The Internet Book Database of Fiction

Roland was ruein' the ruin of Rouen.
Then he read the post by E.P.S. which informed him of the infamy of the city.
He's no longer stewin' and is eschewin' the ruein'.
[Roland is not a roué, though he often plays one on TV.]

fleuron

Pronunciation: /ˈflərˌän, ˈflo͝or-/
noun
a flower-shaped ornament, used especially on buildings, coins, books, and pastry.
a small pastry puff used for garnishing.

Origin:
late Middle English: from Old French floron, from flour 'flower'


Photo Credit: Paul Chiorean

⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜⚜

Flora's origins were uncertain. Her adoptive parents didn't know her background beyond the name she had. Her name came from flower, certainly. But, because she loved to bake, some people claimed it came from flour.

Either way, her bakery facade was decorated with fleurons. That is enough to cover this WotD!

Algot Runeman wrote:fleuron

I guess Flora's bakery was located some place with french influence in its past.

... although the distinctions between fleur-de-lis, fleuron, and other stylized flowers are not always clear ...

The fleurons on her facade are unmistakebly simplified fleur-de-lis.
⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The Frenchy fleuron was on Fora's door-a.
Lisa's fleur-de-lis was on the wall-a.
Joe liked them both, the girls, I mean.
He couldn't care less about building decorations, eh.

munificent

Pronunciation: /myo͝oˈnifəsənt, myə-/
adjective
(of a gift or sum of money) larger or more generous than is usual or necessary:a munificent gesture
(of a person) very generous.

Origin:
late 16th century: from Latin munificent-, stem of munificentior, comparative of munificus 'bountiful', from munus 'gift'


Photo Credit: Garry Wilmore

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Under the bridge, Paul wrapped his blanket tighter around his shoulders. The chill wind swooped through and the sound of each truck was loud from above. He was grateful, though. The blanket was a munificent gift from the Salvation Army store which charged him nothing for it.

Algot Runeman wrote:munificent
... Under the bridge, Paul wrapped his blanket tighter around his shoulders. The chill wind swooped through and the sound of each truck was loud from above. He was grateful, though. The blanket was a munificent gift from the Salvation Army store which charged him nothing for it.

One might think 10,000,000 Monopoly Dollars would be a munificent gift to Paul.

But I think he would just snort at you and use it as toilet paper.

taxidermy

Pronunciation: /ˈtaksəˌdərmē/

noun
the art of preparing, stuffing, and mounting the skins of animals with lifelike effect.

Origin:
early 19th century: from Greek taxis 'arrangement' + derma 'skin'


Meneer Zjeroen

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Joseph completed taxidermy school by the skin of his teeth. Most of his work looked more like road kill than life studies.

Algot Runeman wrote:taxidermy

I wonder if a subbranch of taxidermy is taxidentistry.
After all, unlike bone, dental enamel tends to crack and fall apart if it's not kept hydrated or sealed against moisture loss.

Many years ago, I saw a BBC documentary about a veterinarian performing a partial root canal treatment on an adult elephant's broken tusk. That was IM-PRES-SI-VE, if only by the size of the instruments used. It was no taxidentistry of course, the animal was only thoroughly sedated and quite alive and almost kicking afterwards. Still, it was very humbling to behold.

raptorial

Pronunciation: /rapˈtôrēəl/
adjective
chiefly Zoology
(of a bird or other animal) predatory.
(of a limb or other organ) adapted for seizing prey.

Origin:
early 19th century: from Latin raptor 'plunderer' + -ial


Photo Credit: Greg Emel

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The group had a raptorial approach to their music. They swooped in, performed hot and hard, and siezed the venue's receipts, sort of a gangsta rap band.

Google definitions now have a "more" interesting result. They display the history of a word's usage.
Will the discussion which ensues from the WotD suddenly drive a peak past the heyday of the mid 1800s?

Algot Runeman wrote:raptorial

Apparently the velociraptors of Jurassic Park had no influence on the use of the word raptorial.

luthier

Pronunciation: /ˈlo͞otēər/
noun
a maker of stringed instruments such as violins or guitars.

Origin:
late 19th century: from French, from luth 'lute'


Photo Credit: David Sanggi

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Lorie loved Luther who lived to be a luthier.
She told him she would love him, no strings attached.
Luther longed for Lorie, too.
But he couldn't quite get her attitude, no strings? How would that harmonize with his daily work?.

Ted thought tunes should be tootier. His passion, making brass.
He gave Luther grief with full measure of sass.
Lorie, caught in the middle,
Didn't know whether to blow or continue to fiddle.

She sat in her settee.
And drank her chinese tea.
Should she become unstrung,
And just give the whole thing up as too much cacophony, and dump both men to go to a nunnery?

Algot Runeman wrote:luthier
...
Lorie loved Luther who lived to be a luthier.
She told him she would love him, no strings attached.
Luther longed for Lorie, too.
But he couldn't quite get her attitude, no strings? How would that harmonize with his daily work?.

Ted thought tunes should be tootier. His passion, making brass.
He gave Luther grief with full measure of sass.
Lorie, caught in the middle,
Didn't know whether to blow or continue to fiddle.

She sat in her settee.
And drank her chinese tea.
Should she become unstrung,
And just give the whole thing up as too much cacophony, and dump both men to go to a nunnery?

... and dump both men ...

NO!
Lorie had love enough for both, luthier and brassier, stringy and horny.

She was even seriously considering a ménage-à-trois with Luther and Ted.

But she didn't want to show any preference for either fellow, but remain in the middle. Therefore she took lessons to play the triangle, and also a pair of large clash cymbals for when she wanted to have the last word.

E.P.S. wrote:clash cymbals for when she wanted to have the last word

Is that called "percussion discussion"?


Picture Credit: Sabian.Com

Algot Runeman wrote:

E.P.S. wrote:clash cymbals for when she wanted to have the last word

Is that called "percussion discussion"?

Yes.
Or a "resounding closing argument" ...

sienna

Pronunciation: /sēˈenə/

noun
a kind of ferruginous earth used as a pigment in painting, normally yellowish-brown in color ( raw sienna) or deep reddish-brown when roasted ( burnt sienna).
the color of sienna pigment.

Origin:
late 18th century: from Italian (terra di) Sienna '(earth of) Siena'


(Ferruginous Hawk) Photo: Hawkquest.org
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I wonder, has anybody ever succceeded in cooking it just right and getting something between raw sienna and burnt sienna?
--Rusty Ferruginous (artist in residence)

Algot Runeman wrote:sienna
... something between raw sienna and burnt sienna?

Isn't that a local specialty of the Sienna Revada?

ossify

Pronunciation: /ˈäsəˌfī/

verb (ossifies, ossifying, ossified)
[no object]
1turn into bone or bony tissue:these tracheal cartilages may ossify
2 (often as adjective ossified) cease developing; be stagnant or rigid:ossified political institutions

Origin:
early 18th century: from French ossifier, from Latin os, oss- 'bone'


Photo Credit: Matt "MonsieurLui"

@==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@ @==@

Neil's brain threatened to ossify when the campers began to sing "The foot bone's connected to the ankle bone," for the 837th time that summer. He smiled insincerely, hoping the kids' joy would prevent them from seeing though him. The generally thought of him as an old fossil already. He regretted the "Halloween in July" plan for the 838th time. His skeleton costume had not been a wise choice either, given how thin he was. It was obvious that he'd been viewed as skeletal ever since.

oh [definition 1]

Pronunciation: /ō/

exclamation
used to express a range of emotions including surprise, anger, disappointment, or joy, or when reacting to something that has just been said:“Oh no,” said Daisy, appalled Me? Oh, I’m fine oh, shut up


Origin:
mid 16th century: variant of O3



OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH!

Marcie mumbled. Mark mused. Finally they understood. "Oh!" burst out in unison.

[Good luck with this WotD. The challenges are not always equal.]

If my phone-number were to be stated in an American movie or TV-show, though extremely unlikely, it might be in the format: And the famous PEnnsylvania six-five-oh-oh-oh is now fully obsolete but of course still hugely enjoyable. (I played it 3 times from the beginning before I remembered that I had to copy its URL)

suppliant

Pronunciation: /ˈsəplēənt/
noun
a person making a humble plea to someone in power or authority.

adjective
making or expressing a plea, especially to someone in power or authority:their faces were suppliant

Origin:
late Middle English (as a noun): from French, 'beseeching', present participle of supplier, from Latin supplicare (see supplicate)

?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!?

Manny ignored the suppliant tones of his children. He wasn't going to buy them any sugar-laden cereals. He was headed directly to the cooler where he was intent on buying three pounds of sausage and six packages of bacon for tomorrow's breakfast. It was probably not enough for the four of them, but he was on a budget.

Ace was tired of his dull role. Out early, a long walk, a long walk back, drop off the supplies and out again. There wasn't much he could do about it. He was only a supply ant. He worked for the colony and loved his queen. Still, he wished to be in charge, not a mere suppliant.

battement

Pronunciation: /ˈbatmənt/
noun
[with modifier] Ballet
a movement in which one leg is moved outward from the body and in again:performing battements tendus

Origin:
mid 19th century: French, literally 'beating'

Photo Credit:
rocor of image by Edgar Degas.

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Louise loved dance. Hours at the bar, endless practice and an occasional performance, it was all good. She considered a well-executed battement her best skill with plié a close second.

Algot Runeman wrote:battement

Soon after their very first meeting, Grandma found out how to seduce grandpa and suborn him to her most scampish whims. She only had to bat her eyelids at him a few times, to make him her adoring and obediant slave.

Isn't it remarkable how a women's battement of her eyelashes can cause a man's battement du coeur?

Anybody out there know if battement includes the swing to the side of a soldier's leg followed by a solid click against the other heel?

I've seen the action done by the guards at the Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington Cemetary (Washington, DC) and always just thought of it as "clicking their heels together." They do wear special boots which make a loud sound as the heels strike together.

Even more, the North Korean troups march with what reminds me of battement, too.


Photo Credit: Voice of America News