Seldom-Used Words

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Yes, Tio, I do know the term 'easy pickings', but that does not seem quite the same as definition 2. And hello to you, too. Gleaning is a laborious job in some cases and would, therefore, warrant the use of the word 'pickings', IMO.

I have been waiting to add this next one for a long time. It came to me by way of Civil War research.

picket(1) - noun 1. a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale 2.a. a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise b. a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty c. SENTINEL 3. a person posted by a labour organization at a place of work affected by a strike; also: a person posted for a demonstration or protest

picket(2) - vt 1. to enclose, fence, or fortify with pickets 2.a. to guard with a picket b. to post as a picket 3. TETHER 4.a. to post pickets at b. to walk or stand in front of as a picket vi to serve as a picket
 
Flying Pickets were notorious in the UK decades ago. They were mobile groups of union members who went to locations not involved in the original dispute and tried to prevent the workers from entering their workplace.

The name was used for This A Capella group who had a hit with Only You.

Their cover version of When You're Young And In Love was great.
 
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Yes, Tio, I do know the term 'easy pickings', but that does not seem quite the same as definition 2. And hello to you, too. Gleaning is a laborious job in some cases and would, therefore, warrant the use of the word 'pickings', IMO.

I have been waiting to add this next one for a long time. It came to me by way of Civil War research.

picket(1) - noun 1. a pointed or sharpened stake, post, or pale 2.a. a detached body of soldiers serving to guard an army from surprise b. a detachment kept ready in camp for such duty c. SENTINEL 3. a person posted by a labour organization at a place of work affected by a strike; also: a person posted for a demonstration or protest

picket(2) - vt 1. to enclose, fence, or fortify with pickets 2.a. to guard with a picket b. to post as a picket 3. TETHER 4.a. to post pickets at b. to walk or stand in front of as a picket vi to serve as a picket


Pickett's Charge, also from the Civil War, a term which has come to denote an horrendously bad decision that has disastrous consequences.
 
Pickett's Charge, also from the Civil War, a term which has come to denote an horrendously bad decision that has disastrous consequences.

Wiki:
Years later, when asked why his charge at Gettysburg failed, General Pickett replied: "I've always thought the Yankees had something to do with it."
 
I think that I recall from Ken Burns' Civil War that Pickett never forgave Robert E. Lee for that disasterous day and understandably so.

pickeer - vi obsolete to skirmish in advance of an army; also: SCOUT, RECONNOITER
 
It is sad that Pickett's last name was hung on that catastrophe, even though several other gentlemen were also in charge and offered the notion that this might be a futile maneuver. Hindsight and all that, I suppose.

pickaninny or picaninny - noun a Negro child
 
Piezoelectricity - noun--electricity stemming from pressure or impact upon certain crystals, ceramics, or biological materials.
 
There were many different reasons why so many American men died during the Civil War, including new guns and outdated tactics. I sincerely hope we learned our lesson back then and never try to repeat it.

Here is an interesting grouping of words;

picara - noun a female picaro

picaresque - adj of or relating to rogues or rascals; also: of or relating to a type of fiction of Spanish origin dealing with rogues and vagabonds

picaro - noun ROGUE, BOHEMIAN

picaroon or pickaroon(1) - noun 1. PICARO 2. PIRATE

picaroon(2) - vi to act as a pirate
 
picaresque - adj of or relating to rogues or rascals; also: of or relating to a type of fiction of Spanish origin dealing with rogues and vagabonds.

...

Cervantes' Don Quixote was a satire on the Picaresque novels circulating in Spain at the time.

The Picaresque novels were very like modern superhero comics. The heroes had more than human skills with sword and dagger (the Fastest Draw in the West) etc.

Cervantes made them all look as ridiculous as they really were.
 
Og, I read Don Quixote in college in its original Spanish. I could not do the same thing now, that is for sure. But it was a very humorous and sad tale that poked fun at the hero and his weird ideas. Now that you have explained what Cervantes was doing with his novel, it makes a lot more sense. Thank you for that tidbit of information that fit the puzzle perfectly and made everything complete.

pica(2) - noun a craving for unnatural food
 
We have a large format 19th Century Don Quixote illustrated by Gustave Doré. Including small pictures as chapter headings there are over 1,000 illustrations.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...into_his_imagination".jpg/463px-thumbnail.jpg

It was our first major purchase together after our marriage 40 years ago. It cost £10 at the time when we had just moved into our first house and were broke. We saw it in a bookshop window and had to have it but we couldn't really afford it.

We went for a long walk around the town before we agreed that we didn't want anyone else to have it. I emptied all my pockets of change. She emptied her purse. We had just enough.

We bought it. We had to live on pasta and rice until the end of the month but we've never regretted owning that Don Quixote.
 
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We have a large format 19th Century Don Quixote illustrated by Gustave Doré. Including small pictures as chapter headings there are over 1,000 illustrations.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikiped...into_his_imagination".jpg/463px-thumbnail.jpg

It was our first major purchase together after our marriage 40 years ago. It cost £10 at the time when we had just moved into our first house and were broke. We saw it in a bookshop window and had to have it but we couldn't really afford it.

We went for a long walk around the town before we agreed that we didn't want anyone else to have it. I emptied all my pockets of change. She emptied her purse. We had just enough.

We bought it. We had to live on pasta and rice until the end of the month but we've never regretted owning that Don Quixote.

Wish I could find an Aldine print
 
Og, what a great picture and what a great story to go with it. Thank you, very much, for posting it. My mother took me to see a local production of the Man of La Mancha when I was a girl and after that I was hooked on the story. Reading it in the original Spanish in college was the cherry on top for me. But a nice print would be a wonderful reminder.

Even though picayune was posted earlier, I found another entry to share;

picayune - noun 1.a. a Spanish half real piece formerly current in Louisianna and other southern states b. HALF DIME 2. something trivial
 
Even though picayune was posted earlier, I found another entry to share;

picayune - noun 1.a. a Spanish half real piece formerly current in Louisianna and other southern states b. HALF DIME 2. something trivial

Gilbert and Sullivan used Maravedi as a trivial coin. If you go in... Iolanthe

Maravedi 2. A former Spanish copper coin and money of account, valued at about one sixth of an old penny (= 1/1440th of a pound sterling)
 
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While searching for words every day, I do run into old words for money, but don't usually post them, for some reason. Thanks for the information, anyway, Og,and now nice of you to donate prints to the University of Kent at Canterbury. You are a wonder.

pibroch - noun a set of martial or mournful variations for the Scottish Highlands bagpipe
 
Og, what a great picture and what a great story to go with it. Thank you, very much, for posting it. My mother took me to see a local production of the Man of La Mancha when I was a girl and after that I was hooked on the story. Reading it in the original Spanish in college was the cherry on top for me. But a nice print would be a wonderful reminder.

Even though picayune was posted earlier, I found another entry to share;

picayune - noun 1.a. a Spanish half real piece formerly current in Louisianna and other southern states b. HALF DIME 2. something trivial
Makes me wonder if newspapers named "Times Picayune," or similar, were priced at a nickel rather than than featuring trivial stories?
 
Harold, It makes sense that the newspaper was called the Times and it cost a half-dime, also known as a nickle, later on.

piazza - noun 1. an open square in an Italian or other European town 2.a. an arcaded and roofed gallery b. chiefly North and Midland: VERANDA, PORCH
 
Here is a money word;

piaster or piastre - noun 1. a Spanish dollar: PIECE OF EIGHT 2.a. see pound on MONEY table b. a former monetary unit of Saudi Arabia equal to 1/22 riyal
 
Welcome, raythaysoos, that is an interesting grouping of words. I prefer the posters on this thread to supply the definition along with the entry, but I am not a stickler for details.

Earlier this week, I neglected to welcome NaokoSmith. Please, forgive me.

piassava - noun 1. any of several stiff coarse fibers obtained from palms and used especially in cordage or brushes 2. a palm yielding piassava; esp: either of two Brazilian palms (scientific names not included)
 
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