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CHARIENTISM

PRONUNCIATION: (KAR-ee-uhn-tiz-uhm)

MEANING: noun: An insult disguised as a jest or a compliment.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin charientismus, from Greek kharientismos (gracefulness of style). Earliest documented use: 1589.
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CHARIETISM - the practice of deciding all disputes by horse-race

CHORIENTISM - being beset by annoying repetitive Eastern tasks

CHARMENTISM - predicting the future by squeezing the tissues

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ORACY

PRONUNCIATION: (OHR-uh-see)

MEANING: noun: The ability to express oneself in speech.

ETYMOLOGY: Coined as a blend of oral + literacy. Earliest documented use: 1965.
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ORACYT - a mouth cell

NORACY - censorship of lewdness; Bowdlerism

OROCY - the Gold Standard

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HAECCEITY or HECCEITY

PRONUNCIATION: (hek/hik-SEE-uh-tee)

MEANING: noun: The quality that makes something or someone what they are.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin haecceitas (thisness), from Latin haec, feminine of hic (this). Earliest documented use: 1635. Also see quiddity.
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HECCEITY - the quality that makes something or someone a Cockney

HAEC DEITY - this God

HA! ECCE TY - Look! It's Mr Cobb. Everybody laugh!

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BALTER

PRONUNCIATION: (BAHL-tuhr)

MEANING: verb intr.: To dance clumsily or walk unsteadily.
verb tr., intr.: To clot, clog, or tangle.

ETYMOLOGY: For 1. Probably from Old Norse. Earliest documented use: 1400.
For 2: Probably a frequentative of the verb ball. Earliest documented use: 1601.
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LB-ALTER - Kg multiplied by two-and-a-little-bit-over

BAALTER - an idol-worshipper

BALITER - a 1,000-cc. drink to celebrate attaining one's college degree

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CADUCOUS

PRONUNCIATION: kuh-DOO/DYOO-kuhs)

MEANING: adjective: Tending to fall easily or before the usual time.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin caducus (falling), from cadere (to fall). Ultimately from the Indo-European root kad- (to fall), which is also the source of cadence, cascade, casualty, cadaver, chance, chute, accident, occident, decay, deciduous, recidivism, perchance, escheat, and casuistry. Earliest documented use: 1684.
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CADUCEUS - symbol of the medical profession, actually a roundworm (typically Dracunculus medinensis) gradually wound around a stick to draw the nematode out of the wound intact (see also Guinea worm disease)

CAUCOUS - like a bunch of noisy, aggravating, corvids, hence the collective term "a murder of crows"

MADUCOUS - Father Ducous' wife

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MARTERAL

PRONUNCIATION: (muh-TUHR-tuhr-uhl)

MEANING: adjective: Characteristic of, or in the manner of, an aunt.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin matertera (maternal aunt), from mater- (mother). Ultimately from the Indo-European root mater (mother), which also gave us mother, material, matter, matrix, and matrimony. Earliest documented use: 1823.
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MARTERIAL - the war effort is a bloodletting

GARTERAL - making snappy remarks about stockings

MARTERAY - a comedienne in the 1940s and 1950s, and beyond; the Big Mouth's career spanned seven decades and almost all the the media of the times

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ATTRITE

PRONUNCIATION: (uh-TRYT)

MEANING: adjective: Regretting one’s wrongdoing only because of the fear of punishment.
verb tr., intr.: also attrit (uh-TRIT)
1. To wear down, erode, or weaken through sustained attacks, friction, etc.
2. To reduce the size of a workforce by not replacing those who leave.
3. To drop out from a course of study, job, training, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin attritus (worn down), past participle of atterere (to rub against), from at- (to/toward) + terere (to rub). Earliest documented use: 1475. A counterpart of the adjectival form of this word is contrite, describing someone who is genuinely repentant.
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ATT NITE - obsolete rate structure for phone calls made after 11PM

S.A.T. TRITE - inane questions on a standardized College Entrance exam

'ATSRITE ! - You are correct !

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AUTONYM

PRONUNCIATION: (O-tuh-nim)

MEANING: noun:
1. A person’s own name, as distinguished from a pseudonym.
2. A work published under the real name of the author.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek auto- (self) + -onym (name). Earliest documented use: 1854.
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ABUTONYM - the name of the owner of the adjacent property

AUTONOM - Ford, Toyota, Dodge, Renault, Oldsmobile, and such like

AUNTONYM - my mother's sister has always been disagreeably contrary

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EXOTERIC

PRONUNCIATION: (ek-so-TER-ik)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Not limited to an inner circle of select people.
2. Suitable for the general public.
3. Relating to the outside; external.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin exotericus, from Greek exoterikos (external), from exotero, comparative form of exo (outside). Earliest documented use: 1656.
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EXTERIC - superfluous on the outside

HEXOTERIC - intended for exactly six people

EX-OSTERIC - formerly like an old blender

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SPEAR SIDE

PRONUNCIATION: (SPEER syd)

MEANING: noun:
1. The male line of descent.
2. The male part of a family, group, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English spere-healfe. Earliest documented use: 1861.

NOTES: Why the term “spear side” to refer to the male line of descent? It’s not known if there are any Freudian allusions. Apparently, the term arose because in olden times men performed the spear business, i.e., fighting. A variation of the term, sword side, is also used. The female counterpart is distaff side or spindle side. The term for the side of a family that spins tales is the Shake spear side.
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SPEAR WIDE - aim too far to the right (or left)

SPEAR AIDE - what might happen (see above)

SHEAR SIDE - the open surface when layers are violently wrenched apart

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