1. titivate (also tittivate) — to spruce or smarten up We stopped shaving once it became clear that no rescue was forthcoming, save for Harker, who maintained an almost manic hygiene, titivating and preening each morning as if expected a bevy of bachelorettes to stumble into our rude camp of lean-tos and hovels. 2. …
Author Archives: mysterious6030
400 Books (not really)
Today I finished the 400th book since I began tracking my reading back in 2016. Of course, I generally do not count towards my ‘Books Read’ total those volumes belonging to the Comics & Graphic Novels category, so in my self-approved count, this book is #351. The slim staple-bound almost-a-pamphlet in question is Life on …
Book List: 4th Century, 2nd Quarter
Continuing my ongoing listing of books most recently read, and continuing the practice just lately begun of presenting such listing in convenient (to me) twenty-five (25) book chunks, for reasons touched upon in the first such set (viewable here), I herewith present the most recent twenty-five (25) books read, #326 – #350 in my count …
Normative Social Theories
“Normative social theories, which are the only relevant answers to problems of value in the social sciences and the humanities, differ radically from this. No normative theory, neither Anglo-American democracy nor Russian communism, neither the Christian ideal nor the Mohammedan ideal for life, could ever hope, nor does it ever pretend, to be completely in …
Friday Vocabulary
1. indefeasible — not liable to be annulled or voided, not forfeitable Any arguments for the indefeasible rights of an author to control his writings are undercut by the works of Franz Kafka, most of which were saved only when his friend Max Brod famously ignored Kafka’s final wishes that his unpublished works be burned …
Friday Vocabulary
1. panentheism — belief that God and the universe interpenetrate and influence each other In contradistinction to the identity of God with the universe described by pantheism, panentheism affirms a deity which exists within the universe but is not identical with it, yet which is not entirely separate from that universe as is the case …
Friday Lexicon
Today, after a full year of Friday Vocabulary posts, I am pleased to announce the launch of my Lexicon page, comprising every word I have used in my weekly Vocabulary, along with its definition. (Or at least one definition; several words utilize a meaning other than the most common. Caveat lector!) In addition to showing …
Friday Vocabulary
1. squamous — composed of scales, covered with scales, scaly She had gotten too close to her idol, and now perceived that the shoulders of his fashionable rope sweater were covered in squamous dandruff flakes, and that he had quite hairy ears. 2. cryptesthesia — perception by hidden or paranormal means, such as clairaudience …
Friday Vocabulary
1. chalazion — swollen bump on eyelid caused by clogged oil gland While a chalazion is frequently mistaken for a stye, the latter is usually found at the edge of the eyelid and is quite painful, whereas the former can appear anywhere within the eyelid and does not usually cause pain. 2. dissolute — …
Friday Vocabulary
1. teratogenic — disrupting development of fetus or embryo, thus causing birth defects Pregnant women should avoid high intake of vitamin A, as teratogenic effects have been noted. 2. periapt — amulet, charm “Do you deny, then, that you used this very periapt to conjure forth your sworn servant, this supposed cat, in fact …