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HEROPHILIC a fan of Avengers, Legends of Tomorrow, Superman,
Batman and their ilk.


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STEGANOGRAPHY

PRONUNCIATION: (ste-guh-NOG-ruh-fee)

MEANING: noun: The practice of concealing a message within another nonsecret message.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek stego- (cover) + -graphy (writing). Ultimately from the Indo-European root (s)teg- (to cover), which also gave us thatch, toga, stegosaurus, detect, and protect. Earliest documented use: 1569.

NOTES: Examples of steganography: Shrinking the secret text until it’s the size of a dot and then putting it in an unsuspected place, such as the dot on top of a letter i in some innocuous letter. Shaving the head of a man, writing the secret message on his pate with unwashable ink, and then letting the hair grow back before dispatching him to the destination (example from history). To take an example from modern digital techniques, one could put the text of a message in the blank spaces in an image file.
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TEGANOGRAPHY - dermatographia ("skin-writing"; from tegmentum, fr. tegmen, fr. tegere)

SEGANOGRAPHY - images of a game console

STEGANOGRAPH - a picture of Saint Egan

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NIDICOLOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (ny-DIK-uh-luhs)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Remaining with the parents for a long time after birth.
2. Living in the home of another species.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin nidi- (nest) + -colous (inhabiting). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sed- (to sit), which is also the source of nest, sit, chair, saddle, assess, sediment, soot, cathedral, and tetrahedron. Earliest documented use: 1902.

NOTES: Etymologically speaking, the word nidicolous refers to birds that stay in the nest due to their dependence on the parents for food and protection. But there’s no reason you couldn’t apply it to other species. The opposite is nidifugous (literally, fleeing the nest), leaving soon after birth.
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NIDICOLOURS - the drab earthtones of a bird's-nest in London

RIDICOLOUS - the silly situation of still living with our parents when we're 40

MIDICOLOUS - like the cloacum magnum of the South of France



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CELERITY

PRONUNCIATION: (suh-LER-i-tee)

MEANING: noun: Swiftness; speed.

ETYMOLOGY: From French célérité (promptness), from Latin celer (swift). Earliest documented use: 1483.

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ACELERITY - going nowhere fast

CLERITY - easily understood, in Brooklyn

CELERITE - 1. a mineral that comes in green stringy stalks
2. going faster and faster AND FASTER in Australia

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SYMPHYSIS

PRONUNCIATION: (SIM-fi-sis)

MEANING: noun: A growing together.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin, from Greek symphysis (growing together), from syn- (with) + phyein (to grow). Earliest documented use: 1578.

NOTES: The word is often used in anatomy to describe the fusion of two bones, cartilages, etc. It is also used for the line or junction thus formed.
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SYLPHYSIS - a sisterhood of airy wraith-like creatures (see also NYMPHYSIS)

SYMPHNYSIS - my female sib plays for the Philharmonic

SYMPHYSICS - the Unified Theory of Everything

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OPPROBRIOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-PRO-bree-uhs)

MEANING: adjective: 1. Expressing strong criticism. 2. Deserving disgrace.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin opprobrium (reproach), from ob- (against) + probrum (infamy, reproach). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bher- (to carry), which also gave us bear, birth, barrow, burden, fertile, transfer, offer, suffer, euphoria, and metaphor. Earliest documented use: 1410.

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OPPROARIOUS, OPPRORIOUS - laughing out loud

UPPROBRIOUS - what you call disgraceful activity at that university in Sweden (or the city which hosts it)

OPPROBRIOUT - the umpire blew a very important call at home plate

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POLITIC

PRONUNCIATION: (POL-i-tik)

MEANING: adjective: Tactful; shrewd.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French politique (political), from Latin politicus (political), from Greek politikos, from polites (citizen), from polis (city). Earliest documented use: 1427.
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POLITOC - an elected official who's out of step with the times

POLITRIC - Sitting-room magic for Brooklyn

POLITEC - a very light, very warm fabric

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COMPORT

PRONUNCIATION: (kuhm-PORT)

MEANING: verb tr.: To conduct (oneself).
verb intr.: To agree with.

ETYMOLOGY: From French comportement (behavior), from comporter (to bear), from Latin comportare (to transport), from com- (with) + portare (to carry). Ultimately from the Indo-European root per- (to lead, pass over), which also gave us support, petroleum, sport, passport, colporteur, rapporteur, deportment, Swedish fartlek, Norwegian fjord, and Sanskrit parvat (mountain). Earliest documented use: 1565.
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COWPORT - where the cattle get off the boat...

COIMPORT - ...brought into the country by more than one person

COMPART - free admission to the Guggenheim

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COMPURT "as soon as I'se turnd it on the whole dagnab thing just..."


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KAKISTOCRACY

PRONUNCIATION: (kak-i-STOK-ruh-see, kah-ki-)

MEANING: noun: Government by the least qualified or worst persons.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek kakistos (worst), superlative of kakos (bad) + -cracy (rule). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kakka-/kaka- (to defecate), which also gave us poppycock, cacophony, cacology, and cacography. Earliest documented use: 1829.
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KAKISTOCRAZY - the ultimate Bad Trip

PAKISTOCRACY - Government by Islamabad

KOKISTOCRACY - Government by Lord High Executioner

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