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barratry BAR-uh-tree noun repeated frivolous lawsuits; fraud or negligence by a ship's captain 1881Mark TwainThe Prince and the PauperBy advantage taken of one in fault, in dire peril, and at thy mercy, thou hast seized goods worth above thirteenpence ha'penny, paying but a trifle for the same; and this, in the eye of the law, is constructive barratry, misprision of treason, malfeasance in office, ad hominem expurgatis in statu quo—and the penalty is death by the halter, without ransom, commutation, or benefit of clergy.'1937Lennie LowerHere's LuckCriminal assault with intent to murder, wilfully damaging property, false pretences, robbery, arson, barratry—anything. And then there's her brother. You're in a terrible fix.1967Robert A. HeinleinThe Past Through TomorrowThere was still arson, and barratry, whatever that was, and rape. I decided I could avoid rape, but barratry I might manage, if I could find out what it meant.1992John VarleySteel BeachThe correspondent herself breezed into the office around sundown, just back from Whiz-bang...with a good story about bribery and barratry amongst our elected representatives…Labels: John Varley, Lennie Lower, Mark Twain, Robert A. Heinlein
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Hobson's choice HAWB-suhnz CHOIS noun a choice that appears to be made freely, but in reality is dictated by the fact that there is only one option 1883George Bernard ShawAn Unsocial SocialistIf it does not strike you in that light, you can get a factory and raw cotton for yourselves; you shall not use mine.' In other words, they might go to the devil and starve—Hobson's choice!—for all the other factories were owned by men who offered no better terms.1947Robert A. HeinleinDestination MoonBarnes shrugged. 'Hobson’s choice—it has to be Ward.' He named the chief electronics engineer of the project.2003Sam VakninThe Belgian CurtainFeudalism...was a Hobson's choice and an explicit trade-off. Local lords defended their vassals against nomad intrusions in return for perpetual service bordering on slavery.Labels: George Bernard Shaw, Robert A. Heinlein, Sam Vaknin
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syncretistic sing-kruh-TIS-tik adjective the fusion of disparate beliefs into one new belief; to combine disparate things 1915Sir Rabindranath TagoreSongs of KabirIn fifteenth-century Benares the syncretistic tendencies of Bhakti religion had reached full development.1933S. S. Van DineThe Dragon Murder CaseVahagn, the most popular of all the Armenian deities, was known far and wide as the 'dragon-reaper,' and in later syncretistic times he was identified with Heracles.1961Robert A. HeinleinStranger In A Strange LandThat might be where Mike picked it up, since all the forms he uses are openly syncretistic, especially that Earth-Mother ritual.2002Zoë BrânEnduring CubaSantería, 'the worship of saints', a Cuban syncretisation of Spanish Catholicism and Yoruba religion, is a merging of tradition and magic.Labels: Robert A. Heinlein, S. S. Van Dine, Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Zoë Brân
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gonoph GAW-nof noun a thief; a petty criminal; a pickpocket 1901Richard Henry SavageThe Midnight PassengerOh! Any gonoph can see that the man was murdered for the stuff!1950Robert A. HeinleinThe Man Who Sold the MoonOkeh, brother gonoph, I’ll rig your trap.Labels: Richard Henry Savage, Robert A. Heinlein
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ipse dixit IP-see DIK-suht noun an unproved assertion; a dictum 1864Horatio Alger Jr.Frank's Campaign'I move that the meeting adjourn ipse dixit,' said Sam Davis, bringing out the latter phrase with considerable emphasis.1949Robert A. HeinleinRed Planet'There's the key to your charm, Jim,' the doctor said dryly. 'He likes your blood temperature. But ipse dixit keep him with you. I don't think it will hurt him. He may live fifty years instead of a hundred, but he'll have twice as much fun.'1991Dean KoontzStrange Highways...although millions of acts of courage and gratuitous kindness go unreported every day, one of these crusaders nevertheless fills astounding amounts of newspaper space with claims, ipse dixit, that I am the literary Antichrist.Labels: Dean Koontz, Horatio Alger Jr., Robert A. Heinlein
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crèche kraysh noun a collective group in which children are raised; a hospital for orphans 1913A. FournetThe Catholic EncyclopediaThese grants, however, would rarely be sufficient for the support of such houses, hospitals, hospices, homes, crèches, and shelters, were it not for previous endowments or the ingenuity and labour of the religious in charge.1973Robert A. HeinleinTime Enough for LoveJustin, these kids were self-aware and aware of other people-their mothers at least-at an age when a crèche baby is just a doughy blob which says something about why crèches have never worked well. 1995John DalmasThe Lion of FarsideI'm assigning you to duties in the crèche; this will go well with your pregnancy….Labels: A. Fournet, John Dalmas, Robert A. Heinlein
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sui generis soo-ee JE-nuh-ruhs adjective unique; in a class of its own 1976Gore Vidal1876Oh, maybe your first Romans were like us, but I doubt it. No, sir. We are sui generis—of our own kind.1979Tom WolfeThe Right StuffThe seven pilots and their wives thought they had seen every sort of parade there was, but this one was sui generis.1987Robert A. HeinleinTo Sail Beyond the SunsetRandom Numbers may have been the silliest cat I've ever lived with—although all cats are sui generis… Labels: Gore Vidal, Robert A. Heinlein, Tom Wolfe
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abaft a-BAFT adverb towards the stern of the ship 1903Joseph ConradFalkOn these days you could make out that ship at a great distance by the multi-coloured grotesque riot going on abaft her mizzen mast.1939Robert A. HeinleinMisfitHis mate read the exterior dials of the stereoscope. 'Plus point two, abaft one point three, slight drift astern.' He shifted to radar and added, 'Range seven nine oh four three.'1943Curt Siodmak and Ardel WrayI Walked With a ZombieEXT. DECK OF SCHOONER - NIGHT Betsy is seated on the cabin top just abaft of the foremast. She is looking out toward the sea and her expression is ecstatic. She is completely lost in the beauty that she feels, sees and smells.1979Frederick ForsythThe Devil's AlternativeThe ship was heading east-northeast to clear Cape Ince, so that as he shielded his eyes and gazed abaft the beam, the noon sun was almost straight in his face.1998Patrick O'BrianThe Hundred DaysThe breeze is veering again, said the first. It will be abaft the beam directly.Labels: Curt Siodmak and Ardel Wray, Frederick Forsyth, Joseph Conrad, Patrick O'Brian, Robert A. Heinlein
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