u/one_dead_president

Uxorious: (adjective) having or showing a great fondness for one’s wife [from Erehwon by Samuel Butler]

Cumbrous: (adjective) cumbersome [ibid]

Prizeman: (noun) a winner of a prize, especially an academic one [ibid]

Congener: (noun) a thing or person of the same kind or category as another [ibid]

Borborygmi: (noun) the sound of your tummy rumbling [from 222 QI Answers]

Ethology: (noun) the study of the behaviour of non-human animals [from the Wikipedia entry for Jane Goodall]

Abject: (adjective) (of a person or their behaviour) completely without pride or dignity [from Erehwon by Samuel Butler]

Importunate: (adjective) persistent to the point of annoyance [ibid]

Ill grained: (adjective) ill natured [ibid]

Scarifier: (noun) a specialized garden tool with rotating steel blades or tines used to remove dead moss, thatch, and debris from the surface of the grass [from The Martin Lewis Podcast]

Tup: (noun) male sheep used for breeding [from the BBC TV programme This Farming Life]

Chopsy: (adjective) excessively talkative, mouthy, or argumentative in an irritating or disrespectful way [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/onlyconnect/s/A45WdKqQ63]

Ossicones: (noun) the bony protrusions on a giraffe’s head [from a sign at Blackpool Zoo]

Thigmotactic: (adjective) describes how a living thing moves toward or away from physical touch or contact with a solid object [from Blindsight by Peter Watts]

Morphometric: (adjective) relating to the quantitative measurement and statistical analysis of the shape, form, and size of living organisms, organs, or physical landforms [ibid]

Oogenesis: (noun) the biological process by which female gametes, or egg cells (ova), are produced and mature in the ovaries [ibid]

Attenuate: (adjective) reduced in strength, value, or made thin and slender [ibid]

Apical: (adjective) relating to, located at, or forming an apex, which is the top, tip, or highest point of a structure [ibid]

Panegyric: (noun) a formal speech or piece of writing that expresses high and elaborate praise for a person, group, or institution [from the podcast Echoes of Empire]

Ormolu: (noun) finely cast bronze, brass, or copper decorated with a thin, durable layer of high-carat gold [from the ITV programme Poirot]

Gravamen: (noun) the core, essence, or most serious part of a complaint, charge, or legal action [from this tweet https://x.com/wesyang/status/2093156167086149640?s=46]

Hapax legomenon: (noun) a word or phrase that appears only one time in a specific body of text, a single document, or an entire language's written record [from the podcast Misquoting Jesus]

Morass: (noun) an area of boggy or muddy ground [from the History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon]

Intestine: (adjective) internal, inward, or belonging to a country's internal affairs (civil or domestic) [ibid]

Corselet: (noun) a piece of defensive body armor that covers the trunk [ibid]

Allocution: a formal speech, most often a statement made by a convicted defendant to a judge in court before receiving a sentence. During this time, the defendant can express regret, apologize, or ask for mercy [from The Sopranos]

Fuller: (noun) a historical textile worker who cleaned and thickened raw woven cloth (especially wool) by pounding or treading it in water [from the podcast Echoes of Empires]

Afferent: (adjective) conducting or conveying inward toward a center, such as sensory neurons or blood vessels moving toward an organ [from Blindsight by Peter Watts]

Parietal: (adjective) relating to the walls of a body cavity, organ, or specific bones of the skull [ibid]

Doofer: (noun) a cigarette that one bums from another person, not to smoke now but to save for another time (because it will “do for later”) [from the ITV programme Poirot]

Turnt: (adjective) extremely excited, hyped up, wild, or intoxicated from alcohol or drugs [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Millennials/s/Hj1vGWNxxt]

Phugoid: (adjective) aircraft motion in which the vehicle pitches up and down [from the Wikipedia entry for Japan Air Lines Flight 123]

Stringer: (noun) a freelance or part-time journalist, photographer, or videographer who contributes content to news organisations on an ongoing basis but is paid per piece rather than receiving a regular salary [from the podcast The Rest Is Entertainment]

Sverdrup: (noun) non-SI unit of volume of transport in oceanography equal to 1 million cubic metres of water per second [from the Thursday Thirty geography quiz]

Expatiate: (verb) speak or write in detail about [from The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire by Edward Gibbon]

Rucking: (verb) the act of walking or marching with a weighted backpack [from this tweet https://x.com/_voc__/status/2088336425049633068?s=46]

Retronym: (noun) an updated name for something to take account of subsequent events or updates - for example, World War One was only so named after World War Two [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/onlyconnect/s/wxIZq5E0Z6]

Tatami mat: (noun) a traditional Japanese floor covering made with soft rush grass woven over a firm core [from Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds]

Mimesis: (noun) the imitation, mimicry, or representation of aspects of the real world—especially human actions and nature—in literature, art, and philosophy [ibid]

Metes and bounds: (noun) a system for describing the demarcation of real estate. It employs metes (specified as distance between two terminal points) and bounds (more general boundary descriptions such as certain watercourses or walls) [from the Wikipedia entry for cadastre)

Cadastre: (noun) a comprehensive recording of real estate often using a map [from the Wikipedia entry for plat]

Plat: (noun) a cadastral map drawn to scale showing the divisions of a piece of land [from the Wikipedia entry for James Thompson]

Nose: (verb) to write the intro of a news article in a newspaper [from Politico London Playbook]

Four-flusher: (noun) an informal, old-fashioned term for a fake, braggart, or cheat who makes empty claims or pretends to have skills, money, or power they do not actually possess [from the podcast Parliament Matters]

Integument: (noun) a natural outer covering or protective layer of a living organism, such as skin, a shell, a husk, or a seed coat [from Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds]

Columnar: (adjective) shaped like a column, arranged in vertical lines, or built using columns [ibid]

Jardiniere: (noun) decorative flower pot or plant stand [from the ITV programme Poirot]

Repaginate: (verb) to number the pages of a document again or reset the page breaks [from Microsoft Word]

Apricity: (noun) the warmth of the sun during the winter or on a particularly cold day [from What If? by Randall Munroe]

Venous: (adjective) of, relating to, or contained in veins [from Revelation Space by Alastair Reynolds]

Cyanotic: (adjective) bluish or purplish [ibid]

Quern: (noun) a simple, hand-operated stone tool used to grind grain, corn, or other dry materials into flour or powder [from the ITV programme Poirot]

Pshaw: an old-fashioned interjection used to express disbelief, impatience, or mild contempt [from Wednesday’s Wordle]

Journeyman: (noun) a fully trained, skilled tradesperson who has completed an official apprenticeship [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Carpentry/s/Gn5tc7sKSx]

Bootless: (adjective) useless, unavailing, or without a successful result [from Henry VIII by William Shakespeare]

Isekai: (verb) to transport someone from the real world into an alternative, fantasy, or virtual world [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/PrequelMemes/s/yQ7eTkGEvm]

Tonneau: (noun) a hard or soft lid that spans the bed of a pickup truck [from this tweet https://x.com/anahnemoo/status/2077367554209726782/video/1?s=46]

Cay: (noun) pronounced “key” - a small, low-elevation sandy island formed on a coral reef [from the Thursday Thirty weekly quiz]

Scrag end: (noun) the bony, tough neck part of lamb or mutton [from the ITV programme Poirot]

Hey everyone! I wanted to share my biggest needle felting project so far. I put a lot of work into this life-size cat, and I'm so thrilled with how it turned out.
Needle felting something at this scale was definitely a challenge (my fingers took a few hits!), but watching it slowly come to life was incredibly rewarding.
Let me know what you think!

Marquetry: (noun) the art of cutting thin sheets of materials (like wood, shell, or metal) and fitting them together like a puzzle to create decorative pictures or patterns [from Revelation Space by Alistair Reynolds]

Mukluks: (noun) traditional soft boots made from animal skins like reindeer or sealskin [ibid]

Entoptics: (noun) visual illusions or effects that originate from inside your own eye [ibid]

Swami: (noun) an honorific title given to a Hindu religious teacher, ascetic, or monk who has taken vows of renunciation [from Sunday’s Wordle]

Zonian: (noun) a person associated with the Panama Canal Zone, a political entity that existed between 1903 and its absorption into Panama between 1979 and 1999 [from the Wikipedia entry for Jeff Buckley]

Destool: (verb) to formally remove a chief or ruler from power or office, typically in West Africa [from the Wikipedia entry for Mensa Bonsu]

Encyst: (verb) enclose or become enclosed by a cyst [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Heliography: (noun) the sending of messages via flashes of reflected light [ibid]

Crozier: (noun) a long, decorated staff carried by high-ranking church officials like bishops or abbots [from the BBC Radio 4 programme In Our Time]

Groundhopping: (verb) visiting sports stadia or grounds as a hobby [from a conversation at work]

Deadfall: (noun) a heavy trap used to catch animals by dropping a weight on them; a tangled pile of dead trees and branches on a forest floor [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Clerestory: (noun) a high section of a wall that contains windows located above eye level [ibid]

Leachate: (noun) any liquid that passes through a solid and absorbs its chemicals or waste products [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/composting/s/Qa2CzRcnRP]

Steezy: (adjective) “style” + “easy” - used to describe someone who does something hard, like a skateboard trick or a dance move, and makes it look super easy and cool [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/shitposting/s/9ZoCS5cmZN]

Barycentre: (noun) the centre of mass around which two or more bodies orbit [from the Wikipedia entry for the moons of Pluto]

Lache: (noun) a move in parkour where you swing on a bar, let go, and fly through the air to grab another bar or obstacle [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/nextfuckinglevel/s/UxyFAByeTO]

Franger: (noun) Australian and New Zealand slang for a condom [from a conversation with my wife]

Pill: (noun) an unpleasant or boring person [from the film Julie & Julia]

Totting: (verb) removing items from a rubbish dump without authorisation [from a sign at my local tip]

Vociferous: (adjective) someone who is outspoken, vocal or forthright [from the podcast How to Win an Election]

Save scumming: (verb) a gaming tactic where a player repeatedly saves their progress and reloads that save file whenever an unfavorable event occurs [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/TopCharacterTropes/s/waLRgknSX3]

Poka-yoke: (noun) a Japanese term that translates to "mistake-proofing" or "error prevention." It refers to the design of a process, product, or system that makes it impossible for a human to make a mistake, or immediately alerts the user if an error occurs [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/toolgifs/s/h8Z86voPNW]

Passel: (noun) a large, indeterminate number or group of people or things [from the podcast The Allusionist]

Roustabout: (noun) a worker with broad-based, non-specific skills, particularly those who put up tents and booths on fairgrounds, assist in sheep-shearing or who work on oil fields [from the Wikipedia entry for the Duluth lynchings]

Roué: (noun) a man dedicated to a life of sensual pleasure, often characterised by excessive drinking, smoking and womanising [from the Wikipedia entry for Various Positions by Leonard Cohen]

Subitise: (verb) to instantly recognise the number of a group of objects or symbols rather that having to manually count them [from a meeting at my daughter’s school]

Commensalism: (noun) a type of symbiotic relationship between two living organisms where one species benefits, while the other is neither helped nor harmed [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Sook: (noun) a crybaby, timid person, or someone who whines and complains [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/Simracingstewards/s/muClRo0QrJ]

Poetaster: (noun) terrible poet [from the Wikipedia entry for William McGonagall]

Chantoozie: (noun) a female singer of popular songs, particularly one who performs in a nightclub, cabaret, or smoky lounge [from the ITV series Poirot]

Byplay: (noun) secondary or subsidiary action in a movie or play [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Palisade: (noun) a defensive wall or fence made of stout wooden stakes [ibid]

Mattock: (noun) an agricultural tool resembling a pickaxe with an adze and a chisel edge as the ends of the head [ibid]

Adze: (noun) an ancient cutting tool similar to an axe, but with its curved, sharp blade positioned perpendicular to the handle rather than parallel [ibid]

Tehrangeles: (noun) portmanteau of Tehran and Los Angeles referring to the Iranian diaspora in LA [from BBC News]

Soup to nuts: from beginning to end; completely and comprehensively [from The Megyn Kelly Show]

Fridging: (verb) making use of a literary trope whereby the suffering of a female character serves as a plot device or motivation for a male character [from the Wikipedia entry for the Ctrl+Alt+Del comic strip Loss]

Paraclete: (noun) an advocate, helper, or intercessor; in Christian theology, it is capitalised and refers to the Holy Spirit as a comforter [from a hymn at mass]

Aborning: (adjective) while being born or produced [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Intertidal: (adjective) indicating the area of coast that is covered at high tide and uncovered at low tide [ibid]

Flexure: (noun) in geology, a bent or curved part of the landscape [ibid]

Waldo: (noun) a remote-controlled device for handling or manipulating objects [ibid]

Rosemaling: (noun) a traditional Scandinavian style of decorative folk art, originating in rural Norway in the mid-1700s featureing flowing floral patterns, ornate scrollwork, and intricate geometric lines [ibid]

Merlon: (noun) the parts of a castle’s cremation that protrude upwards [ibid]

Prissy: (adjective) fussily and excessively respectable [ibid]

Cracksman: (noun) a burglar, especially a safe-cracker [from the ITV series Poirot]

Asemic: (adjective) having no specific semantic content or meaning. Most commonly referring to asemic writing, it describes marks, symbols, or fluid strokes that look like a traditional script or handwriting, but lack any readable, literal words [from the podcast Misquoting Jesus]

Pseudepigrapha: (noun) a falsely attributed work, a text whose claimed author is not the true author [ibid]

Sophont: (noun) a fictional or speculative term for any being with human-level or higher intelligence, capable of reason, complex language, and abstract thought [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Get: (noun) the offspring or progeny of a male animal, particularly a sire or stallion [ibid]

Meff: (noun) a derogatory term used to describe someone who is dirty, unkempt, a tramp, or behaving like a fool [from this comment https://www.reddit.com/r/Liverpool/s/kDTilPxHHz]

Kettle: (noun) collective noun for vultures in flight [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/CringeTikToks/s/fCTeFB8SBp and the Wikipedia entry for vulture]

Committee: (noun) collective noun for vultures resting in the ground or in trees [ibid]

Wake: (noun) collective noun for vultures feeding [ibid]

Kettle: (noun) collective noun for vultures in flight [from this post https://www.reddit.com/r/CringeTikToks/s/fCTeFB8SBp and the Wikipedia entry for vulture]

Tympanum: (noun) eardrum [from A Fire Upon the Deep by Vernor Vinge]

Travois: (noun) type of sledge used to carry goods consisting of two joined poles pulled by a horse [ibid]

Lying doggo: (verb) to remain perfectly still, quiet, or in hiding to avoid detection [ibid]

Flense: (verb) slice the skin or fat from a carcass, especially a whale [ibid]

Rangatira: Māori term for chief, leader or person of high rank [from the Wikipedia entry for George Grey]