Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Humor, Part 3: How Many Do You Know?

Hat tip to Chris and via Publishers Weekly

How Many Do You Know? 20 Strange & Awesome Dictionary.com Word of the Day Words

Gabe Habash -- August 1st, 2011


Last week, we linked to New York Times vocab quiz featuring the 20 most looked-up words on the newspaper’s website, and that reminded us of another logophilic treasure trove: the Dictionary.com Word of the Day. Being long-time subscribers to the daily word email, we dug through our archives and picked out 20 of our favorite words. And if you haven’t started subscribing, what are you waiting for?


Highlight the area below the word to reveal the definition. How many do you know? Put your score in the comments section!


1. July 31, 2011: ambsace \EYMZ-eys\, noun:
1. The smallest amount or distance.
2. The lowest throw at dice, the double ace (two ones.)
3. Bad luck; misfortune.
2. June 28, 2011: catawampus \kat-uh-WOM-puhs\, adjective:
1. Off-center; askew; awry.
2. Positioned diagonally; cater-cornered.
3. June 6, 2011: pecksniffian \pek-SNIF-ee-uhn\, adjective:
Hypocritically and smugly affecting benevolence or high moral principles.
4. June 5, 2011: pangram \PAN-gruhm\, noun:
A sentence, verse, etc., that includes all the letters of the alphabet.
5. June 1, 2011: catarrh \kuh-TAHR\, noun:
Inflammation of a mucous membrane, especially of the respiratory tract, accompanied by excessive secretions.
6. May 11, 2011: irenic \eye-REN-ik; -REE-nik\, adjective:
Tending to promote peace; conciliatory.
7. April 18, 2011: corybantic \kawr-uh-BAN-tik\, adjective:
Frenzied; agitated; unrestrained.
8. January 10, 2011: lickerish \LIK-er-ish\, adjective:
1. Fond of and eager for choice food.
2. Greedy; longing.
3. Lustful; lecherous.
9. January 7, 2011: katzenjammer \KAT-suhn-jam-er\, noun:
1. The discomfort and illness experienced as the aftereffects of excessive drinking; hangover.
2. Uneasiness; anguish; distress.
3. Uproar; clamor.
10. December 28, 2010: gambrinus \gam-BRAHY-nuhs\, noun:
A mythical Flemish king, the reputed inventor of beer.

11. December 6, 2010: pogonip \POG-uh-nip\, noun:
An ice fog that forms in the mountain valleys of the western U.S.
12. November 9, 2010: moue \MOO\, noun:
A pouting grimace.
13. September 1, 2010: anacoluthia \an-uh-kuh-LOO-thee-uh\, noun:
Lack of grammatical sequence or coherence, esp. in a sentence. 
14. July 24, 2010: zaftig \ZAHF-tik\, adjective:
Full-bodied; well-proportioned.
15. May 21, 2010: baksheesh \bak-SHEESH\, noun:
1. A gratuity, present or tip.
2. A gratuity, tip, or bribe paid to expedite service.
verb:
1. To give a tip.
16. May 2, 2010: sesquipedalianism \ses-kwi-PEED-l-iz-uhm\, adjective:
1. Given to using long words.
2. (Of a word) containing many syllables.
17. April 26, 2010: quisling \KWIZ-ling\, noun:
Someone who collaborates with an enemy occupying his or her country; a traitor.
18. April 18, 2010: disport \dis-PORT\, intransitive verb:
1. To amuse oneself in light or lively manner; to frolic.
transitive verb:
1. To divert or amuse.
2. To display.
19. March 30, 2010: popinjay \POP-in-jay\, noun:
A vain and talkative person.
20. March 3, 2010: eructation \ih-ruhk-TAY-shuhn\, noun:
The act of belching; a belch.


3 comments:

  1. My score: 9 correct, 3 incorrect, 8 no clue!

    2. My Mum says it all the time.
    3. Sounds Dickensonian.
    6. Reminds me of my friend, Irene
    9. Twins of the same name, plus personal experience from my ongoing experiments with beer.
    10. See #9.
    14. I am a guy.
    15. I have lived in Turkey and Iraq.
    17. Elvis Costello's "Green Shirt" lyric contains the phrase: "Cause somewhere in the quisling clinic / There's a shorthand typist taking seconds over minutes.
    19. Self-evident.

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  2. Seriously, I have never heard of any of them, but I love #19 because I have been known to engage in a great deal of mindless chatter and it's fun to say :)

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  3. There's a local band down here called Kitty Wampus.

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