Seldom-used words - M to A

AllardChardon

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Hello, everyone. I am starting my backwards thread, again, and I do hope I make it all the way to A without any more interruptions. Thank you, Harold, for rescuing it, during my absence.

I will begin with this word, because it is at the end of the Ms, but also leads to many other interesting seldom-used words.

mythos - noun 1.a. MYTH b. MYTHOLOGY 2. a pattern of beliefs expressing often symbolically the characteristic or prevalent attitudes in a group or culture 3. THEME, PLOT
 
Ok, I'll be my only poster for a while, I don't mind.

I know there have been others like J.R.R. Tolkien, but George R.R. Martin also fills this bill;

mythopoeia - noun a creating of myth: a giving rise to myths
 
Forgive me please, oh mistress of the words, but I think you've been a little sparse in the definition: My Oxford says thus:-

mythos = MYTH
1; a body of myths. literary.
2 A traditional or recurrent narrative theme or pattern; a standard plot in literature.

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Excerpted from Oxford Talking Dictionary
Copyright © 1998 The Learning Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

 
Forgive me please, oh mistress of the words, but I think you've been a little sparse in the definition: My Oxford says thus:-

mythos = MYTH
1; a body of myths. literary.
2 A traditional or recurrent narrative theme or pattern; a standard plot in literature.

I agree. There is the Greek mythos, the Roman/Latin mythos, and the Norse mythos. The first two overlap in places.
 
Truly, gentlemen, I could invest in a better dictionary, but then you would not need to correct and or add to my meager definitions, which is much more fun, overall. Thanks for joining me over here.

mythomania - noun an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating
 
Truly, gentlemen, I could invest in a better dictionary, but then you would not need to correct and or add to my meager definitions, which is much more fun, overall. Thanks for joining me over here.

mythomania - noun an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying and exaggerating

A better dictionary?

You need more than ONE Dictionary. Even the full Oxford English Dictionary isn't enough.
 
You are right, Og, of course, and I do have more than one dictionary, I just seem to use the Webster's Seventh New Collegiate Dictionary (1972) the most for some reason. I also have a Webster's New World of the American Language (1953) and an Oxford American Dictionary (1980). I surely could use an Oxford English Dictionary for this thread.

mythologist - noun a student of mythology or myths

mythologer - noun MYTHOLOGIST

mythographer - noun a compiler or writer about myths
 
Two more words in the same vein;

mythologize - vt 1. obs: to explain the mythological significance of 2. to build a myth round

mythicize - vt 1. to turn into or envelop in myth 2. to treat as myth
 
Skipping over most of the mystery and mystic words, I arrived at the first entry of the sort and rather liked it;

mystagogue - noun 1. one who initiates into a mystery cult 2. a disseminator of mystical doctrines
 
A good day to all;

myrmidon - noun 1. cap: a member of a Thessalian people accompanying their king Achilles to the Trojan War 2. a loyal follower; esp: a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or pitilessly
 
A good day to all;

myrmidon - noun 1. cap: a member of a Thessalian people accompanying their king Achilles to the Trojan War 2. a loyal follower; esp: a subordinate who executes orders unquestioningly or pitilessly

or a bodyguard, faithful retainer, etc..
 
Yes, Handley, that is true. The Ms are an interesting group, so many medical or scientific terms to wade through.

myope - noun a myopic person

myopia - noun 1. a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting esp. in defective vision of distant objects 2. deficiency of foresight or discernment

I have myopia, but am not a myope, I hope. LOL
 
Yes, Handley, that is true. The Ms are an interesting group, so many medical or scientific terms to wade through.

myope - noun a myopic person

myopia - noun 1. a condition in which the visual images come to a focus in front of the retina of the eye resulting esp. in defective vision of distant objects 2. deficiency of foresight or discernment

I have myopia, but am not a myope, I hope. LOL

A myope, as in Myopic [short-sighted ] ?
 
A myope, as in Myopic [short-sighted ] ?

Someone who is optically myopic is not necessarily a myope. A myope is a derogatory term for a person who lacks the ability to see the longer term consequences of their actions.

An example of a myope: Someone who bets the rent money on a horse because the rent isn't due for two days...
 
Someone who is optically myopic is not necessarily a myope. A myope is a derogatory term for a person who lacks the ability to see the longer term consequences of their actions.

An example of a myope: Someone who bets the rent money on a horse because the rent isn't due for two days...

Ah,
Thank You!
 
Yes, gentlemen, that is the joke I was trying to pass off. I hope I am not a short-sighted person, even if I can't see long distances very well.

mynheer - noun a male Netherlander - used as a title equivalent to Mister
 
Yes, gentlemen, that is the joke I was trying to pass off. I hope I am not a short-sighted person, even if I can't see long distances very well.

mynheer - noun a male Netherlander - used as a title equivalent to Mister

Dutch mijnheer, from mijn my + heer; master, sir
First Known Use: 1652

The Germanic would be Mein Herr.
It's strange that, on the border between Germany & Holland, the terms are not 'butchered' as might be expected.
 
Thank you, Handley, that was a very nice addition to my last post and it is interesting that there is no "butchering" of the language there.

muzzy - adj 1. muddled or confused in mind: DULL 2. BLURRED
 
Thank you, Handley, that was a very nice addition to my last post and it is interesting that there is no "butchering" of the language there.

muzzy - adj 1. muddled or confused in mind: DULL 2. BLURRED

A condition experienced when drunk
 
Yes, Handley, I got that impression from the definition, but muzzy has nothing to do with muzzle. It says it might be a combination of muddled and fuzzy.

muzhik - noun a Russian peasant
 

dirigisme n., economic planning and control by government.

French, from diriger to direct (from Latin dirigere) + -isme -ism
First Known Use: 1947


dirigiste (adjective form)





I don't recall having ever seen the word. I just stumbled upon it whilst reading an article on Bloomberg about a ham-handed French government (naturally) attempt to facilitate the sale of a company into friendly hands.





 
Trysail, I know I have never seen that word before. Thanks for posting it here.

I had to add this one, because several gentlemen in my books have these, as they were fashionable in 1857;

mutton chops - noun pl side-whiskers that are narrow at the temple and broad and round by the lower jaws
 
Trysail, I know I have never seen that word before. Thanks for posting it here.

I had to add this one, because several gentlemen in my books have these, as they were fashionable in 1857;

mutton chops - noun pl side-whiskers that are narrow at the temple and broad and round by the lower jaws

Suggestion: Watch the film "Zulu". Most of the [English] soldiers have fine whiskers.
 
Thank you, Handley, for the suggestion.

mutchkin - noun a Scotch unit of liquid capacity equal to 0.90 pint
 
Hello, back again with a little Latin;

mutatis mutandis - adv with the necessary changes having been made
 
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