The Death of Fissiparous and Other Words: A Dictionary of Words & Phrases on the Verge of Extinction

roman-fleuve

RO-mawn FLAERV

noun

a tremendously long novel or even longer series of books that tell the story of the life of a single person or the lives of members of a family, community, or other affiliated group

1997Kurt VonnegutTimequakeIf there had been a significant body of potential book-buyers who might care about rich German-Americans in Indianapolis, it would have been a piece of cake for me to bang out a roman-fleuve demonstrating that my grandfather in fact murdered my mother, albeit very slowly, by double-crossing her so long ago.1998Patrick TilleyMissionI was not God, or the Presence, or whatever you choose to call the author of this roman-fleuve.1999Anne RiceVittorio the VampirePerhaps when my book is finished and gone from my hands, I may take steps to become somehow a character in that grand roman-fleuve begun by other vampires in San Francisco or New Orleans.

Labels: Anne Rice, Kurt Vonnegut, Patrick Tilley

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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lagniappe

LAN-yap

adjective

a gift; a gratuity

1920Christopher MorleyKathleen'Look here,' said the Goblin, mildly, speaking from a blue cloud of Murray's Mixture, 'we must all sign a protocol, or a mandamus or a lagniappe or whatever you law men call it, not to steal a march. I think we'd all like to meet the real Kathleen. But we must give a bond to start fair and square, and nobody do anything that isn't authorized by the whole club.'1962William FaulknerThe ReiversSo all his clumsy machinations to seduce and corrupt me were only corroboration. They were not even cumshaw, lagniappe.1995Anne RiceMemnoch the Devil...he gave me these words as some sort of little extra gift, what do we call it in New Orleans, lagniappe?

Labels: Anne Rice, Christopher Morley, William Faulkner

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gravitas

GRAV-uh-tas

noun

respectable demeanor; substance; formal bearing; to have dignity

1989Anne RiceThe Mummy or Ramses the DamnedThere was something about Plutarch which made him think of old men gossiping as they gathered on benches in public squares. No gravitas to the history.1999David GemmellWinter Warriors'Dignity is much overrated,' she said, at last. 'It is a concept, I think, devised by men to add gravitas to their strutting.'2004Christopher HitchensUnfairenheit 9-11 (Slate.com, 21 June 2004)Perhaps vaguely aware that his movie so completely lacks gravitas, Moore concludes with a sonorous reading of some words from George Orwell.

Labels: Anne Rice, Christopher Hitchens, David Gemmell

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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zaddik

ZAW-dik

noun

a Jewish saint; a righteous person

1909Nahum Slouschz The Renascence of Hebrew Literature (1743-1885) At that moment the Hasidim with their Oriental fatalism, and their worship of the Zaddik ('Saint'), whom they revered as a wonder-worker, appeared upon the scene and won the Jews of a large part of Poland to their standard.1996Anne RiceServant of the BonesAnd Gregory became a madman. And his brother a holy man, a saint, zaddik.

Labels: Anne Rice, Nahum Slouschz

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