hauteur haw-TUR; (h)oh- (noun) – Haughty manner, spirit, or bearing; haughtiness; arrogance. “She was unremarkable in every way save for the hauteur with which she regarded him.” — Karen Robards, ‘Scandalous’ Hauteur is from the French, from haut, “high,” from Latin altus, “high.” It is thus related to altitude.

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juju JOO-joo (noun) – 1 : An object superstitiously believed to embody magical powers. 2 : The power associated with a juju. “They have powerful juju. They can make juju to kill all of us.” — T. M. Aluko, ‘One Man, One Matchet’ Juju is of West African origin, akin to Hausa djudju, fetish, evil […]

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autodidact aw-toh-DY-dakt (noun) – One who is self-taught. “I’m an autodidact and a good one, because I’ll kick my own (butt) if I don’t learn, which is a sight to see with this leg brace.” — Dean Koontz, ‘One Door Away from Heaven’ Autodidact is from Greek autodidaktos, “self-taught,” from auto-, “self” + didaktos, “taught,” […]

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specious SPEE-shuhs (adjective) – 1 : Apparently right; superficially fair, just, or correct, but not so in reality; as, “specious reasoning; a specious argument.” 2 : Deceptively pleasing or attractive. “Our breach of hospitality went to my conscience a little; but I quickly silenced that monitor by two or three specious reasons, which served to […]

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edify ED-uh-fy (transitive verb) – To instruct and improve, especially in moral and religious knowledge; to teach. –edifying, adjective “He attended like holiness itself; He attended to edify the people with His example, to teach them His doctrine, and to favor men with His grace.” — José Joaquín Fernández de Lizardi, ‘The Mangy Parrot: The […]

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galvanic gal-VAN-ik (adjective) – 1 : Of, pertaining to, or producing a direct current of electricity, especially when produced chemically. 2 : Affecting or affected as if by an electric shock; startling; shocking. 3 : Stimulating; energizing. “I can feel in my face that I have turned either bright red or ghost white, with the […]

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stoic STOH-ik (noun) – 1 : (Capitalized). A member of a school of philosophy founded by Zeno holding that one should be free from passion, unmoved by joy or grief, and should submit without complaint to unavoidable necessity. 2 : Hence, one who is apparently or professedly indifferent to or unaffected by pleasure or pain, […]

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desideratum dih-sid-uh-RAY-tum; -RAH- (noun) – Something desired or considered necessary. plural desiderata “I went, had admittance, and offered him my service as a master of the Greek language, which I had been told was a desideratum in this university.” — Oliver Goldsmith, ‘The Vicar of Wakefield’ Desideratum is from Latin desideratum, “a thing desired,” from […]

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inimical ih-NIM-ih-kul (adjective) – 1 : Having the disposition or temper of an enemy; unfriendly; unfavorable. 2 : Opposed in tendency, influence, or effects; antagonistic; adverse. “The gods did not care — or rather, were inimical. Beyond question, they were inimical to him.” — Gene Wolfe, ‘Litany of the Long Sun’ nimical comes from Late […]

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Q. What is the difference between the suffixes “-or” and “-er”? That is, if one paints, he is a “painter,” but, if one acts, he is an “actor.” — Harry R. Wess, Sr., McKeesport, Pa. A. The choice of “-or” or “-er” has bedeviled many painters and actors, not to mention ALL writers. Standards of […]

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