Friday Vocabulary

1. devilfish — octopus; piranha; devil ray; giant squid; other marine animals with (supposedly) malevolent mien And though that devilfish had his suckers wound around the old man’s arm, the aged diver did not panic, but calmly extracted the octopus from his hiding spot.   2. firedog — andiron Smoke continued to leak into the …

Friday Vocabulary

1. revers — lapel or other garment part turned back to reveal the lining The colonel wore a half-length silk robe in black with revers in a startling crimson.   2. cornice — [architecture] horizontal element surrounding the top of a building; crown molding of walls within a room; overhanging snow in alpine mountains Jeremy …

Friday Vocabulary

1. terret — ring on harness saddle through which the reins are passed When driving a unicorn team you need to ensure that the reins of the lead horse are fed loosely through the pair’s terrets, which usually requires an extra D-ring.   2. shebeen — [Ireland, Scotland, South Africa] unlicensed place where alcoholic drinks …

Friday Vocabulary

1. iconoclast — destroyer of religious images; one who criticizes or attacks orthodoxy; independent thinker Jocelyn was such a staunch iconoclast she refused the invitation of Mr. Kipling, lest she be thought to support his imperialist views.   2. limonite — hydrous iron oxide Among the important iron ores found in the region are deposits …

Friday Vocabulary

1. motorik — driving 4/4 beat—often with pop! on 3rd beat—typical of krautrock Though of course most are familiar with the motorik used in Kraftwerk’s “Autobahn”, aficionados still argue whether Jaki Liebezeit of Can or Klaus Dinger of Neu! deserves more credit for the spread of perhaps the most popular beat of the late 20th …