A Word A Day 4 (Jul+Aug 2005)

Front 1

enow (i-NOU) adjective, adverb

Back 1

Enough.

[From Middle English inow, from Old English genoge, plural of genog (enough).]

Hint 1

From Middle English

Front 2

lex talionis (leks tal-ee-O-nis) noun

Back 2

The law of retaliation that the punishment should correspond to the crime, as an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth. Also called talion.

[From Latin, lex (law) + talionis (retaliation).]

Hint 2

From Latin

Front 3

flagrante delicto (fluh-GRAN-tee di-LIK-to)

Back 3

In the very act of committing the offense; red-handed.

[From Medieval Latin, literally, while the crime is blazing.]

Hint 3

From Medieval Latin

Front 4

vox populi (VOKS POP-yuh-ly) noun

Back 4

Popular opinion; general sentiment.

[From Latin, literally voice of the people.]

Hint 4

From Latin

Front 5

nolens volens (NO-lens VO-lens) adverb

Back 5

Whether willingly or unwillingly (mostly the latter), willy-nilly.

[From Latin, from nolens, present participle of nolle (to be unwilling) + volens, present participle of velle (to wish or to be willing).]

Hint 5

From Latin

Front 6

stet (stet) verb tr., intr.

Back 6

Let it stand.

[From Latin stet (let it stand), from stare (to stand).]

Hint 6

From Latin

Front 7

gaslight (GAS-lyt) verb tr.

Back 7

To manipulate psychologically.

[From the title of the classic movie Gaslight (1940 and its 1944 remake), based on author Patrick Hamilton's play. The title refers to a man's use of seemingly unexplained dimming of gaslights (among other tricks) in the house in an attempt to manipulate his wife into thinking she is going insane.]

Front 8

mondo (MON-do) adjective

Back 8

Huge; enormous; ultimate.

[After 1966 movie Mondo Bizarro (literally "Bizarre World" but interpreted as "very bizarre"), where mondo is from the 1961 Italian movie Mondo Cane (A Dog's World) and interpreted as an intensifier.]

Front 9

mondo (MON-do) adverb

Back 9

Extremely, very.

[After 1966 movie Mondo Bizarro (literally "Bizarre World" but interpreted as "very bizarre"), where mondo is from the 1961 Italian movie Mondo Cane
(A Dog's World) and reinterpreted as an intensifier.]

Front 10

Stepford (STEP-furd) adjective

Back 10

Robotic, compliant, submissive; lacking in individuality.

[After the fictional suburb of Stepford, Connecticut in Ira Levin's 1972 novel, The Stepford Wives, later made into movies (in 1975 and 2004).
In the story, men of this seemingly ideal town have replaced their wives with attractive robotic dolls devoid of emotion or thought.]

Front 11

Zelig (ZEL-ig) noun

Back 11

A chameleon-like person who can change to fit in any surrounding; one who appears to be present everywhere and unexpectedly associated with famous people or events.

[After Leonard Zelig, hero of the 1983 movie Zelig by Woody Allen. Zelig can take characteristics of anyone. From German selig (blessed, happy).]

Front 12

mitty (MIT-ee) noun

Back 12

An ordinary, timid person who indulges in daydreams involving great adventures and triumphs.

[After the title character in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, a short story (1939) by James Thurber, later made into a movie (1947) of the same name.]

Front 13

pantheon (PAN-thee-on) noun

Back 13

1. A collection of people respected in a field.

2. A temple for all gods.

3. All the gods of a people or religion collectively.

4. A public building containing tombs of people.

[After Pantheon, in Rome. From Greek pantheion, from pan- (all) + theos (gods).]

Hint 13

From Greek

Front 14

coliseum (KOL-i-SEE-uhm) noun, also colosseum

Back 14

A large stadium, theater, or similar building for sports, cinema, exhibitions, etc.

[After Colosseum, name of the amphitheater in Rome, from Latin colosseus (gigantic).]

Hint 14

From Latin

Front 15

palatine (PAL-uh-tyn) adjective

Back 15

Of or relating to a palace.

[After Palatine, from Latin Palatium, the name of the centermost of the seven hills on which ancient Rome was built. Roman emperors built their palaces on this hill. The word palace also derives from the same source.]

Hint 15

From Latin

Front 16

palatine (PAL-uh-tyn) adjective

Back 16

Of, relating to, or in the palate.

[From French palatin, from Latin palatum palate (roof of the mouth).]

Hint 16

From French

Front 17

rialto (re-AL-to) noun

Back 17

1. A theatre district.

2. An exchange or marketplace.

[After Rialto, an island of Venice which was the commercial center of the city. The Rialto bridge was the first bridge on the Grand Canal.]

Hint 17

toponym

Front 18

lido (LEE-do) noun

Back 18

A fashionable beach resort or a public outdoor swimming pool.

[After Lido, an island reef in northeastern Italy, between the Lagoon of Venice and the Adriatic Sea, site of a famous beach resort.]

Hint 18

toponym

Front 19

oneiromancy (o-NY-ruh-man-see) noun

Back 19

The practice of predicting the future by interpreting dreams.

[From Greek oneiros (dream) + -mancy (divination).]

Hint 19

From Greek

Front 20

Cassandra (kuh-SAND-ruh) noun

Back 20

One who prophesies disaster and whose warnings are unheeded.

[After Cassandra in Greek mythology who received the gift of prophecy but was later cursed never to be believed.]

Hint 20

eponym

Front 21

fatidic (fay-TID-ik) adjective

Back 21

Of or relating to predicting fates; prophetic.

[From Latin fatidicus, from fatum (fate) + dicere (to say).]

Hint 21

From Latin

Front 22

dowse (douz) verb tr., intr.

Back 22

To search for underground water or minerals with a divining rod.

[Of obscure origin.]

Front 23

sortilege (SOR-tl-ij) noun

Back 23

1. Divination by drawing lots.

2. Sorcery; magic.

[From Middle English, from Old French, from Medieval Latin sortilegium, from Latin sortilegus, from sort-, from sors (lot) + legere (to read or gather).]

Hint 23

From Latin

Front 24

gadarene (GAD-uh-reen) adjective

Back 24

Headlong; rash.

[After the town of Gadara in a biblical story where two demon-possessed men ask Jesus to send them into a herd of swine. They dash into the herd and all the animals rush violently over a cliff.]

Hint 24

toponym
Biblical allusion

Front 25

potter's field (POT-uhrs feeld) noun

Back 25

A burial place for poor or unidentified people.

[The term derives from the name of the area where Judas was buried after he hanged himself. The land was bought with pieces of silver he had received for betraying Jesus.]

Hint 25

toponym
Biblical allusion

Front 26

crown of thorns (kroun ov thornz) noun

Back 26

1. An onerous burden or an affliction that causes intense suffering.

2. A thorny bush native to Madagascar, (a houseplant.)

3. A starfish from the Pacific.

[After the biblical account of a mock crown made of thorny branches that Roman soldiers placed on Jesus's head before his crucifixion.]

Hint 26

Biblical allusion

Front 27

widow's cruse (WID-oz KROOZ) noun

Back 27

An inexhaustible supply of something that appears meager.

[From the biblical story of the widow's jug of oil that miraculously replenished itself to supply Elijah during a famine. A cruse is a small earthen pot for holding liquids.]

Hint 27

Biblical allusion

Front 28

golden calf (GOL-den KAHF) noun

Back 28

Something unworthy that is excessively esteemed, especially money.

[In the biblical story Moses came down from Mount Sinai carrying the stone tablets with the Ten Commandments only to find Israelites worshiping a calf made of gold.]

Hint 28

Biblical allusion

Front 29

prospicient (pros-PISH-uhnt) adjective

Back 29

Having foresight.

[From Latin prospiciens, from prospicere (to look forward), from pro- (forward) + spicere, from specere (to look).]

Hint 29

From Latin

Front 30

chapfallen or chopfallen (CHAP-faw-luhn, chop-) adjective

Back 30

Dejected or dispirited.

[From chap or chop (jaw) + fallen.]

Front 31

recusant (REK-yu-zant, ri-KYOO-) adjective

Back 31

Refusing to submit to authority; dissenting

[From Latin recusant-, stem of recusans, present participle of recusare (to recuse or object).]

Hint 31

From Latin

Front 32

recusant (REK-yu-zant, ri-KYOO-) noun

Back 32

1. One who refuses to obey authority.

2. One of the Roman Catholics during 16th and 18th century who refused to attend services of the Church of England and were punished for it.

[From Latin recusant-, stem of recusans, present participle of recusare (to recuse or object).]

Hint 32

From Latin

Front 33

insouciant (in-SOO-see-uhnt) adjective

Back 33

Happily unconcerned; carefree; nonchalant.

[From French insouciant, from in- (not) + souciant, present participle of soucier (to care), from Vulgar Latin sollicitare (to vex), from Latin sollicitus (anxious), from sollus (entire) + citus, past participle of ciere (to move).]

Hint 33

From French

Front 34

inveterate (in-VET-ehr-it) adjective

Back 34

Firmly established; habitual.

[From Middle English, from Latin inveteratus, past participle of inveterare (to grow old), in-, + vetus, stem of veter- (old).]

Hint 34

From Middle English

Front 35

invious (IN-vi-uhs) adjective

Back 35

Pathless; untrodden; inaccessible.

[From Latin invius, from in- (not) + via (road).]

Hint 35

From Latin

Front 36

physis (FY-sis) noun

Back 36

1. Nature personified; nature as a source of growth or change.

2. Something that grows, changes, or becomes.

[From Greek physis (origin).]

Hint 36

From Greek

Front 37

apposite (AP-uh-zit, uh-POZ-it) adjective

Back 37

Highly appropriate; relevant; apt.

[From Latin appositus, past participle of apponere (to put near), from ponere (to put).]

Hint 37

From Latin

Front 38

secund (SEE-kuhnd, SEK-uhnd) adjective

Back 38

Arranged on (or turned towards) only one side of an axis.

[From Latin secundus (following), from sequi (to follow).]

Hint 38

From Latin

Front 39

renumerate (re-NOO-muh-rayt) verb tr.

Back 39

To recount.

[From Latin renumerare (to count over) from re- + numerare (to count).]

Hint 39

From Latin

Front 40

propitious (pruh-PISH-uhs) adjective

Back 40

1. Presenting favorable conditions.

2. Favorably inclined; kindly.

[From Middle English propicius, from Latin propitius.]

Hint 40

From Latin

Front 41

legerity (luh-JER-i-tee) noun

Back 41

Nimbleness; agility.

[From French légèreté, from léger (light), from Vulgar Latin leviarius, from Latin levis (light).]

Hint 41

From Latin

Front 42

malversation (mal-vuhr-SAY-shuhn) noun

Back 42

Corrupt behavior in public office.

[From Middle French malversation, from malverser (to embezzle), from Latin maleversari (to behave badly), from male (ill) + versari (to behave), from vertere (to turn).]

Hint 42

From Middle French

Front 43

axiomatic (ak-see-uh-MAT-ik) adjective

Back 43

1. Indisputably true; self-evident.

2. Aphoristic.

[From Greek axiomatikos, from axioma (honorable).]

Hint 43

From Greek

Front 44

sodality (so-DAL-i-tee) noun

Back 44

1. A fellowship or association.

2. In the Roman Catholic Church, a lay society for devotional or charitable purposes.

[From Latin sodalitas (fellowship), from sodalis (companion).]

Hint 44

From Latin

Front 45

rhinorrhea (ry-nuh-REE-uh) noun

Back 45

A runny nose.

[From Neo-Latin, from Greek rhino- (nose), -rrhea (flow).]

Hint 45

From Greek

Front 46

alexiteric (uh-LEK-si-TER-ik) adjective

Back 46

Counteracting the effects of poison; warding off contagion.

[From Medieval Latin alexiterium (remedy), from Greek alexein (to ward off).]

Hint 46

From Greek

Front 47

alexiteric (uh-LEK-si-TER-ik) noun

Back 47

An antidote against poison; preventive against contagion.

[From Medieval Latin alexiterium (remedy), from Greek alexein (to ward off).]

Hint 47

From Greek

Front 48

atretic (uh-TRET-ik) adjective

Back 48

Of or relating to an abnormal closure or congenital absence of a bodily opening.

[From Neo-Latin, from Greek a- (not) + tresis (perforation).]

Hint 48

From Greek