Our Third Annual Spell Check spelling bee for grown-ups last weekend was a big success and raised a nice stack of cash for the Brattleboro Arts Initiative (brattleboroarts.org).    By popular demand, here are the words used to confound our contestants along with the silly sentences I constructed with the idea of keeping the audience awake.   I’d like to think I was successful on both counts.  Here is the list.

1. Supercilious
Soo-puhr-SIL-i-uhs
Showing haughty disdain

Suzanne could not hide her supercilious expression as Gail offered coffee. Decaffeinated Maxwell House?   Really?

2. ersatz
ER-zahts, er-ZATS
Serving as a substitute, especially one of inferior quality. An imitation.

The big green can was actually filled with an ersatz generic brand, but Gail wanted to impress her new flatlander neighbor.

3. Exogamy                                                                                                                          
ek-SOG-uh-mee
marriage outside one’s tribe or a similar social unit. 

It was an act of simple exogamy that afforded Suzanne the lifestyle she relished.  In truth, Gail is more like her own family than she herself ever was.

4. Pleonasm
PLEE-uh-naz-uhm
Noun: The use of more words than necessary to express an idea; redundancy.

A master of the pleonasm, Gail explained that the noise downstairs in the basement was only Buster exchanging the hot water heater for one they received as a free prize at the sugar on snow supper.

5. Miry
MYR-ee
Resembling mire.  Muddy; swampy.

On cue, Buster emerged from the cellar looking and smelling a bit miry.

6. Metonymy
MEH-tahn-emmy
A figure of speech that consists in using the name of one thing for that of something else with which it is associated.  Use of one word for another that it may be expected to suggest.

“It’s a rotten damn day in Denmark is how it’s goin’ down there,” said Buster in answer to Gail’s question, using a surprising bit of metonymy that piqued Suzanne’s curiosity.

7. Pygmalionism
(pig-MAY-lee-uh-niz-uhm)
sexual responsiveness directed toward a statue or other representation
Not exactly pygmalionism, but the sudden interest Suzanne took in Buster and his big blue coverall was twice as unlikely and half as appropriate.

8. diluvial
di-LEW-vee-uhl
relating to a flood or deluge, especially the deluge described in the Bible.

The diluvial developments in the cellar had Buster too distracted even to notice  Suzanne sitting at the table.

9. gravamen
gruh-VAY-men
the material or significant part of a grievance or complaint

The gravamen of Buster’s long tirade would boil down to, “They don’t make ‘em like they used to.”

10. legate
LEG-et
an ecclesiastic representing the Pope and invested with the authority of the Holy See.

Meanwhile, back on the farm, the new pig’s legate airs and attitudes had alienated everyone except Fat Cow, who liked a little pride in a pig.

11. limn
lim
To portray in words.  To draw or paint, especially in outline.

Using the tired transitional device, Meanwhile, back on the farm did not limn the sudden scene shift to the moderator’s complete satisfaction.

12. eructation
earuk-TAY-shun
The act of belching gas from the stomach

Bodily noises are not generally amusing to farm animals, but goose could not help but chuckle at new pig’s eructation.

13. miasmata
my-AZ-muh-tuh, mee-AZ-muh-tuh
plural form of miasma; noxious emissions especially those from decaying organic matter.

The goat’s diet of garbage and swamp grass produced miasmata such as could -- and in fact one night did -- gag a rat.

14. milliner
MIL-uh-nuhr
Someone who designs, makes, or sells women’s hats

Never in danger of being confused for a milliner, Arnold was nonetheless having a lot fun making a straw hat for the pig to wear in the parade this year.

15. procumbent
pro-KUM-buhnt
Lying face down; prone; prostrate

Procubent in the buckthorn thicket, two thoughts revolved through Coyote’s mind; duck, mmm. chicken, mmm.

16. sitzfleisch
SITZ-flaish
German – The ability to sit through or tolerate something boring.

Many years of this kind of passive predation had given coyote tremendous sitzfleisch.

17. Frowsty
FROU-stee
Musty: having a stale smell.

Needing a break from the frowsty goat anyway, Fat Cow sidled across the dooryard toward new pig.

18. Leptorrhine
LEP-tuh-ryn
Having a long narrow nose.

More leptorrhine than most of her breed, Fat Cow appeared particularly earnest for a Holstein.

19. Synecdoche
sin-nek-duh-kee
A figure of speech in which the part is made to represent the whole or vice versa, as in Cleveland won by six runs.

“And the cows come home.”  Announced new pig creating distance with the synechdoche while her wiggling tail telegraphed the come-on.

20. Dentulous
DEN-chuh-lus
Having teeth

At least he was dentulous, thought Beverly behind the bar, making a mental list of the Professor’s qualities.   An improvement over most of the guys who come in here.

21. pansophic
pan-sof-ick
of a universal wisdom or encyclopedic knowledge

Buster’s pansophic command of plumbing accessories was impressive and tiresome at once, thought Suzanne backing toward the door.

22. Ligneous
LIG-nee-uhs
Having the texture or appearance of wood.

The weekend plumber’s big, ligneous paws waved Suzanne out to the mudroom.

23. verdigris
VUHR-di-grees, gree
A bluish-green patina formed on copper, brass, and bronze when exposed to air or water for a long time.

Over many years of handling metals, Buster’s palms had acquired a permanent kind of verdigris. 

24. tetchy
TECH-ee
Easily annoyed; oversensitive

A tad tetchy about her perennial beds, Gail winced when Suzanne’s suede boot slipped off the brick walk into her freshly manured lilacs.

25. Cathect
kuh-THEKT
verb: to invest mental or emotional energy in an idea, object, or person.

Suzanne’s penchant to cathect with her footwear was responsible for the shriek of horror as she kicked the dirt from her 600 dollar Pradas.

26. Nescient
(NESH-uhnt, NESH-ee-uhnt, NEs-ee-uhnt)
Adjective: Lacking knowledge or awareness
Gale’s nescient dismissal of her guest’s over-reaction wounded Suzanne far more than the cow poop on her boots.

27. bailiwick
BAY-luh-wik
A person’s area of expertise or interest

Not my bailiwick, thought Buster, turning from the window and returning to the business in the cellar.

28. Vibrissae
vye-BRIS-ee
The hairs inside your nose.

In the tavern parking lot the Professor inspected his vibrissae for hangers in the rear view mirror.

29. autochthonous
o-TOCK-thuh-nes
indigenous, native.

Never having conformed to the autochthonous fashions, the Professor’s tweed jackets and chinos would have earned him the nickname Professor whether or not he ever had in fact been a Professor, which he had.

30. aeolian –or- eolian
ee-O-lee-uhn
Relating to or caused by the wind.

The aeolian spray of cocktail napkins onto the floor annoyed Beverly until she noticed it was the Professor who had come through the door.

31. Katzenjammer
KAT-sen-jam-uhr
A hangover; distress; depression

The Professor’ katzenjammer was more a result of his behavior in the store room after last night’s Karaoke, than from anything he’d had to drink.

32. oenophile
EE-nuh-file
a lover or connoisseur of wine

Something of an oenophile herself, especially those pink wines, Beverly drew the brought down a fresh box of zinfandel and poured the Professor a glass.

33. maw
maw
The mouth, throat, or stomach of an animal.  A gaping hole.

New pig gazed into black maw of Fat Cow’s eyes and sensed a remarkable soul, as well as the smell of skunk cabbage.

34. Decolletage
Day-kol-TAZH
A low neckline on a woman’s dress

Fat Cow had lost some weight since she’d begun dining in the swamp and the cowbell held her strap in a flattering decolletage.

35. lacunae
luh-KYOO-nee
plural of lacuna; an empty space, gap, missing part, an opening.

Feeling suddenly more lacunae than the grade A pork she was, new pig formed herself around a giant cow shaped hole in her heart.

36. Misogamy
mi-SOG-uh-mee
Hatred of marriage

Flashes of misogamy regularly visited Buster, and once again as he stumbled through a pile of Gail’s discarded flats from Walker Farm.

37. disport
DIS-port
a pastime or game

Gail’s gardening had progressed from disport, to distraction to obsession.

38. helot
HEL-uht, HEE-luht
A serf or slave

How, wondered Buster, had a decorated veteran and a certified welder like himself become a mere helot to his wife’s pansies, impatients, and mulch bags.

39. caitiff
KAY-tif
a cowardly and despicable person

Gail thought Suzanne something of a caitiff for going on about her silly boots without one word for the flower beds she’d staggered through.

40. Vitiate
VISH-ee-ayt
To impair or spoil the effectiveness of.   To corrupt.

Suzanne regretted her behavior and knew it would vitiate all of her good intentions with the neighbors.

41. eidos
EYE-dos, also AY-dos
The formal sum of a culture, its intellectual character, ideas, etc.

The mounted trout with a cigarette in its mouth hanging behind the bar symbolized for the Professor the eidos of the tavern scene.

42. Dendroid
DEN-droid
Resembling, branching like, or shaped like a tree.

Beverly restocked the potato chip bags on the revolving dendroid rack that stood next to the cash register.

43. quixotic
quik-SOT-ik
Absurdly chivalrous, idealistic, or impractical

The Professor stifled his quixotic impulse to help, fully aware that he had no practical skills or common sense at all.

44. oneiric
o-NYE-rik
of or relating to dreams: Dreamy

Beverly thought the Professors oneiric demeanor made him look even stupider than usual.

45. Charivari
Shiv-uh-REE, SHIV-uh-ree, shuh-riv-uh-REE
A noisy, mock serenade to a newly married couple, involving the banging of kettles, pots and pans.

New Pig snapped out of her fantasy and realized the charivari she imagined was only the new goat knocking over the milk cans again.

46. Impugn
Im-PYOON
To call in question or cast doubt upon

Fat Cow did not like to impugn the integrity of any of her barnyard compatriots, but the new goat was becoming a real pain in the rump roast.

47. Periphrasis
puh-RIF-ruh-sis
a roundabout way of saying something, using more words than necessary.

“Perhaps, Goat,” suggested Fat Cow in uncharacteristic periphrasis, “If you werer to avoid sticking your horny head all the way into the milk cans, you wouldn’t continue to find yourself in this inglorious position.”

48. Divagate
DY-vuh-gayt
To wander or digress.

New Pig did not appreciate Fat Cow’s divagate into the goat’s predicament in the milk shed.

49. Bromidic
(bro-MID-ik)
Adj: Commonplace; trite.

“Don’t cry over spilled milk,”  said the goat – bromidic, yes, but more than he’d said in three weeks.

50. Sesquipedality
Ses-kwi-pi-DAL-i-tee
The practice of using long words.

The moderator’s sesquipedality betrayed a deep insecurity of his spotty public education and annoyed the bejeezus out of the contestants.

51. Pharisaical
Far-uh-SAY-uh-kuhl
Characterized by hypocritical self-righteousness; putting emphasis on strict observance of rituals unrelated to the spirit or meaning of the ceremony.

Coyote’s pharisaical pre-kill routine always included a snack of three voles and a nap.

52. Cozen
CO-zen
To deceive by artful weedling or trickery.

Coyote had dug around the chicken fence on the opposite side night after night in order to cozen his prey closer to his hiding place.

53. triskaidekaphobia
tris-ky-dek-uh-FO-bee-uh
Fear of the number thirteen

Thirteen chubby hens looked pretty good to coyote, triskaidekaphobia being a very rare thing among all canine species.

54. creel
kril
A wicker basket used by anglers to hold fish.

A creel, a creel for chickens, that’s what coyote would have visualized were he capable of abstract thought.

55. Jactitation
Jak-teh-TAY-zhun
The restless tossing of the body in illness.  The twitching of a limb or muscle

The abdominal jactitation nearly tipped off the chickens.  Coyote wished just this once he’d not eaten the voles.

56. dizen
dY-zuhn
To attire with finery. To dress or decorate in a gaudy manner..

Wasting a day to dizen a pig for a parade, mused Arnold on the porch with the pretty straw hat. Farming used to make more sense.

57. Copse
Kahps
A small group of trees

Arnold dropped the ribbons and reached for the .223 the moment he saw coyote spring from the copse of birch and buckthorn by the chicken pen.

58. Nyctophobia
Nik-tuh-FOH-bee-uh
An abnormal fear of night or darkness.

Nyctophopbia was a real handicap for a predator, thought coyote, diving into the chickens and Norm’s line of fire in broad daylight.

59. stele
STEE-lee
An upright stone or pillar serving as a monument.

The bullet zinged off the stele Norm had stuck in the dooryard for the last pig, and the new goat gave a yip Arnold did not like the sound of.

60. paean
PEE-en
a joyous song or hymn of praise, tribute, or triumph

Jesus, Mary, Joseph and St Pete, you got me again, growled Arnold in something of a paean to the coyote who leapt out of the pen and into the brush with a bright white hen in his teeth.

61. diktat
dik-TAT
An order or decree imposed without popular consent.

Goose’s diktat to stay calm was ignored by every braying creature in the barnyard.

62. orison
OR-uh-suhn, -zuhn
A prayer

Fat Cow’s bayful moo rose above the din, yet another orison for yet another dead goat.

63. sinopia
si-NO-pee-uh
A reddish-brown color or pigment.  A preliminary drawing for a fresco.

The heavy cream, and the dirt, and the goat’s blood made a sad sinopia on the milk house floor.

 

 

 

 

 

*******************************