THE EPEOLATRIST'S DICTIONARY
Abibliophobia — afraid of running out of things to read
Adoxography n - elegant or refined writing that addresses a trivial or base subject. Good writing on a minor subject.
Carriwitchet - n. a pun or paradox; a riddling question (Can you still use body English when bowling in france?)
Pervicacious - obstinate and unyielding
ZOILIST - SOMEONE WHO TAKES JOY IN FINDING FAULT
cacoethes - the urge to do something inadvisable
Pauciloquent If you are a person of few words, then this is the term for you. It refers to someone who doesn’t say much or who, when giving a speech, gives a very short one.
Octothorpe -
the hashtag symbol (#)
Obelus -
the division symbol (÷)
zemblanity - the inevitable discovery of what we would rather not know.- the inexorable discovery of bad <<<things. Making unhappy, <<<unlucky discoveries <<<occurring by design.
-Unpleasant surprise
Kyphorrhinos — a nose with a bump in it 👃
👃Macrosmatic — having a
good sense of smell
Apothegm noun. - a short, pithy, instructive saying; a terse remark or aphorism (see Oscar Wilde in You Know What They Say for perfect examples)
Snellen chart — the standard eye exam chart.👀
PYGALGIA - A PAIN IN THE ASS...LITERALLY
MOROSIS - THE STUPIDEST OF STUPIDITIES
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ZUGZWANG - A SITUATION IN WHICH EVERY MOVE IS a bad ONE, OR ONE THAT WILL RESULT IN DAMAGE OR loss
Analphabetic Having no alphabet.
inénarrable (dated or literary) indescribable, inexpressible
Philodox. A person who is extremely fond of his or her own opinion, regardless whether it is right or wrong. The word is good for calling names without actually insulting a person.
Agelast — a person who never laughs
Misqueme:
To offend or displease.
Dziggetai
(right)
species of wild ass inhabiting the elevated steppes of the Mongolian Tartary in Central Asia
Ziggurat
Religious monument originating in Babylon and Assyria constructed as a truncated, stepped pyramid, rising in diminishing tiers, usually square or rectangular.
(above)
Partially reconstructed facade and access staircase of the Ziggurat of Ur, originally built by Ur-Nammu, circa 2100 BC
grinagog -
one who is constantly grinning
Yex - to sob, to hiccup, to belch forth
halophilous - tolerant of salt or salt-water
Gymnophoria - 🢁🢁🢁🢁 the sensation that someone is mentally undressing you
Apodyopsis: ➽➽➽ ➽➽➽➽➽
The act of mentally
undressing someone
apodysophilia ➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼
A feverish desire to undress
Omphaloskepsis ➽➽ ➽➽➽
Navel gazing
gynotikolobomassophile ➼➼➼➼➼
one who nibbles on women's earlobes
podobromhydrosis -
smelly feet ➼➼➼➼➼
TITTYNOPE ➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼ ➼➼➼ the scattering of crumbs left on one side of the plate, the dozen or so grains of rice sitting at the bottom of the bowl, the few drops remaining in the glass, are not mere leftovers and dregs. They are tittynopes.
autexousious adj - exercising or possessing free will
astrogony theory of the origin of stars
astrolatry
worship of stars
Archimage (first recorded use 1553): Whenever you see archi, it relates to chief, head or master, while mage of course comes from magus and has the same route as magic. So archimage is a chief magician or a great wizard. t>>>>t>>>>t>>>>t>>>>
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Oneiromancy - (also oneiroscopy) a type of magic, or mental ability, allowing the practicioner to read the future and past of given subjects using dreams. The most skilled oneiromancers have endocrine glands that work differently from the normal person's, while rely on intoxicants.
(Right - man seeing into >>>>>>>> \ someone else's dreams)
Samuel Johnson (Left)
(18 September 1709 [OS 7 September] – 13 December 1784), often called Dr Johnson, was an English writer who made lasting contributions as a poet, playwright, essayist, moralist, critic, biographer, editor and lexicographer. After nine years' effort, Johnson's A Dictionary of the English Language appeared in 1755, and was acclaimed as "one of the greatest single achievements of scholarship". The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography calls him "arguably the most distinguished man of letters in English history"
(Source for this bio and for more information re Samuel Johnson below)
(Left} Leaf from Johnaon's First Edition A Dictionary of the English Language {1755}
(Left) Original 2-volume First Edition A Dictionary of the English Language {1755} with title page standing next to bound set.
OLD STANDARD DICTIONARY
The pre-eminent English dictionary was Samuel Johnson’s. It was published in 1755 and had taken nine years to complete. Its entries were unique in that Johnson used literary quotations to illustrate the meaning of a word. He often cited William Shakespeare, John Milton, and John Dryden. He also incorporated humor into his definitions. For the word “lexicographer”, for instance, universally understood to mean “an author or editor of a dictionary,” Johnson wrote this: “A harmless drudge who busies himself in tracing the origins and detailing the significance of words.” The work of this “harmless drudge” was most commonly used and most commonly imitated for over a hundred years until the completion of the Oxford English Dictionary.
The New Standard: Webster’s Dictionary
Samuel Johnson once said, “No man was ever great by imitation.” It appears Noah Webster took this maxim to heart as he undertook the writing of Webster’s American Dictionary of English Language (1828). Among his innovations was the inclusion of distinctively American vocabulary. He wrote an entry for “skunk” describing it as “in America, a fetid animal of the weasel kind,” and another for “hickory” whose etymology has Virginia Algonquian roots.
Noah Webster (right)
considered etymology so important he learned twenty-six languages in order to apply more insight to his research. Not only were some of Webster’s words and definitions without precedent but his spellings were, too.. He opted to simplify some spellings and to make changes in others to more accurately reflect their phonetic pronunciation. E.g., he changed “honour” to “honor,” “plough” to “plow” and “centre” to “center.” His attempts at transforming the language were sometimes met with rebuke,however. Deciding to change “women” to “wimmen,” and “tongue” to “tung” being prime examples of this.
ALL WORKED UP
ergograph-instrument for measuring, recording muscular work
ergology-study of effects of work on humans
ergometer-instrument for measuring work performed ergonomics-study of people at work
ergomania-excessive desire to work; workaholism
ergophile-one who loves work
ergophobia-fear of work
CHILIAD
a thousand things; a thousand years
Printed in 1928, this $1000 bill (right) features two-time United States President Grover Cleveland. He was the nation’s 22nd and 24th president, earning him the distinction of being the only president to serve two non-consecutive terms. Courtesy of US Treasury $5,000 Series 1918 Green Seal
ZEnzizenzizenzic - mathematical notation representing the eighth power of a number (that is, the zenzizenzizenzic of x is X 8TH (obsolete)
Batrachomyomachy To make a mountain
☚☚☚☚☚☚☚☚
out of a molehill ➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼
(that dark spot on the edge of the lighter green)
Bubulcitate
to cry like a cowboy
Glaistig
Gaelic for beautiful fairie ➼➼➼➼
Or the very opposite
➼➼➼➼ a hag in the shape of a goat.
Octanary - of, relating to or consisting of 8
Octonocular - having 8 eyes
Oct (Octal) - base-8 numerical system using digits 0 - 7 where 10 represents 8 in decimal and 100 represents 64
Octophobia - fear of the number 8
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witticastera - petty or inferior wit
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brimborion - worthless nonsense; trash
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iff - if and only if
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NUDIUSTERTIAN - two days ago (the day before yesterday)
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hylogenesis - the origin of matter
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epeolatry - worship of words
cosmogyral
whirling around the universe
➼➼➼➼➼➼➼➼
ACRASIAL
☚☚☚☚☚☚☚☚
intemperate, uncontrolled;
Ill-regulated
HISTORICAL NOTE
The earliest mention of a dictionary in history is from Babylon in the 6th century BC. The Chinese had their first written dictionary in 100 AD; Japanese history mentions their first dictionary in the 7th century AD. In Europe, the earliest dictionaries didn’t contain definitions of words.
eucatastrophe - a sudden turn of events at the end of a story which ensures that the protagonist does not meet some terrible, impending, and very plausible and probable doom.
callipygian - having shapely buttocks
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Extramundane -
outside or beyond the physical world ➼➼➼➼➼
🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁
Ypotryll - Medieval European chimeric creature featured in heraldry. It has the tusked head of a wild boar or hog, the humped body of a camel, the legs and hooves of an ox or goat and the long, scaly tail of a serpent. . The creature is known for its awesome ugliness, these creatures are bulks of muscle and hate, pure savagery and destruction incarnate.
🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁🢁
Apercu - a bright idea
sapiosexual
being sexually attracted to highly intelligent people ➼➼➼➼➼
Agrestic: Someone who is rude, uncouth and uncultured ⟶⟶⟶
Hebetudinous
lacking mental stimulation, dull-minded, very lethargic
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Honorificabilitudinitatibus:
This long word was coined by Shakespeare which means ‘the state of being able to achieve honors’.
Like Albert Einstein (right) for example
Kakorrhaphiophobia -
Fear of failure
Achievemephobia
-
fear of success
Nihilarian - A person who deals with things of no importance.
e.g.
the person who inventories the lead for lead pencils; the author of tv repair manuals; any Democrat vice president
Obloquy
Oral or verbal abuse towards a person. ➼➼➼➼➼➼
Animadversion: A harsh critical remark. ➼➼➼➼➼➼
Pilgarlic:
➼➼➼➼
A bald head
Nepheliad: A sky nymph.
➼➼➼➼➼➼
Obstrigillate: To resist; refuse; ➼➼➼
protest
Adimpleate
To fill up; to make something full. ➼➼➼➼➼➼
Vacivity: Hollow or empty ➼➼➼
Duffifie
laying a bottle on its side until it fully drains of the few drops remaining
emacity-
➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽
fondness for buying things
Xertz:
➽➽➽➽➽➽➽➽
to gulp down quickly and greedily
Abligurition:
spending great amounts of money on foods
brephophagist -
one who eats babies
Accubation
◄◄◄◄◄◄◄
This describes a person who eats/drinks while laying down — so anyone who snacks while watching Netflix is an “accubation.”
scatophagy
-
nounthe eating of excrement or other filth
◄◄◄◄◄◄◄
hamartia -
flaw in a character leading to his downfall
querimonious -
full of complaints
Y You Ask
The letter ‘Y’ is regarded as both a consonant and as vowel, depending on the pronunciation of the word. Here’s a list of words wherein the letter plays the role of only a vowel. It is the interchangeable role of the letter that makes these words interesting
Dry: The act of removing moisture.
Fly: Travel or move through air.
Fry: Cook in a hot pan with oil.
Gypsy: A nomad living the tribal way. Hymn: A song of praise for the Lord.
Lymph: A bodily fluid.
Lynch: To kill or hurt without legal sanction.
Lynx: A wild cat with a short tail.
Myth: A baseless story.
Pygmy: a very short person
My: Possessive pronoun used to show belonging of an object.
Ply: Give the desired or needed.
Rhythm: A musical beat with regular intervals.
Shy: Short of; lacking confidence.
Sky: The outer space, appears blue in color when viewed from the earth’s surface.
Spry: Moving swiftly.
Spy: To watch secretly.
Sylph: A graceful and slender young woman.
Try: Attempt.
Tryst: Date with opposite gender.
Wry: Sarcastic in a humorous way.
abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
Ohhh...So The Garment Was Named After The French ACROBAT Leotard, Not The Acrobat Naming Himself After the Leotard Garment... It All Makes Sense Now...
Sandwich, Jr.
Does anyone fancy a ham and cheese Stamford? You might be eating one right now if that particular Earl had invented what we all now know as the sandwich. Here are some other origins of words that come from people’s names.
It’s a famous story but let’s just recap for a moment. The Earl of Sandwich is sat at his gambling table. He is in the middle of a game and he feels peckish. The earl likes to eat slices of roast beef in-between meals, however, on this occasion, he didn’t want to leave the game or get his hands greasy from the meat.
So he asked his servant to place the meat between two slices of bread so he could hold it with one hand and continue playing with the other. The humble sandwich is born and it is so ingrained into our minds we even use it as a verb.
But what if a different Earl had come up with this request? We might all be calling the humble sandwich something completely different, like a stamford. Isn’t it funny how words just embed themselves into our subconscious without us really knowing their origins?
Here are 10 examples of the little-known origins of widely used words that come from people’s names:
1. Bloomers
Women’s underwear
Amelia Bloomer was a 19-century Women’s Rights activist. Her newspaper ‘Lily’ changed the way women viewed themselves. It encouraged women to stand up for their rights and included radical dress reform.
This might seem frivolous to us now, but in those days, women wore restrictive corsets and dresses fitted with huge skirts. Amelia championed a new style of clothing for women – the pantaloons, basically baggy trousers. Due to her endless campaigning, the pantaloons became known as ‘bloomers’.
2. Boycott
To abstain from using
The word boycott seems to have been in use since the Middle Ages, but in fact, it was only coined a couple of centuries ago. Moreover, the word originates from a man. Conversely, the man associated with the word was being boycotted himself.
Captain Charles Boycott was an unscrupulous landlord in the late 19-century. He had a habit of charging exorbitant rents for his tenants and evicting them if they couldn’t pay. As a result, farmers shunned him and so we have the word boycott.
3. Cardigan
A knitted garment
This is another word that originates from an Earl. James Brudenell, Earl of Cardigan was a military hero. Not only did he fight in the Crimean War but he actually led the Charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava in 1854.
His troops had to endure a ferocious onslaught and a harsh Russian winter but Brudenell used his own wealth to kit out his soldiers with knitted woollen waistcoats. Thus, the Cardigan.
4. Decibel
Unit of measurement
Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone, but did you know that the word decibel is also attributed to him?
Telephone engineers needed a word to describe the efficiency of telephone circuits to replace ‘transmission units’. They decided on the ‘bel’ after the telephone’s inventor Bell. However, a bel is too large in practice so the prefix ‘deci’ was added to denote one-tenth of the measurement.
5. Dunce
Ignorant person
Poor old John Duns Scotus. This theologian was widely regarded as one of the greatest thinkers of his time. His ideas ranged from philosophy to language, morality, even metaphysics. He wrote papers and had encyclopaedic knowledge.
Hugely popular in the 13-century, his ideas fell out of favor in the 16-century thanks to the Protestants who disliked his work. They used his name to dispute his theories and it became synonymous with an ignorant person.
6. Leotard
Stretchy one-piece garment
Jules Leotard was a French acrobat who joined the circus and devised his own trapeze act in 1859. In order to show off his amazing feats on the high wire, and to make sure no loose clothing got in the way of his act, he designed a one-piece garment.
This garment was tight-fitting with long sleeves and eventually became known as a leotard.
7. Masochism
To derive satisfaction from other’s pain
Chevalier Leopold von Sacher-Masoch was a 19-century Austrian journalist and writer. In 1869 he persuaded his mistress to serve as a slave for him for 6 months. He then used the experience to write a novella ‘Venus in Furs’.
The novella described the degradation of the main character. It was so influential that in 1886, esteemed Austrian psychiatrist Richard Freiherr von Krafft-Ebing coined the term ‘masochism’ to depict satisfaction from another’s pain.
8. Maverick
An independent person who thinks differently
Samuel Maverick was a cattle rancher in mid-Texas in the 19-century. At the time, by law, all ranchers had to brand their cattle but Maverick refused.
Funnily enough, if you look up ‘maverick’ in the dictionary, in North America it can also mean ‘an unbranded calf’.
9. Shrapnel
Pieces of a bullet, bomb or other explosive
Shrapnel’s just shrapnel, isn’t it? Surely, it doesn’t originate from a person’s name? This is another word like a sandwich.
It sounds exactly like the thing it represents, but it comes from a guy called Henry Shrapnel. Shrapnel spent decades devising ways to develop bombs and shells that caused the most damage when they exploded.
10. Pompadour
A type of hairstyle
There aren’t many of us that get to have a hairstyle named in our honour. There’s the Rachel from Friends and there’s Madame de Pompadour.
The Madame was a big thing in French society in the 18-century. She was a mistress to King Louis XV and his political advisor. Her signature hairstyle has lived on with many celebrities wearing it in their own inimitable style, including John Travolta, Judy Garland, Elvis Presley, Johnnie Cash, Justin Timberlake, and David Beckham.
Isn’t funny when you think about the origins of well-known words and how some come from actual people? Oh well, I must get on, that ham and cheese stamford isn’t going to eat itself.
References:
- https://www.britannica.com
- Featured image: portrait of Marquise de Pompadour
Tittynope - a small quantity of something left over
AND TO CLOSE OUT THIS ERUDITE CONSPECTUS IS A SELECTION FROM
THE DEVIL'S DICTIONARY BY AMBROSE BIERCE:
- Accord, n. Harmony.
- Accordion, n. An instrument in harmony with the sentiments of an assassin.
' Admiration, n. Our polite recognition of another's resemblance to ourselve
- Positive, adj. Mistaken at the top of one's voice.
- Quotation, n. The act of repeating erroneously the words of another. The words erroneously repeated.
- Year, n. A period of three hundred and sixty-five disappointments.
- Youth, n. The Period of Possibility, when Archimedes finds a fulcrum, Cassandra has a following and seven cities compete for the honor of endowing a living Homer.