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META

PRONUNCIATION: (ME-tuh)

MEANING: adjective: 1. Self-referential.
2. Relating to members of its own category.
adverb: In a self-referential manner.
noun: Something that is self-referential.
prefix: Denoting transformation, transcending, going beyond, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek meta (after, beyond, behind, beside, among, etc.). Earliest documented use: 1838.
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METSA - so-so; half-way

MEETA - what you might do to a body comin' through the rye

NETA - your first and best butterfly-catching equipment

m𝒇 ETA - utter a Greek vowel at moderate loudness

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JOHN HENRY

PRONUNCIATION: (jon HEN-ree)

MEANING: noun: A person’s signature.

ETYMOLOGY: From the name John Henry, from confusion with John Hancock. Hancock’s signature was the most prominent on the United States Declaration of Independence and his name became a synonym for a signature. Earliest documented use: 1914.
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JOIN HENRY - Mr Ford requests the pleasure of your company

JOHN HENLY - what the combined Harvard-Yale crew team calls the bathroom

JOAN, HENRY - the Sainte is introduced to the King of England

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MOLLYCODDLE

PRONUNCIATION: (MOL-ee-kod-uhl)

MEANING: noun: A pampered or overprotected person.
verb tr.: To overprotect or pamper.

ETYMOLOGY: From Molly (a nickname for Mary) + coddle (to treat or boil gently), from caudle (a warm drink for the sick), from Latin caldum (hot drink), from calidus (warm). Earliest documented use: 1823.
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COLLYMODDLE - Lassie has a new contract!

POLLY-CODDLE - you risk catching psittacosis if you share a cracker

MOLLY CO/DOLE - after the pineapple company and the fastener-manufacturer merge

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JONES

PRONUNCIATION: (jonz)

MEANING: noun: 1 One’s neighbors or social equals. Typically used in the phrase: keeping up with the Joneses.
noun: 2. An addiction or craving, especially for drugs.
verb intr.: To have an intense longing.

ETYMOLOGY: For noun 1: From Jones, a common surname. The phrase was popularized by the comic strip Keeping up with the Joneses that ran in newspapers from 1913 to 1938. Earliest documented use: 1879.
For noun 2, verb: Of uncertain origin. Earliest documented use: 1965
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JONDES - yellow skin and eyes, from liver disease

D.J. "ONES" - favorites on the disk-jockeys' Hit Parade

JOLES - where on the greens they stand the flags on the Madrid golf course

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PATSY

PRONUNCIATION: (PAT-see)

MEANING: noun: One who is easily taken advantage of, by being deceived, unfairly blamed, or ridiculed.

ETYMOLOGY: Perhaps from the name Patsy, a diminutive of Patrick or Patricia, or from Italian pazzo (crazy), whose plural is pazzi, pronounced paht-see. Earliest documented use: 1889.
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PATSHY - pulling away rom a light touch

NATSY - not just mean but can't spell, either

TATSY - covered with inked images

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JASPER

PRONUNCIATION: (JAS-puhr)

MEANING: noun:
1. A person; guy.
2. A wasp.
3. A compact, opaque quartz, typically in dull shades of red, yellow, and brown.

ETYMOLOGY: For 1: From the name Jasper. Earliest documented use: 1896.
For 2: Perhaps from the name Jasper. Earliest documented use: 1967.
For 3: From Old French jaspre, from Latin iaspis, from Ancient Greek iaspis, of Semitic origin. Earliest documented use: 1330.
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JA, SUPER - the German chancellor gives whole-hearted approval

ASPER - according to

WASPER - the exterminator who specializes in stinging flying insects

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OBTRUDE

PRONUNCIATION: (uhb/ob-TROOD)

MEANING: verb tr.: To impose one’s ideas, opinions, etc.
verb intr.: To thrust forward or to intrude.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin obtrudere (to thrust at), from ob- (against) + trudere (to push). Ultimately from the Indo-European root treud- (to squeeze), which also gave us extrude, intrude, threat, thrust, and abstruse. Earliest documented use: 1575.
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OBTRUE - If you can't believe your obstetrician, whom can you believe?

O BTRADE - an apostrophe after experiencing treachery

OBI RUDE - Jedi or not, Kenobi is not only inexperienced but also disrespectful

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MUNDIFY

PRONUNCIATION: (MUHN-duh-fy)

MEANING: verb tr.: To wash, cleanse, or purify.

ETYMOLOGY: From Middle French mondefier , from Latin mundificare (to cleanse), from mundus (clean). Earliest documented use: 1425.
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MINDIFY - to provide a foil for that comedian from Ork

HUNDIFY - to make into a German dog

FUNDIFY - to deepen

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DISCERP

PRONUNCIATION: (di-SUHRP)

MEANING: verb tr.: To tear off or to rip into pieces.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin discerpere (to tear to pieces), from dis- (apart) + carpere (to pick, pluck). Earliest documented use: 1483.
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DISCERN - to remove the ashes from their container

DIS-CERA - to take out wax

DISPERP - a particular small-time crook from Brooklyn

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ELUTE

PRONUNCIATION: (ee/i-LOOT)

MEANING: verb tr.: To wash out or extract, especially with a solvent.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin eluere (to wash out), from ex- (out) + -luere (to wash), from lavare/lavere (to wash). Earliest documented use: 1731.
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ME LUTE - Honi's boyfriend doesn't speak English very well. (But then why should he? He's a Viking!)

ELUGE - to get thrown out of a speeding sled

EXLUTE - a musical instrument once used by Kurt Cobain. (It was a smashing success!)

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