Cool words

Barbara,

One thing I like about English is that it has so many words to describe things concisely. For instance, you can refer to "those funny eyeglasses on a stick" or you can just call it a "lorgnette," which it is. Here are some of the cool words I never knew existed, which I thought you might enjoy. I mostly learned them by getting them wrong on FreeRice.com.

One of those 17th- or 18th-century century powdered wigs: peruke (pa-ROOK). A periwig is any wig, but especially a peruke.

Sword-shaped: ensiform.

The flourish at the end of some people's signatures: paraph. Originally it was for protecting against forgery (I don't really see how) but nowadays just goes with fancy people.

Snores a lot: stertorous (STIR-terous). A stertorous person snores a lot, or is currently snoring, or sounds like he is.

There's a musical symbol called a "breve" which is two whole notes. A regular whole note is a semibreve.

Having an odd number of toes: perissodactyl. Having an even number is artiodactyl, and can refer specifically to certain species of mammals with an even number of toes, all of which are ungulates (hoofed mammals). For instance, pigs and hippos are artiodactyl. So were the ancestors of whales, but apparently whales aren't considered artiodactyl--I'm not sure if they lost another "finger" or if it just doesn't count any more because their fingers are inside their flippers.

Needle-shaped: acicular (uh-sick-ye-ler).

Itching, an itchy feeling: pruritus (proo-RY-tus).

Cheese-like: caseous (key-see-us or kay-see-us).

Foggy: brumous (brume means fog or mist).

Having to do with tailors: sartorial.

A pibroch (PEE-broke) is a piece of bagpipe music of a certain kind. Basically a bagpipe song.

Those eyeglasses with a handle attached: lorgnette (lorn-YET).

Love,
Max

--
"The presentation or 'gift' of the Holy Ghost simply confers upon a man the right to receive at any time, when he is worthy of it and desires it, the power and light of truth of the Holy Ghost, although he may often be left to his own spirit and judgment." --Joseph F. Smith (manual, p. 69)

Be pretty if you are,
Be witty if you can,
But be cheerful if it kills you.