No, no, “wainscotting” is a late-medieval sport, where peasants would compete to see how far away they could recognize wagon drivers. This was of some utility until reliable firearms were developed.
And “callipygian” refers to “powerful, dark writing”. Originally this was literal, in the sense of black ink on dark paper, but then it was used metaphorically to describe things we would now use the word “noir” for.
But it’s something that only elites say, so it balances out.
A bassoon is a largish hairy primate living in equatorial jungles.
A bassinet is a musical instrument often found in classical music.
She’s just doing the best she can, trying to get by, like the rest of us.
Balaclava should be a lively Romanian folk dance.
And baklava is the Greek version, danced by men with pompoms on their shoes. Badass men with pompoms on their shoes.
Obliterate is the way you don’t want to be literate, but it shouldn’t.
Fortunately, “When I use a word,” Humpty Dumpty said, in rather a scornful tone, “it means just what I choose it to mean—neither more nor less.” “The question is,” said Alice, “whether you can make words mean so many different things.” “The question is,” said Humpty Dumpty, “which is to be master—that’s all.”
Today I learned . . .
tergiversation
This thread is about what people think a word ought to mean, but I can’t even imagine what this should mean. A turgid conversation maybe? This is the kind of word only George Will (or maybe William Safire) would use, as in this old op-ed I came across today:
Why do people such as Lindsey Graham come to Congress?, George Will, Washington Post, January 23, 2019.
Flip-flopping maybe? Continually changing one’s position? Acrobatics? Selling one’s soul for political expediency? I had to look that one up.
[spoiler]
Merriam-Webster On-Line Dictionary[/spoiler]Who knew that?
It is one of Cicero’s favorite words, so a hell of a lot more people than would otherwise be the case.
Otherwise it’s pretty rare. But anyone who took at least a year of Latin would understand it.
[raises hand]
Sorry – I took Latin for two years (and studied on my own beyond that), and I had no inkling of the meaning of that word.
Of course, my teachers never threw Cicero at us. Maybe that’s why.
Effluent should mean a flowery skill at swearing.
I figured the literal meaning (to turn one’s back) would be clear enough from tergum + versari, but you are right, I concede that the Ciceronian nuances are not obvious, especially out of context.
[Now, isn’t that some typical tergiversation on my part…]
Pyrrhic victory should mean “You burned them to the ground”
Thank you so much, JKM. I wish I could say I got a million like that, but I don’t. Just the one.
j
Inspissated is an unfortunate condition the urinary tract can be in after surgery.
Incontinent, by the way, is to be mildly disgruntled.
So that day the entire New York City police force turned their backs on Mayor De Blasio (July 11, 2017), they all [del]tergiverated[/del] [del]tersiverated[/del] [del]tervigerated[/del] [del]tervigersated[/del] [del]tersigervated[/del] tergiversated?
Yet Chlorine and Fluorine epitomize class when compared to potty-mouthed cousin Bowlene, or perhaps “Bolene”.