New Vocabulary, 5th Edition

New thread!

Snickleways - A snickleway is a narrow passageway or alley, typically found in the city of York, England, and characterized by its winding and often hidden nature. From Mrs. Hudson and the Spirits’ Curse.

Demesne- an archaic use meaning domain. As in Mrs. Hudson’s demesne was the kitchen.

Shrub - is the name of two related acidulated beverages. One is a fruit liqueur that was popular in 17th and 18th century England, typically made with rum or brandy and mixed with sugar and the juice or rinds of citrus fruit. The other is a cocktail or soft drink that was popular during America's colonial era, made by mixing a vinegared syrup with spirits, water, or carbonated water. Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes were having a glass of shrub.

Cheshire salt - refers to the rock salt and brine deposits formed 220 million years ago in Cheshire, England, and extracted through mining and pumping for use as road salt, and, historically, for producing edible salt and in the pharmaceutical industry. I knew about the cheese but had never heard of the salt.

Tongue-press - a kitchen tool that Presses cooked meat (like tongue) into a uniform shape for consistent slicing and appearance.

Matutinal - of or occurring in the morning.

Oloroso- is a rich, full-bodied, and aromatic style of Spanish sherry wine known for its oxidative aging, which gives it a dark amber color and nutty, spicy, and dried fruit notes. Unlike other sherries, it's fortified to a high alcohol level (around 17-18%) to prevent the growth of flor (a yeast layer), allowing it to age with exposure to oxygen, resulting in a complex, concentrated flavor profile.

Growler - an inelegant one horse cab of the British 19th century. It gets its name from the noise it makes traveling over cobbles.

>1 varielle: “Snickleway” is not a real word, it was a composite invented by Mark W Jones for his book A Walk Around the Snickelways of York in 1983, so it certainly didn’t exist in Sherlock Holmes’s day. But then Sherlock Holmes didn’t actually exist, so I suppose it’s rather a pointless objection!

I was living in York at the time — the book was a big hit, it got a lot of publicity on local TV and elsewhere so everyone had a copy and some people even did more than 25% of the route...

>2 thorold: I think it might be an error on the part of the author because the snickleways she was referring to were in London not York.

>3 varielle: Jones combined “snicket”, “ginnel” and “alleyway” to make a new word that could plausibly cover all types of narrow passageways. The first two of those seem to be predominantly northern words, so they wouldn’t really make sense in London.

Immured - confined against one’s will from Robert Grave’s The Greek Myths Vol. I. In this case a king immured his daughter after she was seduced by Poseidon.

Wryneck - an old world woodpecker notable for being able to twist its neck 180 degrees. Hera turned one of Zeus’ paramours into one.

From Le Ton beau de Marot: In Praise of the Music of Language

Bremsstrahlung - the electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle rapidly decelerates.

Syzygy- a conjunction or opposition especially of the moon and Sun.

From Around the World with Auntie Mame:
Fanfaronade - arrogant or boastful talk.

From Thirteen Moons
Gunspalls- an older form of gunflint used to ignite a flintlock gun.

Horse fleam- a blood letting lancet generally used on large animals.

Fodderstook- archaic - a gathering of silage or corn stalks to be used as animal feed.

Linkster - an interpreter or translator. In this case, the main character has learned Cherokee and is communicating between different frontier groups.

Stroud- a coarse woolen cloth once used by the British to trade with North American Indians.

Sulled- " is the past tense and past participle of the regional verb sull, meaning to become stubborn, balky, or to pout and refuse to move. Frequently used in Appalachian and Southern U.S. dialects (often as "sulled up"), it describes both livestock that freeze in place and people who are holding a grudge or pouting. In this case an Indian man has gone off to sulk after being mocked by his many wives.

Rencontre- an encounter. In this case a duel.

Calkins - As a noun, calkin (plural: calkins) refers to a metal cleat, stud, or projection attached to the bottom of a horseshoe or boot to prevent slipping on ice or pavement.

Thimblerigger - is an operator of the classic "shell game" or "thimblerig"—a sleight-of-hand swindling trick where a small pea is hidden under one of three cups.

Apotropaic - something that has the power to avert evil and bad luck, in this case a fu dog. From the Dali Tarot.

From The Whole Five Feet.
Clerisy - a distinct class of learned or literary people.
Efflux - the flowing out of particles or a particular substance. In this case clearing clouds from the mind.
Amphibium - an amphibious animal.

Dilatoriness - is the quality of being habitually slow, tardy, or inclined to delay, often resulting in procrastination or the intentional deferral of action. (Describes me perfectly)

Congeners - Congeners are chemical compounds, excluding ethanol, produced during the fermentation and maturation of alcoholic beverages, which significantly affect taste, aroma, and color.

Morion - is a distinctive open-faced combat helmet with a tall, central comb and a curved, crescent-shaped brim, widely used by European infantry—particularly Spanish conquistadors—during the 16th and early 17th centuries.

Sedulously - an adverb meaning to do something with great care, effort, and persistent diligence.

Amerophile - (or pro-American) is an individual, typically not a U.S. citizen, who has a strong fondness for, admiration of, or fascination with the United States, its culture, people, or policies.

Lacunae - are tiny fluid filled cavities or spaces found in the matrix of bone and cartilage, functioning as essential micro-habitats for bone cells (osteocytes) and cartilage cells (chondrocytes).

From A Gentleman in Moscow:

Loges- plural form for private balcony boxes in a theatre.

Mille-feuille- a classic French pastry made of three layers of puff pastry alternating with two layers of pastry cream, topped with a marbled icing or powdered sugar.

Asymptotically- in the manner of an asymptote, describing a process that approaches a limit or a condition but never quite reaches it, often as a variable or input approaches infinity. This is referencing the design of a valuable clock.

Entrechat - a classic ballet step where a dancer jumps and rapidly crosses their legs in the air, beating them together multiple times before landing.

Hopak - Hopak is a Ukrainian folk dance originating as a male dance among the Zaporozhian Cossacks, but later danced by couples, male soloists, and mixed groups of dancers.

Okroshka - a cold, refreshing Russian and Eastern European soup traditionally made with a mix of raw and cooked vegetables, herbs, and a cooked meat, such as ham, all combined with a tangy, chilled liquid base. It is a popular summer dish, and its name comes from the Russian word "kroshit'," meaning "to crumble into small pieces".

Britzka - an open carriage with calash top and space for reclining, originating in Poland and Eastern Europe.

Novaya - Russian meaning new.

Montrachet - is a prestigious Grand Cru vineyard in Burgundy, France, straddling the border between the villages of Puligny-Montrachet and Chassagne-Montrachet, renowned for producing some of the world's finest Chardonnay wines.

Plenum - in the USSR (specifically of the CPSU Central Committee) was a plenary session—a general meeting of all members and candidate members of the Communist Party Central Committee, usually held every few months. It served to approve Politburo decisions, elect top leadership, and discuss major policy changes, serving as a key, though often ceremonial, body.

Ilyushin - a type of Russian aircraft. The public joint stock company Ilyushin Aviation Complex, operating as Ilyushin or as Ilyushin Design Bureau, is a Russian aircraft manufacturer and design bureau, founded in 1933 by Sergey Vladimirovich Ilyushin. In this case someone has flown to Cuba on one from Mexico in the 1960s in Bad Trips: A Sometimes terrifying, sometimes hilarious collection of writing on the perils of the road.

Horror vacui- Latin for "fear of empty space" and refers to the tendency to fill an entire surface with detail and content, leaving little to no blank space. This concept has roots in ancient philosophy, particularly Aristotle's idea that nature abhors a vacuum, and is evident in various art forms, cartography, and even design, where it can signal prestige or affordability.

cwt- CWT can stand for hundredweight, an old unit of weight for 100 pounds (especially in the US, where it originates from the Latin "centum" or "hundred". In this case it references a 15-cwt truck.

Valetudinarian -a person who is unduly anxious about their health.

Sahel - a transitional semi-arid region in north-central Africa situated between the Sahara Desert to the north and the humid savannas to the south, stretching from the Atlantic to the Red Sea.

Runasimi - Runa Simi (meaning "language of the people") is the native name for Quechua, the indigenous language family of the Andes in South America.

>12 varielle: Naturally, British hundredweights (112 lb, or about 50kg) were different from US ones (100 lb, or about 45 kg). It wouldn’t have been any fun if we’d all used the same words for the same quantities, would it?
Half a hundredweight (56lb) used to be a standard size for things that came in sacks, like potatoes or cement.
15-cwt (3/4 ton load capacity) light trucks were commonly used by the British forces up to the time of WWII, and many of them passed into civilian use, so it was quite a familiar category in the post-war period.

Gurrier - an Irish (specifically Dublin dialect) slang term for a rough, aggressive, ill-mannered young man, often used as a pejorative to describe a lout or ruffian. from Bad trips. In this case, an old man is referring to his daughter’s husband.

Ayllu- An ayllu is the fundamental kinship-based community unit in Andean societies (Inca, Aymara, Quechua), functioning as a collective landholder and mutual support system based on shared ancestry, territory, and reciprocity (ayni, minka) for work and resources, essential for social and economic stability in the Andes.

Matadero - in Spanish it means a slaughterhouse. In this case, the author was meeting the mataderos which seemed to mean the men working in the slaughterhouse. If anyone fluent in Spanish can clarify, that would be appreciated.

Froomids - a slang term for hermaphrodites.

Petou is a misspelling of patoo- in Afghanistan refers to a long, thick woolen shawl primarily worn by men. It is a traditional garment especially popular in the colder winter months due to its warmth.

Smew- The Smew (Mergellus albellus) is a small, compact diving duck known for its striking black, white, and reddish-brown plumage, especially in males, and is the only living member of its genus. Found in northern Europe and Asia, it's a winter visitor to some areas, feeding on fish and aquatic insects, and is characterized by its streamlined body, pointed wings, and serrated bill for catching slippery prey.

Gnatwren- is a tiny, insect-eating bird from the gnatcatcher family, known for its long, thin bill, short cocked tail with white tips, and a distinctive trilling call. Found from Mexico to South America, it lives in humid tropical forests, actively foraging in vine tangles and often wagging its tail.

Col - the lowest point of a ridge or saddle between two peaks, typically affording a pass from one side of a mountain range to another.

Intellection- the action or process of understanding, as opposed to imagination. From The Verificationist.

Verificationist - Verificationism, also known as the verification principle or the verifiability criterion of meaning, is a doctrine in philosophy which asserts that a statement is meaningful only if it is either empirically verifiable or a tautology.

Solipsism - the quality of being self-centered or selfish. In this case that is the opinion of a group of psychologists about their colleague.

Phosphene - a sensation of seeing light without any actual light entering the eye. It is caused by the stimulation of cells in the retina or visual cortex. From Dali’s Les Diners de Gala. Dali being Dali is referring to an edible phosphene experience.

Tessellated - denoting or characterized by a pattern of repeated shapes, especially polygons, that fit together closely without gaps or overlaps. From Lawrence of Arabia: The Authorized Biography. It references the pulling together of someone’s life in a biography.

Jupon - A padded, sleeveless jacket worn over armor to protect against chafing and the elements, and to provide a surface for displaying a coat of arms.

Responsion - the first and formerly required examination for a Bachelor of Arts degree at Oxford University.

Venery- the practice of hunting game or the pursuit of sexual desire. In this case it references sex when a minister invoked his parishioners to avoid an event that only lasts a minute and a quarter anyway. 😄

Ogee - is an object, element, or curve—often seen in architecture and building trades—that has a serpentine- or extended S-shape.

Carchemish - a major ancient city-state located on the Euphrates River, on the modern border of Turkey and Syria.

Enceinte - as an adjective it means pregnant. As a noun as in this case it means a fortification around a castle or town.

Souterrain - an underground passage or chamber, particularly one dug or built in the past, often associated with archaeology and used for storage or as a hiding place. From The Light Bearer where women and children are hiding in a souterrain.

Peltry - animal pelts collectively. From Sailing Alone Around the World used in reference to Patagonian natives being robbed of their peltry by unscrupulous fire water salesmen.

Williwaw - refers to a sudden, violent, cold wind that descends from a mountainous coast to the sea. In this case, the wind came down a few days after he had rounded the horn of South America.

Hawse - has several nautical and mechanical meanings, referring to the part of a ship's bow where anchor cables emerge, the hole or pipe itself (a hawsehole or hawsepipe), the distance between a ship's bow and its anchor, or the arrangement of anchor cables. It also refers to a fairlead, a guiding piece for winch ropes on vehicles. The word's origin relates to the Old Norse word for neck.

Guanaco - a South American ruminant related to the llama.

Corroboree- an Australian Aboriginal dance ceremony which may take the form of a sacred ritual or an informal gathering.

Bilharzia - A disease caused by infection with freshwater parasitic worms in certain tropical and subtropical countries. From No Touch Monkey: and Other Travel Lessons Learned too Late.

Schmata - (Yiddish: שמאטע, derived from Polish szmata) literally means a rag, but it is widely used to refer to any shabby, old piece of clothing, a worthless item, or a loose-fitting garment

Prognothous - (especially of a person) having a projecting lower jaw or chin. from The Beast in the Cave included in The Complete Fiction of H. P. Lovecraft.

Matutinal - refers to, occurs in, or relates to the early morning, often describing creatures active at dawn or human habits like a "matutinal walk".

Architraves - decorative molding around windows and doors.

Machiolated - A machicolation (French: mâchicoulis) is an opening between the supporting corbels of a battlement through which defenders could target attackers. from The Alchemist.

Deterré - the French past participle of déterrer, meaning "unearthed," "dug up," or "exhumed." It describes something removed from the ground (like artifacts, corpses, or roots) or figuratively discovered, such as information or forgotten items. It can also describe a person with a sickly, pale appearance ("mine de déterré).

Coruscations - sudden flashes, gleams, or sparkles of light, often used to describe dazzling, brilliant, or rapid scintillations. In a literary or metaphorical context, the term refers to a striking display of brilliance, wit, or intellectual creativity. The word is derived from the Latin coruscāre, meaning to vibrate, glitter, or flash

Ducape- is a heavy corded silk dress fabric popular chiefly in the 18th century. From The Witch of Cologne.

Paduasoy - ) is a strong, corded or grosgrain silk fabric that originated in Europe, often used in the 17th-19th centuries for high-end fashion, garments, and ribbon. It was particularly popular for gowns and waistcoats and is sometimes considered an earlier, stronger version of peau de soie.

From Robert Graves’ The Greek Myths I
Tanist- the heir apparent to a Celtic chief, typically the most vigorous adult of his kin, elected during the chief's lifetime.

>23 varielle: The title of the Deputy Prime Minister in Ireland right now is Tánaiste (pronounced something like “tornishter”).

From The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady
Coulter - In agriculture, a coulter is a cutting tool, typically a sharp disc or blade, attached to a plow. In this case she is quoting the Robert Burns poem To a Mouse in which the wee beastie is turned out into the cold and had its home destroyed by the coulter.

Leat - an artificial watercourse, ditch, or channel, commonly used in the UK to transport water to a watermill (millstream), for industrial purposes, or for irrigation.

>25 varielle: That's such a beautiful book. I read it over a year, month by month. I was in awe of her knowledge of flowers and plants and her artistic talent was amazing.

Ate - In Greek mythology, Ate is the goddess of mischief, delusion, ruin, and blind folly, a force that led both gods and mortals to rash actions and suffering. From Havoc’s Sword: An Alan Lewrie Naval Adventure.

Skift- British dialect. Something that is light: such as a light fall of snow or rain or a wisp. In this case it references shattered glass on a floor.

Rictus - : a rigid grin or grimace usually with the mouth open or lips parted. In this case, due to a sword wound to the face.

Salope - an insult meaning slut or bitch. In this case it was aimed at a cook who overspiced the food.

Cock-stand - vulgar slang for an erection.

Kerseymere- a fine woolen fabric, similar to cassimere, known for its close nap and fancy twill weave.

Slop-trousers - wide-legged pants that usually stop below the knee, commonly worn by 18th century sailors.

Obeah - also spelled Obiya or Obia, is a broad term for African diasporic religious, spell-casting, and healing traditions.

Knacky - an adjective, often used in British and Scots dialect, meaning handy, clever, ingenious, or crafty. It describes someone or something having a "knack"—a natural skill, talent, or special touch for doing something. It can also refer to tasks requiring specific, practice-based techniques.

Ram-cat - a tomcat.

Catch-fart - a 17th-century term for a fawning, overly obedient servant or sycophant who follows their master, mistress, or boss entirely too closely. Originating from 18th-century slang for a footman or page boy, it implies someone who is constantly "behind" the superior to curry favor.

Lazerette - is a dedicated storage compartment located in the stern (aft) of a boat or ship, usually beneath the deck and accessed via a hatch.

psephology: "The study of public elections; statistical analysis of trends in voting; (now usually) the prediction of electoral results based on analysis of sample polls, voting patterns, etc." – OED

Spotted today in its adverbial form in Marina Hyde's column in The Guardian.

Sala - a living room. Of Spanish origin. From Fifth Life of the Catwoman.

Banco - has several meanings but in this case refers to a traditional built-in bench common in the American Southwest (often made of adobe or wood).

Querísima - the feminine superlative form of the Spanish adjective "querida" (dear/beloved), meaning "dearest" or "most beloved". It is used as an affectionate, high-intensity term of endearment, often in formal letters, personal notes, or to express deep fondness.

The underside of the leaves have very few pores; in dry weather they roll up like waterproof tubes to hold in every precious drop of water vapour. Slender-tipped, smooth, loose and open, lax at flowering time, puberulent.

covered with fine soft hairs or down

— A Student of Weather, Elizabeth Hay

Splodged - a large blob or smear staining something, in this case wallpaper. From An Awfully Big Adventure.

Gamp- British slang for an umbrella. 🌂

Skew-whiff - British slang for something that is not strait or askew.

Titivate- making small enhancing adjustments. In the case, older women tidying their hair and makeup after recognizing an actor.

Eccles cake - a small, round, flaky pastry filled with currants, sugar, and spices.

Manqué - Unfulfilled, failing to become what one might have been, in this case a poet.

Kirby-grip - a type of Bobby pin

Crush-bar - a bar at a theatre for serving drinks during the intervals of a play

Charabanc- an early 20th century, large, open topped motorcoach.

Ponged- British English. Something that has a strong, unpleasant smell. From Kowloon Tong.

Oaties- an oat cookie.

Toast soldier - is a thin strip of toasted bread, reminiscent of a soldier on parade. The shape lends itself to dipping into a soft-boiled egg that has had the top removed.

Shambolic - disorganized, chaotic, or mismanaged.

Goolies- a vulgar British slang word for testicles. 😳

Bagatelle - (from the Château de Bagatelle) is a billiards-derived indoor table game, the object of which is to get a number of balls (set at nine in the 19th century). From The Dream Lover, a novel about George Sand.

Conteuse - French - the feminine version of a storyteller.

Sabretache - a flat leather satchel or pouch that hangs from a cavalryman's belt, typically on the left side, alongside the saber. Historically, it was used to carry essentials like maps, documents, and a fire-starting kit, though its modern form is now mostly decorative or used by collectors.

Prunella - prunella is a worsted fabric, sometimes also made with a blend of silk. In this case it’s referencing prunella shoes.

Knarr - Norse merchant and cargo vessels of the Viking age. From Jane Smiley’s The Greenlanders.

Skraeling - a derogatory name used by Norse settlers to refer to the indigenous inhabitants of Greenland and North America.

Wadmal - is a coarse, dense, usually undyed wool fabric woven in Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greenland, and the Orkney, Faroe and Shetland Islands from the Middle Ages into the 18th century.

Ell - an archaic northwestern European unit of length, primarily used for measuring cloth, traditionally based on the length of a person's arm (elbow to fingertip or shoulder). The unit varied significantly by region, with the English ell being 45 inches and the Scottish ell around 37 inches.

Exegetical - Exegetical" describes something related to exegesis, which is the critical explanation or interpretation of a text, especially scripture, to discover its original meaning by analyzing language, context, and history; it means "drawing out" meaning, not reading meaning into it, and involves deep study for sermons, papers, or personal understanding.
From Mervyn Peake’s Gormenghast Trilogy.

Necropolitan- of or pertaining to a large cemetery or necropolis.

Recrudescent - breaking out again or renewing.

Diligentium- a form of Diligentia a Latin term meaning "carefulness," "diligence," "attention," or "assiduity". It signifies a state of steady, earnest, and energetic effort, often referring to the high level of care, thoroughness, and dedication applied to a task. In legal contexts, it denotes the required standard of care to avoid liability.

Crapulous - an adjective describing someone suffering from, or characterized by, gross intemperance in eating or drinking.

Fondamenta - primarily refers to the paved walkways or banks alongside canals in Venice, serving as streets for pedestrians, but it also means "foundation" or "basis" in a broader sense, stemming from the word fondamento. in this case a lady has alighted from her gondola onto the fondamenta in The Rossetti Letter.

Baldachin - (or baldacchino) is a ceremonial canopy, originally made from rich fabric from Baghdad (Baldacca), that signifies importance, typically placed over an altar, throne, or tomb, often as a permanent architectural feature with columns supporting a roof-like structure, like Bernini's famous bronze one over the high altar in St. Peter's Basilica in Rome.

Cachetic - describes someone affected by cachexia, a severe wasting syndrome involving significant loss of muscle and fat, often with weakness, common in advanced chronic diseases like cancer, AIDS, or heart failure, where the body's metabolism and nutrient use are disrupted, making it difficult to reverse with nutrition alone. in this case, it’s describing the appearance of a banker.

Fodere- the linings from the Latin to dig. In this case it appears to reference a type of trench near a canal.

From The Complete Short Stories of Ernest Hemingway.
Cant-hooks - a traditional logging lever tool with a handle, a movable hook (dog), and a blunt toe, used by one person to roll, lift, and maneuver heavy logs and timber for tasks like milling or firewood processing.

From Lowside of the Road: A Life of Tom Waits

aperçu - refers to a brief overview, a quick insight, or a clever summary/sketch, often revealing a deeper understanding or perception, borrowed from the French verb meaning "to perceive”.

Stimming - (self-stimulatory behavior) involves repetitive movements, sounds, or actions (like rocking, humming, fidgeting) used for self-regulation, managing emotions (anxiety, excitement), processing sensory input, or expressing joy, common in autistic individuals and those with ADHD.

Shibboleth - a custom, phrase, or pronunciation that distinguishes one group from another, often acting as a test of in-group membership. Originating from a Biblical story in Judges 12:6 where it was used to identify Gileadites, the term has evolved into a metaphor for any speech pattern, behavior, or catchphrase that signals belonging. Today, it is used in common language to describe cultural or linguistic markers of identity and, in technology, as an open-source single sign-on system for secure authentication.

From The Light Bearer

Niding- is an archaic term from Old Norse and Old English referring to a dishonorable, despicable, or outcast person—a villain, coward, or scoundrel who has lost honor, often associated with a curse or being declared an outlaw. It signifies deep shame.

Laodicean-- lukewarm or indifferent in religion or politics. Derived from the Book of Revelation, Chapter 3, verses 15 and 16, in which the church of Laodicea is admonished for being "neither cold nor hot, . . . neither one nor the other, but just lukewarm" in its devotion.

A Laodicean by Thomas Hardy (1881); the title describes the character of the novel's heroine. She cannot decide between two suitors--one man with an aristocratic past that she reveres and the other man who is a modern day architect, building for the future.

ekphrasis/ecphrasis

the literary description of a work of art; e.g. Homer's description of the shield of Achilles in Iliad 18.

Hypnopompic- vivid hallucinations occurring while awakening from sleep. From Risking Everything: 110 Poems of Love and Revelation.

Contrapuntally- an adverb describing the use of multiple independent , simultaneous melodic lines in music, where no single melody dominates. It relates to counterpoint, involving a complex, polyphonic structure with interwoven voices. The term is also used in literary analysis, referring to reading texts while considering both metropolitan histories and colonial perspectives. From The Camomile Lawn by Mary Wesley in which it references thinking contrapuntally.

>43 varielle: Think J. S. Bach when thinking about counterpoint. Much of his work is composed that way.

I read a lot of Mary Wesley's books, including The Camomile Lawn, when they were first published, and don't remember a thing except I loved most of them at the time.

Hippocras - Hippocras is a spiced, sweetened wine popular in medieval and early modern Europe, often associated with festive occasions and medicinal use. From In a Dark Wood Wandering.

Maecenas - Gaius Cilnius Maecenas (ˈɡaːiʊs̠ ˈkɪɫ̪niʊs̠ mae̯ˈkeːnaːs̠ 13 April 68 BC1 – 8 BC) was a friend and political advisor to Octavian (who later reigned as emperor Augustus). He was also an important patron for the new generation of Augustan poets, including both Horace and Virgil. In many languages, his name is an eponym for "patron of arts".

Tabard -
A tabard is a short, sleeveless outer tunic that was a common garment for European men in the late Middle Ages and early modern period.

Mincing (adj): affectedly elegant or dainty in speech, manner or walk.
Coming in his direction was a mincing girl

From "Looking 'Em Over" by James T. Farrell found in Calico Shoes and Other Stories


Ratiocination (n): the process of forming judgements from a process of logic; a reasoned train of thought.
In our idle hours we always improved our higher selves by ratiocination and mental thought.

From "Shearing the Wolf" by O. Henry, found in Stories by O. Henry


Cockstride (n): a short distance
...their cottage ...was a mere cockstride out of the village
Obsequies (n): funeral rites
...as soon as the obsequies were done
Stertorous (adj): characterized by a heavy snoring or gasping sound, as of labored breathing
Liam could hear stertorous respiration from the next room

From "A Cure for Croup" by Edward P. Hughes found in Day of the Tyrant Vol IV

Sinecure - a position requiring little or no work but giving the holder status or financial benefit. From Unlikely Allies: How a Merchant, a Playwright, and a Spy Saved the American Revolution.

Gamin - a street urchin. From Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (1862), English translation by Christine Donougher.

Duplicate post for some reason. 🤷‍♀️

Revenant - one that returns after death
Denoting “one that returns after death or a long absence,” revenant is a borrowing from French that was originally formed from the present participle of the verb revenir ("to return"). It literally means “one coming back,” either from another place or from the dead. From John Banville’s The Sea.

Flocculent - agents that cause suspended particles to aggregate into loose, fluffy clumps (flocs), settling them out of liquids. In this case it’s referring to the flocculent air in a hotel lobby. 🤷‍♀️ I can only assume that means there’s visible dust floating in the air.

Minatory- threatening, menacing, or conveying a warning of danger. Derived from Latin, it is a formal term often used to describe menacing gestures, ominous warnings, or intimidating behavior.

Advert (v) - to call attention in the course of speaking or writing; make reference —used with to
In the matter of imperialism Machiavelli adverted to the example of Rome...

Fixity (n) - the state of being unchanging, permanent
...stable situations, points of fixity within which ethical behavior became possible.

Esemplastic (adj) - shaping or having the power to shape disparate things into a unified whole (supposedly first used by Samuel Coleridge)
...which attributes to the political theorist an 'esemplastic' power of remolding a whole society...

From Politics and Vision by Sheldon S Wolin

From Thomas Hardy's Two on a Tower:

personalty--personal property or belongings

This one is new to me. At first I thought it was a misprint for "personal-i-ty", but it didn't make sense in context. So I had to look it up to see if it was a real word.

From Reading Lolita in Tehran:
-Upsilamba, in discussion Nabokov and his invention of words, roughly meaning a great, almost overwhelming joy; and,
-Poshlost, also from Nabokov, meaning a combination of banality, vulgarity, and false beauty

From Nice to Have You Aboard:
-Enfilading: military term for gunfire directed from a flanking position along the length of enemy battle line.

Fulgurant (adj) - characterized by dazzling, or flashing like lightning; a rapid, sudden, brilliant display

"...The Spirit springs under the groin, in the matrix of desire
The sex an antenna at the centre of the Many, exchanges fulgurant messages..."

--Léopold Sédar Senghor, Elegy of Midnight in Nocturnes

Pre-lapsarian - characteristic of the time before the Fall of Man; innocent and unspoiled. From Boccaccio’s The Decameron which I’m forcing myself to read because of the Netflix show.

Thomistic - Thomism is a philosophical and theological system based on the teachings of 13th-century philosopher St. Thomas Aquinas, which synthesizes Aristotelian philosophy with Christian doctrine.

Autonomasia - a rhetorical device—a type of metonymy—where a proper name is replaced by a descriptive phrase or title (e.g., "The King" for Elvis), or a proper name is used to represent a general archetype (e.g., calling a wise person "a Solomon").

Tierce - the third canonical hour of the day - 9 am.

Gonfalonier- was the holder of a highly prestigious communal office in medieval and Renaissance Italy, notably in Florence and the Papal States.

Congé - permission

Strappado - The strappado, also known as corda, is a form of torture in which the victim's hands are tied behind their back and the victim is suspended by a rope attached to the wrists, typically resulting in dislocated shoulders.

St. Julian’s Paternoster - refers to the legendary traveler's prayer for a safe journey, good lodging, and a warm bed.

Hortative (n) - an advisory comment; from the Latin hortari, meaning "to urge". The urgent phrases "Let's Go" or "You have to" are also considered hortatives

"...I find the generals commonly in their hortatives put men in mind of their wives and children;"

--Sir Francis Bacon, Of Marriage and Single Life in The Essays

eleemosynary - adj - relating to or dependent on charity; charitable.

from
--Anna of the Five Towns, Arnold Bennett (1902)

From Charlotte Brontë’s Villette

Pistolet- a bread roll with a hard, crispy crust and a soft interior, often served for breakfast with butter, jam, or cold cuts. Often made with a 12-hour rise.

From Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving.

Characterological - an adjective referring to, based on, or relating to a person's character, personality structure, or the scientific study thereof.

From The Theory of Moral Sentiments

Piacular (adj) - making or requiring atonement

paleotempestology: the study of ancient cyclones (Wikipedia)

as referenced in Ars Technica.

What a lovely word, and, I expect, a fascinating field.

>61 librorumamans: a whirlwind of a career, I imagine

>62 Nonconformisto:

Choice turn of phrase!

From The Return of the Dancing Master by Henning Mankell.

Boffin- boffin is a chiefly British, informal term for a scientist, engineer, or technical expert, particularly one involved in research and development. Often used affectionately but sometimes implying a socially awkward or eccentric genius, it is synonymous with "nerd" or "egghead“.

Brevet - a temporary, often honorary, military commission granting a higher rank without increased pay, typically awarded for gallantry or distinguished service, primarily used in the 18th-19th centuries. From Vanished Arizona: Recollections of the Army Life of a New England Woman.

Striker - is an old Army term for an enlisted man that would take on assistant duties for an officer in exchange for extra pay. In this case they helped look after the needs of military dependents and did the cooking, though not very well. 🤦‍♀️

Adventitious (adj) - unplanned, occurring by chance or happenstance. Also means arising from an outside source, as in not inherent or innate. Used by Hayden Carruth in his introduction to Nausea

morse (n.): the clasp or fastening on the front of a cope.

(Order of Service of the insstallation of the Archbishop of Canterbury (fabulous music, by the way!))

kayfabe: "A Pig-Latin-esque word for ‘fake’; in pro-wrestling kayfabe refers to ‘the performance of staged and ‘faked’ events as actual and spontaneous’ " (Chow and Laine, 2014)
or
"the illusion that everything is utterly sincere and authentic when it is all just an act" (O'Brien, 2020)

found in "Kayfabe, Smartdom and Marking Out: Can Pro-Wrestling Help Us Understand Donald Trump?"
https://doi.org/10.1177/1478929920963827

Mulct (v) - to legitimately extract money from someone by fines or taxation; also to improperly extract money from someone by fraud. Weird how the one word covers both.

Used by H.L. Mencken in his Damn! A Book of Calumny

Maréchal - is French for "Marshal," a high-ranking military officer. From The Man who Created Sherlock Holmes: The Life and Times of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Tawse - is a traditional Scottish implement for corporal punishment, consisting of a leather strap split into prongs at one end, used primarily on the hands or buttocks. It was something Doyle had to contend with when he started school.

Recusant - a person in England, primarily from the 16th to 18th centuries, who refused to attend services of the Church of England, violating statutory law.

Ultra-montane - refers to a strong emphasis on, or belief in, the supreme authority and centralization of the Pope within the Roman Catholic Church. It generally describes those who favor absolute papal supremacy over local or national church governance.

Tolley - a thick slab of rubber used for corporal punishment.

Bombardon - historically refers to a valved bass or contrabass tuba frequently used in 19th-century military and brass bands. Derived from the Italian bombardone, it is considered one of the earliest valved bass wind instruments.

Conurbation - is a vast, continuous urban area formed when originally separate cities and towns expand and physically merge together through suburban growth and development. While Doyle was in medical school he studied public health among many other things.

Oxter - is a traditional Scottish, Irish, and Northern English word for the armpit or the underarm area. It can also be used as a verb meaning to hold, carry, or support something securely tucked under the arm. In this case, Doyle was trying to diagnose a patient who had an abscess in his armpit.

Wolffianism - an 18th-century German philosophical system developed by Christian Wolff (1679–1754), characterized by rigid logical deduction, systematic organization, and rationalism. It blended Leibnizian metaphysics with a demand for clear, mathematical-style proofs to cover all areas of human knowledge. It dominated German academia, emphasizing reason's power to understand reality and achieve happiness. From Arabia Felix.

Quintain - a medieval training device, often a revolving post with a shield and weight, used by knights to practice jousting. From A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms.

Laundalet- A 19th-century landaulette (or landaulet) was a smaller, more maneuverable, one or two-horse version of a Landau carriage, popular for city use among professionals like doctors. It featured a distinctive folding leather roof at the rear, allowing passengers to open it during fine weather. From John Keats: A Life.

A screw - In slang, a "screw" refers to an old, broken-down, unsound, or worthless horse.

Consols - (short for consolidated annuities) are perpetual government bonds with no maturity date, offering a fixed, perpetual interest payment. Originally issued by the Bank of England in 1751 to consolidate national debt, they represent a secure, long-term income stream. These bonds were redeemed by the UK in 2015.

Demireps- is an archaic term for a woman of questionable morals or doubtful reputation, particularly one suspected of engaging in illicit sexual affairs or promiscuity while attempting to maintain an appearance of virtue. The word is a contraction of "demi-monde reputation".

cadge (v) - To use wit or guile to convince someone to give you something for free. Also, to plead or beg for something.
From his essay "The Ring of Time" by E.B. White

Crocking - is the transfer of dye, pigment, or finish from the surface of a material (fabric, yarn, or leather) to another surface through friction, rubbing, or abrasion. It is most common with dark or vividly colored materials, such as indigo denim, and can be caused by excess dye or improper dyeing processes. From It’s in the Bag: What purses Reveal and Conceal. In this case a suede purse was losing its nap.

Minaudière - is a small, hard-shelled women's evening bag or vanity case, designed as a jewelry-like accessory to hold essentials like lipstick, compacts, and keys.

Vagina dentata - (Latin for "toothed vagina") is a worldwide folkloric motif featuring a vagina containing teeth, fangs, or sharp objects, often symbolizing male anxiety regarding sexual intercourse, castration, and female power. 😳 In this case it’s referencing a purse.

Apparitor - is a historical civil or ecclesiastical court officer responsible for serving summonses, making arrests, and executing orders. Acting as a messenger and bailiff, their primary duty was to ensure individuals received legal notices to appear in court, swear oaths, or face charges. From The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

Conventicles - were small, secret, or unauthorized religious gatherings held by Protestant nonconformists outside the official state church, such as Puritans or Scottish Covenanters.

Sophister - 1. a specious, unsound, or fallacious reasoner. 2. chiefly Brit (esp formerly) a second or third year student at a university. In this case it is the first meaning.

Embrasures - : A flared opening in a thick wall, usually for a door or window. In military architecture, it refers to the gaps in a battlement between solid raised sections (merlons) where soldiers could fire arrows or cannons while remaining protected. In this case it’s referring to openings in trenches during the American Civil War from The Best of Ambrose Bierce.

White bucks- are classic derby-style shoes traditionally crafted from soft white suede or nubuck and finished with a distinct brick-red rubber sole. Historically an Ivy League and preppy warm-weather staple, they are typically worn sockless with shorts, chinos, or seersucker suits. I had no idea what white bucks were so I had to look it up. From What Goes Up: The Uncensored History of Modern Wall Street in which appropriate gentlemen’s attire for bankers, brokers, etc. was discussed.

Exergasia--a rhetorical device in which an idea is restated multiple times in succession but in different words, ex "Don't bother me. Don't distract me. Don't interrupt me." From 2312, dialogue slightly changed.

> 79

Very much a '50s thing; something John Travolta would have worn if he'd been around.

Objets trouvés- is French for "found object." In art and everyday contexts, it refers to an everyday, natural, or discarded item that is retrieved by chance and appreciated or repurposed for its aesthetic, conceptual, or intrinsic value. From Decorating with Books. Unruly touchstone today.

Filiopietism (n) - an extreme and often blindly uncritical reverence for one's ancestors, forebears or past traditions. Found in The War on Words

Myrtophobia - fear of darkness. From Party of the Century: The Fabulous Story of Truman Capote and his Black and White Ball.

Avvocato- Italian for lawyer.

Savarin - is a classic French yeast cake, baked in a distinctive ring mold, soaked in a flavored sugar syrup (often featuring rum or liqueur), and traditionally filled with whipped cream and fresh fruit.

>84 varielle: Savarin is also the name of a famous French - well, gourmet I guess, but also a Revolutionary and author of Physiologie du goût. I suspect the desert you've identified was named in his honor. There are many, many restaurants worldwide named after him, too!