WoW: Vespertilian
VESPERTILIAN - bat-like [From Latin, vespertilio, meaning bat, via vesper - or evening] When fighting crime, Bruce Wayne turns vespertilian.
WoW: Oropesa
OROPESA - a torpedo-like body, towed by a minesweeper, in order to keep the sweeping cable at determined depth and position relative to the vessel [Named after British steam trawler on which it was developed, HMS Oropesa]
WoW: Shrekking
SHREKKING - dating someone of lesser style or looks in order to gain the relationship's upper hand, or earn greater care and atterntion [Modern slang from Princess Fiona befriending Shrek the ogre] Another name for shrekking is 'dating down'.
WoW: Racahout
RACAHOUT [rack-a-HOOT] - north African dessert similar to chocolate, prepared as either a drink or meal, blending roasted acorns, sugar and cocoa [From French via Arabic raqut - oak] Noshing in Khartoum, you can have racahout with fruit.
WoW: Birl
BIRL - to ply your guests with alcohol [From Old English byrelian; related to byrele cup-bearer] Continuous toasts by the milestone birthday-host can be a ploy to birl.
Wow: Montaria
MONTARIA - one-log canoe of Brazil [From Portuguese montar - to mount or ride] Adroit Amazonians can bang up a river-ready montaria across a long Monday.
WoW: Powin
POWIN - peacock symbol used in heraldry [From Middle French poun via Latin pavo - peacock]
WoW: Swazzle
SWAZZLE [rhymes with 'nozzle'] a voice distorter used among puppeteers [From German schwätzen" - to chatter] The classic swazzle entails two curved metal plates around a cotton reed, and bound by thread.
WoW: Trapunto
TRAPUNTO - style of quilt with padded (or partly padded) surface [From Italian trapungere to embroider, via Latin pungere to prick] If not warmer, the trapunto quilt is certainly more stylish in profile.
WoW: Ristra
RISTRA - string of dried chillis often used as decoration [Old Spanish riestra (or riesta), linked to Latin's restis - rope.] No Mexican restaurant worth its chicken salt would lack a ristra.
WoW: Marrickville pause
MARRICKVILLE PAUSE - the enforced lull in a Marrickville local's talk to wait for a low-flying plane to pass [Modern Sydney coinage] The 1994 arrival of Sydney Airport's third runway has increase the need for the Marrickville pause.
WoW: Croze
CROZE - barrel's groove near either end of a stave in which the barrelhead is placed [From Middle French crues cavity; akin to Old Provençal croza cave] A qualified cooper could chisel a croze in their sleep.
WoW: Kalamdan
KALAMDAN - ornate pen box [From Persian qalam - pen - plus dan, container] Your zip-up pencil case of primary school is a Koran scholar's kalamdan.
WoW: Ground mail
GROUND MAIL - burial fee [From Old English grund + Old English māl - agreement, pay] If death and taxes are certain, then so too is ground mail - the cost of dying.
WoW: Periplus
PERIPLUS - literary description or account of an epic voyage. [Latin via Greek periplous circumnavigation, account of a coasting voyage, where periplein to sail around, from peri- + plein to sail] Homer's Odyssey is the ultimate periplus.
WoW: Fabliau
FABLIAU [FAB-lee-oh] - ribald poem or tale, popular in France during the 1200s. [Literally 'a little fable'] Eskimo Nell, or most limericks, are in the fabliau tradition.
WoW: Gralloch
GRALLOCH - deer guts, removed by hunters or butchers to preserve the carcase [From Scottish Gaelic grealach intestines] A stag's insides - or gralloch - need removing before the beast is basted.
WoW: Visnomy
VISNOMY - judging a person's character and/or future by their facial features. [From Greek - physis, or nature, plus gnōmōn, meaning judge] Visnomy is a pseudo-scientific tangent of the equally iffy phrenology.
WoW: Jazerant
JAZERANT - a defensive coat comprising armour plating sewn into linen [From Arabic via French jazā’irī, which means "of Algiers"] Popular in Turkey in the 1100s, the jazerant allowed soldiers greater mobility during battles.
WoW: Delope
DELOPE - to fire a gun into the air in order to end a duel. [From French deloper - to throw away] To delope is viewed as a noble desire to preserve your opponent's life.
Recent Comments