The Future Is Then

A year later, it is fall again. How fortuitous? While I find some cider, you can entertain yourself with some Chickn Facts or this list of Things Metafilter Considers A Land Of Contrast(s) or maybe follow @giphycouldnot. You may also use my personal Hunting homepage, if you'd like some puzzle solving aides. I'm working on putting together some nice molecular biology links for bookmarking purposes.

WORD OF THE DAY
palaver (n): a long conference between parties of differing culture or background.

previously...
annular (adj): ring or disk-shaped. In an annular solar eclipse, the moon is too far away to completely block the sun and a ring (or annulus) is left around it, whereas during a total solar eclipse, the sun is fully covered by the moon's shadow.
asseveration (n): emphatic or earnest declaration or affirmation.
balila(h) (n): Jordanian dish consisting of chickpeas, garlic, cumin, and olive oil. Used in msabbaha/mashausha/masabacha hummus.
cadge (v): to ask for something one is not strictly entitled to, to beg, to mooch, to wrangle.
calque (n): a word or phrase borrowed from one language to another by word-for-word translation. (Example: the English 'mansplain' becomes the French mecspliquer, the German herrklären, the Icelandic hrútskýra, and the Hebrew להסגביר)
carceral (adj): Of, pertaining to, or suggestive of a jail or prison.
champerty (n): Financial (or reputational) sponsorship of a lawsuit in order to profit from the disputed property. Also known as litigation finance. (See also Gawker.)
congeries (n): a disorderly collection, a jumble. See also my life.
corrigendum (n): thing to be corrected, usually in print. Erratum.
curr (v): to make a murmuring sound, as a dove, cat, or owlet.
diktat (n): decree or penalty imposed by authority on a defeated party (or nation) without popular consent (from German, originating in World War I, popularized during Cold War).
escarpment (n): a steep cliff formed by faultlines and erosion separating two relatively level areas (see Niagra Escarpment)
exiguous (adj): very small in size or amount, excessively scanty
farcical (adj): resembling a farce. Synonyms include ridiculous, preposterous, ludicrous, absurd, laughable, risible, nonsensical, silly, foolish, stupid, harebrained, crazy, daft.
fimbulwinter (n): (fimbulvetr) the harsh winter ending all life on earth that precedes Ragnarok in Norse mythology.
forbearance (n, financial): agreement between a loan or morgage lender to delay foreclosure due to temporary financial difficulties of the borrower.
friable (adj): easily crumbled or crushed to powder.
graupel (n): soft hail or snow pellets formed when supercooled droplets of water freeze onto a falling snowflake.
humbug (n): a geometric shape made from a cylinder cut in two opposite directions
intinction (n): the act of dipping bread in wine at Communion before eating it
jabot (n): ornamental ruffle, usually lace, wore on neckband or collar of shirt. Often worn by judges as seen here
jitney (n): a small bus or car following a fixed route
junco (n): a North American songbird sparrow. Males sometimes look like they have been dipped in ink.
junket (n): 1. promotional trip made by a public figure at another's expense. 2. sweet, custardlike dessert made with milk curds and often served with fruit.
lagniappe (n): Cajun, "a little extra something" given as a bonus or gift with purchase.
landrace (n): a locally adapted vareity of a domesticated species developed outside of purposeful breeding.
lodestar (n): one that serves as a model or guide. Originally referred to a fixed star (such as Polaris) used to guide a ship.
lunation (n): lunar month, time between full moons, 29.272-29.833 days.
occult (v): to cut off from view by passing in front of something. In astronomy, a planet may occult a star.
peroration (n): concluding part of a speech, intended to remind the audience of the main points of the speech and to inspire an emotional response.
rundle (n): rung or step of a ladder.
sparge (v): to spray or sprinkle. In brewing, refers to the rinsing of grain after mashing to extract wort.
sciuroid (adj): resembling a squirrel.
supine (adj): facing upwards, as in lying on one's back or palm up.
ucalegon (n): a neighbor whose house is on fire.
weir (n): a low (or underwater) dam across a river meant to regulate flow; sometimes made of stakes for trapping fish.
zymurgy (n): the practice or study of the biochemical processes of fermentation with regards to brewing or distilling alcohol. Also known as zymology.

Oh, man, remember Wingdings? :( My browser doesn't.
Last update: November 9, 2017