The Internet Book Database of Fiction

Algot Runeman wrote:abecedarian...
‘a person who is [...] engaged in elementary education’): from late Latin abecedarius ‘alphabetical’

It's unfortunate that Mendeleev's elementary table is not abecedarian.

It would have been so much simpler and easier, I think.

triskelion

/trɪˈskɛlɪən/
noun
A Celtic symbol consisting of three legs or lines radiating from a centre.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from tri- ‘three’ + Greek skelos ‘leg’.

===========

Troy tried his hand at triskelion design. He tried three times, times three.

plicate

/ˈplʌɪkət//ˈplʌɪkeɪt/
adjective
Biology Geology
Folded, crumpled, or corrugated.

Origin
Mid 18th century: from Latin plicatus ‘folded’, past participle of plicare.

==/\==/\======

One tectonic plate placates another, the pushy one, by making plicate mountains. (Fortunately the pattern is open stock, so the world can absorb the damage.)

After all the effort you made to avoid duplicate WOTD, this is a definitely a word that has never been used before, not just as a lead word but even within a post.

well, in fact is has been used twice within posts in November 2015, by Algot and just afterwards by EPS !

catchpenny

/ˈkatʃpɛni/
adjective
attributive - Having a cheap superficial attractiveness designed to encourage quick sales.

==========

Clive decided to publish his catchpenny rag in spite of outrage from the royal family.

voralfred wrote:After all the effort you made to avoid duplicate WOTD, this is a definitely a word that has never been used before, not just as a lead word but even within a post.

well, in fact is has been used twice within posts in November 2015, by Algot and just afterwards by EPS !

You do realize this implicates you too ?

voralfred, E.P.S.

Welcome to the fold, so to speak.

Algot Runeman wrote:catchpenny

/ˈkatʃpɛni/
adjective
attributive - Having a cheap superficial attractiveness designed to encourage quick sales.

==========

Clive decided to publish his catchpenny rag in spite of outrage from the royal family.

And here one can see inflation in action : this catchpenny rag is now priced 120 pence !

ménage

/meɪˈnɑːʒ/
noun
The members of a household.

Origin
Middle English: from Old French menage, from mainer ‘to stay’, influenced by Old French mesnie ‘household’, both ultimately based on Latin manere ‘remain’.

==========

The family was large and multi-generational. Because grandma was from France, Bobby called them the ménage à treize. He didn't count the dogs or cats, goats or horses.

Algot Runeman wrote:ménage
...
The family was large and multi-generational. Because grandma was from France, Bobby called them the ménage à treize. He didn't count the dogs or cats, goats or horses.
...

Considering the meaning of "ménage à trois", your "ménage à treize" is more of a hippie commune.

E.P.S.,

Managing the ménage is Mama's job. She commune-icates her expectations clearly and the household complies without much resistance. Only Aunt Alice is a little hippy, but that's more a body shape thing than it is a reminiscence of the 60s.

skippable

/ˈskɪpəb(ə)l/
adjective
1 (of a part or feature of something) able to be omitted or passed over so as to get to the next part or feature.
1.1 (of an activity, event, etc.) not worth doing or attending.

==========

Take the day off. This WotD entry is skippable. Yes, that means you don't have to do anything with it.

(Of course, it did not mean I could skip it!)

hazard

/ˈhazəd/
noun
1 A danger or risk.
1.1 A potential source of danger.
1.2 A permanent feature of a golf course which presents an obstruction to playing a shot, such as a bunker or stream.
verb
[with object]
1 Say (something) in a tentative way.
2 Put (something) at risk of being lost.

Origin
Middle English (in hazard (sense 3 of the noun)): from Old French hasard, from Spanish azar, from Arabic az-zahr ‘chance, luck’, from Persian zār or Turkish zar ‘dice’.

==========

It is a hazard to understanding when you hazard a guess for a subject about which you know nothing.

(I don't know about you, but I would consider the crocodile a bigger hazard to my round of golf than the official water hazard itself.)

Algot Runeman wrote:hazard

Though I'm not particularly fond of football (neither kind), its redoubtable Hazard did stick in my mind.

realia
'
/reɪˈɑːlɪə//rɪˈeɪlɪə/
noun
mass noun
Objects and material from everyday life used as teaching aids.

Origin
1950s: from late Latin, neuter plural (used as a noun) of realis ‘relating to things’ (see real).

I'm trying to teach my cat how to use the computer. We use a laptop as realia. She seems to give knowing looks.

emerge

/ɪˈməːdʒ/
verb
[no object]
1 Move out of or away from something and become visible.
1.1 (of an insect or other invertebrate) break out from an egg, cocoon, or pupal case.
2 Become apparent or prominent.
2.1 (of facts) become known.
3 Recover from or survive a difficult situation.

Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense ‘become known, come to light’): from Latin emergere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out, forth’ + mergere ‘to dip’.

==========

The molar emerged from his patient's mouth providing the potential for abscess relief.



[Don the Dentist might have said the molar debouched, except that word has been used officially TWICE, in 2004 and 2006 and we shall not continue that trend despite the selection by ODO. We, therefore, extract meaning from a similar, but unused, word.]

Algot Runeman wrote:emerge

/ɪˈməːdʒ/
verb
[no object]
1 Move out of or away from something and become visible.
1.1 (of an insect or other invertebrate) break out from an egg, cocoon, or pupal case.
2 Become apparent or prominent.
2.1 (of facts) become known.
3 Recover from or survive a difficult situation.

Origin
Late 16th century (in the sense ‘become known, come to light’): from Latin emergere, from e- (variant of ex-) ‘out, forth’ + mergere ‘to dip’.

==========

The molar emerged from his patient's mouth providing the potential for abscess relief.



[Don the Dentist might have said the molar debouched, except that word has been used officially TWICE, in 2004 and 2006 and we shall not continue that trend despite the selection by ODO. We, therefore, extract meaning from a similar, but unused, word.]

Well, I won't try my hand at that one. It is clearly one for EPS !

Algot Runeman wrote:emerge
...
The molar emerged from his patient's mouth providing the potential for abscess relief.
...

I've never heard a dentist use emerge in that context. It was always plain and simple "He pulled her tooth".

Or "He pulled her leg" if he was kidding her.
(They also would never say "The leg emerged from the patient's skirt providing the potential for comic relief.")

I am glad to have extracted some reaction with this toothsome word of the day. I will continue to let the ideas emerge in the days ahead.

herpetology

/ˌhəːpɪˈtɒlədʒi/
noun
mass noun
The branch of zoology concerned with reptiles and amphibians.

Origin
Early 19th century: from Greek herpeton ‘reptile’ (from herpein ‘to creep’) + -logy.

==========

The beginning of winter is an odd time to talk herpetology. Amphibians and reptiles are hibernating now.

In the beginning of winter... my late mother used to suffer from a minor but rather annoying problem. Whenever she got a cold, which was often, she would develop cold sores on her upper lip. More ungainly than painful, but still not too pleasant.

But I did never see any relationship between this oral herpes and either amphibians or reptiles... And strangely enough, no doctor in herpetology could ever help her to get rid of them.

bicameral

/bʌɪˈkam(ə)r(ə)l/
adjective
(of a legislative body) having two chambers.

Origin
Mid 19th century: from bi- ‘two’ + Latin camera ‘chamber’ + -al.

==========

The laws of many countries are voted into effect by two chambers, bicameral parliaments or legislatures. Those laws are enforced by an executive branch. Then the residual litter of twigs are cleared out by overworked judicial chamber maids.

[That's my theeree of guvmint and I'm stickin' to it!]

Dear Algot
I am sure your heart has four chambers, and thus is as vast as the Parliaments of France and the US together, since both are bicameral.

Ah, but herps typically have only three chambers. How can we deal with that?

Oh, perhaps a completely different view of bicameral.

escalade

/ˌɛskəˈleɪd/
noun
mass noun
historical
The scaling of fortified walls using ladders, as a form of military attack.

Origin
Late 16th century: from French, or from Spanish escalada, escalado, from medieval Latin scalare ‘to scale, climb’, from Latin scala ‘ladder’.

Arthur always enjoyed the escalade of a foe's castle walls, especially when his shield blocked ALL the arrows being shot down at him.