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CHEESEPARING

PRONUNCIATION: (CHEEZ-pair-ing)

MEANING: noun: 1. The act of saving by using extremely frugal measures.
2. Something of little value.
adjective: 1. Meanly economical.
2. Insignificant; spare; thin.

ETYMOLOGY: From the idea of cutting off thin slices of cheese equated with stinginess. From cheese, from Old English cese (cheese) + pare, from Old French parer (to prepare, trim), from Latin parare (to prepare). Earliest documented use: 1573.
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CHEESE-PAiRING - the art of deciding which vin to serve with which fromage

CHESS EPA RING - a cabal of ecologically-minded players of the Royal Game

CHEESE EARING - mouse-attracting jewelry for the ear

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COLD FEET

PRONUNCIATION: (kold feet)

MEANING: noun: A feeling of apprehension or doubt about proceeding with a planned action.

ETYMOLOGY: From cold + foot, from Old English cald (cold) + fot (foot). It’s not known why the expression is cold feet instead of, say, cold fingers. Earliest documented use: 1893.
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HOLD FEET - what shoes and socks do

COLD BEET - what Borscht is made from

COLA FEET - what you get from stomping grapes in the CocaCola winery

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EPHEMERA

PRONUNCIATION: (i-FEM-uhr-uh)

MEANING: noun:
1. Things that last only a short time.
2. Things of no lasting significance.
3. Items such as tickets, postcards, and letters that are intended to be discarded after use but sometimes become collectibles.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek ephemera, plural of ephemeros (short-lived), from epi- (upon) + hemera (day). Earliest documented use: 1398.

USAGE: “It would be a mistake to dismiss the issues roiling the book business as ephemera.”
Alex Clark; The Publishing Wars; New Statesman (London, UK); Jul 22, 2022.
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E-THEME (RA) - the Resident Assistant assigns a creative writing project to be submitted online

EPH EM ERA - starting 1950 or so, when Phrequency Modulated radio was in its prime

EPHEMERE - a body of unknown function at the end of an X-chromosome, which appears upon cell division and lasts only 24 hours

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PRONUNCIATION: (GOL-den hand-kuhfs)

MEANING: noun: Lucrative incentives given to an employee under certain conditions to discourage them from leaving.

ETYMOLOGY: From the idea of preventing someone from leaving by tying them down with attractive financial benefits. Earliest documented use: 1964.
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GOLDEN BANDCUFFS - the musicians wear showy bracelets

GOLDEN HAND RUFFS - winning trump plays in Duplicate Bridge that earn you special masterpoints

GOLDEN HARD CUFFS - aspiring young boxer has a wicked right cross

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EGROTE

PRONUNCIATION: (EE-groht)

MEANING: verb intr.: To feign sickness.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin aegrotus (sick). Earliest documented use: c. 1721.
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EROTE - to behave in a seductive manner

EGG ROTE - ovo-memory

e.g. ROTH - one such case is the author of Goodbye, Columbus

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ZENZIC

[Why does this make me think of "After I zoquo, I like to ushnu..."? See Family Ties.

But, returning to the matter at hand... ]
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ZENZIC

PRONUNCIATION: (ZEN-zik)

MEANING: noun: Square of a number.
adjective: Relating to the square of a number.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin zensus, alteration of census (square power), a specific sense development of census (a registration of Roman citizens and their property). Earliest documented use: 1557.
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ZENZIN - a pungent Hungarian breath mint

DENZIC - of or pertaining to animal's lairs (or sometimes, mancaves)

ZENTIC - antacid

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PHILOMUSE

PRONUNCIATION: (FIL-oh-myooz)

MEANING: noun: A poetry lover.

ETYMOLOGY: From Greek philo- (love) + Muse (any of nine goddesses in Greek mythology who presided over arts and sciences). Earliest documented use: 1654.
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PHILOMUSE - main character in a series of comics featuring a rodent detective (apologies to S. S. van Dyne)

PHILOMUTE - lover of the ability to turn off the sound on the TV or monitor screen

PHILAMUSE - what Mr Harris did in the 30s-50s, and Mr Silvers in the 50s-70s, and beyond

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DELIBATE

PRONUNCIATION: (DAY-luh-bayt)

MEANING: verb tr.: To take a small amount of something: to taste or sip.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin de- (from, away) + libare (to take a little of, to taste). Earliest documented use: 1623.
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DELIBATHE - to immerse in pickle juice

DELI BASE - rye bread

DUELIBATE - to have a ceremonial drink before the one-on-one fight begins

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SECUNDAN

PRONUNCIATION: (se-KUHN-duhn)

MEANING: adjective: Occurring every other day.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin secundus (second). Earliest documented use: c. 1400.
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FECUNDAN - prolific

SEC UND WAN - a German wine that's both dry and pale

SECUND ANS - on a Multiple Choice test, that would be "B"

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PRONATION

PRONUNCIATION: (pro-NAY-shuhn)

MEANING: noun:
1. Rotation of the forearm so that the palm faces downward or backward.
2. Rotation of the foot such that the weight is borne on its inner edge.
3. The resulting position when the arm or foot is rotated in such a manner.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin pronare (to turn or lean forward). Earliest documented use: 1657. A counterpart is supination in which the palm is facing upward or the weight is borne on the outer edge of the foot.
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PRONOTION - a favorable idea

PROATION - conversion of a boat so it can be sailed with either end as the front

IRONATION - introducing into literature or speech a meaning other than (often the opposite of) the literal meaning, for humorous or dramatic effect

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