Words You Have Taught Me — Oct 2022
№ 19
I like prime numbers.
Eleven, seventeen, thirty-seven — they are so independent, so indomitable, so imposing. So indivisible.
Installment № 19 of WYHTM therefore feels like a milestone, and gives me renewed determination that I will one day complete and publish episode № 23.
As usual, this collection features new writers and old friends, and is peppered with foreign terms, proper nouns and even some slang. Also, as sometimes is the case, some prolific writers have their names on not one but two entries.
So, without further ado — here is the latest in literary lingo, journalist jargon, author’s argot and pencil pusher pidgin that I soaked up here since the last time we did this …
Angel of the North
(Wikipedia) a contemporary sculpture by Antony Gormley, located in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear, England (near the city of Newcastle), standing 20 metres tall with a wingspan of 54 metres
from Gus Gresham
araroba
a bitter, yellow powder (Goa powder) obtained from cavities in the trunk of a Brazilian tree (Andira araroba) of the pea family and used to make the drug chrysarobin
from Avi Kotzer
Bhagavad Gita
one of the holy scriptures of Hinduism, dated approximately to the 2nd century BCE
from HBR Patel
Blighty
(slang) an informal and typically affectionate term for Britain or England, commonly used by soldiers of World War I and World War II
GK Kingsley — I forget exactly from which story or comment of yours I picked up this phrase, but it’s stuck in my short-term memory ever since : )
Carol Kaye
(born 1935) one of the most productive and prolific bassists in modern musical history, a session musician who played on legendary tracks for The Beach Boys, The Doors, Ray Charles, The Supremes and many more
from Chris Zappa
dirt dauber
also “mud dauber”, refers to a number of wasp varieties that mold their nests from mud
Terrye Turpin, love the alliteration of this term, and what an amazing story you spun from this Hinged prompt!
Florine Stettheimer
(1871 — 1944) American modernist painter, poet, feminist, socialite, theatrical designer
from Christopher P Jones
frippery
showy or unnecessary ornament in architecture, dress, or language
from Michelle Scorziello
Galileo’s cannon
a theoretical mechanical construct that could overcome Earth’s gravitational pull and propel an object into space — emphasis on theoretical
from Thomas Wan
glima, Saulteaux
Two very different words, both from Cendrine Marrouat’s lovely and intimate tour of her hometown, the capital of Manitoba.
glima — term for several types of Nordic folk wrestling practiced as sport and combat
Salteaux First Nation — a First Nations band government in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. They are a branch of the Ojibwe who pushed west
greige
a color between grey and beige
from Jessica F. Lillian
hepatoprotective
chemical substance with the ability to prevent damage to the liver
from PseuPending (Seu)
Ikiru
(Wikipedia) a 1952 Japanese drama film directed and co-written by Akira Kurosawa. The film examines the struggles of a terminally ill Tokyo bureaucrat
inhisitance
play on the word inheritance. I like it : )
from Stuart James
Japanese knotweed
a species of herbaceous perennial plant in the knotweed and buckwheat family
from Zay Pareltheon
keratoconus
a condition in which the clear tissue on the front of the eye (cornea) bulges outward
from Tre L. Loadholt
lymphedema
localized swelling of the body caused by an abnormal blockage of the lymphatic system
from Shannon Ashley
molder
slowly decay or disintegrate, especially because of neglect
from Betsy Denson
pendency
the state of pending, awaiting resolution
pomander
a ball or perforated container of sweet-smelling substances such as herbs and spices, placed in a closet, drawer, or room to perfume the air — from the French “pomme d’ambre”
Michelle Scorziello, call me an uncultured American — potpourri is where my knowledge of domestic non-aerosol scent-dispensing beings and ends.
pomelo pith
pith — spongy white tissue lining the rind of an orange, lemon, and other citrus fruits; due to its size, it makes sense that the pomelo will yield the most pith among citrus fruits
from PseuPending (Seu)
roriferous
(rare) generating or producing dew — used figuratively to refer to morning fog or the elements that induce dew, because of course plants themselves don’t produce dew
from Jenine "Jeni" Bsharah Baines
salami tactics
slang term used in a military or political context, referring to the divide and conquer approach, or a series of small advances, designed to deceive and split the opposition
from Amber Radcliffe
sibilance
the hissing quality of certain consonant sounds, or the poetic techinques of alliteration and consonance, using hissing, fricative sounds (s, sh, th, etc.)
from Melissa Coffey
subsidence
the gradual caving in or sinking of an area of land
from Gus Gresham
Tanimachi Line
a rapid transit line of Osaka Metro, running from Dainichi Station in Moriguchi to Yaominami Station in Yao through Osaka
from Vincent Van Patten
zero-knowledge proof (ZKP)
(Wikipedia) a method by which one party (the prover) can prove to another party (the verifier) that a given statement is true while the prover avoids conveying any additional information apart from the fact that the statement is indeed true
from Laszlo Fazekas
thanks for your continual patronage — keep ’em coming!
here are the most recent couple of installments of WHYTM — please go ahead and browse, there is some great stuff in there
