tmesis /tə-MEE-sis/. noun. The splitting of a word by interjecting one or more other words. Similar to last week’s diacope but at the level of word rather than phrase. The use of a curse word as the intervening word, as in un-fucking-believable, is the most common example in English and is called expletive infixation. From Greek tmēsis (cutting).
WORD(S)
A cornucopia—a logocopia!—of awesome words.
diacope
diacope /diy-AK-ə-pee/. noun. A literary device in which the repetition of a word or phrase is separated by a word or two. From Ancient Greek diakopē (gash, cleft) > dia (through) + kopē (cutting). See also: next week’s WORD.
“Company, villainous company, hath been the spoil of me.” (William Shakespeare)
Kill, Baby, Kill (American release title of Mario Bava’s 1966 horror film Operazione paura)
“Drill, baby, drill!” (2008 Republican campaign slogan used by Michael Steele, later immortalized by Sarah Palin)
“(burn, baby, burn) disco inferno! (burn baby burn) burn that mother down!” (Leroy Green & Ron Kersey)
“My name’s Felix Leiter,” said the American. “Glad to meet you.” ¶ “Mine’s Bond – James Bond.” (Ian Fleming)
retund
retund. verb. To weaken or diminish. To repress, repel or refute. To drive back. From classical Latin retundere (to dull, blunt, repress, quell), from post-classical Latin (to refute).
fustian
fustian /FUS-chən/. adjective or noun. A pompous, bombastic style of writing or speaking. Also, a coarse family of twilled fabric that includes moleskin, velveteen and corduroy. From Old French fustaigne, from Medieval Latin fustaneum (staff, stick, cudgel), a loaned translation of Greek xulinos (made of cotton).
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coffle (kaffle)
coffle (kaffle) /KAW-fəl/. noun. A train or chain of humans or animals, usually slaves. From Arabic qāfilah (caravan).
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escharotic
escharotic /ES-kər-AH-tik/. adjective or noun. Generally, something that tends to form an eschar (a dry crust or scab). Or a drug or caustic substance that does the same. From French escharotique, from Greek escharōtikos, from escharoun (to form an eschar).
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foehn (fohn, föhn)
foehn (fohn, föhn) /fən/. noun. A warm, dry wind blowing down a mountain valley, specifically the north side and usually referring to the Alps. See also: katabatic, a wind on the lee, or sheltered side of a mountain. Borrowed from German. From Latin Favōnius (the west wind; a wind god).
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