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LISTLESS

PRONUNCIATION: (LIST-luhs, -lis)

MEANING: adjective: Devoid of energy or enthusiasm.

ETYMOLOGY: From list (desire, inclination), from Old English lystan (to be pleasing). Ultimately from the Indo-European root las- (to be eager), which also gave us lust. Earliest documented use: 1440.
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LASTLESS - sign in shoemaker's shop: "Closed; out of materials"

LINTLESS - my belly button is quite clean

WISTLESS - not wanting for or desirous of anything

LISTLOSS - now how am I supposed to do my shopping?

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INDOLENT

PRONUNCIATION: (IN-duh-lehnt)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Lazy, lethargic, averse to exertion.
2. Painless or causing little pain; slow to develop or heal. Used in medicine, for example, indolent ulcer.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin indolent-, stem of indolens, from Latin in- (not) + dolens, present participle of dolere (to suffer, feel pain) which also gave us dolor, condole, and dole. Earliest documented use: 1663.
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INDOLANT - a six-legged creature whose biochemistry is based on indole rather than formic acid

INDY LENT - Professor Jones let his students borrow his fedora

IN DOLE NOT - Scrooge's motto

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MATRONLY

PRONUNCIATION: (MAY-truhn-lee)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Stately; dignified.
2. Characteristic of a mature, plump, unfashionable woman.

ETYMOLOGY: From matron (a married woman; a woman in charge), from Latin matrona (married woman, wife), from mater (mother). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mater (mother), which also gave us mother, material, matter, matrix, and matrimony. Earliest documented use: 1590.
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MACRONLY - how France is governed these days

MARRON-LY - the way a chestnut would

MATRON ALY - Nurse in charge of the Hospital de los Niños in Hollywood

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VALOROUS

PRONUNCIATION: (VAL-uhr-uhs)

MEANING: adjective: Courageous; brave; bold.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin valor (worth), from valere (to be well or strong). Earliest documented use: 1477.
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CALOROUS - rich [food]; will put weight on you in a hurry if you eat too much

VAPORO-US - a now-failed chain of shops selling e-cigarettes

VALOR OPUS - any long saga about the exploits of the courageous, brave, and bold

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GONGOOZLER

PRONUNCIATION: (gon-GOOZ-luhr)

MEANING: noun: An idle spectator.

ETYMOLOGY: Of uncertain origin, perhaps from Lincolnshire dialect gawn and gooz, both of which mean to stare. Earliest documented use: 1904.

NOTES: Rubberneckers gawk at highway accidents, trainspotters spot trains, and gongoozlers goozle gons. Well, no, language doesn’t work like that. Originally, a gongoozler was a person who liked to hang out around canals watching passing boats. Over time, the word has evolved to refer to anyone who likes to stare at some activity. See also, kibitzer.
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GONGOOGLER - the search-engine-company employee isn't at her desk just now

GOING OOZLER - becoming slimy

GONGOOSLER - done for...

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HAIL-FELLOW

PRONUNCIATION: (HAYL-fel-oh)

MEANING: noun: A congenial companion.
adjective: Enthusiastically friendly.

ETYMOLOGY: Short for the former greeting “Hail-fellow well met.” Earliest documented use: 1577.
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HALL-FELLOW - patrols the school corridors while class is in session

HAIL-FERLOW - how an orthographically-challenged soldier exults over his week-end pass

HAIL (bellow) - dialog and stage directions for a bit part in Julius Ceasar

HAIR-FELLOW - tonsorial expert (Both terms have fallen from the modern vocabulary in favor of the shorter "barber".)

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CONNOISSEUR

PRONUNCIATION: (kon-uh-SUHR/SOOR)

MEANING: noun: An expert who is knowledgeable enough to pass critical judgment in a field, especially in fine arts, cuisines, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From French connoisseur (connaisseur in Modern French), from Old French conoisseor, from conoistre (to know), from Latin cognoscere (to learn or get to know), from co- (together) + gnoscere (to know), (to learn). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gno- (to know), which is also the source of know, recognize, acquaint, ignore, diagnosis, notice, normal, agnostic, incognito, anagnorisis (the moment of recognition or discovery), and prosopagnosia (inability to recognize faces). Earliest documented use: 1719.
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CONNOISSOEUR - it's a wise child who knows his own sister

CON - NO, I'SE SUR - It's OK, Henri, he ain't puttin' you on

CONN OISTEUR - poorly-spelled bivalve mollusk from New London, CT

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GANGREL

PRONUNCIATION: (GANG-ruhl)

MEANING: noun:
1. A vagrant or drifter. But
2. A tall, thin, long-limbed person.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English gang/gong (manner of going, way, passage), from gangen (to go). Earliest documented use: 1450.
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GANOREL - Lear's orthographically-challenged daughter

GONGREL - My dog wasn't pure-bred, and it's sad that I can't find him

GANGREN - past participle of gangrene

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VULGARIAN

PRONUNCIATION: (vuhl-GAY-ree-uhn)

MEANING: noun: A boorish, lewd, and crude person who makes a conspicuous display of wealth.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin vulgus (mob, common people). Earliest documented use: 1833.
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VULGARIAN - a boorish person from Sofia, depending on whether you're using b-de-burro or v-de-vaca

VOLGARIAN - a Russian-river dweller

VULGAR HAN - Mr Solo's un-cool alter ego

PULGARIAN - a Spaniard who's all thumbs

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SHELL-SHOCKED

PRONUNCIATION: (SHEL-shockd)

MEANING: adjective: Stunned, confused, and exhausted as a result of experiencing intense stress, such as in a war zone.

ETYMOLOGY: From shell, from Old English sciell + shock, from French choc, from choquer (to collide). Earliest documented use: 1898.
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SHELL-SHACKED - living in a "shellter" made from old oyster and clam and mussel and scallop shells

HELL-SHOCKED - much distressed after a brief glimpse of the afterlife

SHE'LL SHOO KED - the girl is going to chase away the sneaker

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