An Etymological Extravaganza

The Word Collector (part 3)

Photo by mostafa meraji on Unsplash

This is a further update to an old article about some lovely new words and phrases I have come across, and the first one, “whiffling”, is a real treat.

As readers and writers we probably all love words, so for me, collecting them is a hobby a bit like stamp-collecting or twitching (spotting new bird species that is!). Some of these appeared in the previous article, some are brand new. You may have come across some or all of them before. Enjoy my latest collection below-

Whiffling — I absolutely love this one, especially the bit about birds, particularly geese, turning upside down to lose height, something I have yet to witness. It is a term used in ornithology to describe the behaviour whereby a bird rapidly descends with a zig-zagging, side-slipping motion. Sometimes to whiffle, a bird flies briefly with its body turned upside down but with its neck and head twisted 180 degrees around in a normal position. The aerodynamics which usually give a bird lift during flying are thereby inverted and the bird briefly plummets toward the ground before this is quickly reversed and the bird adopts a normal flying orientation. This erratic motion resembles a falling leaf, and is used to avoid avian predators or may be used by geese to avoid a long, slow descent over an area where wildfowling is practised.

bisque- is a smooth, creamy, highly seasoned soup of French origin, classically based on a strained broth of crustaceans. It can be made from lobster, langoustine, crab, shrimp or crayfish. Alongside chowder, bisque is one of the most popular seafood soups.

calabrese — is a fast-growing crop, also known as American, Italian or green sprouting broccoli.

reflexive — denoting a pronoun that refers back to the subject of the clause in which it is used, e.g. myself, themselves.

schematic — a schematic, or schematic diagram, is a designed representation of the elements of a system using abstract, graphic symbols rather than realistic pictures.

perma-gloom — I saw this in “The Observer” today, the perfect description of Brexit Britain.

levelling down — also in “The Observer”, a mocking variation on the UK government’s levelling up agenda which seems to be back-firing.

bien pensant- right thinking or conventional (French)

buccal — of the cheek

amanuensis — a literary or artistic assistant, in particular one who takes dictation or copies manuscripts

gazpacho — a cold Spanish soup made from tomatoes, peppers, and other salad vegetables

cerulean — deep blue in colour like a clear sk

chatelaine — a woman in charge of a large house

soi disant- self-proclaimed (French)

canard — an unfounded rumour or story

carpe diem — seize the day (Latin)

crosne — a Chinese artichoke

Photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash

For ease of reference, these are the words from the previous two articles —

kicker — a shoulder or kicker in this context has been defined as the headline that is placed on top of the main headline. This headline is set in small points, and its purpose is to supplement the main headline.

comity — courtesy and considerate behaviour towards others.

gnomon — centrepiece on a sundial that casts the shadow

brindle — brownish or tawny colour of animal fur with streaks of other colour

salmagundi — a dish of chopped meat, anchovies, eggs, onions and seasoning

seitan — a high-protein vegetarian food made from cooked wheat gluten (not to be confused with Satan or you will get into trouble)

carpet bagger — a political candidate who seeks election in an area where they have no local connections

finagle — obtain something by devious or dishonest means

rodomontade — boastful or inflated talk or behaviour

eschatology — the part of theology concerned with death, judgement and the final destiny of the soul and humankind

scatology — an interest in or preoccupation with excrement and excretion

lacuna — an unfilled space or interval/gap

epistemology — the theory of knowledge

moiety — each of two parts into which a thing is or can be divided

fungible — exchangeable

ubuntu — a quality that includes the essential human virtues; compassion and humanity

eudaimonia — A Greek word — of good spirit

ziggurat — a rectangular tower in ancient Mesopotamia

catafalque — a decorated wooden framework supporting the coffin of a distinguished person during a funeral

fomite — a particle contaminated with infection agent

solipsistic — selfish

entomology — the branch of zoology concerned with the study of insects

etymology — the study of the origin of words

There — a lovely collection of specimens. Hope you enjoyed!

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