Friday Vocabulary

1. turpitude — vileness, inherent wickedness If you insist on demonstrating your turpitude before me, I shall have to absent myself, to take a turn or two abovedeck and try to erase these sights from my memory.   2. superlunary — celestial or heavenly as opposed to worldly Maimonides here points out that, though human …

Friday Vocabulary

1. blench — to flinch, to quail Do not stare at me so, lest I blench under your steely gaze that I would rather looked lovingly upon my face.   2. conation — mental facility directed towards striving, will, desire, volition Reichholz claimed that an internal focus upon conation had unintended negative consequences, that the …

Friday Vocabulary

1. Quinquagesima — final Sunday before Lent, beginning of Carnival The first appearance of Quinquagesima as a pre-Lenten feast (there is some evidence for the term being used for an anticipatory fast) cannot be found in Italy earlier than the 6th Century.   2. bimble — [British] to walk about in a meandering way with …

Friday Vocabulary

1. super — [informal] supernumerary I thought those NPCs were just supers in the adventure after the opening, so I didn’t bring their characters sheets or figures with me for this session.   2. desuetude — disuse, discontinuance of practice His words came croaking and halting, as if his very power of speech had fallen …

Friday Vocabulary

1. crupper — strap looped around horse’s tail attached to saddle to prevent the saddle or harness from moving forward Sir Lee was unsaddled by the black knight’s lance, sent right over the crupper by the mighty blow.   2. Very light — flares used for signaling or illumination, fired from a special pistol Now …

Friday Vocabulary

1. columbary — dovecote Indeed, even such a medical luminary as Sir Thomas Browne sees fit to mention the important role played by the guano (so to speak) found at the floor of columbaries for its use in the production of saltpeter.   2. columbarium — vault or structure built with many niches for placement …

Friday Vocabulary

1. hythe (also hithe) — [British] river landing spot, small port or harbor Originally, Jackson’s Inn had been a rude hythe on the river, and there are some who still say it was smuggling which gave him the ready cash to build his first hostelry.   2. opopanax — gum resin made from various plants, …