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PEARL HARBOR

PRONUNCIATION: (purl HAHR-buhr)

MEANING: noun: A sudden, devastating attack.
verb tr.: To attack suddenly with devastating results.

ETYMOLOGY: After Pearl Harbor, near Honolulu, Hawaii, the site of a US naval base, which was attacked by Japanese planes on Dec 7, 1941, leading to the US joining WWII. Earliest documented use: 1942.
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PEAR HARBOR - a port in the middle of orchard country

PERL HARBOR - a colony of dedicated list-processing computer programmers

PEARTH ARBOR - scheme to evade Australian copyright laws

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DELPHIC

PRONUNCIATION: (DEL-fik)

MEANING: adjective: Obscure or ambiguous.

ETYMOLOGY: After Delphi, a city in ancient Greece, near Mount Parnassus. Delphi the seat of the oracle of Apollo in Greek mythology. The Oracle at Delphi was known for her ambiguous prophecies that were open to various interpretations. Earliest documented use: 1567.
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HELP >HIC< - this attack of singultus is disruptive, and I need assistance

DELPH-ICE - a sweet cold dessert popular in ancient Greece

DEL.: pH, INC - division of E.I.DuPont Corp producing acids and alkalis and related materials, headquartered in Wilmington

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ROMAN PEACE

PRONUNCIATION: (ROH-muhn pees)

MEANING: noun: A peace imposed and maintained by force.

ETYMOLOGY: For Romans, peace was not an absence of war, rather a state in which the enemy was vanquished and could no longer resist. The term Roman peace is a loan translation of Latin pax Romana. The original pax Romana was the relative peace and stability in the Roman Empire from 27 BCE to 180 CE. Earliest documented use: 1884.
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ROOM AN' PEACE - the war refugee's ultimate goal

NOMAN PEACE - what Odysseus' cyclops would undoubtedly have preferred

ROMAN PLACE - just about anywhere in Europe during the five hundred years prior to the year 400

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CANTRIP

PRONUNCIATION: (KAN-trip)

MEANING: noun:
1. A magic spell.
2. A trick, sham, prank, etc.

ETYMOLOGY: From Scots cantrip (spell, magic, trick, mischief, etc.). Earliest documented use: 1719.
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CAN'T RIP - untearable

CAR TRIP - how to motor to vacation

CANTOR I.P. - the Diagonal Argument has been copyrighted by the mathematician who first stated it

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MALADRESS

PRONUNCIATION: (mal-uh-DRES)

MEANING: noun: Rudeness; tactlessness; clumsiness; awkwardness.

ETYMOLOGY: From French maladresse (clumsiness, tactlessness, awkwardness), a blend of maladroit (clumsy, tactless) + adresse (dexterity, skill). Earliest documented use: 1804.
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MALA PRESS - bad publicity


MAL ADDRESS - where to Post Office brings letters to the ill

MALAY DRESS - "Pakaian is the word for clothing in the official language....The traditional attire of Malay men is called baju melayu, ... a loose tunic paired with trousers, [or for women] a sarong...known as sampin." -- Google Search

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ASPORTATION

PRONUNCIATION: (as-puhr-TAY-shuhn)

MEANING: noun: The carrying away of something unlawfully.

ETYMOLOGY: from Latin ab- (away) + portare (to carry). Earliest documented use: 1503. See also disport.
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A SPORT, A LION - what passed for amusement in ancient Rome (unless, of course, you were a gladiator)

HAS PORTATION - can get from place to place by going through a door

ASPORATION - without seeds or spores for reproduction

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EPICRISIS

PRONUNCIATION: (i-PIK-ruh-sis, EP-i-kry-sis for #3)

MEANING: 1. A quotation followed by a commentary upon it.
2. A summary, review, or discussion of a case.
3. A secondary crisis, something that follows a crisis.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek epikrisis (judgment), from epikrenein (to judge), from epi- (upon) + krenein (to judge). Earliest documented use: 1593.
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EPICRESIS - even higher than that rich King of Lydia

EPIC RISES - the Electronic Medical Record is becoming increasingly popular

EPI-CRISPS - eating these potato chips is like getting a jolt of adrenalin!

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OXYTONE

PRONUNCIATION: (OK-si-tohn)

MEANING: adjective: Having stress on the last syllable.
noun: A word having stress on the last syllable.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek oxys (acute) + tonos (tone). Earliest documented use: 1720.
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ROXYTONE - member of a big-theater singing and dancing chorus line

OXY-TOME - a treatise on Element #8

OYTONE - Brooklyn (NY) dialect

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REFLEXIVE

PRONUNCIATION: (ri-FLEK-siv)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Unthinking; instinctive; spontaneous.
2. Thoughtful; reflective.
3. In grammatical contexts: Directed on itself.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin reflectere (to bend back), from re- (back) + flectere (to bend). Earliest documented use: 1588.
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DEFLEXIVE - faulty bending

REFLEX ICE - how you automatically treat a sprained ankle

REFLEX AVE - of course you're going to call for a Hail Mary play in this situation

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NERVY

PRONUNCIATION: (NUHR-vee)

MEANING: adjective:
1. Nervous or anxious.
2. Brash.
3. Bold.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin nervus (nerve). Earliest documented use: 1598.
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SERVY - just itching to start the next tennis point

N.E. RWY. - New England train system

NERO-Y - like a violin-playing Roman Emperor

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