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tocsin TAWK-sin noun an alarm; a warning 1881James Macpherson Le Moine Picturesque Quebec Champlain, in his deposition, sworn to, on the 9th Nov. 1629, in London, before the Right Worshipful Sir Henry Martin, Knight, Judge of the High Court of Admiralty, describes minutely, the armament and belongings of Fort St. Louis, on the 9th August 1629, when he surrendered it to the Kirkes: cannon such as they were, and ammunition he seems to have had in abundance, without forgetting what he styles 'the murderers with their double boxes or charges,' a not excessively deadly kind of mitrailleuse or Gatling gun, we should imagine; the Fort also contained a smith's forge, carpenter's tools, machinery for a windmill, and a handmill to grind corn, a brass bell—probably to sound the tocsin, or alarm, at the approach of the marauding savages of Stadacona, the array of muskets—(thirteen complete)—is not formidable.1919Frank L. PackardThe Further Adventures of Jimmie DaleThe Tocsin! Marie LaSalle to the world, she was always, and always would be, the Tocsin to him. Gone ! A hand unclenched and passed heavily across his eyes and flirted the hair back from his forehead.2004Sam VakninThe Suffering of Being KafkaMy grandmother fixated Dinah with a tocsin look.Labels: Frank L. Packard, James Macpherson Le Moine, Sam Vaknin
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koiné koi-NAY noun the common dialect of ancient Greece; a common dialect that is adopted by a larger region 1921Edward SapirLanguage: An Introduction to the Study of SpeechAs the cultural supremacy of Athens grew, its dialect, the Attic, spread at the expense of the rest, until, in the so-called Hellenistic period following the Macedonian conquest, the Attic dialect, in the vulgarized form known as the 'Koine,' became the standard speech of all Greece.1965James A. MichenerThe Source...for the next seven hundred years everyone from Sparta to India experienced Greek culture and most spoke the Koine, a Greek dialect common to all countries…2003Sam VakninThe First Book of FactoidsThe Bible contains words in Hebrew, Aramaic and Koine Greek.Labels: Edward Sapir, James A. Michener, Sam Vaknin
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dysphoria dis-FOR-ee-uh noun a state of uneasiness; a fidgety state; a state of mild depression 1988Diane CareyGhost Ship (Star Trek The Next Generation)Clinically I would call it a kind of dysphoria.2003Sam VakninMoral Deliberations in Modern CinemaThus, we are subtly introduced to the two over-riding themes of the antisocial personality disorder (still labelled by many professional authorities 'psychopathy' and 'sociopathy'): an overwhelming dysphoria and an even more overweening drive to assuage this angst by belonging.Labels: Diane Carey, Sam Vaknin
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anhedonic an-HEE-daw-nik adjective a psychosis characterized by the inability to experience pleasure in pleasurable things 1998Diane CareySacrifice of Angels (Star Trek Deep Space Nine: The Dominion War, Book 4)'Tell me, Weyoun, have you ever been diagnosed as anhedonic?' | Weyoun's black eyes hardened. 'You think I'm incapable of joy just because I'm being cautious?2004Sam VakninCyclopedia of PhilosophyThe Borderline Personality Disordered...sulk, feel anhedonic or pathologically bored, drink or do drugs—all forms of self-directed aggression. Labels: Diane Carey, Sam Vaknin
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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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dirigiste dee-ree-zheest adjective a centrally planned economy; opposite of the market economy 2004Sam VakninCyclopedia of EconomicsThe employed wish to defend their monopoly and form 'labour cartels'. This is especially true in dirigiste Europe.2004Martin KettleThe Guardian (Tuesday November 23, 2004)It is an absolutely essential challenge to the dirigiste, public-sector culture…Labels: Martin Kettle, Sam Vaknin
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