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

mordant

MOR-dent

adjective

caustic and sarcastic; biting; incisive

1897E. W. HornungDead Men Tell No Tales'And now better lid 'im to the nirrest polissstation; or weel you go and tell the poliss yourself?' asked the Portuguese, in the same tone of mordant irony.1908E. M. ForsterA Room With A View'I quite agree,' said Miss Lavish, who had several times tried to interrupt his mordant wit. 'The narrowness and superficiality of the Anglo-Saxon tourist is nothing less than a menace.'1966Jack VanceThe Last CastleWhen aroused his wit was utterly mordant.

Labels: E. M. Forster, E. W. Hornung, Jack Vance

Permalink: mordant
Entry By: CJ Cooney
Smash illiteracy! Email This Word To A Friend:

shibboleth

SHI-buh-leth

noun

a common-place belief; use of a language unique to a particular group; a code word (usually a common place word with a secret meaning) used by members of a group;

1908E. M. ForsterA Room With a ViewLife is easy to chronicle, but bewildering to practice, and we welcome 'nerves' or any other shibboleth that will cloak our personal desire.1918Ian HayThe First Hundred ThousandThe word 'fatigue' is a shibboleth with, the British private. Persuade him that a task is part of his duty as a soldier, and he will perform it with tolerable cheerfulness; but once allow him to regard that task as a 'fatigue,' and he will shirk it whenever possible, and regard himself as a deeply injured individual when called upon to undertake it.1990Bill BrysonThe Mother TongueDialects are sometimes said to be used as a shibboleth.

Labels: Bill Bryson, E. M. Forster, Ian Hay

Permalink: shibboleth
Entry By: CJ Cooney
Smash illiteracy! Email This Word To A Friend:

aesthete

ES-theet

noun

a person who has, or pretends to have, a great sensitivity to things of beauty such as art, music, etc; a person devoted to art and beauty

1907E. M. ForsterThe Longest JourneyHe chatted gaily about it, and about the pleasant thoughts with which it inspired him; he took his friends there; he even took people whom he did not like. 'Procul este, profani!' exclaimed a delighted aesthete on being introduced to it.1956Kakuzo OkakuraThe Book of TeaAgain we stigmatise the untamed aesthete who, regardless of the mundane tragedy, runs riot in the springtide of emancipated emotions, as one 'with too much tea' in him.2000Dean Koontz From the Corner of His EyeCaution discarded, Junior went inside, for the same reason that a dedicated opera aesthete might once a decade attend a country-music concert: to confirm the superiority of his taste and to be amused by what passed for music among the great unwashed.

Labels: Dean Koontz, E. M. Forster, Kakuzo Okakura

Permalink: aesthete
Entry By: CJ Cooney
Smash illiteracy! Email This Word To A Friend:

difficile

dee-fi-SEEL

adjective

stubborn; difficult to imagine

1663Pappity StampoyA Collection of Scottish ProverbsNothing is difficile to a weill willed man1910E. M. ForsterHoward's EndLittle need be premised about Tibby. He was now an intelligent man of sixteen, but dyspeptic and difficile.1999Anthony MinghellaThe Talented Mr. RipleyPETER: I don't know how to translate that. (he tries) E difficile....il signor Ripley....dormiva all'aperto, con un...

Labels: Anthony Minghella, E. M. Forster, Pappity Stampoy

Permalink: difficile
Entry By: CJ Cooney
Smash illiteracy! Email This Word To A Friend:

ARCHIVES
» 2009.01
» 2009.02
» 2009.03
» 2009.04
» 2009.05
» 2009.06
» 2009.07
» 2009.08
» 2009.09
» 2009.10
» 2009.11
» 2009.12
» 2010.01
» 2010.02
» 2010.03
» 2010.04
» 2010.05
» 2010.06
» 2010.07
» 2010.08