vanitarianism(P) - pursuit of vain things I wonder if vanity is necessarily a bad thing. Doesn't it keep people well-groomed and well-dressed? Let's say one goes to the trouble of self-perfection within his/her limits of looks and money: is that a bad thing? I guess the peacock strut is somewhat annoying.
wamble(P) - churning of the stomach; wobbling or rolling motion This is a dreaded sound: the room is quiet...people are focused on the speaker...when out of the silence your stomach wambles. No one in particular looks at you but your face reddens as though flatulence has been committed. Borborygmus is a synonym for this term.
xanthous(P) - yellow or red-haired Hey, a new name for "gingers". The Founder, being a former ginger, often wonders if someday gingers will rise up and form their own organization to defend themselves from the hazing to which they are routinely subjected. How about the "Xanthous League"? Sherlock solved "The Red-Headed League" but since then things have run amok.
yapness(P) - hunger Test this one out on your sweetie this Valentine's Day: "I have a yapness for you" and see where it gets you.
zetetic(P) - proceeding by inquiry; a search or investigation Sherlock Holmes was mentioned above. A good deal of his appeal derived from his power of observation in his zetetic pursuit of clues.
anoegenetic(p.202) - not producing knowledge; unable to generate new understanding Critics of advanced degrees in Social Science might insinuate that such a pursuit is anoegenetic. The Founder, being a blue collar Social Scientist is devastated by such an insinuation ;)
bathysiderodromophobia(p.157) - fear of subways TAWFI has a foreboding list of phobias...it's a scary world out there. This one is understandable: not just for riding a machine into a hole in the ground but also for the risk of encountering a rabiator(violent man - p.105) or two.
charientism(p.114) - an artfully veiled insult It's the Founder's favorite kind...delivering or receiving. Cleverness is a plus at the Society!
dapocaginous(P) - mean-spirited; heartless In the quest for power there seems to be no bottomline to the extremes the hegemonic will go.
eggtaggle(p.219) - to waste time in bad company It's a teen offspring's favorite activity.
feesks(p.39) - tufts of unruly hair In other words: bed head. Along the same line is 'litch': a mass of tangled hair. If you put the butch attachment on your hair-clippers you can tame the unruliness into a hispid(rough with bristles) scalp. It can be amusing to consider the impact of dead protein upon one's love-life but it's unfortunately a big factor. Thus, millions are spent trying to tease and tame one's coif into a state of attraction. Failing that, there are always flowers and chocolates...Happy Valentine's Day!
galea(p.42) - a headache that hurts your whole head Sounds bad...but there's a worse one: terebration - a pain that feels like a drill is boring through your skull or body. Living a headache-free life is a luxury usually reserved to teetotalers. You play, you pay.
habromania(P) - insanity featuring cheerful delusions If you're going to go crazy, this is the way to do it.
ipsedixitism(p.221) - the practice of dogmatic assertion (approximate Latin translation: he himself has said it) This sounds like a great argument ender. Usually when you're arguing with someone, it's a good tactic to say something that leaves them non-plussed and acutely pissed. Accusing your opponent of ipsedixitism should do it.
juglandaceous(P) - of, like or pertaining to walnuts Somehow I'm disappointed in this definition. The word has so much more promise than the mere resemblance to walnuts.
kakidrosis(p.41) - body odor Any word that starts with "kak" can't be good since "kak" and "caco" mean "bad". Osmidrosis and bromidrosis are synonyms to kakidrosis so it looks like body odor is well-covered in the world of sesquipedalia verba.
lachanophobia(p.160) - fear(dislike) of vegetables If you've ever raised a child, or fed one, you've undoubtedly seen that "don't give me another spoonful of that" look on his/her face. That often persists until they reach college-age when out of the blue they declare themselves vegans.
maw-wallop(p.64) - badly prepared, messy food Often when the retirement years arrive the wife no longer wants to cook. The old man, being somewhat of an egalitarian, accepts the premise that it's his turn in the kitchen. That's when the maw-wallop starts.
natalitial(P) - of, like, or pertaining to a birthday If you said to someone "Natalitial Good Wishes" would they have any idea you were telling them "Happy Birthday"? Sesquipedalia verba is like a foreign language.
oeillade(P) - an ogle; a glance or wink The Founder is quite guilty of this very thing. It's a shelf-sitter's destiny to become an ogler. Winking is a little more lascivious, so caution should be observed - but a respectful oeillade is considered quite civilized here at the Society.
pygalgia(p.45) - pain in the butt Another reason sesquipedalia verba is such fun is that one can say things under the radar of the average bear. Try this one on a good-natured "bear" and see if it makes him growl.
quonking(p.222) - noise from the sidelines that disrupts an athlete's concentration In some sports it's acceptable such as baseball or basketball. Just don't try it at a bowling tourney - it'll be a strike against you so spare no time fleeing the alley.
roorback(p186) - an ugly rumor or fabricated news story that discredits a political opponent There's an old joke with the line: "Remember when politics was clean and sex was dirty"...but politics has never been clean. In the rough and tumble world of power politics the candidates better be quick healers because it's tooth and nail in the body politic when playing for the life of their candidacy.
schoenabatist(P) - a tight-rope walker Long-term husbands know a little about this.
thrion(p.93) - fig leaf used to cover the private parts Not many people wear fig leaf underwear these days. Actually, why did they ever?...and how was it attached? At the Society we ponder such things.
uredinology(p.205) - study of rust The Founder once upon a time was the proud owner of a 1959 Cadillac with the two-story fins and bullet taillights...commonly called a "picklefork". It was a "fixer" and unfortunately the Founder took over ownership at a time when he had no spare money to fix it up and no garage to store it. Alas, exposed to the elements, the vehicle became a study in uredinology. To save the rolling objet d'art for future aficionados, he reluctantly gave it to a more responsible guardian, much to the relief of his beleaguered wife.
vesthibitionism(p.76) - in a woman, the flirtatious display of a bit of undergarment to arouse sexual interest TAWFI has an awesome treasury of similar words. The Founder is chary to share those words at this site due to his salience in other upright organizations... It's okay to laugh now.
witzelsucht(p.224) - a feeble attempt at humor This obviously is a German word. I've never heard it used but, regardless, it has merit. The Founder has been guilty of this nearly every day of his life and yet he persists. All wags know that humor is a hit and miss proposition so we keep swinging hard in case we hit it.
xeriscape - landscaping that requires little or no irrigation This is the state of affairs in SoCal right now. If the El Nino rains flop this year then it will be "zeroscape" next year.
Yowzers...I thought aitch was weak for words but why is totally a bust. The only one that caught my eye at the Phrontistery was "yogibogeybox" - materials used by a spiritualist. It sounds like something from "Urban Dictionary". Any guesses as to contents? Incense; chrystals; eye of newt; toe of frog; vortex handbook; fairy dust; granola bar; mood ring; Birkenstocks; shamwow; pachouli oil; eclipse chart; Jeanne Dixon biography; Centrum Silver; 10% off coupon at Whole Foods; Prius keys...??? Who REALLY knows? The Founder takes life one 'now' at a time so he's skipping the seance.
zoothapsis(P) - premature burial Now that sounds like an absolute drag.
abiotrophy(P) - degeneration; loss of physical vitality or ability We try to have fun here but life is a sine wave: you start at zero; move up to +1; and then back to zero. We won't delve into what happens next on the way to -1; we'll leave that to the individual. The good news is that the wave re-ascends to complete the cycle. Surfing the Sine Wave is just what we have to do. The ideal is to enjoy the stages as best one can with an agile mind. If you're a "sesquo" you're on the right track because verbal agility keeps the mind firing...use it or lose it. That'll be 5 cents please...
badinage(P) - playful repartee or banter The Founder is a fan of repartee, even if it is badinage...it was good in youth and it still tickles the fancy of this sexagenarian.
criticaster(p.129) - third-rate, mean-spirited, contemptible critic A key trait of the average mother-in-law. Criticasters often gravitate toward coaching and teaching where they can do the most harm. To find one rather quickly, take a chance on putting one of your dreams into action...voila: one will appear.
dapocaginous(P) - mean spirited; heartless Another worthless obsolete word but it's just part of the fun. A wordsmith would be out of his mind to use a word like this. The operative phrase here is "out of his mind" - that perfectly describes the Founder when it comes to sesquipedalia verba arcana. Who makes these up?...and WHY??
eximious(p.119) - choice, select, excellent In contrast to the prior word, this one is eminently functional in the daily vocabulary of logodaedalians. It has the sound of pedigree: "How was your day today, sir?" "I dare say eximious, old chap!"
floccillation(p.220) - delirious picking at the bedclothes by a sick person In the mental chaos of illness and old-age, the brain appears to revert to a primitive state. It's sad to see...
grimthorpe(p.220) - to remodel a building badly without consideration of its original quality, character, or history In other words: converting a craftsman into a mid-century...beeeg meestake.
heuristic(P) - learning by trial and error This is often the best way. There's something about the heuristic process that facilitates learning. That's why it's good to get your hands on a project and only refer to the instructions as necessary. Of course the Founder has had colossal screw-ups in the process. C'est la vie...
imparlibidinous(p.73) - unequal in sexual desire A key driver in marital strife (I've heard).
jambeau(P) - armor worn on the legs A requirement if one ventures into Jackalope country
