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HURLY-BURLY

PRONUNCIATION: (HUHR-lee BUHR-lee)

MEANING: noun: Disorder; confusion; commotion; uproar.
adjective: Characterized by disorder, confusion, commotion, uproar, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: A reduplication of hurling, from hurl (to toss). Earliest documented use: 1440.
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HARLY-BURLY - strapping young motorcyclist

HURLY-CURLY - throw ringlets

HOURLY-BURLY - Variety show starts every 60 minutes! Girls!

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Surly-burly -a beer made with witches worts

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POECILONYM

PRONUNCIATION: (PEE-sil-uh-nim)

MEANING: noun: A synonym.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek poikilos (various) + -onym (name). Earliest documented use: 1890.
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PORCILONYM - a pig by any other name

POETILONYM - not only has the same meaning, but rhymes, too

POECILONOM - an internet troll / bully / "sock puppet" who hides his (or her) unpleasantness behind many different aliases

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P.S. "Poikilocytosis" is the standard word in medicine to describe blood cells as being of various shapes.

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Hephalism- belief in heffalumps, but not woozles

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----please, draw me a sheep----
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Kudos to Heffalumps !

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NEPHALISM

PRONUNCIATION: (NEE-fuh-liz-uhm)

MEANING: noun: Teetotalism: abstinence from alcohol.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek nephalios (sober). Earliest documented use: 1860.
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NEPHELISM - the teachings of turbidity

CEPHALISM - it's all in your head

NEPALISM - Katmandu is the greatest !

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TACHYPHYLAXIS

PRONUNCIATION: (tak-uh-fi-LAK-sis)

MEANING: noun: Mithridatism: Successively decreased response to a drug or a toxin over time.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek tachy- (swift) + phylaxis (protection). Earliest documented use: 1911.
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Tachyphylaxis I know; it's Mithraditism I never heard of before!
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STACHYPHYLAXIS - takes longer and longer to accumulate chips at the poker table

PACHYPHYLAXIS - and the Elephant plants aren't growing very fast now, either

TACHYPHYTAXIS - fast plants that'll take you where you want to go, for a fee

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Bachyphylaxis- general complacency when baroque, with inherent motivic passions

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NULLIFIDIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (nuhl-uh-FID-ee-uhn)

MEANING: noun: An atheist: a person who has no religious faith or belief in god(s).
adjective: Having no faith or belief.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin nullus (no) + fides (faith). Earliest documented use: 1564.
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NULLIFIEDIAN - the Democrat's view of the current Congress: undoes everything

NULLIFIDEAN - against the world governing body for chess (FIDE)

NULLIFINDIAN - the Pakistani worldview (NULL, IF INDIAN)

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MARROWSKY

PRONUNCIATION: (MUH-rau-ski)

MEANING: noun: Spoonerism: The transposition of (usually) the initial sounds of words producing a humorous result.
For example, “Runny Babbit” instead of “Bunny Rabbit”.

ETYMOLOGY: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps from the name of a Polish count who was prone to this phenomenon. Earliest documented use: 1863.
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MARROWSKA - Mrs Spooner

MARROWSKEY - what you use to enter The Marrows when they lock it

MORROWSKY - Sailors' Delight, if it's red

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VERMEIL

PRONUNCIATION: (VUHR-mil, -mayl)

MEANING: noun: 1. Vermilion color: bright orange-red. 2. Metal, such as silver, bronze, or copper that has been gilded.
adjective: Bright red in color.

ETYMOLOGY: The word is coined after insects (of genus Kermes) that are used to make red dye. From Latin vermiculus (little worm, kermes), diminutive of vermis (worm). Ultimately from Indo-European root wer- (to turn or bend), which also gave us wring, weird, writhe, worth, revert, universe, conversazione, divers, malversation, prosaic, versal, verso, and wroth. Earliest documented use: 1400
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VERMEIN - rat meat with Chinese vegetables and noodles

OVERMEIL - where many a seduction takes place

VERMEIR - a Dutch painter of interior scenes of middle-class life, who went on to become Prime Minister of Israel

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TEAL

PRONUNCIATION: (teel)

MEANING: noun: 1. Any of the various species of small dabbling ducks. 2. Greenish blue color.
adjective: Of greenish blue color.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English tele. The color is named after the patches of this shade on the teal. Earliest documented use: 1314.
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TERL - hard work in Brooklyn

TU-AL - second-person-singular-familiar pronoun in Southern France

TEAU - a digit on your boyfriend's foot

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PONCEAU

PRONUNCIATION: (pon-SO)

MEANING: noun: A bright red color.
adjective: Of bright red color.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French pouncel (poppy), diminutive of paon (peacock), from Latin pavo (peacock). Peacocks are not red, so why this word after a peacock? The poppy flower got this name because its vivid red color was compared to the bright colors of a peacock. A related word is pavonine. Earliest documented use: 1774.
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SPONCEAU - the company that pays the bill for your TV program ("...and now, a word from our SPONCEAU...")

PONTEAU - a bridge over troubled waters (French)

PONCHEAU - a Villa in Chihuahua Province of northern Mexico

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Might PONCHEAU have been the partner of CISCHEAU in the old Duncan Renaldo films?

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Originally Posted By: endymion6
Might PONCHEAU have been the partner of CISCHEAU in the old Duncan Renaldo films?

That was PANCHEAU. wink (As was Villa, BTW.) This PONCHEAU used to keep us dry when it rained at camp...

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Ponpeau- Quarles with Poe

Ponpeau- something fishy this way comes

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TAUPE

PRONUNCIATION: (toap, rhymes with rope)

MEANING: noun: A brownish gray, similar to the color of moleskin.
adjective: Of a brownish gray color.

ETYMOLOGY: From French taupe (mole), from Latin talpa (mole). Earliest documented use: 1911.
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TAURE- 1. ripped; 2. short for a French bull

UTAUPE - a very laid-back ideal society

TWUPE - a theater company led by a yellow canary with a speech impediment

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SEPIA

PRONUNCIATION: (SEE-pee-uh)

MEANING: noun: 1. A reddish brown color. 2. A brown pigment originally made from the cuttlefish ink. 3. A drawing made with this pigment. 4. A monochrome photograph in this color.
adjective: Of a reddish-brown color.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin sepia (cuttlefish), from Greek sepia (cuttlefish). Earliest documented use: 1569.
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SLEPIA - what the hypnotist tells you you are getting

SEMPIA - Marine Corps mascot. (Probably a dog, I think)

SE3PIA - a female multilingual droid

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KNAVERY

PRONUNCIATION: (NAY-vuh-ree, NAYV-ree)

MEANING: noun: Dishonest dealing or an instance of this.

ETYMOLOGY: From knave, from Old English cnafa (boy, servant). Earliest documented use: 1528.

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NAVERY - the part of the ritual that takes place in the main central part of the church

KNIVERY - the art of using sharpened blades

KONAVERY - extreme coffee from Hawaii, grown on the slopes of Mauna Loa

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WROTH

PRONUNCIATION: (roth)

MEANING: adjective: Extremely angry.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English wrath. Ultimately from Indo-European root wer- (to turn or bend), which is also the progenitor of words such as wring, weird, writhe, worth, revert, and universe. Earliest documented use: 893.
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EROTH - my retirement account is completely online

OWROTH - ...and it lost a lot of its value yesterday :-(

WROT - past tense of WRIT

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KNAR

PRONUNCIATION: (nahr)

MEANING:
noun: A knot on a tree or in wood.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English knarre. Earliest documented use: 1250.
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EKNAR - capital city of the fictitious land of Fthon

KNEAR - not kdistant; opposite of KFAR

KNER - a short person genuflecting

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Wrisk- La Conquęte du Monde, a strategy game with a wrinkle.

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WRICK

PRONUNCIATION: (rik)

MEANING: verb tr., intr.: To sprain or wrench.
noun: Sprain.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle Low German wricken (to sprain). Earliest documented use: 1305.
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OWRICK - that guy from Casablanca hurt me !

WROCK - past tense of "wreck"

WOICK - gainful employment in Brooklyn

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GNOMIC

PRONUNCIATION:
(NO-mik)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Relating to a gnome (an aphorism or a pithy saying).
2. Puzzling, ambiguous, or incomprehensible yet seemingly profound.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek gnome (judgment, opinion), from gignoskein (to know). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gno- (to know), which also gave us knowledge, prognosis, ignore, narrate, normal, and gnomon. Earliest documented use: 1815.
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NOMIC - They can't hear me, how do I turn this thing on? (pron. "no-mike")

MNOMIC - memorable

GONOMIC - who'd'a thunk it?


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...and speaking of gnomes, have you come across this ?

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The week is over, so I guess we're done with the Silent Letters theme.

Pity. I was waiting for the word to be PSITTICOSIS, also known as Parrot Fever.

Then we could have the letter changed be Greek PSI, and make

PSI --> MU: MUTTICOSIS = Mixed-Breed-Dog Fever, or
PSI --> OMEGA: OMEGATTICOSIS = "I can't even imagine such a terrible plague," or...

Opportunity squandered. Rats.

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Ginomic- a card game where the rummy is silent

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Brobative- brother baiting

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PROBATIVE

PRONUNCIATION: (PRO-buh-tiv, PROB-uh-)

MEANING: adjective: Serving to test something or providing a proof.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin probare (to test or prove), from probus (upright, good). Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (forward), which also gave us paramount, prime, proton, prow, German Frau (woman), and Hindi purana (old). Earliest documented use: 1453.
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PROM-BAT-IVE - they're going to use this on the pinata at the Senior dance !

PRO-BATH-IVE - ...and don't you forget to wash behind your ears, either

POO-BA-TIVE - given to pompous and grandiose statements about yourself

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Cobbery- corny themed open mic night
Sobbery- crocodile tear factory
Nobbery- easy to turn door faktory

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JOBBERY

PRONUNCIATION: (JOB-uh-ree)

MEANING: noun: The use of a public office for private gain.

ETYMOLOGY: From jobber (wholesaler; one who does odd jobs), from job, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1769.

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JOBERY - faithful victimness

JOBEERY - Wallace's little sister

JOBBERYL - No. 2 on the jeweler's To-do list, right after Job Amethyst and before Job Citrine

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OSTENSIBLE

PRONUNCIATION: ah-STEN-suh-buhl)

MEANING: adjective: Appearing as such; supposed.

ETYMOLOGY: From French ostensible, from Latin ostendere (to show, stretch out), from ob- (in front of) + tendere (to stretch). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ten- (to stretch), which also gave us tense, tenet, tendon, tent, tenor, tender, pretend, extend, tenure, tetanus, hypotenuse, pertinacious, detente, countenance, distend, extenuate, tenable, tenuous, abstentious, and impertinent. Earliest documented use: 1743.

adjective: Appearing as such; supposed.

ETYMOLOGY: From French ostensible, from Latin ostendere (to show, stretch out), from ob- (in front of) + tendere (to stretch). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ten- (to stretch), which also gave us tense, tenet, tendon, tent, tenor, tender, pretend, extend, tenure, tetanus, hypotenuse, pertinacious, detente, countenance, distend, extenuate, tenable, tenuous, abstentious, and impertinent. Earliest documented use: 1743.
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OSENSIBLE - Irish pragmatism

OSTEN SABLE - a small carnivore found in the forests, flat lands and mountainous areas of east Asia.

OSTENS BIBLE - Holy Writ owned by the author of Jane Eyre

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Osensible- modern day comedy of manners written by, A Chick

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FANE

PRONUNCIATION: (fayn)

MEANING: noun: A place of worship.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin fanum (temple). Earliest documented use: 1400s.
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FANNE - a devotee of women's sports

FAUNE - a girl Bambi

NANE - Sodium Neonide; an inert salt. Doesn't dissolve, doesn't react, doesn't taste, just sits in the bottom of the water-filled beaker and waits. Sort of an anti-Rice-Krispies.

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Arble- a proposal made modest with less garble

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ARABLE

PRONUNCIATION: (AR-uh-buhl)

MEANING: adjective: Suitable for farming.
noun: Land that’s suitable for farming.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin arare (to plow). Earliest documented use: 1400.
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OARABLE - can be rowed

AXABLE - no need to spare that tree, Woodman!

ARABILE - what you read in the Damascus Times

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SHERMANESQUE

PRONUNCIATION: (shur-muh-NESK)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Unequivocal, especially in refusing to run for an office.
2. Brutally thorough, especially in defeating someone.

ETYMOLOGY: After William Tecumseh Sherman, Union general in the American Civil War. Earliest documented use: 1918.

NOTES: The Union general William Tecumseh Sherman didn’t mince words. When he was being considered as a presidential candidate, he said, “I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected.” Since then, a categorical statement, especially a denial, is called Shermanesque. Reporters ask politicians if their announcement not to run for an office is Shermanesque to confirm whether they really mean it.

Sherman also didn’t beat around the bush when it came to military campaigns. His soldiers destroyed infrastructure, farms, etc. in their wake. So the term Shermanesque is also used to refer to a scorched-earth approach.

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SHORMANESQUE - like a sailor on leave

SHERPANESQUE - like a Himalayan mountain-climbing guide

SHEMANESQUE - in-your-face transgender

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Hermanesque- Like the 5th Earl of Shroudshire, lovable, good-natured, clumsy, buffoon.

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