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SCORIGAMI - unique scoreline in a competition's history. [Statistical concept devised by NFL fan and amateur historian, Jon Bois.] As field goals dominate golden-point contests in NRL, the scorigami is proliferating.
MISHPOCHA [mish-PAH-hah] - one's extended family; the entire clan via blood and marriage [Hebrew for clan] Passover in the Jewish faith often entails the extended mishpocha around one extended table.
OBREPTION - the act of obtaining something via falsehood [From Latin obreptere - to creep up on] A close cousin of obreption is subreption, being the act of attaining advantage via the concealment of facts.
DANGER NOODLE - child-like nickname for a venomous snake. [Macquarie Dictionary also lists 'murder noodle' as a synonym] Just as the taipan is a danger noodle, so is the elephant a hose-nose.
FIANCHETTO [FEE-ahn-KAIR-toh] - (chess) the development of a bishop in an opening move to the square in front of the knight's original position; to promote the bishop in this manner. [From Italian, a diminutive of fianco, or flank] Grandmasters never forget to consider a fianchetto.
VIFF - (of aircraft) to change direction by switching the direction of an engine's thrust; the consequent swerve [Acronym of Vectoring In Forward Flight] Maverick, or any top-gun pilot, would never execute a skew-whiff viff.
PANENKA - a penalty kick in soccer where the kicker spoons the ball into the goal's centre, annulling the keeper's lateral dive either way. [Named after Czech player Antonin Panenka who beat West German keeper Sepp Maier in the 1976 UEFA Euro Final using such a method.] Brazilian players known the panenka as la cavadinha - or little dig.
EDGELORD - [social media] one who tries to seem radical, or thrives on controversy and provocation for their own sake. [2020s web-slang] A derailer of rational discussion, the edgelord is also dubbed a douchelord or memelord. (Artwork Nina Paley)
KENDAMA - a Japanese skill-toy, comprising a handle (ken), two cups (sarado), and a ball (tama) that's linked by a string. [Literally handle-ball, or sword-ball] Surf YouTube using kendama as keyword, and you'll soon see how your yoyo prowess verges on feckless.
TABLILLA [tab-LIL-ya] - torture technique of mediaeval Spain involving the slow squeezing of a rack victim's toes and fingers. [From Spanish - tabla, table] Dealing with mygov can seem akin to tortuous and torturous tablilla.
CASSONADE - unrefined sugar [From French, caisson, a large chest, as raw sugar was historically imported in big Brazilian chests] "Cassonade in your demitasse, madamoiselle?"
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.
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Care to renew your noodle? Rewording The Brain explores the latest neural studies, seeing how puzzles (and twisty clues) boost your neurons. Part 2 helps you crack such clues, and prep the grey matter for the crossword showcase to finish. More here
read more +From Ambidextrous to Zugwang, this mini-dictionary teems with rare or alluring words, plus bonus riddles, puzzles and fun word-facts. Dictionary detective will also nab the collection's three fakes. Ideal for late primary schoolers, or word-nuts in general.
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