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

a dictionary of words and phrases on the verge of extinction — updated daily — for the word obsessed!

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the death of fissiparous and other words

A dictionary in progress by CJ Cooney.

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I'm CJ Cooney, a writer on communication, ideas, culture and history. This blog is a chronicle of my adventures in lexicography.

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Visit me at cjcooney.org.

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If reading were a sin, the average person today would be a saint. And this dictionary in progress would be blasphemy. More...

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nostrum
sub rosa

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REFERENCEER
REF-ren-sear. Noun. 1. Anyone who enjoys reading or browsing dictionaries, thesauri, encyclopedias, and other sundry reference materials. 2. A publisher of reference material. 3. CJ's book blog adventure.

nostrum

NOS-truhm

noun

a panacea; a cure-all remedy; a secret recipe for medicine; snake-oil

1912G. K. ChestertonManaliveI must say that for a clergyman to countenance, even in jest, such discredited nostrums of dissipated demagogues as Socialism or Radicalism partakes of the character of the betrayal of a sacred trust.1982Frank HerbertThe White Plague...he dosed himself not only with specifics to which his medical standing gave him access but also with nostrums…2000Robert Ludlum and Galye LyndsThe Hades FactorIn Iraq, life for most people was basic, and this doctor, whose work had been published widely, who once had traveled the globe to address pediatric conferences, was reduced to nostrums and yogurt.

Labels: Frank Herbert, G. K. Chesterton, Galye Lynds, Robert Ludlum

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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sub rosa

suhb RO-zuh

adverb

in confidence; secretly; covertly

1927Sinclair LewisElmer GantryWhatever worldly expressions he might use in sub rosa conversations with the less sanctified theological students…1962Alistair MacLeanSatan BugYou will remember that there was nothing sub rosa about Gregori's arrival in this country…2000Robert Ludlum and Galye LyndsThe Hades FactorFrom the great shuttered embassy, they handled passport questions, reported on local media, and occasionally passed sub-rosa messages between Washington and Baghdad.

Labels: Alistair MacLean, Galye Lynds, Robert Ludlum, Sinclair Lewis

Permalink: sub rosa
Entry By: CJ Cooney
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