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AGATHISM

PRONUNCIATION: (A-guh-thiz-uhm)

MEANING: noun: The doctrine that, in the end, all things tend toward good.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek agathos (good), which also gave us agathokakological and the name Agatha. Earliest documented use: 1830.

NOTES: An optimist would say that everything is for the best. An agathist, on the other hand, would say that what’s happening right now may be unfortunate or evil, but, ultimately, it will all end well.
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AGATISM - having no handgun

AGOTHISM - without morbidness and darkness

AGATE-ISM - worship of hexagonal crystals of silicon dioxide, in any of a variety of colors

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YESTERNIGHT

PRONUNCIATION: (YES-tuhr-nyt)

MEANING: noun: Last night.
adverb: During last night.

ETYMOLOGY: From Old English giestran/gierstan (a time one period prior to the present period) + niht (night). Earliest documented use: c. 450. A related word is yestreen (yesterday evening).
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OYESTER NIGHT - ...and if we have enough of them this evening, we might even find a pearl or two

YES, HER NIGHT - everyone agrees, at the debutante's Ball

YE STERN EIGHT - one short of a Puritan jury

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QUÆSTUARY or QUESTUARY

PRONUNCIATION: (KWES/KWIS-chuh-ree)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Relating to financial matters.
2. Done only for monetary gain.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin quæstus (gain), from quærere (to seek, gain, or inquire). Earliest documented use: 1581.

NOTES: In Ancient Rome, a quæstor was an official dealing with financial matters. Later it was the term for a prosecutor. In the Roman Catholic Church, a quæstor was the official removing sins in exchange for money (aka granting indulgences). In modern times, in the European Parliament, qæstors are officials elected to oversee financial matters.
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QUERTUARY - a place for broken typewriter keyboards

QUE STUART - Sí, but did you mean James, Charles, Mary, William, or Anne?

EQUESTUARY - where thoroughbred horses are kept; syn. for "stable" only classier

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HABITUS

PRONUNCIATION: (HAB-i-tuhs)

MEANING: noun:
1. The physical characteristics of a person, especially as relating to disease.
2. The way someone of a particular social group perceives and responds to the world.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin habit (state, appearance), from habere (to have). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ghabh- (to give or to receive), which also gave us give, gift, able, habit, prohibit, due, duty, habile, and adhibit. Earliest documented use: 1886.
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AHABITUS - having a gaunt, one-legged appearance and an obsessive personaity

HABITIS - inflammation of the funnybone

HABT US - weak attempt at the second-person-plural present tense of "to have," by a confused student of German

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ESCHATOLOGY

PRONUNCIATION: (es-kuh-TOL-uh-jee)

MEANING: noun: The doctrine or the study of final or ultimate matters, such as, death, judgment, end of the world, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek eschatos (last) + -logy (study). Ultimately from the Indo-European root eghs (out), which also gave us strange, extreme, and external. Earliest documented use: 1844
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ESCHEATOLOGY - practiced by a lawyer specializing the disposition in the unclaimed assets of an intestate decedent

ESCHARTOLOGY - the study and practice of artistic-perspective trickery, named for its principal exponent Mauritz

ISCHATOLOGY - a subspecialty of orthopedics dealing with hip-joint diseases

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NEOIST

PRONUNCIATION: (NEE-uh-ist)

MEANING: noun: One who favors or employs new ideas, styles, techniques, etc.
adjective: Favoring new ideas, styles, techniques, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek neo- (new). Earliest documented use: 1916.
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ONE-O-IST - someone who favors victory by the narrowest of margins

NO-IST - 1. one who's consistently negative; 2. a devotee of Japanese drama

N.E. JOIST - a horizontal subflooring support at the northeast part of a building

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ROUNDER

PRONUNCIATION: (RAUN-duhr)

MEANING: noun: A drunkard, idler, or self-indulgent person.

ETYMOLOGY: Apparently referring to one who makes rounds of bars or downs many rounds of drinks. From Latin rotundus (round), from rota (wheel). Ultimately from the Indo-European root ret- (to run or to roll), which also gave us rodeo, rotunda, rotate, rotary, roulette, orotund, rondeau, and rotund. Earliest documented use: 1854.
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AROUNDER - one who doesn't want to go over, under, or through

PRO-UNDER - someone who always roots for the competitor expected to lose

GRO-UNDER - an agriculturalist specializing in root crops

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HOTSPUR

PRONUNCIATION: (HOT-spuhr)

MEANING: noun: A rash, hotheaded person.
adjective: Having a rash, hotheaded temperament.

ETYMOLOGY: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1403.
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HOPS PUR ® - brand name known to artisanal brewers; its whose slogan is "It makes your beer better!"

HOT'S P.U. - When you sweat, you stink!

HOT, SPURN - to be angry and dismissive at the same time

SHOT SPUR - my rowel is dull, and it won't turn, either

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BLELLUM

PRONUNCIATION: (BLE-luhm)

MEANING: noun: An idle, talkative person.

ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps a blend of Scots bleber (to babble) + skellum (rascal). Earliest documented use: 1790.
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B. TELL 'UM - Second choice in giving people unpleasant news, after A. Avoid the subject

BREL, LUM - Jacques' younger brother

B.L.E. ALUM - graduate of the Bourdeaux Lycée Économique

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POT-VALIANT

PRONUNCIATION: (POT-val-yuhnt)

MEANING: noun: A person displaying boldness or courage while drunk.
adjective: Displaying bravado under the influence of alcohol.

ETYMOLOGY: From pot, alluding to a drinking pot + valor (boldness), from Latin valor (worth), from valere (to be well, be of worth). Earliest documented use: 1647. Someone pot-valiant is also said to display liquid courage or Dutch courage.
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POI VALIANT - an earnest first attempt at Hawaiian cooking

POT-VARIANT - mentholated weed

POT; VAIL I AIN'T - To what do you attribute your success as a ski resort?

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