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PSITHURISM [SITH-uh-rizz-em] - the murmur of rustling leaves as wind passes through trees. [From Greek - psithúrisma, via psithurízō, “I whisper”, where psíthuros means whispering, or slanderous] Winter woodlands are alive with psithurism.
SKINTLE - to stack bricks with air spaces to allow for ventilation; arrange bricks so that they jut from the wall's surface [Origin unknown] Brick-makers will skintle newly moulded bricks for quicker drying.
PHILOPENA - nut with a double kernel; old English parlour ritual where the finder of such a nut would offer the spare kernel to another for a kiss or favour. [Origins unclear, but likely a French corruption of Vielliebchen - 'valentine' - in German.] If you miss your chance stealing a 'mistetoe kiss', then try a philopena peck.
DUNSEL - nautical slang for any part - or crew member - of a vessel that is superfluous or unnecessary; a captain of no authority [Blend of dunnage - scrap material - and -sel, as diminutive.] In 2000, as a surplus crewmate on Leroy Brown, writing a sports feature on the Sydney-Hobart, yours truly was a dunsel.
NYCTOGRAPH [NICK-to-graff] - rectangular stencil of hollows designed by Lewis Carroll to enable night-writing without a light source [From Greek nyctos - night + graph] To avoid needing a bedside lamp, a nyctograph allows you to notate dreams or mid-sleep brainwaves.
REMPLISSAGE - padding used in music or writing [From French remplir, to fill up] Good composition, be that musical or lyrical, avoids the line-larding excess of remplissage.
SCHLIMAZEL - chronically unlucky person; a jinx [From Yiddish via Middle High German slim ('crooked') + Hebrew, mazzal: luck] No schlimazel is welcome at the high-rollers' backgammon table.
CHARETTE [shuh-RET] - a burst of intensive work over a short period in order to meet a deadline. [Linked to French charrette - or cart, as used to transport drawings of last-minute architecture students.]
SHEPARDISE - to check if a legal case has been overturned, questioned, or cited by later cases. [After Frank Shepard, sales rep for a Chicago publisher who initiated the reference series, Shepard's Citations in 1873.] For a lawyer to mount an argument based on an earlier verdict, they must shepardise that outcome to determine whether the decision remains 'good law'.
BLETONISM - the alleged ability to locate underground water reserves [Reputedly from a Frenchman (named Bleton) who practised this art] Bent coathanger or none, a water divniner (or dowser) claims to possess the power of bletonism
INCIDENTALOMA - medical serendipity, where a lesion perhaps is discovered in the course of seeing a doctor for an unrelated reason. [Neologism blending incidental with oncological suffix -oma] Say you see you GP due to a swooping magpie's gash, only for you doctor to find a separate lump wanting scrutiny.
FLUMEN - a homeowner's right to direct excess rain water to neighbour's yard. [From Latin, literally stream] Pity the council wonks responsible for determining what amount of water qualifies as an 'excess' to enable flumen to apply.
OKTA - one eighth of the sky, used as a measure of cloudiness. [From Greek, eight] Thick clouds may occupy six to seven oktas, if not the last okta too.
CHINAMPA - a floating artifical island in a shallow lake, typically in Central America, where crops can be grown. [Borrowed from Nahuatl chināmitl “cane fence” + pan (“on”).] An intriguing precedent of hydroponics, the chinampa avoided any call for irrigation
PARGET [par-DZHAY] - plaster-gypsum mix; to cover with stucco. [From French parjeter - to throw about, via Latin jeter - to throw] Ornamental fireplaces may boast the rustic roughcast form of a parget coat.
ROCAMBOLESQUE - fabulous; implausible [Derived from Rocambole, the adventurous hero of French author's Pierre Alexis Ponson du Terrail's series, 1857-70] Should you know an enterprising orphan of ample derring-do, then feel free to call them rocambolesque.
TOUCH GRASS - to spend time off-line in order to reconnect with nature; to observe a digital detox [Gen-Z slang, akin to 'smell the roses'] As chronic webizens, everyone should devote an hour, if not a week, to touch grass.
BLIVET - an unspecified doodad; anything overfull; program with a messy source code; geologist's hammer; tank containing refrigerant [Slang term emerging from US soldiers in WW2 - derivation unknown.] Aptly, this week's set of multiple meanings qualifies this WoW box as a blivet.
ULLAGE - space within a wine bottle from liquid to cork, or screwtop. [From French, ullier - to fill a cask partway, via Old French, oel - or eye.] Bar patrons pay premium prices to reduce the ullage in their house-wine orders.
MANEKI-NEKO - feline icon of Japanese culture, beckoning onlookers in order to bestow good fortune. [Lit. 'beckoning cat'] Next time you meet such a talisman, try saying "maneki-neko" rather than the mundane ''lucky cat" to ensure good fortune.
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