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MISOCAINEA

PRONUNCIATION: (mis-oh-KY-nee-uh, mi-soh-)

MEANING: noun: A hatred of new ideas.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek miso- (hate) + -cainea (new). Earliest documented use: 1938.
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MISO-CAINE - Japanese soup that numbs the back of your throat

MISS O'CAINEA - that Irish lass whose father had a boat named after him

ISO-CAINEA - the class of compounds with the same atomic composition as cocaine, but different in molecular structure

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POLYGYNY

PRONUNCIATION: (puh-LIH-juh-nee)

MEANING: noun: The practice of having two or more female partners.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek poly- (many) + -gyny (woman). Ultimately from the Indo-European root gwen- (woman), quean, banshee, zenana, gynecology, and gynophobia (the fear of women). Earliest documented use: 1780.

NOTES: A counterpart of this term is polyandry, the practice of having two or more male partners. The generic term is polygamy, having two or more partners.
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POLYGON Y - twenty-fifth in a series of closed figures comprised of straight lines chained end-to-end, never crossing and with the last completing the chain by attaching to the free end of the first

POLOGYNY - the all-women's polo team

POLGY, NY - a Catskills community with mostly Polish residents

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DEONTOLOGY

PRONUNCIATION: (dee-ahn-TAH-luh-jee)

MEANING: noun: The theory or study of duty and obligation, with a focus on the right action as determined by a set of rules, irrespective of the consequences of the action.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek deont- (obligation) + -logy (study). Earliest documented use: 1829.
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DENTOLOGY - knowleldge of teeth

DON'T-OLOGY - the art of proscribing

ODEONTOLOGY - the study of grand roofed performance venues

DEO-NATOLOGY - lore pertaining to the birth of the gods

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SILVICOLOUS

PRONUNCIATION: (sil-VIK-uh-luhs)

MEANING: adjective: Living or growing in woods.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin silvi- (wood) + -colous (inhabiting). Earliest documented use: 1906.
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SILVICOLOURS - what the Lone Ranger's horse looks like on the BBC

SILICOLOUS - afflicted with ludicrous bowel habits

SILICOLOUS - having predominantly the characteristics of element #14

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BOUNDER

PRONUNCIATION: (BAUN-duhr)

MEANING: noun: An ill-bred, vulgar man.

ETYMOLOGY: From bound (to leap or jump), from French bondir (to bounce), from Latin bombitare (to hum), from Latin bombus (humming), from Greek bombos (booming, humming). Earliest documented use: 1842.
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BOXUNDER - what is beneath the gazinta, with the gazonta uppermost. See also GO-UNDER

BOULDER - more stonily impudent

B.U. UNDER - site of much of the action in Neal Stephenson's The Big U

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TOPLOFTY

PRONUNCIATION: (TOP-lof-tee)

MEANING: adjective: Haughty; pretentious.

ETYMOLOGY: From top + loft (upper floor, attic), from Old English loft (air, sky), from Old Norse loft (air, sky, upper room). Earliest documented use: 1859.
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STOPLOFTY - an anti-snobbery movement

TOOL OF TY - A Louisville Slugger bat, 34.5 inches long, weighing 40 to 44 oz. (see here)

TOP OF TEY - The Daughter of Time, or perhaps Brat Farrar, by mystery writer Josephine Tey. It's hard to give one the edge over the other.

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WORRYWART

WUH-ree-wahrt)

MEANING: noun: One who worries excessively and unnecessarily.

ETYMOLOGY: From worry, from Old English wyrgan (to strangle) + wart, from Old English wearte. The word wart was apparently chosen for alliteration. Earliest documented use: 1956.
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WORRYWARP - the twisted viewpoint you get from worrying too much

WORRYTART - pastry you eat when you're stressed

LORRYWART - fanciful name for the ding you got in a London parking lot on your new truck

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AIRLING

PRONUNCIATION: (AIR-ling)

MEANING: noun: A carefree, thoughtless person.

ETYMOLOGY: A combination of air, from Latin aer (air) + -ling (small, young, inferior). Earliest documented use: 1611.
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AIRLING'S - flight leaving from Dublin

HAIRLING - Carnogie for men

AIRFLING - tossing my baby son straight up and then catching him again

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APPROBATION

PRONUNCIATION: (ap-roh-BAY-shuhn)

MEANING: noun: Approval, praise, commendation, or official sanction.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin approbation, from ad- (toward) + probatus, from probare (to test the goodness of). Earliest documented use: 1393.
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APT. PROBATION - when you try living in a flat for a month to see how you like it, before you sign the lease

AP-PRONATION - turning the news agency onto its belly

A.B. PROBATION - they announce your degree but don't actually award it to you until you've proved you deserve it

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PROMONTORY

PRONUNCIATION: (PROM-uhn-tor-ee, -tree)

MEANING: noun:
1. A point of high land projecting into a body of water.
2. A projecting part of the body, for example, of a bone.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin promontorium, alteration of promunturium, influenced by mons (mountain). Ultimately from the Indo-European root men- (project), which is also the source of menace, mountain, eminent, promenade, demean, amenable, mouth, and minatory. Earliest documented use: 1548.
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PROMONITORY - in favor of watchers

PROTON TORY - a subatomic British politician

PROMO-STORY - an infomercial

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