Seldom-Used Words

[Exquisition]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Welcome, Exquistion. Thanks for joining this backward thread. I started with the Zs and am proceeding to the As, just so you know.

piscary - noun FISHERY; especially: the right of fishing in waters belonging to another

Were you the OP of this thread then? If so, you should have made it clear that the game afoot was Z-A, no?

Patulobumbous (adj) - made up on the spur of the moment, to deceive (esp.) a gullible person.

[Exquisition]

Just joshing, couldn't resist

Pylorus - the opening from the stomach to the small intestine
Phyrric - an ulimately hollow victory
Peripatetic - someone who travels a lot (esp. relating to occupation)

[AllardChardon]

Exquisition, I can take a little ribbing, so don't fear offending me. I do try to let all newcomers know that this thread is backward, as soon as they come onboard, but any word, any time, is just fine, here. Thanks for contributing.

Og, my dictionary did not list the Queen of Spades as "pique", but some research I did later that day on the reason why playing card suits changed from the Tarot style of Wands, Cups, Swords and Pentacles, to the current suits of Clubs, Hearts, Spades and Ddiamonds did mention the name pique for the Queen of Spades.

My Halloween costume this year is a gypsy fortune teller and I chose to use Tarot cards as my medium, rather than palmistry or the crystal ball. I always like to use props for my costumes, so I bought a pack of Rider-Waite cards from Barnes and Nobel. I have been researching their origin, history and present use out of curiosity, and have found the subject very intriguing. I am using the Celtic Cross layout to practice. I can see that, in order to be proficient in this, it is going to take some time.

This entry was not in my standard dictionary and so I found it online;

cartomancy - noun a form of fortune-telling or divination using a deck of cards. The practise of cartomancy has been observed since playing cards first came into use in Europe in the 14th century, with some practitioners (known as cartomancers) claiming its origins date back to Egyptian times, the art being derived from wisdom given to the ancient Egyptians by the scribe-god Thoth. A standard deck of Anglo-American playing cards (i.e. 54-card, four suit set - hearts, diamonds, clubs, spades) may be used for this purpose, however this usage is frowned upon by many people in the art, who believe that one should not use divination cards for playing. As a result there are many decks designed specifically for use by cartomancers, the best known of which are Tarot decks. Whichever cards are used, there are specific layouts designed to tell different things, from one card to about thirty.

[trysail]

Originally Posted by Exquisition

Just joshing, couldn't resist

Pylorus - the opening from the stomach to the small intestine
Phyrric - an ulimately hollow victory
Peripatetic - someone who travels a lot (esp. relating to occupation)

I believe the word is spelled Pyrrhic.




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

[Exquisition]

Originally Posted by trysail

I believe the word is spelled Pyrrhic.




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

Trysail, I believe you're right.

Prussic acid (noun), an archaic, alternative name for hydrogen cyanide.

[JackLuis]

The word soldier is ultimately derived from solidus, referring to the solidi with which soldiers were paid.



Circa 361 AD. A gold Roma coin weighting 4.5 gm.

I wish they had paid me in gold.

[EdwardMidweston]

Originally Posted by JackLuis

I wish they had paid me in gold.

At least you didn't get a bag of salt, which was the other common pay for Roman soldiers, hence the cliche "Worth his salt"

[Exquisition]

Originally Posted by EdwardMidweston

At least you didn't get a bag of salt, which was the other common pay for Roman soldiers, hence the cliche "Worth his salt"

...and where the word salary comes from I think too?

Pion (noun), a term in particle physics, a meson.

[AllardChardon]

Thank you, gentlemen, for teaching me some things that I did not know before;

piquant - adj 1. agreeably stimulating to the palate: PUNGENT 2. engagingly provocative; also: having a lively arch charm (~ face)

[Exquisition]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Thank you, gentlemen, for teaching me some things that I did not know before;

piquant - adj 1. agreeably stimulating to the palate: PUNGENT 2. engagingly provocative; also: having a lively arch charm (~ face)

I'll take your spicy and add it to some:

Porchetta - an Italian pork dish.

[AllardChardon]

Here is one from my youth, (my Dad used to call me this) and I just had to add it;

pip-squeak - noun a small or insignificant person

[Handley_Page]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Here is one from my youth, (my Dad used to call me this) and I just had to add it;

pip-squeak - noun a small or insignificant person

Would this have any connection with "Squeeze until the pips squeak"?

Wiki has the following

[AllardChardon]

Handley, I have never heard of Pip, Squeak and Wilfred before, so I certainly learned alot there. Thanks so much for posting the link and enlightening me. I really don't know if pip-squeak, the word, came first or second, though.

pip-pip - inter British: GOOD-BYE

[Handley_Page]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Handley, I have never heard of Pip, Squeak and Wilfred before, so I certainly learned alot there. Thanks so much for posting the link and enlightening me. I really don't know if pip-squeak, the word, came first or second, though.

pip-pip - inter British: GOOD-BYE

This is another one owing its roots in the pre-war era.
It was often used in combination with 'Toodle-Oo' to give "Toodle-Pip".
It still meant 'goodbye' though!

[MsQuote]

One of my favorite words

mellifluous: adjective
1. sweetly or smoothly flowing; sweet-sounding: a mellifluous voice; mellifluous tones.
2. flowing with honey; sweetened with or as if with honey.

[AllardChardon]

Welcome MsQuote, and I agree completely, that is a great word. Thanks for sharing it;

pipkin - noun a small earthenware or metal pot usually with a horizontal handle

[Tio_Narratore]

And you're certainly quite the pip, yourself, Allard...(That's meaning 2, of course)

[Handley_Page]

Originally Posted by Tio_Narratore

And you're certainly quite the pip, yourself, Allard...(That's meaning 2, of course)

agreed

[AllardChardon]

Thank you, gentlemen, for the lovely compliment. I do appreciate it.

I could not pass this one up;

pipe dream - noun (from the fantasies brought about by the smoking of opium) an illusory or fantastic plan, hope, or story

It seems to me that the defintion could include the smoking of marijuana, too, for I have certainly heard some wild "pipe dreams" from a few smokers I know. LOL

[Exquisition]

Penchant (noun) - liking or strong inclination for.

[AllardChardon]

Does anyone still use this expression?

pin money - noun 1. money given by a man to his wife for her own use 2. money set aside for the purchase of incidentals

[RjThoughts]

Originally Posted by AllardChardon

Does anyone still use this expression?

pin money - noun 1. money given by a man to his wife for her own use 2. money set aside for the purchase of incidentals

I've heard it used by the more mature members of my literary/book club as well as the older women that frequent Starbucks as I sit and write.

[xelliebabex]

Recidivism :

is the act of a person repeating an undesirable behavior after they have either experienced negative consequences of that behavior, or have been treated or trained to extinguish that behavior.

[Exquisition]

Perjorative (adj) - unpleasant or belittling

[xelliebabex]

Not so unusual but one of my favorite words:

Halcyon: Denoting a period of time in the past that was idyllically happy and peaceful.