A cornucopia—a logocopia!—of awesome words.
palaver · /pəˈlɑ:və(r)/ · /pə-LAH-və(r)/. noun or verb. Tedious, pointless work. a meeting or conference. Voluminous, idle talk. Flattery. In West Africa, a dispute. From Portuguese palavra (speech, talk), from (via metathesis) Late Latin parabola (speech), from Latin parabola(comparison).
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meretricious · /ˌmɛrɪˈtrɪʃəs/ · /MAIR-ih-TRISH-əs/. adjective and noun. Of, related to, or befitting a prostitute. Gaudy, flashy, superficially attractive. Insincere. Etymonline notes the lovely, early definition, “pertaining to harlots.” ¶ From merētrix (prostitute), from merēre (to earn money). From the PIE root (s)mer- (to get a share of something), from which we also derive words such as demerit, polymer, and turmeric. ¶ I just like it because it’s one of those words that seems it should mean its opposite. Is there a word for that?
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satrap · /ˈsatrap/ · /SA-trap/. noun. A ruler, particularly one who rules tyrannically or in ostentatious splendor. From Old Persian kšatra-pāvan (protector of the country), from kšatra (realm, country) + pāvā (protector). Ultimately from PIE root pa- (to feed; to guard, protect). See also: satrapal, satrapic.
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nugatory · /ˈnju:ɡət(ə)rɪ/ · /NYOO-gə-tree/. adjective. Worthless, trifling, inconsequential. From Latin nūgārī (to jest), from nūgae(trifles).
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pixilated · /ˈpɪksɪleɪtɪd/ · /PIK-sə-LAY-təd/. adjective. Whimsical, impish, mischievous. Intoxicated, deranged. In the 20th century, distorted by visible or enlarged pixels. From pixie + -lated (as in titillated, stimulated, elated). ¶ Popularized in the 1936 Frank Capra movie Mr. Deeds Goes to Town, in which a psychiatrist testifies, “Perhaps I can explain, Your Honor. The word pixilated is an early American expression, derived from the word ‘pixies,’ meaning elves. They would say, ‘The pixies had got him,’ as we nowadays would say a man is ‘balmy.’”
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friable · /FRIY-ə-bəl/ · /ˈfrʌɪəb(ə)l/. adjective. Crumbly; easily broken up into fine fragments. In medicine, tumors that are easily torn apart and prone to malignancy. From Latin friāre (to crumble). Related to fricare to (to rub), from which we get friction, among other words. See also: pulverulent, frangible, brittle, flaky.
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xanthic · /ZAN-thik/ · /ˈzanθɪk/. adjective. Yellow or yellowish in color. A class of organic acids containing sulphur. From Greek xanthós (yellow). See also: Xanthippe, Socrates’ wife, now generally a scolding, nagging woman; canary; saffron; flaxen; fulvous; flavescent.
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