Words

Logophile
     noun
a lover of words.

No. This is a reference to people who work in the logging industry. A lover of logs—c’mon, this one’s obvious.

Ken Kesey, author of Sometimes a Great Notion, was a logophile.

Cosher
     verb
to treat with special fondness; pamper.
Cosher is of unclear origin…cosher is not related to kosher, from Hebrew kāshēr, “right, fit,” in the context of dietary laws.

Nope, I don’t buy it. This all about avoiding shellfish, pigs, rabbits, squirrels, camels, kangaroos and horses. That’s no skin off my belly—I’m a vegetarian (aside from the occasional fish taco or slice of smoked salmon). Who, BTW, would eat camels, kangaroos or horses—that’s just barbaric. Squirrels? Apart from Orange Grifter supporting bumpkins and hillbillies, who would eat a squirrel?

Paronomasia
     noun
a play on words : pun.

Sounds more like social disease amongst ghosts.

Ferhoodle
     verb
to confuse or mix up.

I like the way this sounds.

• Don’t ferhoodle me. I’m trying to concentrate.
• You’re more than a bit ferhoodled if you’re still, post-Nixon, a republican.
• Gym Jordan is forever ferhoodling the facts in his efforts to defend his orange man crush.

Quidnunc
     noun
a person who is eager to know the latest news and gossip.

I confess, I’m a quidnunc.

FYI, in Latin, quidnunc means “what now?”  In my head I hear “what now” said in an exasperated tone with different punctuation and emphasis.

• WHAT, now?
• What? NOW?
• what now? (as in a semi-stunned “come again” or “are you serious?”)

Proceleusmatic
     adjective
inciting, animating, or inspiring.

The proceleusmatic energy spread like COVID at a party of anti-vaxxers.

Chelonian
     adjective
belonging or pertaining to a reptilian order comprising turtles, tortoises, and terrapins.

In all matters, Jeff had a chelonian sense of urgency.

Heiligenschein
     noun
a ring of light around the shadow cast by a person’s head, esp. on a dewy, sunlit lawn, caused by reflection and diffraction of light rays

I can see it used in young adult novels about first romance. Two teens lay in a sun dappled meadow after a brief, passing rain, each sporting a  heiligenschein as they dreamily discuss the finer aspects of Ironheart.

Skrik
     noun
a sudden fright or panic.

Nope, this is what you do when you’re showing your cat some love—you skrik behind their ears. Cats LURV a good skriking.

Xerophyte
     noun
a plant adapted for growth under dry conditions.

Grass is NOT a xerophyte and wastefully indulgent if you live in the Southwest.

Anamnesi
     noun
the recollection or remembrance of the past; reminiscence.

No, this when you forget who your pets are. It’s a combination of animal and amnesia.

Donna would never experience anamnesi—Coco and Cake were tattooed on her heart and mind.

Girasol
     noun
a sunflower, having edible, tuberous, underground stems or rootstocks. 

Nope. This is a giraffe in a can—aerosol giraffes. They’re available at your local grocery and can be found in the same aisle as Cheez Whiz. Just like cheese in a can, girasol contains no actual giraffes.

Katabatic
     adjective
(of a wind or air current) moving downward or down a slope.

Oh please, this is clearly a word used to describe the tumbling maneuvers which Krazy Kat employed in his glorious adventures. Surely you knew that already…right?