Please give us the word and its definition!
What new word did you learn today?
- Thread starter Louanne Learning
- Start date
oubliette - a dungeon entered only by a trapdoor
That's such a pretty word as well! Reminds me of the tradition of naming the Ugly Sisters in Cinderella pantomimes after awful but pretty sound things... Asphyxia's one that springs to mind as it was the first time I'd heard that word as a kid (thankfully!).
Here's my most recent one:
Sidereal - of or relating to the stars.
Just started a book about stories in the stars and that's a new one for me. 4 syllables: si-de-re-al.
This word always reminded me of the word "omelette" for some reason. I can't imagine why.
I just learned several new (archaic) words, so please bear with me.
Rampallian = a scoundrel, a wretch.
Fustilarian = a lowly person.
Scullion (which I knew already, but it's such a good word!) = a serving boy.
And the reason these came up? I just found out about these Shakespeare insults ...
You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I’ll tickle your catastrophe!
—Henry IV, Part 2, 2.1.60
Now, go ahead and insult thine enemies at thy leisure with these Shakespearean delights!
axiomatic - taken for granted, or self-evident
Yep - from the word "axiom", a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or obviously true. (Some are true, but some are ... debatable). Some of them can't be proved, but are accepted as true because they're so useful. (The best known axiom is Murphy's Law).
Here are a couple I just learned:
odalisque - a concubine in the harem of an Ottoman Turk sultan.
hierodule - a slave in service in an ancient Greek temple.
Not especially useful, I guess, unless you're writing something set in those periods.
Here are a couple I just learned:
odalisque - a concubine in the harem of an Ottoman Turk sultan.
hierodule - a slave in service in an ancient Greek temple.
Not especially useful, I guess, unless you're writing something set in those periods.
The adjective of "axiom."
I thought it was a Canadian machine to autonomously cut down trees.
And now I can't help but imagine a really "stoopid" commercial for it.
*video pans in on a lumberjack cutting wood with an axe. The lumberjack chops away like crazy, pauses, and wipes away sweat*
Voiceover: Ever thought "This takes too long, and I'd rather be inside having a beer?
*lumberjack nods and mouths a silent "Uh-huh"*
Voiceover: Well, you're in luck! Introducing NEW ... AXIOMATIC!!!
*the axe disappears - *pop!* - and a big shiny yellow thing with a spinning blade appears in the lumberjack's hands; the lumberjack does a "shocked-happy pikachu" face*
Voiceover: That's right, it's the new AXIMOATIC™! For when chopping trees takes too damn long!
*cue the lumberjack's wife coming out with a couple of jam sandwiches; she is played as ditzy and utterly unaware*
Wife: Oh, honey! You finally saved up and bought us a chainsaw! This is the happiest day of my life!
*jingle plays*
AXIOMATIC™ for you!
AXIOMATIC™ for me!
Let's go and chop a tree!
Tra-la-la la-la-lee!
Voiceover: AXIOMATIC™! from PAPA CHOPPO!©
psychopomp
creatures or entities responsible for escorting newly deceased souls to the afterlife
(i had no idea there was an over all name/word for these types of deities!)
creatures or entities responsible for escorting newly deceased souls to the afterlife
(i had no idea there was an over all name/word for these types of deities!)
That's cool! I'd have just assumed it was specific to greek mythology but, yeah, it's a wholly general term for all and any afterlife escorts. Nice.
Maybe it's not specific to the Greeks, but the word is Greek.
As the wikipedia link points out, it's "from the Greek word ψυχοπομπός, psychopompós, literally meaning the 'guide of souls'."Similar threads
