Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 15 of 26 1 2 13 14 15 16 17 25 26
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

HATCHET JOB

PRONUNCIATION: (HATCH-it job)

MEANING: noun: Malicious criticism meant to harm someone’s reputation.

ETYMOLOGY: From hatchet (a small, short-handled axe), from Old French (hachete), diminutive of hache (axe) + job, of unknown origin. Earliest documented use: 1925.

NOTES: In the beginning a hatchet job was a murder carried out by a hired Chinese assassin in the US, known as a hatchet man. Over time, the word began to be used metaphorically for verbal criticism meant to destroy someone’s reputation. Another hatchet idiom is to "bury the hatchet," meaning to end hostilities and reconcile.
______________________

HITCHET JOB - attach the horses to the wagon

HATCHET JOY - easy work for a lumberjack

HATCHET JIB - a small sail in the prow of the boat that lets it slice through the wind

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

BATTLE-AXE (or BATTLE-AX)

PRONUNCIATION:

(BAT-l aks)

MEANING: noun:
1. A broadax used as a weapon of war.
2. A typically older woman with a reputation for being sharp-tongued, domineering, and aggressive.

ETYMOLOGY: From battle, from Latin battuere (to beat) + ax, from Old English aecs (ax). It’s not entirely clear how this term came to be applied to a fierce woman. Perhaps it’s because a sharp-tongued woman could cut down someone as well as an ax, metaphorically speaking. Earliest documented use: 1380 (1896 for the figurative meaning).
__________________________

B.A. TITLE AXE - the lumberjack's tool that went to college
(see also B.A. TITLE X - ...because she could postpone having children until she wanted them

BATT, LEAH - sister of Batt, Rachel

CATTLE-AX - (I don't think I want to discuss this one)

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

SMOKING GUN

PRONUNCIATION: (SMOH-king gun)

MEANING: noun: Something that serves as incriminating evidence, especially of a crime.

ETYMOLOGY: From the idea that someone holding a recently fired gun that still has the smoke coming out of the barrel would make for incontrovertible evidence that they were the one who shot the victim. Earliest documented use: 1970s.
___________________________

SMOKING GYN - you're my doctor, she said; you should know better

I'M OK-ING GUN - Here's your license to carry

AMOK-ING GUN - fires a psychosis-inducing drug instead of a tranquilizer

SUMO KING GUN - even big wrestlers sometimes have to defend themselves

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

GREAT GUNS

PRONUNCIATION: (grayt gunz)

MEANING: noun: Someone or something impressive.
adverb: With energy and enthusiasm; successfully.
interjection: Expressing surprise or disbelief.

ETYMOLOGY: In the beginning, great gun referred to a large firearm that required mounting. Eventually it came to be applied metaphorically. The adverbial use started in horse races. Earliest documented use: 1430.
________________________________

GROAT GUNS - ditto for kernels of grain

GREAT RUNS - record-breaking streaks of anything

GRE AT UNS - prerequisite for admission for graduate study at the University of Nova Scotia

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

FULGOR oR FULGUOR

PRONUNCIATION: (FUHL-guhr))

MEANING: noun: Splendor; brightness.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin fulgor (brightness), from fulgere (to shine). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhel- (to shine or burn), which also gave us blaze, blank, blond, bleach, blanket, flame, refulgent, fulminate, and effulgent. Earliest documented use: 1600
___________________________

FULIGOR - a zombie wrestling hold (cf. HALF-IGOR)

NUL-GOR - rated G

FOULGOR - rated XXX for violence

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

INQUILINE

PRONUNCIATION: (IN-kwuh-lyn)

MEANING: noun: An animal living in the nest, burrow, or home of another.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin inquilinus (tenant, lodger), from in- (into) + colere (to dwell). Earliest documented use: 1640.
_________________________

INQUIRINE - curious

INQUININE - malaria-resistant

MINQUILINE - furry

SINQUILINE - transgressing (see also INIQUILINE)

INQUILINK - precursor of the fountain pen

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

JOUISSANCE

PRONUNCIATION: (ZHWEE-sans)

MEANING: noun: Pleasure; ecstasy.

ETYMOLOGY: From French jouissance, from jouir (to enjoy). Earliest documented use: 1484.
___________________________

LOUISSANCE - regal bearing

JOUISTANCE - position taken by expert game-players

JOLUISSANCE- boxing prowess

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

WORRICOW

PRONUNCIATION: (WUH-ree-kau)

MEANING: noun: A hobgoblin, scarecrow, or a person of frightening appearance.

ETYMOLOGY: From Scottish, from worry (to harass) + cow (hobgoblin). Earliest documented use: 1711.
___________________________

WORRI-CON - annual gathering of Fussbudgets

TWO RR ICON - Chessie (Chesapeake and Ohio Railway); Roxy (Long Island Rail Road)

WORRICOWL - worn by monks to indicate their bafflement over the ambiguities of this world

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

HYALOID

PRONUNCIATION: (HY-uh-loyd)

MEANING: adjective: Glassy or transparent.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin hyaloides, from Greek hualoeies (glass-like), from hualos (glass). Earliest documented use: 1835.
____________________________

HOYALOID - like a Georgetown sports team

HYALOIN - by going to school in Brooklyn, Noo Yawk

HYALOIS - 1. Clark Kent's informal greeting to Daily Planet reporter Lane; 2. Newspaper daily-and-Sunday comic strip

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,710
Likes: 2

CORBIE MESSENGER

PRONUNCIATION: (KOR-bee mes-uhn-juhr)

MEANING: noun: A messenger who does not arrive or return in time.

ETYMOLOGY: noun: From allusion to the crow that Noah had sent out from his ark. From corbin (raven), from Old French corbin, from Latin corvus (raven, crow). Earliest documented use: 1525.
____________________________

CORBIE MESS ANGER - rage at the bad food in the Crow army

SCORBIE MESSENGER - brings word of crippling Vitamin C deficiency

GORBIE MESSENGER - ambassador from the USSR between 1985 and 1991

Page 15 of 26 1 2 13 14 15 16 17 25 26

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,913
Posts229,577
Members9,187
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
Karin, JeffMackwood, artguitar, Jim_W, Rdbuffalo
9,187 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 148 guests, and 2 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
wofahulicodoc 10,710
tsuwm 10,542
LukeJavan8 9,931
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5