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Wednesday, March 11, 2020

In other words: from aegis to yevery

  • aegis, noun. Classical Mythology. The shield or breastplate of Zeus or Athena, bearing at its center the head of the Gorgon. Also protection, support, sponsorship, auspices.
  • blockbuster, noun. A film or book which is highly popular and commercially successful; a film or book which sustains widespread popularity and achieves enormous sales.
  • bookish, adjective. Characterized by, consisting of, or derived from books; devoted to books; booky.
  • futurist, noun. Theology. A person who believes that biblical prophecies, esp. in the Apocalypse/ Revelation, will be fulfilled in the future.
  • historicist, noun and adjective. Theology. A person who believes that biblical prophecies, esp. those in the Apocalypse/ Revelation, are being fulfilled throughout the course of history.
  • imberb, adjective. Beardless.
  • informator choristarum, noun. A choirmaster, a musical director. Now historical except as the title of the director of the choir of Magdalen College, Oxford.
  • mauvais quart d’heure, noun. A short period of time which is embarrassing and unnerving; a brief but unpleasant experience. French, bad quarter of an hour.
  • paralogism, noun. A piece of false or erroneous reasoning, especially one which the reasoner is unconscious of or believes to be logical (as distinct from a sophism, which is intended to deceive); an illogical argument, a fallacy.
  • pogonotrophy, noun. The act of cultivating, or growing and grooming, a mustache, beard, sideburns or other facial hair.
  • presentist, noun. Theology. A person who believes that biblical prophecies, esp. in the Apocalypse/ Revelation, are now being fulfilled.
  • preterist, noun. Theology. A person who believes that biblical prophecies, esp. in the Apocalypse/ Revelation,  have already been fulfilled.
  • religieuse, noun. A woman bound by religious vows, or devoted to a religious life; a nun.
  • resiliating, adjective. That resumes or causes to resume a former shape or position.
  • schlockbuster, noun. A film or book which is highly popular or commercially successful but is regarded as having no artistic merit. Takeoff of blockbuster.
  • sophism, noun. A clever but false or erroneous reasoning, especially one used deliberately to deceive (as distinct from a paralogism, which is not intended to deceive).
  • summa rerum, noun. The highest public interest; the public good (cf. the sum of things). Latin, total + of things or affairs.
  • swellegant, adjective. Wonderfully stylish, elegant, or fashionable. Swell + Elegant.
  • swinehood, noun. Pigs collectively. Also figurative: coarse, degraded, or uncivilized people considered collectively.
  • trainspotting, noun. The hobby or activity of observing trains and recording railway locomotive numbers, sometimes with other details.
  • yevery, adjective. Very hungry; ravenous.

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