Words of the Day

'nonsense talk'

Note: it is the same suffix as in greenish, English, ticklish, thievish. Any other words like this with -ish?

in‧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
how the program reached you, but it is irrelevant to why it beat you:
there, the content of the knowledge (in it, and in you) is the whole story.
That story is an explanation that refers ineluctably to abstractions; and
therefore those abstractions exist, and really do affect physical objects
in the way required by the explanation. (Deutsch - Infinity)

- “Ah . . . we could . . .” His eyes flicked up, assessing our surroundings
for possible prospects of seclusion, then down again, ineluctably drawn to
the fan as though it were a magnet. (Gabaldon - Fiery Cross)

- Esterhazy snorted in derision. “Don’t waste your breath on empty threats.”
“Empty?” She smiled pleasantly. “It is a fact of nature as ineluctable as
the very turning of the earth.” (Preston/Child - Cold Vengeance)

- 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)

lep‧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
up to waddle to the door, puffing and blowing with the dropsy, and he cursing the
curse of Cromwell on him, bell, book and candle in Irish, spitting and spatting out
of him and Joe and little Alf round him like a leprechaun trying to peacify him.  (Joyce - Ulysses)

- On the bottom step Wicklow crouched like a leprechaun reading a weighty
book by the aid of a mechanic’s light. (Carre - The Russia House)

mat‧tock /ˈmætək/ noun [countable]  a tool used for digging, with a long handle and a metal blade

- He was half laughing—from shock—when she suddenly seized a mattock from the
shed wall and made for him. Seriously alarmed, he ducked and grabbed her
wrist, twisting so she dropped the heavy tool with a thump. (Gabaldon - Echo)

- “The rest of that bit got bulldozed last week, but they left a patch round
the stone, because we didn’t want to risk the bulldozer hitting it. So
after the tea break Mark told me and Mel to go up there and mattock it back
while the others did the drainage ditch.” (French - In the Woods)

From 1992 used as a generational name for those born in the mid-1980s and thus coming of age around the year 2000.

Trademark (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)

"a mammal of the weasel family (Mustelidae), distinguished by having a long body, short legs, and musky scent glands under the tail."

Etymology:

Example:

We could be looking at a rat, or a fox, except both of those would’ve probably
eaten the guts and stuff, not just the head. If it was an animal, I’m gonna
say probably a mustelid. Like stoats and mink, right? One of that family.
They’re into surplus killing.”
I said, “That was Detective Curran’s guess, too. Would a mustelid fit with
whatever was going on in the attic?” (French - Broken Harbour)

'nary' : hardly, none at all

1746, alteration of ne'er a, short for never a.

- 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)

ni‧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
nihil, nothing, in so far as I can make out. So the word must mean a man
who… who acknowledges nothing, mustn’t it?’ (Turgenev - Fathers and Sons)

- Together with our communities, we can explore the possibility of moral reform. The
flexibility of morality does not condemn us to an anything-goes moral
nihilism. It frees us from intolerance and moral stagnation and allows us
to improve on what we have. (Prinz - Human nature)

'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)