Xenoepist

Xenoepist

A common recourse for the racist is to disguise ugly sentiments with flowery words. Xenoepist, meaning one who speaks with a foreign accent, should, therefore be in every xenophobe’s vocabulary. For the racist, a xenoepist is a verbal barbarian (in the Greek sense of the word, of course) who is probably taking our jobs or women. For the rest of us, the word describes guests of the nation who enrich an adopted language with the sounds and flavours of their mother tongue. Etymology: from the Greek: Xeno (Foreign, alien, or guest).

“Eusebius de Montpassant cut an exotic swathe through the parlours and salons of polite society. The dapper xenoepist delighted hangers-on with his tall levantine tales and oriental misadventures.’”

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Mithridatism

Mithridatism: Uncommon Parlance

Mithridatism is a word that presents a landscape of lilting consonants. From it’s bilabial nasal opening, the voiceless dental frictive rolls into a hard dental, before nestling itself in a soft ‘ism’. It refers to immunity to poison, acquired by continued exposure to non-lethal doses. Etymology: King Mithridates VI of Pontus outfoxed assassins by ingesting small doses of poison. The plan backfired when he tried to top himself with poison, but failed and had to rely on a mercenary to do him in.

“Doctor Sewell paled as a smile bent Mordecai’s thin lips. ‘Your mithridatism will not save you now’, Mordecai said, ‘I switched the hemlock for arsenic.’”

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Twichild

Twice a child

Senility is such a dull word compared with its lyrical synonym twichild (or twychild) which literally means second childhood. Poet (and former Irish Attorney General) John Davies noted in 1612’s Muse’s Sacrifice: “Man growne twychild is at door of death.” Etymology: English abbreviation of ‘Twice a child’, often pronounced ‘Twichel’.

“Despite his nocturnal ramblings, the staff all agreed that Douglas was a placid, good-natured twichild. His simple delight was infectious and he bestowed his smiles on all.”

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Callipygian

Nice Buns

Consider using Callipygian when admiring the shapely buttocks of a preceding body. It is the up-market synonym for “nice buns”. Etymology: from the Greek: Kalli (beautiful) + Pugos (buttocks).

“He watched the magnetic swing of her hips as she walked; a bobbing peach, swaying hams, a callipygian feast.”

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Lamprophyny

Lamprophony_sml_2

Lamprophyny is the aesthete’s alternative to loud. Booming orators can call on Lamprophynous speech to drown the opposition in volume. From the Ancient Greek: lamprós (clear or distinct) + phōnos (sound).

“Lord Havelock dominated the delegation; the only rational response to these foreigners, he held, was disdain and lamprophyny.”

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Tyrotoxism

Tyrotoxism2

Why say “I think that cheese was off”, when you can say: “I think I have a touch of tyrotoxism.” Tyrotoxism is food poisoning caused by cheese. From the Ancient Greek: tyri (cheese) + toxikon (poison).

“The next morning the guests were in agreement – the cheeseboard was to blame, and the malodorous brie, in particular was singled out as the source of the tyrotoxism.”

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Megalodactylous

Megalodactylous_sml1

Why say long-fingered when megalodactylous can be a part of your vocabulary? And if you’re feeling flowery, why not use “megalodactylise” as a term for putting things on the long finger. From the Ancient Greek: megalo (great or exaggerated) + daktulos (finger).

“I say, that megalodactylous fellow has picked your pocket; from all the way over there!”

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Oxter

Oxters_sml2

Oxter is a Dublin-ism, or anachronistic north of England term for armpits. There’s owt wrong with using oxter when you can. From the Old English: ōxta (axis).

“Her oxters emitted a faint whiff of the orient; tumeric, cumin and garam masala.”

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Borborygmus

Borborygmous_sml2

This mournful tuba-tune of a word holds a scatological meaning. Borborygmus is the clunky, sometimes uncomfortable sensation in your innards before you need to evacuate. From the Greek βορβορυγμός.

“His borborygmus sounded low and ominous, like distant thunder rolling in off the plains.”

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