WORD WORM Examining the English language...its use...and its misuse.

  

Words to Know

Metempsychosis- the passage of the soul after death into another body. No concrete examples are available.

Anneal- To reduce the brittleness of, as glass and various metals, by heating and then slowly cooling. Contrast to "Breaking" which is to reduce the brittleness of glass, by throwing a brick through it.

Bagasse- the dry refuse of sugar cane after the juice has been expressed. In other words, the part that even the ants don’t like.

Nike- no, not the shoe manufacturer! In Greek mythology, it was the winged goddess of victory. It is also the name of an anti-aircraft missile. And whoever has the most of those, will usually have victory as well.

Pettifogger- An inferior lawyer, especially one dealing with insignificant cases or resorting to tricks. Bet we all know a few of these.

Roorback- A slanderous report circulated for political purposes. Can you say the Starr Report? (Only if you’re a Clinton supporter)

Vicinal- neighboring, adjoining, near. Multiply by five for the crowds in shopping malls at Christmas time.

Clonus- a succession of muscle spasms. Hmmm, you’d think making spasm plural would eliminate the need for this word, wouldn’t you?

Rugose- Full of wrinkles, as some leaves. Or perhaps your great grandma...

Scatology- The study, of or a preoccupation with excrement. You mean people actually go to college to study this?!?

Dandle- To move up and down lightly on the knees or in the arms, as with an infant or child. Too much dandling can make one tired. See "Drop".

Tonsure- the shaving of the head or of the crown of the head as of a priest or monk or just the part of the head that is left bare by shaving. Not to be confused with the phrase "the cold part".

Vicennial- Occurring once every 20 years. A 20 year period. So a vicennial less 13 years is the length of an average marriage in the United States.

Tontine- A form of collective life annuity, the individual profits of which increase as the number of survivors diminishes, the final survivor taking the whole. Got that? Think of musical chairs and you should get the picture.

Thrum- to recite or repeat in a droning, monotonous way. Think back on high school and you should remember this word.

Descry- To discover with the eye, as something distant. Well, duh. I mean its not like we’re going to discover something distant with touch now, will we?

Milch- giving milk, as a cow. Doesn’t apply to a mother pouring milk into a glass.

Twaddle- this word sounds familiar to most but is often used incorrectly. It means to talk foolishly and pretentiously. Think of what newscasters do between each story.

Trey- a card, domino, or die having three spots. Something that has three spots or pips. Also known as Gladys Knight.

Ecru- the color of unbleached linen. A light, yellowish brown. This word is only used in cheap hotels.

Homunculus- a midget or dwarf. See, even little things can have big words define them.

Truncate- to cut the top or end from. Think of rabbis with little boys.

Occult- not divulged, a secret. To hide or conceal from view. The association with evil or black magic came much later and have contorted the general meaning of the word. Also, now so many people know about the occult, its no longer a secret therefore the word no longer has a meaning. Get rid of it.

Tardigrade- slow in motion or action. Can almost always be applied to the person in front of you.

Verso- The left hand page of a book; opposed to recto. Bet you had no idea that they named those, did ya? Bet you have no idea why, do you?

Ennui- A feeling of listless weariness, and boredom. Usually reserved for those who read dictionaries.

Dottle- the plug of tobacco ash left in a pipe after smoking. Further proof that everything you can think of has a name.