Wednesday, September 29, 2010

Word overload

I apologize in advance for this post, but I have just got to get rid of all these little pieces of paper I'm carrying around.  Today we will tackle the list of words from the book "Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie" by Alan Bradley.  Yes, the whole list.  Usually we have just one word a week, this time we have just one list.  In  defense of my intellect, many of the new words were British vernacular, so I can't be expected to know them.  Just for fun, here is an example of one sentence that I think illustrates how we arrived at a list like this one from one book. 
She is stuck in her enervating slumbers, from the hesternal dissipation or debauch, Daffy said.  (pg. 192)
See what I'm talking about?  One short little sentence, 2 big new words. 
Here we go.  I'm only giving the definition, you'll have to read the words in context when you read the book.  :) 

pustulantly: causing the formation of pustules
purloined: to take dishonestly, steal, filch, pilfer
factotum: a person, as a handyman or servant, employed to do all kinds of work around the house
pilatelic: having to do with stamp collecting
patronymic: a surname
caddish: dishonorable or ungentlemanly
novena: a devotion consisting of nine separate days of prayers or services.
absconded: to depart in a sudden and secret manner, especially to avoid capture
skite: a joke or prank
slattern: a slovenly untidy woman or girl
garrulous: excessively talking in a wordy roundabout manner
sobriquet: a nickname
overweening: presumptously conceited, proud
canopic: pertaining to Canopous - a port in ancient Egypt east of Alexandria where granite monuments have been found inscribed with the name of Rameses II and written in languages similar to those of the Rosetta stone
dyspeptically:  gloomy, pessimistic, irritable
ormolu: an alloy of copper and zinc used to imitate gold
histernal: pertaining to yesterday
debauch: an uninhibited spree or party
mendacious: dishonest or untruthful
netsuke: a Japanese toggle or button
rugger: rugby - the sport
ebullience - high spirits, exhilaration, exuberance
churlish: mean, boorish, rude
prestidigitation: sleight of hand
cogitate: to think hard, ponder, meditate
boulevardier: a fashionable man
mullions: the vertical column between the lights of a window

So, how many did you know?  Leave a number in the comments if you want.  I love knowing I have smart friends.  Obviously my number was 0.  Happy Wednesday!  I fly home today.  Au revoir Québec.

6 comments:

Nancy said...

Sorry I'm not the smart friend. Only word I knew was cogitate.

Granny said...

11

mskaz said...

9.

Jacq, I don't believe you knew 0! Seriously you must have known some and forgot. You are one of the most well-read people I know!

I think I knew some of these due to having a British mother.

Harmony said...

8, more or less

Anonymous said...

I only knew 1 word.

Anonymous said...

11 but i've read a lot of british, irish, scottish literature.