banausic /bəˈnɔ:sɪk/ /bə-NAW-sik/. adjective. Ordinary; routine; run-of-the-mill; mundane; dull. Derogatory, obviously, banausic originated in Ancient Greek as a pejorative label for the laboring class, including artists and musicians. It’s possible that the Elizabethan use of “mechanical” was a translation from the Greek. From Greek banausos (handicraftsman).
[Read more…]bead
/bi:d/. A small, usually spherical, piece of jewelry. A drop of moisture. A bubble. A small globule. A bead on a rosary. A prayer.
[Read more…]behemoth
/buh-HE-muth/ /bɪˈhi:mɒθ/ noun. A large Biblical animal, usually thought to be a hippopotamus; a large beast; something huge, gigantic, monstrous.
[Read more…]bampot
bampot /BAM-pot/. noun. An idiot; a fool; an obnoxious person. Scottish slang of unknown origin, probably related to Northern English barmpot (a container for storing yeast) and barm (the froth on fermenting malt liquor; the head of a beer) both also used as slang with the same meaning and from which we also get barmy, slang for being mentally unsound.
[Read more…]Beyond the Pale
anthropodermic bibliopegy
anthropodermic bibliopegy /AN-throh-pə-DəR-mik BIB-lee-OP-əjy/. noun. Bookbinding with human skin.
bumf
bumf /BUMF/. noun. Literally, toilet paper. Figuratively, worthless, superfluous, boring papers. Abbreviation of slang bum-fodder (same meaning).
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