Puzzles, posts, news and general word-chat.
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APHANTASIA [ay-FAN-tay-zhe-ya] - condition where you lack a mind's eye - so to speak; cognitive inability to summon images [From Greek, a- (not), plus phantasia -perception, impression.] 'Picture this' - as a phrase - serves as taunt to a listener living with aphantasia
KUBOTAN - a self-defense keychain weapon - some 14cms in length - developed by US-Japanese karate master, Soke Kubota in the late 1960s. [Trademark after inventor] A mini-version of karate's hashi stick, the kubotan is ideal in striking an assailant's pressure points.
MELDROP - pendant drop of mucus hanging from a nostril; wavering droplet clinging to a tap or icicle [Scottish via Old Icelandic mel - horse's bit + drop] Hankie-dabbing guards against the dreaded meldrop.
WISHCYCLE - to dump an item within a recycle bin in the vague hope it will be repurposed [Portmanteau of wishful-recycle] To dispose a styrofoam coffee cup in a green-lid bin is to wishcycle.
JOUISSANCE [jhwee-SOnCE] - physical, sexual or intellectual pleasure; transgressive delight [From Old French, equivalent to jouiss-, stem of jouir, to enjoy] Lurking on the Twitter edges as a petty flame war erupts can spark its own jouissance.
GOAF - remnant cavity within a mine as a result of the principal ore being extracted ; a gob. [Origin unknown] Subterranean dwellings in Coober Pedy use each goaf as a potential shelf.
SNEAKERNET - means of transferring data from one computer to another via a memory stick - or some other external storage tool - and carrying it from A to B, rather than relying on an electronic network [Early 2000s IT slang referring to a coder's footwear] As cybercriminals sharpen their methods, sneakernet is returning as a wiser option
KURGAN - circular mound built over a grave on the Russian steppes, the mound typically containing amulets, weapons, horse skeletons and a single body. [From Russian via Turkic, korgan - fortress] The kurgan craze of prehistoric Russia spread across northern Europe during the third millennium BC.
HANS Device - type of head restraint used by motorsport drivers to minimise serious skull and neck injuries [HANS - acronym for Head And Neck Support] The HANS device emerged out of F1 design due to the sharp rise in fatal basilar skull fractures.
CHARIENTISM [karr-ee-EN-tizz-uhm] - softening bad news with humour; disguising an insult within friendly banter [From Greek rhetoric, kharientismós] Delivering sharp blows with velvet gloves is the epitome of charientism.
PRESBYCUSIS -age-related hearing loss [From Greek presbus - elder, plus akousis, hearing] Presbycusis typically sees elder patients lose their capacity to perceive, or distinguish, high-pitched tones
AVGOLEMONO [av-goal-LEM-ehn-oh] - family of Greek soup and sauces based on a blend of egg and lemon [Literally egg-lemon] Popular in Jewish cuisine as well, avgolemono is divine when drizzled over artichokes.
SHUBUNKIN - a Japanese goldfish with black spots and scarlet patches [From Japanese shu - vermilion, + bun (portion) + kin - gold] Less coy then koi, the shubunkin is a Zen pond staple.
BALISONG - a folding pocket knife with two counter-rotating handles that serve to conceal the blade within their grooves [Tagalong phrase 'baling sungay' - or 'broken horn' as the original balisong were carved from horn]
SHAWABTI - a figurine placed in an ancient egyptian tomb to serve as a slave for the soul in the afterlife. [From Egyptian šw'bt(y) - answerer] Egyptian faith in the afterlife extended to the enforced labour of a carven shawabti.
FINIFUGAL - having a dread of conclusions [Coined by English writer Lionel Tollemache, after two Latin words: finis - end, and fugio - to flee] Modern directors seem finifugal, judging by their film's marathon durations.
TABIYA [tah-BEE-ah] - common configuration of pieces within a chess game's early phase, from which moves can then begin to enter less standardised territory [From Arabic - arrangement] A chess game only truly begins in the phase lying beyond the tabiya.
GUAYABERA [guy-ah-BEAR-ah] - light, open-necked shirt with short sleeves commonly worn by Carribean men [American Spanish] A Guyana guy can't bear a humid summer without his guaybera.
KRASNOZEM - rich red loam, comprising porous soil and high clay content; also known as ferrosol [From Russian literally 'red land] Many of Tasmania's northern and eastern croplands depend on wide swathes of krasnozem.
PAILLARD [PAY-lyarh] - slice of meat (usually beef or veal) that's pounded and grilled. [From Paillard, late 19th century French restaurateur] The paillard is better known as an escalope in Paris, or a pulverised patty in Pascoe Vale.
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