LACKADAISICAL (lack·a·dai·si·cal \ˌla-kə-ˈdā-zi-kəl\), adjective.
DEFINITION: lacking enthusiasm or spirit.
EXAMPLE: Fed up with the journalist’s lackadaisical attitude, the editor presented him with an ultimatum: finish the article by noon or hit the road.
Quidnunc
QUIDNUNC (quid·nunc \ˈkwid-ˌnəŋk\), noun.
DEFINITION: a nosy person, a gossip.
EXAMPLE: She may not current on world events, but that quidnunc knows everything there is to know about Kim, Kanye, Brad and Angelina.
Perdure
PERDURE (per·dure \pər-ˈdyu̇r\), verb.
DEFINITION: to continue to exist, to last.
EXAMPLE: Long after he departed this earth, the author’s thoughts and observations perdured through his stories and essays.
Chowderhead
CHOWDERHEAD (chow·der·head \’chow-dər-hed\), noun.
DEFINITION: a blockhead, a stupid person.
EXAMPLE: When I pointed to my cigarette and asked for a light, that chowderhead gave me a lightbulb!
Charlatan
CHARLATAN (char·la·tan \ˈshär-lə-tən\), noun.
DEFINITION: a fake doctor, a quack.
EXAMPLE: I should have known something was amiss when that charlatan prescribed horseradish and honey to cure my cold.
Gravitas
GRAVITAS (grav·i·tas \ˈgra-və-täs\), noun.
DEFINITION: seriousness.
EXAMPLE: From his carefree, lighthearted manner it was clear he didn’t understand the gravitas of the situation.
Languid
LANGUID (lan·guid \ˈlaŋ-gwəd\), adjective.
DEFINITION: weak, listless, slow.
EXAMPLE: While the other children raced off to the ice cream truck, languid Larry slowly plodded along with an air of exhausted disinterest.
Toxophilite
TOXOPHILITE (tox·oph·i·lite \täk-ˈsä-fə-ˌlīt\), noun.
DEFINITION: one who loves archery.
EXAMPLE: A master of Zen archery, the toxophilite cleared his mind, notched an arrow and raised his bow towards the target.
Spume
SPUME (spume \ˈspyüm\), noun.
DEFINITION: froth or foam on liquid.
EXAMPLE: The barista frothed the milk in a jet of steam, and carefully layered the milky spume over a perfectly drawn shot of espresso.
Meed
MEED (meed \ˈmēd\), noun.
DEFINITION: a fitting return or recompense.
EXAMPLE: After a lifetime spent perfecting his craft, the musician finally received his due meed when he was invited to play at Carnegie Hall.
Kickshaw
KICKSHAW (kick·shaw \ˈkik-ˌshȯ\), noun.
DEFINITION: a showy trinket.
EXAMPLE: The curio shop was filled with jewellery, kickshaws and other trinkets imported from artisans, markets and bazaars around the world.
Sully
SULLY (sul·ly \ˈsə-lē\), verb.
DEFINITION: to soil or tarnish.
EXAMPLE: The politician’s squeaky clean image was sullied by numerous reports of alcoholic binges and drug abuse.
Shinplaster
SHINPLASTER (shin·plas·ter \ˈshin-ˌplas-tər\), noun.
DEFINITION: privately issued paper currency.
EXAMPLE: Frustrated with the central bank’s constant money printing, citizens avoided the official shinplaster and traded in silver and gold.
Muzzy
MUZZY (muz·zy \ˈmə-zē\), adjective.
DEFINITION: confused, mentally unclear.
EXAMPLE: After his fifth beer, the sharp-witted professor transformed into a muzzy, slurring drunk.
Bumptious
BUMPTIOUS (bump·tious \ˈbəm(p)-shəs\), adjective.
DEFINITION: self assertive in an obnoxious manner.
EXAMPLE: His bumptious, self-important personality was nurtured by inherited wealth, boorish friends and an elitist education.
Locavore
LOCAVORE (lo·ca·vore \ˈlō-kə-ˌvȯr\), noun.
DEFINITION: one who eats locally grown foods.
EXAMPLE: Sally is a locavore who only eats food grown or produced within a 20 km radius.
Sallow
SALLOW (sal·low \ˈsa-lō\), adjective.
DEFINITION: a greenish skin tone suggesting illness.
EXAMPLE: The author spent years writing in a dark, secluded room – leaving him with a pale, sallow complexion.
Gormless
GORMLESS (gorm·less \ˈgȯrm-ləs\), adjective.
DEFINITION: lacking intelligence.
EXAMPLE: As artillery shells rained from the sky, the gormless young private stood rooted to the spot while everyone else scrambled for cover.
Fissiparous
FISSIPAROUS (fis·sip·a·rous \fi-ˈsi-p(ə-)rəs\), adjective.
DEFINITION: tending to break into parts.
EXAMPLE: The ancient artifacts had become so fissiparous with age that they crumbled at the slightest touch.