I thought, this being a Word Distillery and all, that it might be fun, if not educational, for us to post a new word every day. It would be interesting to see what is posted. I seem to learn a new word or two every time I read something here. Hopefully there will be particpation beyond me but maybe not.

Ratiocination ~ methodical, logical reasoning.

Example: Ratiocination is a necessary skill for lawyers with complex cases (so is lying with a straight face but that's a whole 'nother thread... )

pulchritudinous ~ Characterized by or having great physical beauty and appeal.

Elephant Hawk Moth ~ it's just a moth. But O, I love the name!

It's pretty too:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elephant_hawk_moth

haboob ~ A violent sandstorm, as in the Sudan or SW United States.

oops...was I supposed to post only one a day? Well..this one is tomorrow's then!

anthropogenic ~ caused or produced by humans.

Most of the cardon dioxide pollution is resultant of anthropogenic actions -- but, then again, so is most reading and writing (but, from what I've seen, not all of it... )

defenestration ~ the act of chucking someone or something out of the window.

With St. Patrick's Day approaching:

colcannon ~ An Irish dish made of potatoes and greens, esp. cabbage, boiled together and mashed

Quarks ~ Quarks are fundamental matter particles that are constituents of neutrons and protons and other hadrons. There are six different types of quarks. Each quark type is called a flavor. Those flavors are: up, down, charm, strange, top, and of course, bottom.


Éirinn go Brách

pataphysics ~~ the science that deals with the laws which govern exceptions and will explain the universe supplementary to this one.

In pataphysics, every event in the universe is accepted as an extraordinary event. [Wiki]

magniloquent ~ speaking in or characterized by a high-flown often bombastic style or manner

Bacchanalian ~ drunkenly festive.

On St. Patrick's Day, green beer and good friends tend to make for bacchanalian gatherings.

Necromancy ~ conjuration of the spirits of the dead for purposes of magically revealing the future or influencing the course of events.

ragtag and bobtail ~ riffraff

I know these are fairly ordinary words. But I simply like them, for their sound and flavour.

(It doesn't have to be educational, does it? I mean, curiosity-kind of words, or just favourite words, are okay too?)

Favourites are fine...like:

Slalom ~ to zigzag between obstacles

lapis lazuli ~ a semiprecious stone that is usually rich azure blue and is essentially a complex silicate often with spangles of iron pyrites (fool's gold) -- called also lapis

Water-Break-Its-Neck ~ the spectacular name of an equally spectacular waterfall in Powys, Wales.

http://cistercian-way.newport.ac.uk/place.asp?PlaceID=328

Some place-names really rock!

gegenschein ~ a faint light about 20° across on the celestial sphere opposite the sun probably caused by backscatter of sunlight by solar-system dust

Pronunciation: 'gA-g&n-"shīn
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: German, from gegen against, counter- + Schein shine

Snakestone



In medieval Europe, fossilised ammonites were thought to be petrified snakes, and were called "snakestones". They were taken to be evidence for the actions of saints such as St Hilda and St Patrick. Traders would occasionally carve the face of a snake into the empty, wide end of the ammonite fossil and sell them to the public. [Wiki]

*
Thyme, turmeric, tarragon,
cloves and ginger, cinnamon!
cumin, chives and coriander,
curiosity, chervil, cardamom,
mint ... marjoram ...
NUTtttmeg !
garlic arlic rlic lic ic c ~
and liccccc-orice.
Parsnip, parsnip, parsnip.


Oops. Gee. Got myself carried away, lost my sense of direction in the Spice Islands. I'm all too easily crazed by words.
Sorry about that. I'll try to control myself better next time.

Honestly, I meant to mention only tarragon, it's such a delicious word.
First time I came upon it I thought it was a jewel or at the very least some kind of mineral.

Awright, Jane. All that spice is a little much for a family-oriented site. Hehhehheh...

whippersnapper ~ A word indicating love and fondness usually assigned to their grand kids by grandparents and often preceded by the word 'young' (my definition).

"Come here and sit down to dinner you young whippersnapper!"