albatrossgreat white sea-bird 1670s, probably from Spanish or Portuguese albatros, alteration of alcatraz "large, web-footed sea-bird; cormorant," originally "pelican" (16c.). This name is perhaps from Arabic al-ghattas "sea eagle" [Barnhart]; or from Portuguese alcatruz "the bucket of a water wheel" [OED], from Arabic al-qadus "machine for drawing water, jar" (which is from Greek kados "jar"). If the second, the name would be a reference to the pelican's pouch (compare Arabic saqqa "pelican," literally "water carrier"). The spelling was influenced by Latin albus "white." (cf. albino). The name was extended by 17c. English sailors to a larger sea-bird (order Tubinares),
which are not found in the North Atlantic. [In English the word also
formerly was extended to the frigate-bird.] These albatrosses follow
ships for days without resting and were held in superstitious awe by
sailors. The figurative sense of "burden" (1936) is from Coleridge's
"Rime of the Ancient Mariner" (1798) about a sailor who shoots an
albatross and then is forced to wear its corpse as an indication that he
alone, not the crew, offended against the bird. |
aspectual 'after'construction: BE + after + V-ing: perfective aspect Found in Irish English; originates from Irish. Examples: - We kept thinking she was after dying on us (i.e. We thought she had died on us) French - Broken Harbour - I only wanted to know what's after happening (i.e. -what has happened) (ibid) - some fella’s after buying up the three houses at the top of the Place (i.e. has bought the three houses) French - Faithful Place - now everyone’s after getting all worried about property prices (i.e. now everyone has gotten all worried) (ibid) - I’m only after narrowing it down this afternoon (French - The Likeness) - And you're after coming all the way from England to find out who done it? (French - In the Woods) |
aspectual 'done'In African American English: done + past tense = perfective meaning - “I’m grown, li’l girl,” she says. “Don’t ask me what I do. Anyway, I come home and that heffa done covered my catfish in some damn cornflakes and baked it!” (Angie Thomas - The Hate U Give) - Daddy drives off. “Done lost y’all minds,” he says. “People rioting, damn near calling the National Guard around here, and y’all wanna play ball" (ibid) - “I done faced a whole lot worse than some so-called King. Ain’t nothing he can do but kill me, and if that's how I gotta go for speaking the truth, that's how I gotta go." (ibid). |
avant-gardeavant-garde (n.)
(also avant garde, avantgarde); French, literally "advance guard" (see avant + guard
(n.)). Used in English 15c.-18c. in a literal, military sense; borrowed
again 1910 as an artistic term for "pioneers or innovators of a
particular period." Also used around the same time in a political sense
in communist and anarchist publications. As an adjective, by 1925.
- The artwork. The prior year the equity partners at Scully & Pershing had - The Berlin that Schrödinger left bore little resemblance to the city |
bifurcateformal if a road, river etc bifurcates, it divides into two separate parts from Medieval Latin bifurcatus, from Latin bi- (see bi-) + furca, the root of fork. Examples: - PARTING THOUGHTS - By arranging these dominoes in a network with looping, bifurcating and |
but, post-clausallyIn informal (spoken) Irish English, 'but' does not appear in initial position of the clause that it introduces, but comes after it: - That there was Jenny’s wedding, but. - We haven’t got the Spains, but. - “You’re not, but." - “Not this time, but." = But not this time. - “Something personal, but." - "Another thing, but." Etc. All examples from Tana French - Broken Harbour (2012). Here 'but' seems to be used with the meaning of 'however' (which is more likely to be used in writing). |
carcinogenic |
caterwaulingcat‧er‧waul /ˈkætəwɔːl $ -tərwɒːl/ verb [intransitive] to make a loud high unpleasant noise like the sound a cat makes late 14c., caterwrawen, perhaps from Low German katerwaulen "cry like a cat," or formed in English from cater, from Middle Dutch cater "tomcat" + Middle English waul "to yowl," apparently from Old English *wrag, *wrah "angry," of uncertain origin but all somehow imitative. - I think I might have screamed out loud, I was so happy to be outside, - With a mellifluous name suggesting bucolic tranquility, Rep. Mark Meadows, a North Carolina Republican, is an unlikely object of the caterwauling recently directed at him and the House Freedom Caucus he leads. (WaPo, April 13, 2017) |
catkins/ˈkætkɪn/ noun [countable] British English a long soft flower that hangs in groups from the branches of trees such as the willow Etymology: 1570s, from Dutch katteken "flowering stem of willow, birch, hazel, etc.," literally "kitten," diminutive of katte "cat" (see cat (n.)). So called for their soft, furry appearance. Examples: - The wind is blowing, blowing over the grass. - I threaded my way through a small growth of fresh-budding river - “I’m sure, Watson, a week in the country will be invaluable to you,” he |
caveat emptorcaveat emp‧tor /ˌkæviæt ˈemptɔː, ˌkeɪv- $ -tɔːr/ noun [uncountable] law term: the principle that the person who buys something is responsible for checking that it is not broken, damaged etc - Oh, Watson!’ Holmes chided me, laughing heartily. ‘The pendant is part of - “Well, you see, it’s complicated, because—” I wasn’t worried about the |
cissies / sissies"weak, effeminate men", from sis(ter). Singular 'cissy' Why the spelling with c- (sometimes) in British English? e.g. in - He said his name was Ashe with an ‘E’ he added quickly, and Leamas knew he |
decimate'to destroy a large part of something' Etymology: c. 1600, in reference to the practice of punishing mutinous military units by capital execution of one in every 10, by lot; from Latin decimatus, past participle of decimare "the removal or destruction of one-tenth," from decem "ten" (from PIE root *dekm- "ten"). The killing of one in ten, chosen by lots, from a rebellious city or a mutinous army was a common punishment in classical times. The word has been used (incorrectly, to the irritation of pedants) since 1660s for "destroy a large portion of." Examples: - However, upon the death of the Baron’s father, Dmitri Harkonnen, the old - Prevented from linking with the land forces waiting to invade England from the Low - The elders and the chiefs met to discuss what they could do about the |
dibscall dibs = claim / reserve something (mainly US usage) From: children's word to express a claim on something, 1915, originally U.S., apparently from earlier senses "a portion or share" and "money" (early 19c. colloquial), probably a contraction of dibstone "a knucklebone or jack in a children's game" (1690s), in which the first element is of unknown origin. Examples: - Seven hesitates to move, and since he’s hesitant, Sekani is too. But shoot, I want first dibs on a room. “Where are the bedrooms?” (Angie Thomas - The Hate U Give [recommended!]) - ‘Good idea!’ Tom exclaimed from his side of the table, where he was pushing - “If this turns out to be a pagan sacrifice,” Sam said, “dibs I not be the |
dingrecent usage: "make a dent in" , "harm" - In other words, it’s possible to float factually inaccurate statements and yet not ding your chances of confirmation,” Binder said. - In addition, he said that the carrier expects passengers will share their experiences on social media, even ones that may ding the company’s armor. |
edutainmentblend of 'education' and 'entertainment' Examples: - But intertextuality is also reflected in the fluidity of genre boundaries and in the blurring of genres and their functions which is reflected in such recent coinages as ’advertorials’, ’infomercials’, ’edutainment’, ’docudrama’ and ’faction’ (a blend of ’fact’ and 'fiction'). (From a semiotics textbook). |
FloccinaucinihilipilificationBy virtue of having one more letter than antidisestablishmentarianism, this is the longest non-technical English word. A mash up of five Latin roots, it refers to the act of describing something as having little or no value. While it made the cut in the Oxford English Dictionary, Merriam-Webster volumes refuse to recognize it, chalking up its existence to little more than linguistic ephemera. Latin floccus (“a wisp”) + naucum (“a trifle”) + nihilum (“nothing”) + pilus (“a hair”) + English -fication From Steven Pinker, The language Instinct:Even more impressive, the output of one morphological rule can |
flub"disaster, garbage, etc.. Similar to flop, flunk, blubber, etc.: pejorative meaning by association E.g. Reactions to Oscars flub: Disbelief, Steve Harvey jokes and election night metaphors |
fungible"exchangeable" - It is consistent for two identical entities - Sullivan basically ignored this question. The closest he came to an - It is a sort of by-any-means-necessary, no-sin-is-too-grave, all-facts-are-fungible space in the moral universe where the rules of basic human decency warp. |
gaffer'person in charge', used in some dialects. shortened from 'godfather' Here: police commissioner (head of police department): - Just for a second, like a fool, I get my hopes up. If a case comes in through the gaffer, instead of through our admin straight to the squad room, it’s because it’s something special. Something that’s going to be so high-profile, or so tough, or so delicate, it can’t just go to whoever’s next on the rota; it needs the right people. One straight from the gaffer hums through the squad room, makes the lads sit up and take notice. One straight from the gaffer would mean me and Steve have finally, finally, worked our way clear of the losers’ corner of the playground: we’re in. (Tana French - The Trespasser [Dublin]) |
gastronome(r)= gourmet = someone who likes to cook and eat good food - And since I am a gastronome, I take deep pride in our - I mean, I wish I were a gourmand or a club gastronomer, but, well, |
gibberish'nonsense talk' Note: it is the same suffix as in greenish, English, ticklish, thievish. Any other words like this with -ish? |
ineluctablein‧e‧luc‧ta‧ble /ˌɪnɪˈlʌktəbəl◂/ adjective formal impossible to avoid syn unavoidable Notice there is no word 'eluctable'! "not to be escaped by struggling," 1620s, from French inéluctable (15c.) or directly from Latin ineluctabilis "unavoidable, inevitable," from in- "not, opposite of" (see in- (1)) + eluctabilis "that may be escaped from," from eluctari "to struggle out of," from ex "out, out of" (see ex-) + luctari "to struggle" (see reluctance). Examples: - The specifics of that chain of instantiations may be relevant to explaining - “Ah . . . we could . . .” His eyes flicked up, assessing our surroundings - Esterhazy snorted in derision. “Don’t waste your breath on empty threats.” - One view, which was dominant even among Democratic-leaning economists in the 1990s, saw rising inequality mainly as a result of ineluctable market forces. (https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/18/books/review/this-fight-is-our-fight-elizabeth-warren.html) |
leprechaunlep‧re‧chaun /ˈleprəkɔːn $ -kɑːn, -kɒːn/ noun an imaginary creature in the form of a little old man, in old Irish stories Etymology: from Irish lupracan, metathesis of Old Irish luchorpan literally "a very small body," from lu "little, small" (from PIE *legwh- "having little weight;" see lever (n.)) + corpan, diminutive of corp "body," from Latin corpus "body" Examples: - But begob I was just lowering the heel of the pint when I saw the citizen getting - On the bottom step Wicklow crouched like a leprechaun reading a weighty |
mattockmat‧tock /ˈmætək/ noun [countable] a tool used for digging, with a long handle and a metal blade Old English mættoc, probably from Vulgar Latin *matteuca "club," related to Latin mateola, a kind of mallet (see mace (n.1)), but this is not certain, and synonymous Russian motyka, Lithuanian matikkas suggest other possibilities. OED says similar words in Welsh and Gaelic are from English. - He was half laughing—from shock—when she suddenly seized a mattock from the - “The rest of that bit got bulldozed last week, but they left a patch round |
MillennialsFrom 1992 used as a generational name for those born in the mid-1980s and thus coming of age around the year 2000. |
MuppetTrademark (U.S.) Sept. 26, 1972, claiming use from 1971, but in print
from Sept. 1970. Name coined by creator Jim Henson (1936-1990), who
said, despite the resemblance to marionette and puppet (they have qualities of both), it has no etymology; he just liked the sound. (Ety) - “Crazy old muppet,” she spits out and heads off towards the parking area. (Backman - Ove) |
mustelid"a mammal of the weasel family (Mustelidae),
distinguished by having a long body, short legs, and musky scent glands
under the tail." Etymology: 1910, from Modern Latin Mustelidae, taken as a genus name by Linnaeus (1758), from Latin mustela "weasel," possibly related to mus "mouse" (see mouse (n.)). Tucker tentatively suggests *mus-ters-la "mouse harrier" and Klein notes that the weasel was identified in antiquity as "the catcher of mice."Example: We could be looking at a rat, or a fox, except both of those would’ve probably |
nary'nary' : hardly, none at all 1746, alteration of ne'er a, short for never a. Example sentences: - The adjoining door eased open with nary a creak. Orange light from the candles spilled across Ravenwood’s chiseled face. She swallowed. (Ridley - The Duke's Accidental Wife) - They discussed the day's lading schedule "unloading lumber and potassium from New Brunswick, loading rum and sugar bound for Boston", but nary a syllable was spoken of the volcano, even though its rumblings continued to make it impossible to ignore. (Cussler - Piranha) |
nihilismni‧hil‧is‧m /ˈnaɪəlɪzəm/ noun [uncountable] 1 the belief that nothing has any meaning or value 2 the idea that all social and political institutions should be destroyed - ‘A nihilist,’ pronounced Nikolay Petrovich. ‘That comes from the Latin - Together with our communities, we can explore the possibility of moral reform. The |
nosophobia'morbid fear of disease' cf. nosology, 'science of diseases' Ex. - Both of them were associated with a religious movement: Hughes to the Mormons, and Fischer to the Worldwide Church of God. Of course, there were also differences. Fischer had no nosophobia and only little money. (Timman - Titans) |
obnoxiousob‧nox‧ious /əbˈnɒkʃəs $ -ˈnɑːk-/ adjective very offensive, unpleasant, or rude
Examples: - True, when forced to come out into the light a little, - Perpetua, slightly senior and therefore thinking she is in charge of me, was at her most obnoxious and |
ovate=oval, egg-shaped |
pachyderm"thick-skinned animal" (typically, an elephant) /ˈpækɪdɜːm $ -dɜːrm/ 'derm' as in pHisoderm - A competing Tammany Hall exhibit several doors down boasted a live elephant—representing Republicans eating the city—but it looked to Bell like the anti-Tammany show was outdrawing the pachyderm four-to-one. (Clive Cussler and Justin Scott - The Gangster) - Even the most stubborn pachyderm can be motivated when asked to consider the worst-case scenarios of not completing an estate plan. (Maurer - Simple Money) |
phô'Vietnamese noodles, served in beef (or chicken) broth' Pronounced fuh. You can often see it in Asian menus, also in the US. Etymology: either from French feu 'fire' (the French had a large colonial influence in Vietnam at the end of the 19th century, beginning of the 20th), or from Chinese 粉 ('noodles'). The spelling in Vietnamese is phở, where the diacritic on the vowel indicate a tone: this is the hỏi tone: mid-dipping-rising (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vietnamese_language#Vowels). The second diacritic indicates the vowel is long (or: not short). See also: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pho |
phonophobiafear of loud sounds |
psephology/sᵻˈfɒlədʒi/ (from Greek psephos ψῆφος, 'pebble', as the Greeks used pebbles as ballots) is a branch of political science which deals with the study and scientific analysis of elections - He delighted in vague concepts, things that could be made specific in several ways, but were often better left |
punctiliouspunc‧til‧i‧ous /pʌŋkˈtɪliəs/ adjective formal very careful to behave correctly and follow rules
- The old prince, like all fathers indeed, was exceedingly - ‘Cyril Arthur Frewin – Saint Cyril – is a highly |
scintilla'spark, glimmer' (related to 'shine'), especially in "There is not a scintilla of evidence" "to make the most outlandish and destructive claims without providing a scintilla of evidence to support them" - https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2017/03/04/trump-accuses-obama-of-nixonwatergate-plot-to-wire-tap-trump-tower/ |
tabooEtymology (from etymonline.com): also tabu, 1777 (in Cook's "A Voyage to the
Pacific Ocean"), "consecrated, inviolable, forbidden, unclean or
cursed," explained in some English sources as being from Tongan
(Polynesian language of the island of Tonga) ta-bu "sacred," from ta "mark" + bu "especially." But this may be folk etymology, as linguists in the Pacific have reconstructed an irreducable Proto-Polynesian *tapu, from Proto-Oceanic *tabu "sacred, forbidden" (compare Hawaiian kapu "taboo, prohibition, sacred, holy, consecrated;" Tahitian tapu "restriction, sacred, devoted; an oath;" Maori tapu "be under ritual restriction, prohibited"). The noun and verb are English innovations first recorded in Cook's book. |
toonaNothing to do with 'tuna'!, a kind of tree. Maybe the English word comes from Chinese? Also spelled 'toon', 'tun'. |
troweltrow‧el /ˈtraʊəl/ noun [countable] 1 a garden tool like a very small spade from Old French truele "trowel" (13c.), from Late Latin truella "small ladle, dipper" (mid-12c.), diminutive of Latin trua "a stirring spoon, ladle, skimmer." - Apparently this gave him an idea: he - On the grass near the tree Mary had dropped her trowel. Colin stretched out |
unsymmetricalCf. asymmetrical. What’s the difference? Maybe see http://wikidiff.com/unsymmetrical/asymmetrical Examples: - As for symmetry: again, spiders are quite symmetrical, while some flowers, such as orchids, are very unsymmetrical, yet we do not find them any less attractive for that. So I do not think that symmetry, colour and contrast are all that we are seeing in flowers when we imagine that we are seeing beauty. (Deutsch - Infinity) - Powered by liquid-fueled motors, the fuels and oxidizers in question were dangerous, corrosive chemicals—unsymmetrical dimethyl hydrazine and nitrogen tetroxide—and the fact that they were called “storable” liquids was a relative statement. (Clancy - All Fears) |
waft'pass or cause to pass easily or gently through or as if through the air' Examples: - Mia introduces me to Hassan, who disappears into the bakery, leaving the door open so that the warm aroma of butter and vanilla waft into the morning air. (Gayle Forman - Where she went) - Voice recorder in my face, phone clicking away in his other hand, waft of foul patchouli pomade off his hair – Crowley just about comes up to my nose. I manage not to shoulder the little bollix in the gob on my way past him; can’t be arsed with the paperwork. Behind me I hear Steve say (Tana French - The Trespasser) |