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CONTRETEMPS

PRONUNCIATION: (KON-truh-tan, kawn-truh-TAN), plural contretemps (-tanz)
the last syllable is nasal

MEANING: noun:
1. An unforeseen and unfortunate occurrence.
2. A disagreement or dispute.

ETYMOLOGY: Originally contretemps was a fencing term meaning a pass or thrust made at a wrong moment. From French contre- (against) + (time). Earliest documented use: 1684.
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CONTRITE MPS - Truly sorry, Colonel, but we have to arrest you

WON'T RE: TEMPS - I refuse to hire short-term workers

CONTRE TEMPO - against playing the music that fast

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HILT

PRONUNCIATION: (hilt)

MEANING: noun:
1. Used in the expression “to the hilt”: to the maximum extent; fully.
2. A handle, especially of a sword or dagger.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English hilt/hilte. Earliest documented use: around 1000.
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KILT - what you probably did to somebody if you stabbed your sword in all the way to the hilt

HIET - when you try to lose weight but it goes up instead

HILIT - Christmas tree whose only shining ornament is the star on top

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FEINT

PRONUNCIATION: (faynt)

MEANING: noun: A deceptive move, especially in fencing or boxing.
verb tr., intr.: To make a deceptive movement.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French feinte, past participle of feindre (to feign), from Latin fingere (to shape). Ultimately from the Indo-European root dheigh- (to build or form), which also gave us fiction, effigy, paradise, dough, dairy, and lady (literally, a loaf kneader). Earliest documented use: around 1330.

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FEIND - a dyslexic demon

Fe ISNT - iron does not exist

FEZINT - a game bird, sometimes hunted and served under glass

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ENSIFORM

PRONUNCIATION: (EN-suh-form)

MEANING: adjective: Shaped like a sword or a sword blade.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin ensis (sword) + -form (shape). Earliest documented use: 1541.
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FENSIFORM - pickety

ENSIFARM - greenhouse devoted solely the raising gladiolus plants

ENSIFORUM - swordsmanship convention

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SWASHBUCKLER

PRONUNCIATION: (SWASH-buhk-luhr)

MEANING: noun:
1. A reckless, daring, swaggering adventurer.
2. A book, play, etc. dealing with such a character.

ETYMOLOGY: From swashbuckler (one who makes a noise by striking a sword on a shield), from swh (of imitative origin) + buckler (a small round shield), from boucle (a boss on a shield), from Latin buccula, diminutive of bucca (cheek). Earliest documented use: 1560.
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U.S. WASHBUCKLER - a garbage scow that sank after ignominiously running aground near Jersey City and has't been heard from (or looked for) since

SLASHBUCKLER - uses as his concealed weapon a belt with a sharpened fastener

SWACHBUCKLER (or SCHWACHBUCKLER) - from German schwach (weak): someone who keeps his pants fastened loosely

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ERGOPHOBIA

PRONUNCIATION: (uhr-guh-FO-bee-uh)

MEANING: noun: An abnormal fear of or aversion to work.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek ergon (work) + phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1905.
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ERGOPHOBIA - fear of making a decision; fear of commitment

EGOPHOBIA - fear of self *

MERGOPHOBIA - fear of being acquired by a competitor

EGGOPHOBIA - fear of toasted waffles

*
Wherever I go
I go too
And spoil everything
-- Samuel Hoffenstein, Proem, 1923

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Pergophobia- fear of laminate flooring

Argophobia- fear of slang

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BREVILOQUENCE

PRONUNCIATION: (bri-VIL-uh-kwens)

MEANING: noun: Speaking briefly and concisely.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin breviloquentia, from brevis (short) + loquentia (speaking), from loqui (to speak). Earliest documented use: 1656.

NOTES: So many choices when it comes to speaking. You might prefer short-windedness and be breviloquent or you can be talkative (loquacious). You can talk in your sleep (somniloquy, which is a special kind of soliloquy). You can even speak through your tummy, literally speaking (ventriloquism).
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BRAVILOQUENCE - speaking great praise

OREVILOQUENCE - ignoring Wilbur when discussing the Wright brothers' invention of the airplane

MR EVIL O'QUENCE - that unpleasant Irish guy from County Quence

BREXILOQUENCE - Sorry, I decline to get involved in a political discussion

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EXELEUTHEROSTOMIZE

PRONUNCIATION: (eks-uh-looth-uh-ROS-tuh-myz)

MEANING: verb intr.: To speak out freely.

ETYMOLOGY: Coined from Greek elements ex- (out) + eleutheros (free) + stoma (mouth). Earliest documented use: 1854.
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EXCELEUTHEROSTOMIZE - truth in spreadsheets

EXPELEUTHEROSTOMIZE - to remove free and uncensored speech from a culture

EX-E-LUTHER-OSTOMIZE - poke a hole in the Ninety-Five Theses

EXELEATHEROTOMIZE - cut out the animal-skins trade (I know, that's two changes)

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CORPOCRACY

PRONUNCIATION: (kor-POK-ruh-see)

MEANING: noun: A society in which corporations control the government.

ETYMOLOGY: From corporate, from Latin corpus (body) + -cracy (rule). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kwrep- (body, form), which is also the source of corps, corpus, corpse, corporation, corpulent, corset, corsage, leprechaun, and corpus delicti. Earliest documented use: 1935.

NOTES: Earlier the word was applied to corporate bureaucracy. Over time the word has changed its meaning and now it refers to a system in which corporations control the government.
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CORGOCRACY - government by dog

CARPOCRACY - 1. government by fish; 2. government by Detroit

CORPOCRAZY - obsessed by body image

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