I wanted to start this topic to promote a hobby of mine namely the colletion of interesting words and their origins (if not always their correct spellings). It sometimes can be a singular joy to find a reallly great word. One that expresses just the right thought. I invite all to join in. Please give the word and any and all definitions if you can. Also please give the origin or earliest known use.

I begin...

T

n. variation of the word Imbroglio

from the french imbrogliare/embrouiller confuse

1. A confused heap (arhaic definition)

2. a state of great confusion; a complicated or difficult (especially political or dramatic) situation; confused misunderstanding

Schadenfreude

scha·den·freu·de (shädn-froid)
n.
Pleasure derived from the misfortunes of others.

I love this word, it describes despicability so well...and it has the onna-matta-peia (sp?) thing going (sounds just like what it means).

e.g. Her egregious behaviors were the talk of the town.

Function: adjective
Text: conspicuously bad or objectionable
Synonyms: capital, flagrant, glaring, gross, rank
Related Words: arrant, outright, stark; infamous, nefarious, notorious; atrocious, deplorable, heinous, monstrous, outrageous, preposterous
Contrasted Words: measly, minor, petty, piddling, slender, slight, trifling, trivial

Thesaurus Symbols
* generally or often considered vulgar

I like that word as well!!

T

ps. it also sounds very much like my SAT nemisis word

gregarious

Of kinds of animal; tending to live in flocks or loosely organized communities.

b. of a person: inclined to associate with others, fond of company

2. botany- growing in open clusters or in pure associations

3. or of pertaining to a flock or community; characteristic of or affecting people gathered together in a crowd.

[This message was edited by Ted & Di on 05-14-02 at 08:18 AM.]

Origin uncertain

def:

A. Smart stylish; luxurious; (affecting to be) socially superior; genteel, upper class.

B. Smarten up

C. adv. In a posh manner

note: There is no evidence to support the popular derivation of this word from the initials of 'port outward starbord home' (referring to the more desirable accomidation (ie. avoiding the direct heat of the sun) on ships travelling between England and India.

I know that this is off topic, however a really good book about the creation of the oxford english dictionary. The professor and the madman describes the unusual friendship between a convicted insane american and the editor of the most respected dictionary of the english language. I think it was a bestseller.

T

1. a person wo takes part in a conversation, dialogue or discussion.

b. With posesses.: the person whith whom one is in conversation

2. the middleman of a minstral troupe who questions the endman and acts as a compe're

interlocutress- female interlocutor


compere

1 an elderly man who lavishes gifts on a younger woman

2. a person in a cabaret act, radio or television show, etc. who introduces the performers, comments on the turns, etc.

obstreperous

unbrideled continuous non stop behavior.m

benestrific

an event of explosive goodness.

A person inspired by a violent enthusiasm esp. for an unattainable ideal


NONPLUS- a state in which no more can be said or done; inability to proceed in speech or action; a state of perplexity; a standstill

non plus ultra (phrase) the highest point or culmination of.

While reading Michael Wolff's column in New York, I had to look up meretricious.

Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin meretricius, from meretric-, meretrix prostitute, from merEre to earn —more at MERIT
Date: circa 1626
1 : of or relating to a prostitute : having the nature of prostitution
2 a : tawdrily and falsely attractive b : superficially significant : PRETENTIOUS
synonym see GAUDY
- mer·e·tri·cious·ly adverb
- mer·e·tri·cious·ness noun

Characterized by or devoted to exessive self indulgence or luxury; senuously luxurious.

Yiddish for crud, most often found on the most visible part of a person, thus rendering it extremely embarassing. Especially in public.

sic = "Ya got SHMUTZ on ya nose!"

(or this could be just my mother's own personal, charming take on the word)

"Strictly required by ettiquette, trend or fashion"

As in, 'Hermes scarves are de rigueur at lunch'...but it can also apply to anything - for example, 'Stun guns are de rigueur in police forces across the country'

Plus, it's fun to say "God, you're sooo de rigueur."

* a pubic wig for men and woman

* They used to shave off all the pubic hair as a cure for syphillis, so the well-to-do used wigs.

* Before penicillin was around to ease the lives of the promiscuous, these were used to cover up any sores prostitutes may have obtained in the line of duty.

* They used to treat the syphilitic with mercury, which caused baldness.

* The merkin is for women with no pubic hair. Some people just don't develop hair down there, and this can be embarrassing.

* In days of old a common problem was lice. One of the ways people dealt with this was to shave all the hair off their bodies, including arms, legs, and pubes. Wigs became very popular. Pubic wigs caught on slowly, starting among the kinkier set, but eventually became halfway respectable.

* A merkin is a crotch wig for both men and women and is usually worn on the outside. Have you ever seen a Scot in full regalia? That little
fur "purse" in front is a merkin.

* In a country of mainly dark haired people, a prostitute may wear a blond merkin to be unusual and therefore more desirable. (Got this from a dictionary of sex.)

* One of the more recent uses is to allow exotic dancers to comply with local laws prohibiting full nudity. They wear what amounts to a flesh-colored panty with hair on the front, appearing to the patrons of the establishment to disrobe completely without actually doing so.

saw this one in Ny times sunday


OBSTERPEROUS


Main Entry: ob·strep·er·ous
Pronunciation: &b-'stre-p(&-)r&s, äb-
Function: adjective
Etymology: Latin obstreperus, from obstrepere to clamor against, from ob- against + strepere to make a noise
Date: circa 1600
1 : marked by unruly or aggressive noisiness : CLAMOROUS
2 : stubbornly resistant to control : UNRULY
synonym see VOCIFEROUS
- ob·strep·er·ous·ly adverb
- ob·strep·er·ous·ness noun


Thanks Bobby, Missed your post Sorry!

[This message was edited by Ted & Di on 11-20-02 at 06:39 PM.]

Not really a 'clever' word but...

I was just invited to a 'fund raiser' for a boxing organization called FIST. (stands for Fighters .....???)... 'course that word to me now means smth else... 'course i find it a hoot that all these big macho blokes gather for this FIST event....'course only I am getting this joke at this gathering... FIST (guffaw) (childish snigger)... only I am getting this joke.. but they are not... as my grandmother would say (and she was senile) ""ooooo they've taken all our words away...what happened to happy and gay" Ohhh grandma cum to FIST is all in a good cause...

Fistula (FIST-yoo-luh)

Definition: An abnormal passage between two organs or between an organ and the outside of the body. Caused when damaged tissues come into contact with each other and join together while healing.

as in vagino-rectal fistula, or as in a milk fistula, or as in thoracic-esophageal fistula...just for visualization purposes of course