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

dilatory

DIL-uh-tor-ee

adjective

procrastinating; slow; loitering; intending to miss a deadline; time wasting

1871Sir Henry M. StanleyHow I Found LivingstoneThe soldiers' point of character leaked out just a little. Bombay turned out to be honest and trusty, but slightly disposed to be dilatory.1880G. A. HentyThe Young BurglersAn energetic man, who, at the head of a handful, had performed some daring feats, would find himself a week afterwards the leader of many hundreds, while a chief who was slow and dilatory would find his band melt away like snow in summer.1964Brian AldissGreybeardNorsgrey beat at his reindeer with a stick, goading it into a less dilatory walk.1970Harry HarrisonThe Stainless Steel Rat's RevengeIf there were an investigation it would be dilatory…

Labels: Brian Aldiss, G. A. Henty, Harry Harrison, Sir Henry M. Stanley

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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wittol

WI-tuhl

noun

a stupid person; a cuckolded man

1866Charles KingsleyHereward: The Last of the EnglishGospatrick! the wittol! the woodcock! looking at the springe, and then coolly putting his head therein.1896William MorrisThe Well at the World's EndBy St. Nicholas! it were a good deed, once we are past the mountains again, to ride to Utterbol and drag that swine and wittol from his hall and slay him, and give his folk a good day.1993Harry HarrisonThe Hammer and the CrossNow what was the wittol staring at?

Labels: Charles Kingsley, Harry Harrison, William Morris

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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anthropophagus

an-thruh-PAW-fuh-guhs

noun

one who consumes human flesh; a cannibal

1859Oliver Wendell HolmesThe Professor at the Breakfast TableI have been worried to know whether this was owing to some innate depravity of disposition on my part, some malignant torturing instinct, which, under different circumstances, might have made a Fijian anthropophagus of me, or to some law of thought for which I was not answerable.1965Harry HarrisonBill: The Galactic HeroFine sentry, an anthropophagus from Dapdrof, eat you in an instant if you don't give the right password for the day.

Labels: Harry Harrison, Oliver Wendell Holmes

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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hortatory

HORT-uh-tor-ee

adjective

inciting or strong urging; characterized by exhortation; very strong encouragement

1969Hermann HesseMagister Ludi, The Glass Bead GameHe admired the man's passion and fighting spirit, his wit, his hortatory style, his good looks and fine speech.1996Harry HarrisonThe Stainless Steel Rat Goes To HellAll mouths mute as I raised the bottle and drank in dramatic silence. Then raised a hortatory finger.2001Stephen KingDreamcatcherHe didn't sing this but declaimed it in a loud, hortatory voice he hadn't realized was in his repertoire.

Labels: Harry Harrison, Hermann Hesse, Stephen King

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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