Category Archives: odd words
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Gobblefunk, Gold Cards, and Blind Boy Groot
Leave a commentJune 15, 2016 by libroshombre
Roald Dahl, creator of Willie Wonka and James and the Giant Peach, liked naming things so much that the …
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Hormones, Peccadillos, and Other Annoyances
Leave a commentDecember 11, 2014 by libroshombre
One of my favorite hormones was featured in a recent Mental Floss article by Jessica Hullinger titled “6 Fascinating Facts …
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Quintilianus, Writing and Reading Well, Wodehouse, and a few Tricolons
Leave a commentNovember 13, 2014 by libroshombre
Novelist Stephen King says this to those wanting to be writers: “If you don’t have time to read, you don’t …
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Wampus Cats, Odd Diseases, and Medicinal Chocolate
Leave a commentOctober 30, 2014 by libroshombre
The ebola scare and calls for quarantines remind me of a favorite word: “cattywampus.” People seem to favor certain words, …
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Old Wives Tales, Malarkey, and the OED
Leave a commentSeptember 25, 2014 by libroshombre
“Do Blue Sheets Bring Babies? The Truth Behind Old Wives’ Tales,” by Thomas Craughwell, was a Gulliver’s used-book purchase I …
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Hyphenites, Assonance, and Monkeyshines
Leave a commentJuly 24, 2014 by libroshombre
Last week brought a new appreciation for animal-oriented names, especially daddy long-leg spiders, carpenter ants, and the expression “monkeyshines.” But …
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Brewer’s, Jenkin’s Ear, and How Far Athletes Run
Leave a commentJune 26, 2014 by libroshombre
Brewer’s Dictionary of Phrase and Fable, that thick collection of concise explanations and curiosities is perfect for lazy, rainy June …
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