naughty Bit*?
I didn’t think so.
*Edited for the tender dispositions of some of our faint-hearted contributors.
Littrachure | Crusader | August 22, 2005 2:53 pm | Comments (51)
captious \KAP-shuss\ adjective
1 : marked by an often ill-natured inclination to stress faults and raise objections
2 : calculated to confuse, entrap, or entangle in argument
This submission arrived in timely fashion. Recent confused examples that spring to mind? (I can’t believe I’m waxing nostalgic about those incessant ‘Aruba’ stories…)
UPDATE: The final shot on Sunday’s NBC evening news of said captious newsmaker had her holding a white cross with ‘Casey’ scrawled on it. She was bobbing it up and down like a campaign sign, waving it at the throng passing by, a huge smile plastered on her face the whole time. There is something desperately, desperately wrong with her. Macabre*.
UPDATE REDUX: Although I don’t recommend anyone look for it, as NBC seems to have sanitized the end of Kelly O’Donnell’s report from last night. If anyone out there had the same horrified “WTF is she doing?!” reaction that Major Dad and I shared, please don’t hesitate to let us know.
I FOUND IT: A still at any rate. The TV cameras have started rolling, as you can tell. The cross in her hand has her son’s name on it.
Littrachure | Crusader | August 15, 2005 9:34 am | Comments (4)
chivy \CHIV-ee\ verb
1 : to tease or annoy with persistent petty attacks
*2 : to move or obtain by small maneuvers
Example sentence:
As she told Brendan about her bad day, Megan chivied the last olive out of the jar and plopped it into her dry martini.
Now that is a sentence!
Littrachure | Crusader | August 4, 2005 9:40 am | Comments (4)
crabwise \KRAB-wyze\ adjective
1 : sideways
2 : in a sidling or cautiously indirect manner
Would it were going that well…
Littrachure | Crusader | July 29, 2005 9:13 am | Comments (1)
baleful \BAIL-ful\ adjective
1 : deadly or pernicious in influence
2 : foreboding or threatening evil
The “bale” of “baleful” comes from the Old English “bealu” (“evil”), and the “bane” of the similar-looking “baneful” comes from the Old English “bana” (“slayer, murderer”). “Baleful” and “baneful” are alike in meaning as well as appearance, and they are sometimes used in quite similar contexts — but they usually differ in emphasis. “Baleful” typically describes what threatens or portends evil (e.g., “a baleful look,” “baleful predictions”). “Baneful” applies typically to what causes evil or destruction (e.g., “a baneful secret,” “the baneful bite of the serpent”). Both words are used to modify terms like “influence,” “effect,” and “result,” and in such uses there is little that distinguishes them.
I’m gonna use this six times today, starting with Ebola.
Littrachure | Crusader | July 27, 2005 9:02 am | Comments (3)
smarmy \SMAR-mee\ adjective
1 : revealing or marked by a smug, ingratiating, or false earnestness
2 : of low sleazy taste¹ or quality
¹See “Bingley”
Littrachure | Crusader | July 21, 2005 1:28 pm | Comments (3)
Littrachure | Crusader | July 12, 2005 4:10 pm | Comments (18)
bunkum \BUNG-kum\ noun
: insincere or foolish talk : nonsense
… in the case of “bunkum,” you could almost say it was an act of Congress that brought the word into being. Back in 1820 Felix Walker, who represented Buncombe County, North Carolina, in the U.S. House of Representatives, was determined that his voice be heard on his constituents’ behalf, even though the matter up for debate was irrelevant to Walker’s district and he had little to contribute. To the exasperation of his colleagues, Walker insisted on delivering a long and wearisome “speech for Buncombe.” His persistent — if insignificant — harangue made “buncombe” (later respelled “bunkum”) a synonym for meaningless political claptrap and later for any kind of nonsense.
Littrachure | Crusader | July 1, 2005 9:51 am | Comments (1)
Brobdingnagian \brob-ding-NAG-ee-un\ adjective
: marked by
tremendous size
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | June 17, 2005 9:40 am | Comments (8)
I can’t claim that this installment of the exercise came after quiet contemplation under a steaming shower head. No, this frantic scribbling ensued after a commercial during 60 Minutes (don’t even start…). It was for a special, airing Tuesday, June 21st and called “AFI 100 Years ~ Movie Quotes” and we were off to the races.
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | June 12, 2005 9:14 pm | Comments (18)
quincunx \KWIN-kunks\ noun
: an arrangement of five things in a square or rectangle with one at each corner and one in the middle
And I do NOT want to see this used in a sentence, especially by Mr. Summers…
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | June 11, 2005 7:36 pm | Comments (3)
I’m talking about the words that stand alone, that resonate within us by their mere existence. By the sight of them scrawled on a sheet of paper or flashed on a TV screen, voiced by a moderator or spoken in conversation. Singular names ~ people, places, things ~ of such power that their mention or reading takes one to that very place or conjures that very image, without aid of date, map or explanation. Sometimes Major Dad and I will be listening/talking/reading and one of those words will strike me and I have to say to him “that is one of the most beautiful words in the English Language”. And then I say that word again for good measure ~ and nod ‘yeah’ in satisfaction ~ before going back to whatever it was we were doing. A good word, a powerful word, is like cream to a cat.
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | June 2, 2005 11:26 am | Comments (38)
Sad to hear this. Filmmaker Ismail Merchant dies
With one notable, Gawdawful exception*, the quality was unsurpassed.
*Shall remain nameless to spare Bingley pain.
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | May 25, 2005 2:02 pm | Comments (1)
Brought to you not by email from M-W, but Tom Maguire of the Maguire Report.
émi·nence grise
Pronunciation: A-mE-näns-grEz
Function: noun
: a confidential agent; especially : one exercising unsuspected or unofficial power*
Used to describe Carl ROVE, get outta town!!
Although one can scarcely tell by checking Memeorandum, there is other news than Newsweek in the “Immedia” – Bill Frist may press the nuclear button this week on behalf of Judge Priscilla Owens of Texas. The Times tells us that Karl Rove is the eminence grise behind her rise, which is the sort of connection that Avedon Carol loves to read about.
Littrachure | tree hugging sister | May 16, 2005 5:20 pm | Comments (9)
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