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brutum fulmen
vicissitude

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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.

brutum fulmen
broo-tuhm FUHL-men
noun
a toothless threat; a futile display
1908H. E. KrehbielChapters of OperaIn the picture of a storm which opens the opera the manipulator of the artificial lightning is not left to his discretion as to the proper moment for discharging his brutum fulmen;1909William JamesThe Meaning of TruthThe 'ought' would be a brutum fulmen unless there were a felt grain inside of our experience that conspired.1912Samuel ButlerThe Note-Books of Samuel ButlerWhile he is shaking his wings, there is brutum fulmen but the man goes on living, frightened, perhaps, but unhurt; pain and sickness may hurt him but the moment Death strikes him both he and Death are beyond feeling.1922Rafael SabatiniCaptain BloodIt was a brutum fulmen that inspired no terrors in Captain Blood.

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vicissitude
vuh-SI-suh-tyood
noun
a change in a person's circumstances; a burden associated with a way of life; change in social affairs or social status
1902Harold MacGrathThe Puppet CrownHe cast a pebble into the lake, and watched the ripples roll away and disappear, and ruminated on a life full of color and vicissitude.1907William JamesPragmatismI am willing to think that the prodigal-son attitude, open to us as it is in many vicissitudes, is not the right and final attitude towards the whole of life.1911Vaughan KesterThe Prodigal JudgeHe was deeply absorbed in Hannibal's account of those vicissitudes which had befallen him during their separation.

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