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

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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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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stolid

STAW-luhd

adjective

unemotional; impassive; like a rock

1866Fyodor DostoevskyThe GamblerIn the same way, I saw our General once approach the table in a stolid, important manner.1967Jack HigginsThe Dark Side of the StreetHis partner, O'Brien, a tall, stolid Irishman, loosened the crowbar he was holding with easy strength and straightened, a frown on his face.1979Tom WolfeThe Right Stuff...'carrier suitability tests'—a stolid phrase that covered a multitude of ways for a test pilot to expire.

Labels: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Jack Higgins, Tom Wolfe

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Entry By: CJ Cooney
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