1. scribatiousness (also scribaciousness) — quality of writing excessively Finally we decided that the only cure for Artur’s scribatiousness was to take away all of his electronic devices and leave him solely with pen and paper—which was not a cure per se, but since no person other than Artur could read his handwriting, at least …
Category Archives: Vocabulary
Friday Vocabulary
1. pace — [Latin] “in peace”, with no offense intended to, with apologies to Certainly we can all be grateful to Max Brod (pace Kafka’s own wishes in the matter) that he did not cast these writings into the fire. 2. Monel (also Monel metal) — alloy of nickel and copper But its strength …
Friday Vocabulary
1. muzzy — blurry, fuzzy, unfocused; confused, dazed; drunk, mentally impaired due to alcohol Fernando shook his head—which was a mistake—to try to focus on what Jess was saying, and finally got it through his muzzy head that his roommate was shouting something about the apartment being on fire. 2. mouchard — [French] nark, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. pungle — to hand over, to pay “If you’re gonna make me pungle up my hard-won cash,” said the gambler, his hand hovering over his pistol, “you’re gonna need more than three buffoons like you to do it.” 2. endopsychic — extant within the mind But these are mere endopsychic phenomena, and can …
Friday Vocabulary
1. obduracy — stubborn inflexibility, state of being unmoved or unashamed Though Laithley continued in his obduracy, ever and anon did my lord offer the hand of friendship and pledged the return of his lands if only that stubborn knight would take the oath. 2. outrance — [obsolete] furthest extremity, at the very limits …
Friday Vocabulary
1. peripeteia — sudden turn of events, reversal of fortune, crisis However, the thoughtful peripeteia of the classic Greek drama (as, for example, the drastic return of Neoptolemus to his normal open disposition) has been replaced by a poor pallid counterfeit, and every moviegoer knows that the dramatic scenes of failed plans and stratagems of …
Friday Vocabulary
1. censor — to remove or suppress objectionable content from work to be published or promulgated Still, the easiest way for the occupying government to repress these renascent ideas of nationalism was to encourage these artists to censor themselves, whether from fear of paperwork or of financial loss. 2. sprezzatura — [Italian] studied nonchalance, …
Friday Vocabulary
1. sennit (also sinnet) — braided straw or grass used for small crafts or hats Soon he replaced this rude headgear with a wide sennit hat shaped much like the latest fashions he’d seen in London, although with a wider brim. 2. cit — derogatory term for citizen or city folk We tried not …
Friday Vocabulary
1. ferine — feral, untamed, of or related to the state of animals existing in nature Not all ferine creatures exhibit such maternal love, but many do. 2. latitudinarian — tolerant, allowing great latitude in attitude (esp. of religious principles); lax, lacking necessary rigidity in views Of course, the allowances of these latitudinarian directives …
Friday Vocabulary
1. pongo — [British slang] soldier; [obsolete] large ape, as an orangutan or gorilla “I’m not about to let some bloody pongo wheedle his way into Lucy’s affections!” 2. perennial — perpetual, enduring; [biology] of a plant with a life cycle lasting over two years; recurrent Usually Garland found the perennial vigor and enthusiasm …