a) In calligraphy, a writing implement used for engraving special inks (i.e. gold-embossed).
b) A small writing desk (similar to a secretary) popular during the Italian Neoclassical period (1760-1800), and characterized by a marble writing top, pendant floral carving on the drawers and fluted tapering legs.
c) A removable paper cover protecting a bound book; a dust jacket.
d) an inspector of entrails, for the purpose of divination
e) An old way of writing short notes - a kind of shorthand, indeed, not dissimilar in intention to the text that people use on mobile phones.
f) A fountain pen made entirely of glass, also called a dipping pen.
g) A small but deadly knife with the blade twisted in the manner of a screw before the final tempering. Associations: Shiv= blade. Shive=knife. Scr= screw Stilo=stylus. Stilletto=little knife Manufactured in Italy, thescrivello quickly became the favourite assassination tool of the "Black Hand"-a secret Serbian society, outlawed in 1917 for the suspected assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria. A scrivello appears in the upcoming Arnold Schwarzenegger movie-Collateral Damage.
h) A decorative masonry technique in which a thin line of mortar is excised from a joint and then filled with white lime.
i) The operating expenses of an opera house. [origin unknown]
j) from the root "scrivo" meaning to write, plus the diminutive "ello" so - "to do little writing"
k) A public letter writer who works in a house of joy.
l) A small elephant tusk, once commonly used to produce billiard balls
m) from latin v. scrivirto write pron. ellohim, penpal
n) A marble patterning in which white and green stripes are alternated, used in Romanesque Italian cathedral architecture.
o) Hastily written piece of music in the style of Ivor Novello (Welsh actor, composer and playwright (1893-1951)).
It really ought to be "g", as a just reward for inventiveness, with "d" as a very close second. However, I do believe that the many voters for "h" are nearer to the mark - but they haven't taken it far enough - it is, in fact "N" says he confidently, as usual. (But he is, of course, nearly always wrong!)
Wildwords casts her vote for G because it is such a lot of fun to read, and, if it's not the right definition, then I'm gonna send it to a knife maker and suggest that such a knife be made in honor of this definition!
No one voted for my definition, so my continued claim to have least points will continue unchallenged!
[whisper-e]Bing cherie, mon amour. Awake! Morning is here and you must cast your vote. The time for muskstick dreams is over. All await your decision so that we may continue Hogwash #mumble mumble mumble. You will vote for my definition, v'raiment?[butterfly kiss-e]
Foul. Foul. Foul most foul. Consuelo is using blatant husserie to solicit delinquent Bingley's vote. For your information Consuelo, Bingley has mailed me his proxy and as soon as I receive it I will get get tsuwm's approval and vote for "O".
yay bingley -- the polls are now officially closed. all that needs be done now is to await the hogmaster's ritual counting of the votes. which could take a while, as the payoffs have also been slow to arrive. but I can tell you now that there was only ONE (1) correct vote [oh so close to a stump!]. oh, and fyi, ivory was displaced by celluloid in the manufacture of billiard balls.
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