Wednesday Word: Transplendent

transplendent

(adj) resplendent in the highest degree

resplendent |riˈsplendənt|adjectiveattractive and impressive through being richly colorful or sumptuous : she was resplendent in a sea-green dress. See note at bright 

Transplendent is an odd word, not in Merriam-Webster, but in Wiktionary, that identifies the 1913 edition of Webster's as its source. I don't know what to make of it.

Wednesday Word: Rime

rime  |rīm|noun (also rime ice)frost formed on cold objects by the rapid freezing of water vapor in cloud or fog.• poetic/literary hoarfrost.verb [ trans. ] poetic/literarycover (an object) with hoarfrost : he does not brush away the frost that rimes his beard.ORIGIN Old English hrīm, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch rijm. The word became rare in Middle English but was revived in literary use at the end of the 18th cent.

It's that time of the year in many places, not in LA though. Sometime I miss certain sights, smells, and sounds of living in a place with seasons.

Vintage Monday: Kilt Edition

I spent the last week listening to Diana Gabaldon's The Scottish Prisoner. I'm a huge fan of Lord John Gray and both admire and envy Gabaldon's prose. Jamie Frasier and his surliness were rubbing me the wrong way, though, for a large part of the book. He grew on me in the end, once he mellowed out a little. And I'm starting to to develop a thing for Scottish accents--my second favorite after Welsh.

The guy above is I think from the Canadian Highlander regiment, but who gives a damn. Men should wear kilts all the time.

Wednesday Word: Anthropophagy

anthropophagy |ˌanθrəˈpäfəjē|nounthe eating of human flesh by human beings.DERIVATIVESanthropophagous |-gəs| adjectiveORIGIN mid 17th cent.: from Greek anthrōpophagia, from anthrōpophagos (see anthropophagi ).

I had no clue there was a word--in English at least--specifically for human-on-human cannibalism. I think I found this word on Pinterest when I stumbled over the Psoglav, a demonic figure of Slavic lore. However, I don't believe a demon eating is true anthropophagy, even if said demon has a more or less human body.

Wednesday Word: Apotropaic

apotropaic |ˌapətrəˈpā-ik|adjectivesupposedly having the power to avert evil influences or bad luck : apotropaic statues.DERIVATIVESapotropaically |-ik(ə)lē| adverbORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek apotropaios‘averting evil,’ from apotrepein ‘turn away or from’+ -ic .

I can't remember where I picked up this word, but I've been reading lots of urban fantasy lately.

Vintage Monday: Three Gentlemen in Top Hats

I'm too groggy this morning to say anything witty, or even try. So, enjoy the gents and their top hats.