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EUHEMERISM

PRONUNCIATION: (yoo-HEE-muh-riz-uhm, -HEM-)

MEANING: noun: The idea that gods are based on historical heroes whose stories became exaggerated in retelling.

ETYMOLOGY: After Euhemerus, a fourth-century BCE Greek writer, who proposed that the gods of mythology were based on real heroes whose accounts became exaggerated with time. Earliest documented use: 1846.
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EUPHEMERISM - the idea that you should sanitize the name of anything earthy before you utter it

EDUHEMERISM - turning out scholars who are only half-educated

EUCHEMERISM - the original "Thou" of Martin Buber's I and Thou

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ROLAND

PRONUNCIATION: (RO-lund)

MEANING: noun: Someone who is an equal match for another. Typically used in the expression “to give a Roland for an Oliver” meaning “to give as good as one gets” (tit for tat).

ETYMOLOGY: After Roland, the legendary hero of the 11/12th century epic poem “Chanson de Roland” (Song of Roland). His tale was inspired by Charlemagne’s nephew and military leader. Oliver was friends with Roland and his equal. They fought each other but neither won. Earliest documented use: 1525. A related word is rounceval.
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OROLAND - what the Spaniards thought the New World was

GOLAND - communication from a hostile fighter intercept aircraft

ROMLAND - where all good memory chips go after they've given up the ghost...

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OLID

PRONUNCIATION: (O-lid)

MEANING: adjective: Foul-smelling.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin olere (to smell), which also gave us the opposite of today’s word: redolent. Earliest documented use: 1680.
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GLID - 1. past tense of glide; 2. present tense of glad

OMID - identifying the mantra

OOLID - an egg-shaped meteorite

OLIX - wordy, but without the Public Relations

Last edited by wofahulicodoc; 01/30/18 12:05 AM.
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LATITUDINARIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (lat-i-tood-uh-NAY-ree-uhn, -tyood-)

MEANING: adjective: Holding broad and tolerant views, especially on matters of religion.
noun: One who is broadminded and tolerant, especially concerning religion.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin latitudo (breadth), from latus (broad). Earliest documented use: 1662.
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PLATITUDINARIAN - one whose speech is peppered with inanities
(edit - Oops! Turns out that's a real word. "First use 1855" - wofa)

LATITUDINARIAT - a rope noose that gives its captives room to move

LATINUDINARIAN - fond of images of unclad women painted by Spaniards, which are uncommon due to the Church's disapproval; still there are Goya's Naked Maja,, and works by Velazquez and Picasso and others

LA TITUA IN ARIAN' - a recently-discovered Mozart opera, never yet performed

Last edited by wofahulicodoc; 02/01/18 04:04 PM. Reason: (couldn't resist)
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FULIGINOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (fyoo-LIZ-uh-nuhs)

MEANING: adjective: Sooty; dusky; obscure.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin fuligo (soot).
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FUMIGINOUS - smoking

MULIGINOUS - stubborn

FULGINOUS - radiant

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EMESIS

PRONUNCIATION: (EM-uh-sis)

MEANING: noun: The act or process of vomiting.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek emein (to vomit). Earliest documented use: 1875.
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REMESIS - a flood of dreams during rapid-eye-movement sleep

EMFSIS - special importance, value, or prominence

ESMESIS - when molecules of a solvent pass through a semipermeable membrane from a more concentrated solution into a less concentrated one, thereby increasing the disparity of concentrations on the two sides of the membrane; the opposite of OSMOSIS (see also Maxwell's Demon)

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TAUTOLOGOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (to-TOL-uh-guhs)

MEANING: adjective: Involving unnecessary repetition of an idea, especially in different words, for example, a good-looking beautiful woman.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek tauto- (same), contraction of “to auto” (the same) + -logy (word). Earliest documented use: 1646.
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TAUNTOLOGOUS - teasing

TOUTOLOGOUS - selling tips at the racetrack

TABUTOLOGOUS - referring to strongly-disapproved-of (if not forbidden) practices

TAUTOLOGONS - geometric figures with self-referential and redundant sides

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SNOLLYGOSTER

PRONUNCIATION: (SNOL-ee gos-tuhr)

MEANING: noun: A shrewd, unprincipled person.

ETYMOLOGY: Of uncertain origin, perhaps an alteration of snallygaster, a mythical creature said to prey on poultry and children, possibly from Pennsylvania Dutch schnelle geeschter, from German schnell (quick) + Geist (spirit). Earliest documented use: 1846.

NOTES: According to a Georgia editor, “A snollygoster is a fellow who wants office, regardless of party, platform, or principles, and who, whenever he wins, gets there by the sheer force of monumental talknophical assumnacy.”
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'S NOLLY-GO-STIR - when the lawyer says you're pleading nolo contendere and the best you can hope for is a jail sentence

SNOLLYNG OSTER - a blender making an angry, aggressive noise

SNOLLY GO STERN - Ahoy there, Yacht Snolly, reverse engines!

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HIGHBINDER

PRONUNCIATION: (HY-byn-duhr)

MEANING: noun: A swindler, gangster, or a corrupt politician.

ETYMOLOGY: After the Highbinders, a Chinese gang in New York and other cities from the mid-1800s to the early 1900s. Earliest documented use: 1806.
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THIGHBINDER - poultice for a torn quadriceps

HIGHMINDER - one with his head in the clouds

HIGHBANDER - member of a piccolo ensemble

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WIREPULLER

PRONUNCIATION: (WAIR-pool-uhr)

MEANING: noun: A person who manipulates or exerts control from behind the scenes.

ETYMOLOGY: From wire + puller. Earliest documented use: 1824.
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WIREPOLLER - assesses public opinion via Western Union

DIREPULLER - dentist full of doom and gloom

WIREPULLET - what chicken-fencing is made of

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