"This month, it offered 1,824 jobs — each with requisites such as height, age, the location of a person’s “hukou,” or residency permit, and gender." - New York Times Sinosphere
The skämskudde is the "shame pillow" one hides behind when watching someone else make a total and utter ass out of themselves, either through pure and unlimited naiveness better known as ignorance, or through the bone-headed belief they're onto something.
"Term of obscure origin, probably derived from the Medieval Latin phrase in camera degentes, 'living in a chamber.' (...A)n impoverished fifteenth-century Irish scholar, or one preparing to take 'minor orders' (such as would be necessary for a minister's assistant) who haunted English universities, particularly Oxford, without actually belonging to a college or residence hall. Sometimes called 'bedders,' they supported themselves by performing domestic services for well-to-do scholars, and reputedly augmented their incomes in less honest ways." -Forgotten English
"Since as early as the eleventh century, if a prisoner convicted of a capital offense could read the first verse of the Fifty-first Psalm, he would often be pardoned. The catch was, however, that this 'test' had to be undertaken in Latin, a language that few outside the Church could understand." -Forgotten English
"from the Saxon verb blastan, 'to spoil the fruits of the earth,' and was used from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries to describe, according to Bailey's Dictionary, 'the sudden unexplainable damage to animals or crops (caused by) winds and frosts that immediately follow rain." -Forgotten English
Also need-fire. "Old English word for a fire ceremonially generated by intense friction between two pieces of wood. The purpose of these fires, which were employed well into the 1800s, was to counteract curses called blastings, placed upon livestock by malevolentwitches or sorcerers." -Forgotten English
"General term applied to any fancied supernatural being, of which there were an abundance in the British Isles. ... The Latin-esque tutivillus, from which tut can be traced, was also used by writers to bring forth images of a demon." -Forgotten English
a simultaneous homage to and parody of something: "like Weird Al parodying music, but at the same time is making music, or Scream parodying horror movies, all the while being a horror movie."
a term that originated in Larry Niven's Ringworld books to mean specifically "sex for fun with humanoids of species you're not cross-fertile with" but has achieved some wider prevalance as a term for sex with aliens in general, humanoid or not. -via
listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "most succinct word", and is considered one of the hardest words to translate. It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that they both desire but which neither one wants to start."
Yiddish. "It means words that came too late. Literally translated, it means 'stairwords' -- a riposte you only think of when you're on your way out." (via)
Comments by kawy
kawy commented on the word werdrobe
"The ordure of the badger" —James Halliwell, Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words (1855)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word fewmets
"the dung of deer, also called fewmishings" —James Halliwell, Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words (1855)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word crotels
"ordure of hare, rabbit or goat, also called croteys"—James Halliwell, Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words (1855)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word fuants
"The dung of the wolf, fox, marten or badger." —James Halliwell, Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words (1855)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word ging
scat —James Halliwell, Dictionary of Archaic and Provincial Words (1855)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word spraints
Dung of an otter; also spraintings. —B.E., Dictionary of the Canting Crew (1699)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word billeting
"Foxes' excrement." —B.E., Dictionary of the Canting Crew (1699)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word trettles
"the dung of a rabbit or coney." —John Kersey's New English Dictionary (1772)
September 30, 2015
kawy commented on the word scumber
The dung of the fox. —Rev. John Boag's Imperial Lexicon, c. 1850
September 29, 2015
kawy commented on the word forswart
Exhausted by heat. —Rev. John Boag's Imperial Lexicon, c. 1850.
September 29, 2015
kawy commented on the word morsicant
producing the sensation of repeated biting
September 28, 2014
kawy commented on the word hukou
"This month, it offered 1,824 jobs — each with requisites such as height, age, the location of a person’s “hukou,” or residency permit, and gender." - New York Times Sinosphere
September 28, 2014
kawy commented on the word L’appel du vide
"The call of the void." the sudden desire some people get when they're somewhere high to jump down
February 11, 2013
kawy commented on the word foppotee
A foppotee is a simple-minded person. - Learning Nerd
July 4, 2012
kawy commented on the word skämskudde
-Åsk Dabitch Wäppling, Sweden - the worlds most democratic twitter account dissolves into pure anarchy.June 14, 2012
kawy commented on the word chamberdeacon
"Term of obscure origin, probably derived from the Medieval Latin phrase in camera degentes, 'living in a chamber.' (...A)n impoverished fifteenth-century Irish scholar, or one preparing to take 'minor orders' (such as would be necessary for a minister's assistant) who haunted English universities, particularly Oxford, without actually belonging to a college or residence hall. Sometimes called 'bedders,' they supported themselves by performing domestic services for well-to-do scholars, and reputedly augmented their incomes in less honest ways." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word barbi-tonsoribus
"One who shaved or otherwise cut hair professionally, borrowed directly from Latin about 1300." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word necke-verse
"Since as early as the eleventh century, if a prisoner convicted of a capital offense could read the first verse of the Fifty-first Psalm, he would often be pardoned. The catch was, however, that this 'test' had to be undertaken in Latin, a language that few outside the Church could understand." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word blasting
"from the Saxon verb blastan, 'to spoil the fruits of the earth,' and was used from the sixteenth to nineteenth centuries to describe, according to Bailey's Dictionary, 'the sudden unexplainable damage to animals or crops (caused by) winds and frosts that immediately follow rain." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word neidfyre
Also need-fire. "Old English word for a fire ceremonially generated by intense friction between two pieces of wood. The purpose of these fires, which were employed well into the 1800s, was to counteract curses called blastings, placed upon livestock by malevolent witches or sorcerers." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word tut
"General term applied to any fancied supernatural being, of which there were an abundance in the British Isles. ... The Latin-esque tutivillus, from which tut can be traced, was also used by writers to bring forth images of a demon." -Forgotten English
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word huskanoy
"so much out of his element that he has the air of one huskanoyed." -Thomas Jefferson
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word glister
16th-18th century variant of clyster, "fluid medicine of different quantities to be injected into the bowels"(Bailey's dictionary). An enema.
January 30, 2012
kawy commented on the word singihae
Korean. "some combination of novelty and wonder and bizarreness." -via
April 6, 2011
kawy commented on the word crash blossom
Defining crash blossom.
March 7, 2011
kawy commented on the word tire-bouche
"someone who fills a space at dinner parties." via
February 10, 2011
kawy commented on the word flangst
portmanteau of fluff and angst.
February 7, 2011
kawy commented on the word parody of reaffirmation
a simultaneous homage to and parody of something: "like Weird Al parodying music, but at the same time is making music, or Scream parodying horror movies, all the while being a horror movie."
January 25, 2011
kawy commented on the user kawy
Lists sorted alphabetically
January 12, 2011
kawy commented on the word pocket Venus
A petite, voluptuous woman.
December 30, 2010
kawy commented on the word rishathra
a term that originated in Larry Niven's Ringworld books to mean specifically "sex for fun with humanoids of species you're not cross-fertile with" but has achieved some wider prevalance as a term for sex with aliens in general, humanoid or not. -via
December 5, 2010
kawy commented on the word chacun a son gout
everyone to his taste
August 28, 2010
kawy commented on the word Mamihlapinatapai
listed in The Guinness Book of World Records as the "most succinct word", and is considered one of the hardest words to translate. It describes "a look shared by two people with each wishing that the other will initiate something that they both desire but which neither one wants to start."
August 28, 2010
kawy commented on the word meronym
Brim and crown are meronyms of hat.
August 28, 2010
kawy commented on the word tenebrism
(also called dramatic illumination) is a style of painting using very pronounced chiaroscuro, where there are violent contrasts of light and dark, and darkness becomes a dominating feature of the image. -Wikipedia
August 24, 2010
kawy commented on the word trepverter
Yiddish. "It means words that came too late. Literally translated, it means 'stairwords' -- a riposte you only think of when you're on your way out." (via)
August 12, 2010
kawy commented on the word ho'omalimali
Hawaiian. To schmooze, flatter, mollify.
July 30, 2010
kawy commented on the word hoomalimali
(Hawaiian) something designed primarily to attract favorable attention.
July 30, 2010