HOM-I-LETIC - my house is for rent
wofahulicodoc
10/26/2025 1:14 PM
HOMILETIC
PRONUNCIATION: (hom-uh-LET-ik)
MEANING: adjective:
1. Relating to a homily.
2. Relating to homiletics (the art of preaching).
3. Preachy.
ETYMOLOGY: From Greek homiletikos (affable), from homilein (to talk with), from homilos (crowd), from homou (together). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sem- (one), which also gave us simultaneous, assemble, simple, Sanskrit sandhi (union), Russian samovar (a metal urn, literally, self-boiler), and Greek hamadryad (a wood nymph, who lives in a tree and dies when the tree dies), dissimulate, and simulacrum. Earliest documented use: 1644.
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WHOMILETIC - I'm very objective about the people I rent to. Just in case.
HEMILETIC - The place is for rent only half the time.
HOMILECTIC - After thinking about the candidates, I've chosen to move my family here.
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Re: MILLSTONE
A C Bowden
10/25/2025 12:37 AM
MILKSTONE - small pellet of frozen milk for sprinkling on desserts
MAILSTONE - large paperweight formerly used in open mail trains in windy conditions
MEALSTONE - coin-shaped disk issued by a feudal lord to his serfs, which could be used at an inn instead of cash
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WRECKFUL - like the Sargasso Sea
wofahulicodoc
10/24/2025 7:01 PM
WRACKFUL
PRONUNCIATION: (RAK-ful)
MEANING: adjective: Ruinous.
ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps from Middle Dutch wrak (wreck), influenced by Old English wraec (misery). Earliest documented use: 1558.
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WRACK FUEL - what the display shelves are powered by
WRANKFUL - overloaded with titles and medals; conceited
WACKFUL - replete with craziness
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WRECTIC - destructive
wofahulicodoc
10/24/2025 6:51 PM
ORECTIC
PRONUNCIATION: (o-REK-tik)
MEANING: adjective: Relating to appetite or desire.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin orecticus (stimulating appetite), from Greek orektikos, from oregein (to desire). Earliest documented use: 1671.
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O'LECTIC - comes from a family that for generatinons has been reading stories written in Gaelic
ORESTIC - pertaining the old Greek myth about betrayal, revenge, and justice (See also Electric, which is the same story except told from the viewpoint of his sister)
ORCTIC - like a Middle Earthian villain/warrior
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POEMICAL - full of imagery, but versic and rhymey and al stick
wofahulicodoc
10/24/2025 6:22 PM
POLEMICAL
PRONUNCIATION: (puh-LEM-uh-kuhl)
MEANING: adjective: Relating to or involving strong, critical, or controversial writing or speech.
ETYMOLOGY: From Greek polemikos, from polemos (war). A related word is polemology (the science and study of human conflict and war). Earliest documented use: 1615.
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"POLE" MICAH - the minor Biblical prophet and early critic of social injustice was skinny as a rail
PTOLEMICAL - an Egyptian dynasty, initiated by founder of the theory that the Earth is the center of the Universe (and possibly father of Alexander the Great)
PRO-LEMICAL - in favor of jumping off a cliff as part of an unthinking mob
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ACE BIC - a crackerjack ball point pen
wofahulicodoc
10/24/2025 5:53 PM
ACERBIC
PRONUNCIATION: (uh-SUHR-bik)
MEANING: adjective:
1. Having a sour or bitter taste.
2. Harsh, biting, critical.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin acerbus (sour, bitter). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ak- (sharp), which is also the source of acrid, vinegar, acid, acute, edge, hammer, heaven, eager, oxygen, mediocre, acerbate, acerate, paragon, acuity, and acidic. Earliest documented use: 1853.
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A.C. VERBIC - like an action word that runs on alternating current
"ACE" RUBIC - nickname of the Cube puzzle inventor
ACER BIN - where to throw your maple wood scraps
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MORAL CO-PASS - get-out-of-jail-free card for two
wofahulicodoc
10/19/2025 1:16 PM
MORAL COMPASS
PRONUNCIATION: (MOR-uhl kuhm-puhs)
MEANING: noun: One’s inner sense of right and wrong.
ETYMOLOGY: From moral, from Latin mos (custom) + compass (an instrument for determining directions), from Old French compasser (to measure), from Latin com- (with) + passus (pace). Earliest documented use: 1817.
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CORAL COMPASS - how the sea organisms know to make such a perfect circle
ORAL COMPASS - open my mouth, stick out my tongue, and I can tell which way the wind is blowing
AMOR-AL COMPASS - an innate sense of knowing where to bestow my affections
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LIGHTNING ROOD - a very fast distance to traverse
wofahulicodoc
10/16/2025 7:22 PM
LIGHTNING ROD
PRONUNCIATION: (LYT-ning rod)
MEANING: noun:
1. A grounded metal rod placed at the top of a structure to protect it from lightning.
2. A person or thing that frequently attracts criticism.
3. Someone who diverts criticism from another.
ETYMOLOGY: From lightning (a flash of light) and rod (a stick or pole), from Old English leoht and rodd. Earliest documented use: 1770.
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LIGHTING ROD - a stick with one or more light sources at intervals along it, to be mounted on a wall or under a shelf
LIGHTEN, INC ROD - a company that manufactures illumination devices
LIGHT NINA ROD - a device used by Al Hirshfeld to hide the name of his daughter in many a Sunday Times theater-page caricature in the 1950s and 1960s
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MILLTONE - the sound of flour production
wofahulicodoc
10/16/2025 6:57 PM
MILLSTONE
PRONUNCIATION: (MIL-stohn)
MEANING: noun:
1. One of a pair of round stones used for grinding grain.
2. A heavy burden or source of distress, especially one that’s hard to get rid of.
ETYMOLOGY: From Old English mylenstan (millstone), from Latin mola (mill, grindstone), from molere (to grind). Earliest documented use: before 1150.
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MILLSTINE - Russian-American violinist, died in 1992 at the age of 90, known for his renditions of Bach
WILLSTONE - a rock placed on your last testament to keep the pages from blowing away
MILLI-STONE- about a sixth of an ounce (1 stone = 14 pounds = 168 ounces)
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STILLE - Christmas Eve in Bavaria
wofahulicodoc
10/15/2025 7:25 PM
STILE
PRONUNCIATION: (styl)
MEANING: noun:
1. A set of steps or rungs allowing a person to go across a fence or wall while denying animals access.
2. A turnstile: a revolving gate that controls access to an area.
3. A support for overcoming an obstacle.
ETYMOLOGY: From Old English stigel (stile). Earliest documented use: before 1150.
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SPILE - to turn, or go rotten, in certain neighbourhoods
S.A.T.-ILE - where one ranks nationally on a Scholastic Aptitude Test
ST. ILEX - Holly's name after their sanctification
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ACE-CURTAIN - last serve in an uneven tennis match
wofahulicodoc
10/15/2025 7:09 PM
LACE-CURTAIN
PRONUNCIATION: (LAYS-kuhr-tuhn)
MEANING: adjective: Aspiring to or pretentiously displaying middle-class respectability.
ETYMOLOGY: From the lace curtains once fashionable in middle-class homes. Earliest documented use: 1824.
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LACK-CURTAIN - "early-matrimonial" style; sparsely-furnished
PLACE-CURTAIN - determining social status of the owner by inspection of the facade of an edifice from the street, particularly the window furnishings
GLACÉ-CURTAIN - the world outside after a grand sleet-storm
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Re: GARDYLOO
A C Bowden
10/13/2025 3:21 PM
GAUDY LOU - how the English described Louis XIV
GAWD A'LOO! - an oath (corruption of 'God of Love')
GARDE ÉLU - elite protection squad
WARDYLOO - Italian-American pronunciation of 'Waterloo' (cf. Chico Marx: "There ain't no Sanity Claus")
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LA MOON - Selena, Goddess of the Night
wofahulicodoc
10/11/2025 6:17 PM
LAMPOON
PRONUNCIATION: (lam-POON)
MEANING: noun: A biting satire directed against a person or institution.
verb tr.: To ridicule or satirize.
ETYMOLOGY: From French lampon, from lampons (let us drink), imperative of slang lamper (to gulp down), from laper (to lap up). Earliest documented use: 1645.
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L'ARPOON - a pointy stick used by French whalers
L'AMPOGON - a tool for increasing the number of sides on a many-sided drawing
LAMBOON - an automatic shearing machine that sheep can simply walk through
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Hands off my citrus fruit!
wofahulicodoc
10/11/2025 5:53 PM
NOLI ME TANGEREN
PRONUNCIATION: (NO-lee mee/may TAN-juh-ree)
MEANING: noun: 1. Someone or something that must not be touched or interfered with.
2. A warning against touching or meddling.
3. Any of various plants whose seed capsules burst open when touched.
adj.: Relating to prohibition or fear of being touched.
ETYMOLOGY: From Latin noli me tangere (do not touch me), from noli (do not), imperative of nolle (to be unwilling) + me (me) + tangere (to touch). Earliest documented use: 1398.
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SOLI ME TANGERE - Don't touch anybody but me!
NOLI SE HANGERE - In the first place, hanging yourself is a difficult (not to say dangerous) thing to attempt, and in the second...in the second, it's suicide, and suicide is a capital offense! [after W S Gilbert]
NOLI ME TANGIERE - Whatever you do, Br'er Fox, don't throw me in Tangiers! [after Uncle Remus]
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DEKKA - a record company founded in 1928
wofahulicodoc
10/11/2025 5:44 PM
DEKKO
PRONUNCIATION: (DEK-oh)
MEANING: noun: A look.
ETYMOLOGY: From Hindi dekho (look), imperative of dekhna (to look). Earliest documented use: 1855.
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DENKO - first-person singular of "to think"
DE-RKO - to sell your stock in a famous old theater chain
GEKKO - a small insect-eating animal with unique feet that enable it to run up walls and even hang from the ceiling
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HILLELUJAH - Yay! We're King of the Hill!
wofahulicodoc
10/11/2025 5:18 PM
HALLELUJAH
PRONUNCIATION: (hal-uh-LOO-yuh)
MEANING: interjection: Praise the Lord.
noun: An expression of joy, relief, praise, etc.
ETYMOLOGY: From Hebrew halaluyah (praise God), from halelu (praise, you all), second person plural imperative of hallel (to praise) + yah (God), shortening of Yahweh (God). Earliest documented use: 1535.
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HALL, ELIJAH - Master Hall is present and accounted for
HALLE LUJAH - Halle Berry after marrying Frank Lujah in Missouri
HALLEL, UTAH - name of a fictitious town, inserted into the atlas to demonstrate plagiarism
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GA. RYE, LOO - you call this moonshine, Soldier ?
wofahulicodoc
10/11/2025 5:03 PM
GARDYLOO
PRONUNCIATION: (gar-dee-LOO)
MEANING: noun: A warning cry.
ETYMOLOGY: Phonetic respelling of French imperative gardez l’eau (mind the water). Earliest documented use: 1771.
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GARY, LOO - Lieutenant, "Gary" is my first name, Sir.
WARD Y, LOO - You sure that's the closest latrine in this hospital, Medic?
GAR DYE LOT - They're making pigments out of fish now !
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PENNYWEIGHER - ensures small coins are not shaved
wofahulicodoc
10/10/2025 6:45 PM
PENNYWEIGHTER
PRONUNCIATION: (PEN-ee-way-tuhr)
MEANING: noun: One who steals jewelry, especially by substituting a fake for the real one.
ETYMOLOGY: From pennyweight jewelry, from pennyweight, the weight of a silver penny (1⁄240 of a pound). Earliest documented use: 1886.
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OPEN N.Y. WEIGHTER - serves in restaurants in Manhattan for a pittance; unlocks the door at the start of the day
PENNYWRIGHTER - makes inexpensive artifacts out of coins, to sell to tourists
PENNY-EIGHTER - one who advocates dividing a penny into eight equal pieces to use for purchasing very inexpensive items
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