FEAR OF SNAKES
THE HOBBY OF HEDGE SHAPING
A PHRASE DERIVED FROM THE
USE OF SMELLY FISH
DRAGGED ON THE GROUND TO
DISTRACT HUNTING DOGS
FROM THE TRUE SCENT
A STATEMENT OR PICTURE
SEEMINGLY ABSURD OR
CONTRADICTORY TO WHAT
WOULD NORMALLY BE
CONSIDERED TO MAKE SENSE
WORK DONE ONLY WHEN THE
BOSS IS WATCHING
FEAR OF HEIGHT
THE MEDICAL SPECIALTY
DEALING WITH THE NOSE
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY
OF SAYING
''
CLUMSY''
FEAR OF CATS
FEAR OF WOMEN
A DEVICE TO AID THE MEMORY
USUALLY A SIMPLE PHRASE, I.E.
`EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE'
HELPS ONE REMEMBER THE
MUSICAL NOTES ON THE STAVE
READING UPWARDS (EGBDF)
FEAR OF INSECTS
AUSTRALIAN PRONUNCIATION
OF THE WORD `AUSTRALIAN'
FEAR OF MEN
A CHINESE PUZZLE CONSISTING
OF A SQUARE DIVIDED INTO
SEVEN PIECES THAT MUST
BE ARRANGED TO MATCH
DIFFERENT DESIGNS
RELATED ON THE MOTHER'S
SIDE, AS DISTINGUISHED FROM
`AGNATE' OR RELATED ON THE
FATHER'S SIDE
LEATHER OVERALLS WITHOUT A
SEAT WORN OVER TROUSERS BY
COWBOYS TO PROTECT THE LEGS
A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH
CONTRADICTORY TERMS ARE
BROUGHT TOGETHER, I.E.
`POLITICAL INTEGRITY'
TO YAWN
THE USE OF HESITATION FORMS
(SOUNDS WE MAKE AS A FILLER
WHEN WE ARE NOT SURE HOW
TO SAY WHAT WE WANT)
A POINTED ARCH
AN ORNATE LETTER, DESIGN,
OR TITLE TYPICALLY FOUND
HEADING AN OLD MANUSCRIPT
A STEREOTYPED EXPRESSION
WHICH SHOULD BE AVOIDED
LIKE THE PLAGUE !
WORDS THAT HAVE THE SAME
PRONUNCIATION BUT HAVE
DIFFERENT SPELLINGS AND
MEANINGS, I.E.
`RIGHT', `RITE', `WRITE'
THE CRAFT OF CUTTING
AND POLISHING GEMS
THE STUDY OF
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
IN PHYSICS, A HYPOTHETICAL
FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLE FROM
WHICH ALL OTHER INTERACTING
PARTICLES ARE COMPOSITES
A SHORT SENTENCE THAT
CONTAINS EVERY LETTER OF
THE ALPHABET, I.E.
`THE QUICK BROWN FOX
JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG'
CAPABLE OF BEING MOLDED
INTO SHAPES, I.E. CLAY OR
PUBLIC OPINION
ENJOYING ARGUMENT FOR
ITS OWN SAKE
AN INDIAN HINDI WORD IN
ORIGIN ALONG WITH
`BUNGALOW', `CHUTNEY',
`DINGHY', `GURU', `JUNGLE',
`MUGGER', `PUNDIT', `SANDAL',
`SHAMPOO', AND `THUG'
A CLUMSY, OAFLIKE, PERSON,
DERIVED FROM THE GERMAN
MEANING `A LEG'
TO KISS
MINDLESS ADHERING
TO THE THOUGHTS AND
OPINIONS OF OTHERS
MENTIONING SOMETHING BY
DENYING THAT IT WILL
BE MENTIONED
SOMEONE SKILLED AT
ACROSS-THE-TABLE CHIT CHAT
FEAR OF FALLING ASLEEP
AN AGREEABLE EXPRESSION
SUBSTITUTED FOR A REALISTIC
DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING
DISAGREEABLE, I.E. BOMBING
PEOPLE BECOMES
`SUPPRESSION OF ASSETS'
OR `APAL' IS ONE OF THE
OLDEST WORDS IN THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ALONG WITH GOLD
(GOL) AND TIN (TIN) FROM
PRE 3500 BC
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATTER
AND ENERGY, FORM AND
DIVERSITY, THE ANTONYM
OF ENTROPY
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING SKULL SIZE
A SUDDEN INTERRUPTION OF A
THOUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A
SENTENCE (AS FREQUENTLY
ILLUSTRATED BY WRITERS OF
REALISTIC CONVERSATION)
A RESIDENTIAL AREA OUTSIDE A
CITY BEYOND SUBURBIA
A PUZZLE REPRESENTING A
WORD OR WORDS BY LETTERS,
NUMBERS OR PICTURES, I.E.
`DO YOU UNDERSTAND?' IS
REPRESENTED ABOVE
HAS MORE MEANING THAN
ANY OTHER WORD IN ENGLISH,
WITH 126 VERBAL USES
AND 58 NOUN USES
AN AZTEC WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH `TOMATO',
`AVOCADO' AND `CHILE
ONE WHO IS
OVERLY FOND OF THE PAST
SOMEONE RENOWNED FOR
THEIR LOVE OF LUXURY AND
VOLUPTUOUS LIVING
A DISAGREEABLE EXPRESSION
SUBSTITUTED FOR A REALISTIC
DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING
AGREEABLE. THE ANTONYM
OF EUPHEMISM
SHOWING EXTREME OR FOOLISH
FONDNESS OVER ONE'S WIFE
AN ARABIC WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH ` ALBATROSS',
`ALGEBRA', `ARSENAL', `CARAFE',
`ELIXIR', `GHOUL', `GIRAFFE',
`HAZARD', `SAFARI', SYRUP',
`ZENITH' AND `ZERO'
THE STUDY OF THE
SOUNDS OF SPEECH
THE HOBBY OF COLLECTING
COINS AND MEDALS
THE STUDY OF BIRDS
GREAT CALMNESS UNDER STRAIN
AND TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES
A SUBSTANCE CONSISTING
OF SAND, EARTH, STONES,
AND SOLIDIFIED LAVA
(FROM THE HAWAIIAN)
LOOKING YOUNGER
THAN ONE'S YEARS
A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH
AN ATTRIBUTE IS SUBSTITUTED
FOR THE NAME OF THE THING
MEANT, WHICH MAY NOT
LITERALLY MAKE SENSE
THE NUMBER OF WORDS
USED BY A PERSON. AVERAGE
PEOPLE USE ABOUT 5,000
IN SPEECH AND 10,000
IN WRITING. SHAKESPEARE
USED ABOUT 33,000.
A TYPE OF UNDERSTATEMENT IN
WHICH AN AFFIRMATIVE IDEA IS
EXPRESSED NEGATIVELY
THE USE OF THE REPETITION OF
THE SAME LETTER OR SOUND AT
THE BEGINNING OF TWO OR
MORE WORDS, I.E. `AS
COOL AS A CUCUMBER'
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY
OF SAYING `DISHONEST'
VERY LOUD
COOKED IN BUTTER
AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING
ELECTRIC CURRENT
A BRILLIANT WITTY RESPONSE
TO A PUBLIC INSULT BUT WHICH
ONLY ENTERS YOUR MIND AFTER
YOU HAVE LEFT THE PARTY.
LITERALLY `THE SPIRIT OF THE
STAIRCASE' IN FRENCH
TO SAY SOMETHING THAT DOES
NOT FOLLOW LOGICALLY FROM
THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT
AN EXAMPLE OF ONOMATOPOEIA
IN ENGLISH THAT BECOMES
`COCORICO' IN FRENCH,
`KIKERIKIE' IN GERMAN, AND
`KEKELEKU' IN DUTCH
IS THE NAME FOR `POLICE' IN
CITIZENS' BAND RADIO SLANG
A SLEEPWALKER
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT
WAY OF SAYING `BORING'
A NEW WORD OR PHRASE,
I.E `VIRTUAL REALITY' OR
`VIRTUALITY', NOW APPEARS
IN MODERN DICTIONARIES
A STATEMENT OR PICTURE THAT
CAN BE VARIOUSLY INTERPRETED
AN ESKIMO WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH `ANORAK'
AND `IGLOO'
FROM THE LATIN, MEANING
`LEFT' ORIGINATES FROM
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
LEFT HANDED PEOPLE.
AN EXCESSIVE DESIRE
FOR GREAT WEALTH
THE STUDY OF THE DERIVATION
AND HISTORY OF WORDS
A LEARNED FOOL, I.E. A
PROFESSOR OF ETYMOLOGY
WHO CAN'T DRIVE A CAR
THE UNNECESSARY REPETITION
OF THE SAME IDEA, I.E. `HE
HAS A VARIED ASSORTMENT OF
NEW INVENTIONS'
A WORD ARBITRARILY
FORMED FROM TWO DISTINCT
WORDS, I.E. `SMOG'
FROM `SMOKE AND `FOG'
THE UNINTENTIONAL
TRANSPOSITION OF PARTS OF
WORDS WHEN SPEAKING .I.E.
`LIGHT SWITCH' BECOMES
`SLIGHT WITCH'
THE TREATMENT OF LIGHT
AND SHAPE IN A PICTURE
A LINE ON A CHART
CONNECTING POINTS WHERE
ICE BEGINS TO THAW
SIMULTANEOUSLY. BY COMPARISON
AN 'ISOHEL' REPRESENTS SUNSHINE
AN `ISOBATH' DEPTH, AND AN
`ISOHYET' RAINFALL
TO TREAT SOMETHING
ABSTRACTLY AS IF IT HAD
CONCRETE PHYSICAL QUALITIES,
I.E. `BLIND JUSTICE', FATHER
TIME', AND `MOTHER NATURE'
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING WIND SPEED
MEANING AN ARTISTIC
(PARTICULARLY SINGING)
COMPETITION, IS ONE OF THE
VERY FEW WORDS IN ENGLISH
BORROWED FROM WELSH
AN INDIGENOUS WORD,
CARIBBEAN IN ORIGIN, ALONG
WITH `CANOE', `HURRICANE',
`POTATO', AND `TOBACCO'
A UNIT OF PAIN INTENSITY
RANGING FROM 1, FOR BARELY
PERCEPTIBLE, TO A MAXIMUM OF 10
WHEN ANY ADDED STIMULUS DOES
NOT INCREASE THE FEELING
A COMPULSIVE TENDENCY
TO TELL LIES
A MORBID DESIRE TO
SET THINGS ON FIRE
ONE OF MANY WORDS
CONTAINING NO VOWELS
(Y NOT NORMALLY BEING
CONSIDERED A VOWEL)
A CAVEMAN
IS THE MOST FREQUENTLY
USED LETTER IN ENGLISH
IS A POLYNESIAN WORD IN
ORIGIN ALONG WITH `TATTOO
`
A WORD THAT CAN BE READ
BACKWARDS TO MAKE AN
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WORD
(AS IT CAN ITSELF), I.E.
DELIVER, GOLF, DEVIL, RAIL,
STRAW, STRAP, AND YARD
TO MAKE UNREALISTICALLY
RESPLENDENT; ESPECIALLY BY
GIVING HIGH FLOWN NAMES TO
ORDINARY THING OR PEOPLE, I.E.
CALLING SOMEONE WHO GREASES
YOUR CAR `A LUBRITICIAN'
A LARGE NUMBER CONSISTING
OF 1 FOLLOWED BY 100 ZEROS,
DERIVED FROM A CHILD'S WORD
AN UNCONTROLLABLE
CRAVING FOR FOOD
AN UNCONTROLLABLE
DESIRE TO STEAL
DERIVES FROM THE LATIN
`SALT', SINCE ROMAN SOLDIERS
WHERE ORIGINALLY PAID WITH
RATIONS OF SALT
IS THE THIRD MOST FREQUENTLY
USED WORD IN WRITTEN ENGLISH
AND `V' ARE THE NEWEST
LETTERS TO BE ADDED TO THE
ENGLISH ALPHABET AND ARE
POST-SHAKESPEARIAN C. 1630
TALKING IN ONE'S SLEEP
THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED
WORD IN SPOKEN ENGLISH
CAN BELONG TO MORE
THAN ONE WORD CLASS, I.E.
A _____ OF
NEGOTIATIONS (NOUN);
TO _____ A CORNER (VERB);
BIG _____ EYES (ADJECTIVE);
WHEELS GO _____(ADVERB)
IS THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED
WORD IN WRITTEN ENGLISH
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR
AND POWER
THE OLDEST LETTER, IT HAS
REMAINED UNCHANGED IN
SHAPE SINCE ITS ADOPTION IN
THE PHOENICIAN ALPHABET
C. 1300 B.C.
THE JOY ONE FEELS AT
SOMEONE ELSE'S MISFORTUNE
(FROM THE GERMAN)
THE SECOND MOST
FREQUENTLY USED WORD IN
WRITTEN ENGLISH
IS THE FIRST LETTER OF MORE
WORDS THAN ANY OTHER
LETTER IN ENGLISH
THE WORLD'S MOST COMMON
SOUND, NO LANGUAGE IS
KNOWN TO BE WITHOUT IT
MOCKING, CYNICAL. NAMED
AFTER A MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND
ON WHICH A BITTER PLANT WHICH
GROWS THERE WAS THOUGHT TO
CAUSE FATAL, LAUGHTER-
LIKE CONVULSIONS
A GOLF CLUB WITH A SLANTED
IRON HEAD USED TO LIFT
THE BALL OUT OF BUNKERS
AND LONG GRASS
DERIVES FROM THE ARABIC
WORD `HASHISH' BECAUSE
A SECT OF `HASHISH EATERS'
MURDERED CHRISTIAN LEADERS
DURING THE CRUSADES
THE COVERING
AT THE END OF A SHOELACE
OPHIDIOPHOBIA
TOPIARY
RED HERRING
PARADOX
EYESERVICE
ACROPHOBIA
LAPIDARY
CLICHÉ
UNIQUELY
COORDINATED
AILUROPHOBIA
RHINOLOGY
OSCITATE
GYNEPHOBIA
MNEMONIC
ENTOMOPHOBIA
ANDROPHOBIA
OXYMORON
STRINE
OGIVE
QUARK
ERISTIC
PANGRAM
FICTILE
UXORIOUS
SYBARITE
JUGGERNAUT
MAJUSCULE
KLUTZ
EMBOLALIA
SEQUACIOUS
OSCULATE
CHOCOLATE
REBUS
APOPHASIS
ENATE
CHAPS
EUPHEMISM
DEIPNOSOPHIST
APOSIOPESIS
APPLE
TANGRAM
SPHYGMOMANO-
METER
HYPNOPHOBIA
ETHOLOGY
HOMOPHONES
ADMIRAL
DYSPHEMISM
PHONETICS
NUMISMATOLOGY
ORNITHOLOGY
SANGFROID
PRETERIST
NEANIMORPHIC
AA
METONYMY
SET
VOCABULARY
EXURBIA
ALLITERATION
LITOTE
ETHICALLY
DISORIENTED
CRANIOMETER
ECTROPY
FORTISSIMO
AU BEURRE
GALVANOMETER
ESPRIT DE,
L'ESCALIER
NONSEQUITUR
ANEMOMETER
ISOTAC
REIFY
EISTEDDFOD
COCK-A-
DOODLE-DOO
BEAR
CHIAROSCURO
ASSASSIN
SPOONERISM
DIFFERENTLY
INTERESTING
SOMNAMBULIST
PORTMANTEAU
SINISTER
AMBIGUITY
NEOLOGISM
PLUTOMANIA
MOROSOPH
NIBLICK
TAUTOLOGY
SARDONIC
AGLET
ETYMOLOGY
KAYAK
PHAGOMANIA
KLEPTOMANIA
SALARY
AND
J
GOOGOL
ENGAUD
SOMNILOQUY
TABOO
E
ROUND
THE
O
TROGLODYTE
RHYTHMS
MEGALOMANIA
SCHADDENFREUDE
OF
S
MYTHOMANIA
PYROMANIA
HAMMOCK
DOL
A
SEMORDNILAP
I
FEAR OF SNAKES
THE HOBBY OF HEDGE SHAPING
A PHRASE DERIVED FROM THE
USE OF SMELLY FISH
DRAGGED ON THE GROUND TO
DISTRACT HUNTING DOGS
FROM THE TRUE SCENT
A STATEMENT OR PICTURE
SEEMINGLY ABSURD OR
CONTRADICTORY TO WHAT
WOULD NORMALLY BE
CONSIDERED TO MAKE SENSE
WORK DONE ONLY WHEN THE
BOSS IS WATCHING
FEAR OF HEIGHT
THE MEDICAL SPECIALTY
DEALING WITH THE NOSE
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY
OF SAYING ''CLUMSY''
FEAR OF CATS
FEAR OF WOMEN
A DEVICE TO AID THE MEMORY
USUALLY A SIMPLE PHRASE, I.E.
`EVERY GOOD BOY DOES FINE'
HELPS ONE REMEMBER THE
MUSICAL NOTES ON THE STAVE
READING UPWARDS (EGBDF)
FEAR OF INSECTS
AUSTRALIAN PRONUNCIATION
OF THE WORD `AUSTRALIAN'
FEAR OF MEN
A CHINESE PUZZLE CONSISTING
OF A SQUARE DIVIDED INTO
SEVEN PIECES THAT MUST
BE ARRANGED TO MATCH
DIFFERENT DESIGNS
RELATED ON THE MOTHER'S
SIDE, AS DISTINGUISHED FROM
`AGNATE' OR RELATED ON THE
FATHER'S SIDE
LEATHER OVERALLS WITHOUT A
SEAT WORN OVER TROUSERS BY
COWBOYS TO PROTECT THE LEGS
A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH
CONTRADICTORY TERMS ARE
BROUGHT TOGETHER, I.E.
`POLITICAL INTEGRITY'
TO YAWN
THE USE OF HESITATION FORMS
(SOUNDS WE MAKE AS A FILLER
WHEN WE ARE NOT SURE HOW
TO SAY WHAT WE WANT)
A POINTED ARCH
AN ORNATE LETTER, DESIGN,
OR TITLE TYPICALLY FOUND
HEADING AN OLD MANUSCRIPT
A STEREOTYPED EXPRESSION
WHICH SHOULD BE AVOIDED
LIKE THE PLAGUE !
WORDS THAT HAVE THE SAME
PRONUNCIATION BUT HAVE
DIFFERENT SPELLINGS AND
MEANINGS, I.E.
`RIGHT', `RITE', `WRITE'
THE CRAFT OF CUTTING
AND POLISHING GEMS
THE STUDY OF
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR
IN PHYSICS, A HYPOTHETICAL
FUNDAMENTAL PARTICLE FROM
WHICH ALL OTHER INTERACTING
PARTICLES ARE COMPOSITES
A SHORT SENTENCE THAT
CONTAINS EVERY LETTER OF
THE ALPHABET, I.E.
`THE QUICK BROWN FOX
JUMPS OVER THE LAZY DOG'
CAPABLE OF BEING MOLDED
INTO SHAPES, I.E. CLAY OR
PUBLIC OPINION
ENJOYING ARGUMENT FOR
ITS OWN SAKE
AN INDIAN HINDI WORD IN
ORIGIN ALONG WITH
`BUNGALOW', `CHUTNEY',
`DINGHY', `GURU', `JUNGLE',
`MUGGER', `PUNDIT', `SANDAL',
`SHAMPOO', AND `THUG'
A CLUMSY, OAFLIKE, PERSON,
DERIVED FROM THE GERMAN
MEANING `A LEG'
TO KISS
MINDLESS ADHERING
TO THE THOUGHTS AND
OPINIONS OF OTHERS
MENTIONING SOMETHING BY
DENYING THAT IT WILL
BE MENTIONED
SOMEONE SKILLED AT
ACROSS-THE-TABLE CHIT CHAT
FEAR OF FALLING ASLEEP
AN AGREEABLE EXPRESSION
SUBSTITUTED FOR A REALISTIC
DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING
DISAGREEABLE, I.E. BOMBING
PEOPLE BECOMES
`SUPPRESSION OF ASSETS'
OR `APAL' IS ONE OF THE
OLDEST WORDS IN THE ENGLISH
LANGUAGE ALONG WITH GOLD
(GOL) AND TIN (TIN) FROM
PRE 3500 BC
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING BLOOD PRESSURE
THE DEVELOPMENT OF MATTER
AND ENERGY, FORM AND
DIVERSITY, THE ANTONYM
OF ENTROPY
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING SKULL SIZE
A SUDDEN INTERRUPTION OF A
THOUGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF A
SENTENCE (AS FREQUENTLY
ILLUSTRATED BY WRITERS OF
REALISTIC CONVERSATION)
A RESIDENTIAL AREA OUTSIDE A
CITY BEYOND SUBURBIA
A PUZZLE REPRESENTING A
WORD OR WORDS BY LETTERS,
NUMBERS OR PICTURES, I.E.
`DO YOU UNDERSTAND?' IS
REPRESENTED ABOVE
HAS MORE MEANING THAN
ANY OTHER WORD IN ENGLISH,
WITH 126 VERBAL USES
AND 58 NOUN USES
AN AZTEC WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH `TOMATO',
`AVOCADO' AND `CHILE
ONE WHO IS
OVERLY FOND OF THE PAST
SOMEONE RENOWNED FOR
THEIR LOVE OF LUXURY AND
VOLUPTUOUS LIVING
A DISAGREEABLE EXPRESSION
SUBSTITUTED FOR A REALISTIC
DESCRIPTION OF SOMETHING
AGREEABLE. THE ANTONYM
OF EUPHEMISM
SHOWING EXTREME OR FOOLISH
FONDNESS OVER ONE'S WIFE
AN ARABIC WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH ` ALBATROSS',
`ALGEBRA', `ARSENAL', `CARAFE',
`ELIXIR', `GHOUL', `GIRAFFE',
`HAZARD', `SAFARI', SYRUP',
`ZENITH' AND `ZERO'
THE STUDY OF THE
SOUNDS OF SPEECH
THE HOBBY OF COLLECTING
COINS AND MEDALS
THE STUDY OF BIRDS
GREAT CALMNESS UNDER STRAIN
AND TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES
A SUBSTANCE CONSISTING
OF SAND, EARTH, STONES,
AND SOLIDIFIED LAVA
(FROM THE HAWAIIAN)
LOOKING YOUNGER
THAN ONE'S YEARS
A FIGURE OF SPEECH IN WHICH
AN ATTRIBUTE IS SUBSTITUTED
FOR THE NAME OF THE THING
MEANT, WHICH MAY NOT
LITERALLY MAKE SENSE
THE NUMBER OF WORDS
USED BY A PERSON. AVERAGE
PEOPLE USE ABOUT 5,000
IN SPEECH AND 10,000
IN WRITING. SHAKESPEARE
USED ABOUT 33,000.
A TYPE OF UNDERSTATEMENT IN
WHICH AN AFFIRMATIVE IDEA IS
EXPRESSED NEGATIVELY
THE USE OF THE REPETITION OF
THE SAME LETTER OR SOUND AT
THE BEGINNING OF TWO OR
MORE WORDS, I.E. `AS
COOL AS A CUCUMBER'
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT WAY
OF SAYING `DISHONEST'
VERY LOUD
COOKED IN BUTTER
AN INSTRUMENT FOR MEASURING
ELECTRIC CURRENT
A BRILLIANT WITTY RESPONSE
TO A PUBLIC INSULT BUT WHICH
ONLY ENTERS YOUR MIND AFTER
YOU HAVE LEFT THE PARTY.
LITERALLY `THE SPIRIT OF THE
STAIRCASE' IN FRENCH
TO SAY SOMETHING THAT DOES
NOT FOLLOW LOGICALLY FROM
THE PREVIOUS STATEMENT
AN EXAMPLE OF ONOMATOPOEIA
IN ENGLISH THAT BECOMES
`COCORICO' IN FRENCH,
`KIKERIKIE' IN GERMAN, AND
`KEKELEKU' IN DUTCH
IS THE NAME FOR `POLICE' IN
CITIZENS' BAND RADIO SLANG
A SLEEPWALKER
THE POLITICALLY CORRECT
WAY OF SAYING `BORING'
A NEW WORD OR PHRASE,
I.E `VIRTUAL REALITY' OR
`VIRTUALITY', NOW APPEARS
IN MODERN DICTIONARIES
A STATEMENT OR PICTURE THAT
CAN BE VARIOUSLY INTERPRETED
AN ESKIMO WORD IN ORIGIN
ALONG WITH `ANORAK'
AND `IGLOO'
FROM THE LATIN, MEANING
`LEFT' ORIGINATES FROM
DISCRIMINATION AGAINST
LEFT HANDED PEOPLE.
AN EXCESSIVE DESIRE
FOR GREAT WEALTH
THE STUDY OF THE DERIVATION
AND HISTORY OF WORDS
A LEARNED FOOL, I.E. A
PROFESSOR OF ETYMOLOGY
WHO CAN'T DRIVE A CAR
THE UNNECESSARY REPETITION
OF THE SAME IDEA, I.E. `HE
HAS A VARIED ASSORTMENT OF
NEW INVENTIONS'
A WORD ARBITRARILY
FORMED FROM TWO DISTINCT
WORDS, I.E. `SMOG'
FROM `SMOKE AND `FOG'
THE UNINTENTIONAL
TRANSPOSITION OF PARTS OF
WORDS WHEN SPEAKING .I.E.
`LIGHT SWITCH' BECOMES
`SLIGHT WITCH'
THE TREATMENT OF LIGHT
AND SHAPE IN A PICTURE
A LINE ON A CHART
CONNECTING POINTS WHERE
ICE BEGINS TO THAW
SIMULTANEOUSLY. BY COMPARISON
AN 'ISOHEL' REPRESENTS SUNSHINE
AN `ISOBATH' DEPTH, AND AN
`ISOHYET' RAINFALL
TO TREAT SOMETHING
ABSTRACTLY AS IF IT HAD
CONCRETE PHYSICAL QUALITIES,
I.E. `BLIND JUSTICE', FATHER
TIME', AND `MOTHER NATURE'
AN INSTRUMENT FOR
MEASURING WIND SPEED
MEANING AN ARTISTIC
(PARTICULARLY SINGING)
COMPETITION, IS ONE OF THE
VERY FEW WORDS IN ENGLISH
BORROWED FROM WELSH
AN INDIGENOUS WORD,
CARIBBEAN IN ORIGIN, ALONG
WITH `CANOE',
`
HURRICANE',
`POTATO', AND `TOBACCO'
A UNIT OF PAIN INTENSITY
RANGING FROM 1, FOR BARELY
PERCEPTIBLE, TO A MAXIMUM OF 10
WHEN ANY ADDED STIMULUS DOES
NOT INCREASE THE FEELING
A COMPULSIVE TENDENCY
TO TELL LIES
A MORBID DESIRE TO
SET THINGS ON FIRE
ONE OF MANY WORDS
CONTAINING NO VOWELS
(Y NOT NORMALLY BEING
CONSIDERED A VOWEL)
A CAVEMAN
IS THE MOST FREQUENTLY
USED LETTER IN ENGLISH
IS A POLYNESIAN WORD IN
ORIGIN ALONG WITH `TATTOO`
A WORD THAT CAN BE READ
BACKWARDS TO MAKE AN
ENTIRELY DIFFERENT WORD
(AS IT CAN ITSELF), I.E.
DELIVER, GOLF, DEVIL, RAIL,
STRAW, STRAP, AND YARD
TO MAKE UNREALISTICALLY
RESPLENDENT; ESPECIALLY BY
GIVING HIGH FLOWN NAMES TO
ORDINARY THING OR PEOPLE, I.E.
CALLING SOMEONE WHO GREASES
YOUR CAR `A LUBRITICIAN'
A LARGE NUMBER CONSISTING
OF 1 FOLLOWED BY 100 ZEROS,
DERIVED FROM A CHILD'S WORD
AN UNCONTROLLABLE
CRAVING FOR FOOD
AN UNCONTROLLABLE
DESIRE TO STEAL
DERIVES FROM THE LATIN
`SALT', SINCE ROMAN SOLDIERS
WHERE ORIGINALLY PAID WITH
RATIONS OF SALT
IS THE THIRD MOST FREQUENTLY
USED WORD IN WRITTEN ENGLISH
AND `V' ARE THE NEWEST
LETTERS TO BE ADDED TO THE
ENGLISH ALPHABET AND ARE
POST-SHAKESPEARIAN C. 1630
TALKING IN ONE'S SLEEP
THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED
WORD IN SPOKEN ENGLISH
CAN BELONG TO MORE
THAN ONE WORD CLASS, I.E.
A _____ OF
NEGOTIATIONS (NOUN);
TO _____ A CORNER (VERB);
BIG _____ EYES (ADJECTIVE);
WHEELS GO _____(ADVERB)
IS THE MOST FREQUENTLY USED
WORD IN WRITTEN ENGLISH
DELUSIONS OF GRANDEUR
AND POWER
THE OLDEST LETTER, IT HAS
REMAINED UNCHANGED IN
SHAPE SINCE ITS ADOPTION IN
THE PHOENICIAN ALPHABET
C. 1300 B.C.
THE JOY ONE FEELS AT
SOMEONE ELSE'S MISFORTUNE
(FROM THE GERMAN)
THE SECOND MOST
FREQUENTLY USED WORD IN
WRITTEN ENGLISH
IS THE FIRST LETTER OF MORE
WORDS THAN ANY OTHER
LETTER IN ENGLISH
THE WORLD'S MOST COMMON
SOUND, NO LANGUAGE IS
KNOWN TO BE WITHOUT IT
MOCKING, CYNICAL. NAMED
AFTER A MEDITERRANEAN ISLAND
ON WHICH A BITTER PLANT WHICH
GROWS THERE WAS THOUGHT TO
CAUSE FATAL, LAUGHTER-
LIKE CONVULSIONS
A GOLF CLUB WITH A SLANTED
IRON HEAD USED TO LIFT
THE BALL OUT OF BUNKERS
AND LONG GRASS
DERIVES FROM THE ARABIC
WORD `HASHISH' BECAUSE
A SECT OF `HASHISH EATERS'
MURDERED CHRISTIAN LEADERS
DURING THE CRUSADES
THE COVERING
AT THE END OF A SHOELACE
OPHIDIOPHOBIA
TOPIARY
RED HERRING
PARADOX
EYESERVICE
ACROPHOBIA
LAPIDARY
CLICHÉ
UNIQUELY
COORDINATED
AILUROPHOBIA
RHINOLOGY
OSCITATE
GYNEPHOBIA
MNEMONIC
ENTOMOPHOBIA
ANDROPHOBIA
OXYMORON
STRINE
OGIVE
QUARK
ERISTIC
PANGRAM
FICTILE
UXORIOUS
SYBARITE
JUGGERNAUT
MAJUSCULE
KLUTZ
EMBOLALIA
SEQUACIOUS
OSCULATE
CHOCOLATE
REBUS
APOPHASIS
ENATE
CHAPS
EUPHEMISM
DEIPNOSOPHIST
APOSIOPESIS
APPLE
TANGRAM
SPHYGMOMANO-
METER
HYPNOPHOBIA
ETHOLOGY
HOMOPHONES
ADMIRAL
