Wordsmith.org: the magic of words

Wordsmith Talk

About Us | What's New | Search | Site Map | Contact Us  

Previous Thread
Next Thread
Print Thread
Page 68 of 99 1 2 66 67 68 69 70 98 99
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

HOTSY-TOTSY (also HOTSIE-TOTSIE)

PRONUNCIATION: (HOT-see TOT-see)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Just right; perfect.
2. Haughty; pretentious.

ETYMOLOGY: Coined by the cartoonist Billy DeBeck (1892-1942), famed for his comic strip Barney Google and Snuffy Smith. Earliest documented use: early 1920s. Another of his coinages that has found a place in English language dictionaries is heebie-jeebies.
_________________________________

HOOTSY-TOOTSY - traffic-jam of Bumper-Cars

BOTSY-TOTSY - Artificial Intelligence being playful

HOTSY-ROTSY - college Officers-in-Training in full dress uniform

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

FRUMIOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (FROO-mi-uhs)

MEANING: adjective: Very angry.

ETYMOLOGY: Coined by Lewis Carroll as a blend of fuming and furious in the poem Jabberwocky in the book Through the Looking-Glass. Earliest documented use: 1871.
_________________________________

FRUMP IOUs - dowdy old-fashioned statements of indebtedness

ARUMIOUS - like a lily, with a pungent odor

FORUMIOUS - tending to form large committees

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

BOONDOGGLE

PRONUNCIATION: (BOON-dog-uhl)

MEANING: noun: 1. A pointless project funded as a political favor.
2. A holiday trip to an exotic location, disguised as a business trip.
3. Braided cord, made of plastic strips, fabric, etc.
verb intr.: 1. To do useless or trivial work.
2. To go on a business trip in which the real purpose is relaxation or fun.
3. To braid plastic strips, fabric, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: Coined by scoutmaster Robert H. Link. Earliest documented use: 1929.

NOTES: The original boondoggle was a braided cord made by Boy Scouts. In 1935, a New York Times article quoted someone criticizing a New Deal program to train jobless to make handicrafts as a boondoggle. Since then this sense of the word has become more common.
__________________________

[noun (sense 3) is also known as "gimp," at least in parts of New England]
__________________________

BOOND-OGLE - a leer from 007 Agent Jaames

BOONTOGGLE - the wish-granting switch

BOON-FOGGLE - a miasm on the far-flung marshes

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

CEILIDH

PRONUNCIATION: (KAY-lee)

MEANING: noun: A social gathering, typically involving folk music, dancing, and storytelling.

ETYMOLOGY: From Scottish Gaelic ceilidh and Irish célidhe (visit), from Old Irish céile (companion). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kei- (to lie, bed, dear), which also gave us city, cemetery, Sanskrit shiva, and incunabulum. Earliest documented use: 1875.
______________________________

CEIPIDH - peeling potatoes, washing dishes, etc, in the Army (pronunciation: KAY-pee)

CEILISH - like a large salt-water mammal (pron. SEAL-ish)

CEILIDE -
1. a piece of plaster falling from the top of the room (pron: SEEL-ide)
2. the tide was much higher than I expected (pron: SEA-lied)

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

SOPHROSYNE

PRONUNCIATION: (suh-FROZ-uh-nee)

MEANING: noun: Soundness of mind, as expressed in moderation, self-control, and prudence.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek sophrosyne, from sophron (of sound mind, prudent). Earliest documented use: 1889
_______________________

SOPHROSYNC - getting the timing right with the moderation, self-control, and prudence

SOPHOSYNE - second-year student, nostalgiacally speaking

SOPOROSYNE - a yawn

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

SEGUE

PRONUNCIATION: (SEG-way, SAY-gway)

MEANING: verb intr.: To make a smooth transition from one section or topic to another, in conversation, music, film. etc.
noun: A smooth transition from one section or topic to another.

ETYMOLOGY: From segue (there follows), third-person singular present of seguire (to follow), from Latin sequi (to follow). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sekw- (to follow), which also gave us sect, sequel, sue, suit, suite, execute, and society. Earliest documented use: 1740.
_______________________

SEAGUE - when you get an ache and fever on the cruise to Bermuda

SENGUE - expression of gratefulness; the common response is "Yer welcome!"

SEQUE - 1. search for (pron. SĒK)
2. ham radio operator's call signal, meaning "Is anybody lisening? Please respond" (pron. SEE-KEW}

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

HORS D'OEUVRE

PRONUNCIATION: (ohr DERV)

MEANING: noun: An extra little dish outside of and smaller than the main course, usually served first.

ETYMOLOGY: From French hors (outside of), oeuvre (job or work). Earliest documented use: 1715.
__________________________________

HORSE OEUVRE - pulling a plow

HORS D'OUVRE - going around rather than opening; circumventing

SHOR'S D'OEUVRE - famed NYC restaurant, frequented by celebrities

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

HALFPENNY

PRONUNCIATION: (HAY-puh-nee, HAP-nee)
plural halfpence (HAY-puhns)

MEANING: noun: 1. A British coin representing half a penny.
2. A sum of half a penny.
adjective: 1. Worth half a penny.
2. Worth very little.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle English halfpeny, from Old English h(e)alf + penig, penning. Earliest documented use: 1330.
_________________________________

ALF P. ENNY - Alfred P Doolittle's step-brother

HALF-PEONY - a haploid flower of the genus Paeonia

HALPEN, NY - a family with roots in Keuka Falls (in the Finger-Lakes region of upstate New York)

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

MONOPHOBIA

PRONUNCIATION: (mon-uh-FOH-bee-uh)

MEANING: noun: A fear of being alone.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek mono- (one) + -phobia (fear). Earliest documented use: 1880.
_____________________

MINOPHOBIA - fear of Cretan kings who sacrifice teenagers to monsters in labyrinths

MONOPHIBIA - having only one bone in the lower legs

ONOPHOBIA - fear of hearing bad news

Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1
W
Carpal Tunnel
OP Offline
Carpal Tunnel
W
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 10,510
Likes: 1

SITOMANIA

PRONUNCIATION: (sy-tuh-MAY-nee-uh)

MEANING: noun: An abnormal craving for food.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek sito- (grain, food) + -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze). Earliest documented use: 1882. The opposite is sitophobia.
__________________

SINEMANIA - abnormal fixation on movies

SINOMANIA - an abnormal fixation of things Chinese

SITHOMANIA - an abnormal fixation on Star Wars villains

PSITOMANIA - 1. an abnormal fixation on parrots; 2. an abnormal fixation on ESP



Page 68 of 99 1 2 66 67 68 69 70 98 99

Moderated by  Jackie 

Link Copied to Clipboard
Forum Statistics
Forums16
Topics13,912
Posts229,283
Members9,179
Most Online3,341
Dec 9th, 2011
Newest Members
TRIALNERRA, befuddledmind, KILL_YOUR_SUV, Heather_Turey, Standy
9,179 Registered Users
Who's Online Now
0 members (), 444 guests, and 3 robots.
Key: Admin, Global Mod, Mod
Top Posters(30 Days)
Top Posters
wwh 13,858
Faldage 13,803
Jackie 11,613
tsuwm 10,542
wofahulicodoc 10,510
LukeJavan8 9,916
AnnaStrophic 6,511
Wordwind 6,296
of troy 5,400
Disclaimer: Wordsmith.org is not responsible for views expressed on this site. Use of this forum is at your own risk and liability - you agree to hold Wordsmith.org and its associates harmless as a condition of using it.

Home | Today's Word | Yesterday's Word | Subscribe | FAQ | Archives | Search | Feedback
Wordsmith Talk | Wordsmith Chat

© 1994-2024 Wordsmith

Powered by UBB.threads™ PHP Forum Software 7.7.5