A

absquatulate: to depart in a hurry (as in to abscond); to die

abut: To touch or end at one end or side; lie adjacent. To border upon or end at; be next to.

alacrity: quickness, (cheerful) eagerness

aplomb (n): Self-confident assurance; poise. Assurance of manner or of action; self-possession; Composure.

"In classical ballet, aplomb refers to an unwavering stability maintained during a vertical pose or movement."

B

batrachomyomachia: "The Batrachomyomachia or Battle of the Frogs and Mice is a comic epic, or a parody of the Iliad. The word batrachomyomachia has come to mean 'a trivial altercation'."

belfry: a bell tower

billious: as in bile, (of a person) ill-tempered

boustrophedon: "An ancient method of writing in which the lines are inscribed alternately from right to left and from left to right."

bromide: A commonplace remark or notion; a platitude; Synonym: cliché.

C

contrite (adj): feeling sorrow or regret from one's sins or offenses; synonym of penitent

contumacious: insubordinate, obstinate, rebellious, disobedient

cordillera: a large, extensive chain of mountains, a continuous mountain range/ridge

corybantic: Of, pertaining to, or resembling, the Corybantes or their rites; frantic; frenzied.

"According to Greek mythology, the Korybantes or Corybantes were the armed and crested dancers who worshipped the Phrygian goddess Cybele with drumming and dancing."

D

desultory: Moving or jumping from one thing to another; disconnected. Occurring randomly or sporadically.

E

egress: to leave or to emerge, the right to leave, an exit

elocution: The art of public speaking in which gesture, vocal production, and delivery are emphasized.

enwallow: to wallow onself, "To plunge into, or roll in, flith; to wallow."

eremitic: "Of or pertaining to an eremite; hermitical; living in solitude"

F

fulminate: "to issue a thunderous verbal attack or denunciation," to explode, to detonate

H

harangue: "A long pompous speech, especially one delivered before a gathering" or "A speech or piece of writing characterized by strong feeling or expression; a tirade."

hegira: a flight to escape danger, in reference to Muhammad's journey from Mecca to Medina

I

impetus: a compelling force, an impulse

impignorate: "to pledge or pawn"

incarnadine: the pinkish or red color of flesh, flesh colored

inimical: harmful, injurious or unfriendly, hostile

M

mien: a person's appearance, countenance, manner, especially in revealing their inner state of mind

mirror punsihment: "A mirror punishment is a penal form of poetic justice which reflects the nature or means of the crime in the means of (often physical) punishment as a form of retributive justice".

mooncalf: A fool. A freak. A monster; a false conception; a mass of fleshy matter, generated in the uterus.

"A mooncalf is a monstrous birth, the abortive fetus of a cow or other farm animal. The term was occasionally applied to an abortive human fetus. The term derives from the once widespread superstition, present in many European folk traditions, that such malformed creatures were the product of the sinister influence of the Moon on fetal development."

O

omphaloskepsis: navel meditation, contemplating your own navel

oneiric: pertaining to dreams

onerous: burdensome or oppressive

opprobrium: "Disgrace arising from exceedingly shameful conduct"

P

parochial: Of, relating to, supported by, or located in a parish; Narrowly restricted in scope or outlook; provincial.

pauciloquent: brevity, taciturn, using few words when speaking

peculation: The act or practice of peculating, or of defrauding the public by appropriating to one's own use the money or goods intrusted to one's care for management or disbursement; embezzlement.

peregrination: travelling, particularly by foot & by a pilgrim, wandering

preternatural: "Surpassing what is normal or usual; extraordinary. Transcending the natural or material order; supernatural. Beyond of different from what is natural, or according to the regular course of things, but not clearly supernatural or miraculous; strange; inexplicable; extraordinary; uncommon; irregular; abnormal."

profligate: licentious, wildly extravagant or wasteful

propitious: "Presenting favorable circumstances or showing signs of a favorable outcome; auspicious. Merciful or kindly. Convenient; auspicious; favorable; kind."

R

recondite (adj): obtuse, obfuscated, difficult to understand

"remission" can be traced back to the Middle & Old French word "remission," which means forgiveness from sins, a reduction of debt, or a pardoning of an offense.

S

sidle: To move sideways; To advance in an unobtrusive, furtive, or coy way.

sobersided: "Devoid of extreme qualities, such as exaggeration; sober." or "Completely lacking in humor or lightness of touch."

spondulicks: a silly word for money or cash

succor: assistance or relief, aid

surfeit: To feed or supply to excess, satiety, or disgust. To overindulge. To load the stomach with food, so that sickness or uneasiness ensues; to eat to excess.

T

tumid, tumescent: swollen, (of the body) distended

U

upbraid: to sharply scold or reprimand

V

vituperative: harsh, critical, irate language, often with scolding or ranting

W

widdershins: counterclockwise

X

xerophthalmia: a condition in which the eyes cannot produce tears