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PHIZ

PRONUNCIATION: (fiz)

MEANING: noun: Face; facial expression.

ETYMOLOGY: A shortening/respelling of physiognomy (face, expression), via French and Latin from Greek physiognomonia. Ultimately from the Indo-European root gno- (to know), which also gave us know, can, notorious, notice, connoisseur, recognize, diagnosis, ignore, annotate, noble, narrate, anagnorisis (the moment of recognition), gnomon (the raised arm of a sundial), gnomic (puzzling), and agnostic. Earliest documented use: 1687.
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PHIL - familiar name referring to a symphony orchestra

PHEZ - a pet game hen

pH OZ - the acidity of the water in the Emerald City

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PLEB

PRONUNCIATION: (pleb)

MEANING: noun:
1. A commoner, one belonging to the working class.
2. An uncultured or unsophisticated person.
3. A person of low social status.

ETYMOLOGY: Short for plebeian, from Latin plebeius (of the common people), from plebs (common people). Earliest documented use: 1795.

NOTES: In 2012, the British MP Andrew Mitchell resigned when it was reported that he called a police officer this word. There’s more to the story and the incident has come to be known as Plebgate.
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PELE B - almost as good a fútbol player as Edson Arantes Do Nascimento

PHLEB - nickname of my friend the lab-test blood-drawer

PRE-B - A


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DIVVY

PRONUNCIATION: (DIV-ee)

MEANING: noun: Dividend; share.
verb tr.: To divide and share.

noun: A foolish person.
adjective: Foolish.

ETYMOLOGY: For the first noun, verb: A shortening of dividend, from Latin dividere (to divide), from dis- (apart) + -videre (to separate). Earliest documented use: 1872.
For the second noun, adjective: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1975.
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DIVEY - what follows "Mairzy Doats and Dozey Doats and Liddle Lamsey"

DIV NY - the New York division

DRIVVY - my feeble attempt at hitting a golfball off a tee

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PHENOM

PRONUNCIATION: (FEE-nom, fi-NOM)

MEANING: noun: A person of outstanding ability or promise.

ETYMOLOGY: Shortening of phenomenon, from Latin phaenomenon, from Greek phainomenon (appearance), from phainesthai (to appear), from phainein (to show). Earliest documented use: 1881.
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PHEROM - subtle chemical produced by many lifeforms to induce a behavioral change in others of their species

PHONOM - what ET was trying to do

PHENNOM - snake poison

PRENOM - when a political candidate starts thinking of running for office

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PERFORCE

PRONUNCIATION: (puhr-FORS)

MEANING: adverb: Out of necessity.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French par force (by force), from par (by) + force, from Latin per (by) and fortis (strong). Ultimately from the Indo-European root bhergh- (high), which also gave us iceberg, borough, burg, burglar, fortify, force, belfry, bourgeois, inselberg, and sforzando. Earliest documented use: 1330.
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PET FORCE - an army of dogs and cats, plus the occasional bird and fish

APER FORCE - an army of mimics

PAR FORCE - golf holes, usually 300 to 450 yards long

PEE FORCE - what many men lose with age (or prostate enlargement)

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TOTES

PRONUNCIATION: (tohts)

MEANING: adverb: Totally; absolutely; definitely.

ETYMOLOGY: A shortening of totally, from total, from Latin totus (whole, entire). Earliest documented use: 2006.
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[Don't forget also
Totes (v.t.) - carries and
Totes (n, pl) bags for carrying one or more small objects]
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TORTES - feminine wrongdoings (legal)

TOTEO - an as-yet unreleased medium of mass entertainment that is
perceived by all the senses

TATE'S - brand name of a cheap, inconsistent, and misleading compass,
giving rise to the saying "He who has a Tate's is lost"

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CUMBROUSLY

PRONUNCIATION: (KUHM-bruhs-lee)

MEANING: adverb: In an awkward or ponderous manner.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old French encombrer (to hinder), from combre (dam). Earliest documented use: 1401.
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UMBROUSLY - like a shadow

CRUMBROUSLY - so as to leave a trail for following

CUM BROSL, Y - if Brosl is included, I say Yes

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ASKANCE

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-SKANS)

MEANING: adverb:
1. With suspicion or disapproval.
2. With a side glance.

ETYMOLOGY: Origin unknown. Earliest documented use: 1530.
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MASKANCE - the degree of obscuration or concealment

ASH-KANCE - what the Super puts burnt-out coal in, to be picked up at curbside Monday mornings

ASKANCEK - a fictional island off the cost of Siberia (from a satirical novel by Tolstoy)

ASK ANNE - early candidate for the name of Eppie Lederer's advice column.
See also ASK ONCE

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NATCH

PRONUNCIATION: (nach)

MEANING: adverb: Naturally; of course.

ETYMOLOGY: Shortening and alteration of naturally, from natural, from Latin natura (nature), from nasci (to be born). Earliest documented use: 1945.
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NATH - (slang) abbreviation for "anathema," natch

NATACH - companion of Boris in old Bullwinkle cartoons

ATCH - a dyslexic adrenocortical hormone

NOT-CH - Ḥ

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More than 1000 entries in this thread - time to restart.

Continued here .

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