WORD & PHRASE ORIGINS
Words have pretty much always interested me. Growing up, one of my family's favorite pastime was to have a game of SCRABBLE. Why do certain words conjure up certain feelings? How did some words even come to be? In this section lets take a look at some words and phrases that we are all familiar with but maybe not quite as familiar as to how they came to be! The Phrontistery has exhaustive word lists for the true enthusiast!
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raining cats and dogs - If you've corrected your child after he or she took this phrase literally, you may owe them a slight apology! The origin of this saying dates back to the 1600s. Poor drainage systems on buildings in the 17th century caused gutters to overflow, spewing out along with water, garbage and a few unexpected critters. It is possible that animals such as rodents lived in the thatched roofs and when it rained heavily, the dead carcasses would fall––undoubtedly unpleasant! As far as large dogs falling from the sky...well...that one will have to remain a mystery.
to be stumped - Be stumped no more! Being "stumped" comes from the pioneering days when the land was cleared to lay down train tracks. When the workers came across a tree stump, it would cause a dilemma or "to be stumped."
wrong side of the tracks -Before there were cars, trains were an important means of transportation. Of course, pollution wasn't a big concern so when a train rolled by, heavy black smoke and soot went with it. Usually the wind blew the black smoke to one side of the tracks and only the poorest of people would endure living in that hard to breathe environment. No one wanted to be on "the wrong side of the tracks."
rule of thumb -No, this phrase is definitely NOT "P.C"! Who knew? Some people think"Rule of thumb" is derived from the days when woman were sometimes beaten with a switch. To be "kind" the switch could not be thicker than a thumb's width. This was made law in 1782 when an English judge stated that men were allowed to beat their wives but that the stick could not be thicker than one's thumb. There are other theories about the origin of this phrase. Perhaps using ones thumb to measure a switch is folk lore after all....
to propose a toast - This often used phrase comes from an 18th century punch bowl drink made with cider, cinnamon, cloves, and other spices and garnished with pieces of toast that would float on top. I'm unsure of the purpose of the toast and can't imagine a burnt piece of bread being "decorative," but next New Years Eve, don't forget to include the toast!
Good Samaritan - comes from from the Bible (Luke 10:30-33), in which Jesus tells the parable of a priest who passes by a man in need of help, laying on the ground. A Samaritan, who was part of the enemy tribe, helps the man up and back to health when the priest does not...the message being that you should treat your enemy with the same good respect as your friend. Other meanings can also be extracted, such as the golden rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated, and so on.
upper and lower case letters - I've heard that the term started when letters were hand carved out of wood and were then laid out to be type set. The letters were kept on a two shelves in the work space...the big letters, or the upper case ones were kept on the top or "upper" shelf and the small or lower case letters were kept on the "lower" shelf to make it easy for the printer to keep things organized.
wrong end of the stick -If you imaged the most disgusting origin then you were right! I've heard two explanations that vary slightly. One comes from the outhouse days when there were no flushing toilets and the other dates back much earlier, to the days of the Roman baths. Regardless, the outcome was the same! The person in the next stall may have asked for their neighbor to "pass the stick," instead of toilet paper since that was yet to exist. The stick had a sponge on one end and if the recipient grabbed the wrong end, they'd be getting the wrong end of the stick. Most definitely unpleasant!
mad as a hatter - This phrase comes from the days when felt hats were made using a mercury on some cheaper furs, that caused the hatter to go mad, thus the "mad hatter" in Alice In Wonderland. Mercury poisoning caused tremors, brain damage, tooth loss, slurred speech, and more. A "mad hatter" was one to be avoided. I think the lesson to be learned is 1) don't make your own hats and 2) don't use mercury!
Everything but the kitchen sink - comes from World War Two when everything possible was used to contribute to the war effort...all metal was used for the U.S arsenal. The only objects left out were porcelain kitchen sinks. Does anyone still have a porcelain sink?
Big Wig- Picture a big puffy white haired gentleman and then you'll be picturing a "big wig." This term is derived from powdered wigs worn by men in the 18th century. The bigger the wig, the more wealthy the individual. Who knows, perhaps someday wigs for men will go back in style! As incredible as it sounds, men and women took baths only twice a year (May and October)! Women kept their hair covered, while men shaved their heads (because of lice and bugs) and wore wigs. Wealthy men could afford good wigs mad e from wool. They couldn't wash the wigs, so to clean them they would carve out a loaf of bread, put the wig in the shell, and bake it for 30 minutes The heat would make the wig big and fluffy, hence the term "big wig."Today we often use the term "here comes the Big Wig" because someone appears to be or is powerful and wealthy.
son of a gun - One version of this saying is that sailors traveling to the west Indies sometimes raped native woman on ships, which sometimes occurred between the cannons. When a woman gave birth to a son, he was called "son between the guns." This term was used later, using the word"gun" to mean soldier. His son would thus be called a "son of a gun." Other etymologists speculate that son of a gun meant an illegitimate son of a soldier, who would be nicknamed "gun." How "son of a gun" transformed into it's current usage is unknown...well I"ll be damned or "son of a gun!". One last explanation I am aware of is that this term originated during the Civil War, during which a soldier was shot in the groin, the bullet passed through his leg and went on to strike a young woman. As the story goes, the young woman became pregnant while fervently denying that she had had sexual relations. It was thought that when the bullet passed thru the soldier's groin it picked up trace spermatozoa which was then transferred to the woman when she was then struck by the same bullet, thus producing a "son of a gun"!
don't throw the baby out with the bath water - What's one to do when they only have one basin of bath water and a litter of children to be bathed? Easy! Use the same bath water and dump it out when your last child gets lost in it! Back in the pre-running water days, the order of the household determined which family member got to take the bath first. The man (or head of the household) naturally went first, followed by the children and the baby last. The water would become so dirty that when a baby was bathed in it, he could possibly be lost or even tossed out! Of course, one would hope that the parents would have enough common sense to check first!
cut to the chase -Remember going to watch those old black and white silent films? Sure you do! Well, you've probably heard of them, anyway. In the black and white silent film movie era, in the 1920s, a chase scene was often the exciting part of the film. Who really wanted to sit through that other stuff, anyway? Cut to the chase meant to cut the film, or edit it down to the good part, the chase scene––no speaking necessary!
spick and span - Perhaps you've polished your car and it looked "spick and span" or maybe one day you were convinced to buy that new cleaning product on TV because you were assured that your kitchen would be "spick and span" after usage. The phrase is derived from two archaic words: spick, which was a spike or nail and span, which meant "wood chip." When a ship was polished and new, it was called "spick and span," meaning every nail and piece of wood was untarnished. The phrase originally meant "brand new" but is now used to indicate cleanliness.
bimbo - This term for a floozie or loose woman, especially one of low intelligence, is from the Italian bambino, or baby. It makes its English appearance in 1918, in Rosano’s Price of Honor in a bit of Italian-accented dialogue: She flop! An’ il bimbo he break da boni.The original meaning was a stupid, inconsequential, or contemptible person. By 1920 the floozie sense had developed. From Zeidman’s Burlesque (1920):This Dix bimbo is a dangerous woman...a sassy girl with...more than a figure—a physique.
Deadline - is currently almost exclusively used to mean a time by which a task must be accomplished, but this was not always so. In the past, deadline had a variety of meanings, all related to a boundary for which there was a severe penalty for crossing. The oldest of these uses dates to the American Civil War and refers to a line drawn around a military prison outside of which a prisoner could be shot, a literal “dead” line. From the Congressional Record of 12 January 1864: The “dead line,” beyond which the prisoners are not allowed to pass.
face the music - This phrase meaning to accept responsibility, suffer consequences is an Americanism dating to the mid-19th century. The underlying metaphor is uncertain. From the New Hampshire Statesman and State Journal of 17 February 1834:We want no equivocation—“face the music” this time—Gove and Barton are able backers. Many of the earliest citations of the phrase are from New Hampshire, indicating that the term arose there, or at least arose in New England. There are a couple of common explanations for the phrase, but none have any conclusive evidence to support them. The first explanation is that it derives from the stage. With the musicians in a pit before the stage, to face the music is to turn towards the audience and either their hoots or cheers. Another is that it is military in origin, and refers to a ceremony where an officer is cashiered and is literally drummed out of the service.
happy as a clam - Wouldn’t you be happy if you got to spend your life at the beach, just lying in the surf with no responsibilities? And originally, the phrase went happy as a clam in high water. Happier yet, since it would make their capture almost impossible! The phrase is an Americanism, dating to at least the 1834 when it appeared in Harvardiana: That peculiar degree of satisfaction, usually denoted by the phrase “as happy as a clam.”The full phrase is recorded in Jonathan Slick’s 1844 High Life in New York:They seemed as happy as clams in high water.
"love" (meaning 'nil' in tennis scoring) - It seems to have been adapted from the phrase 'to play for love (of the game)' (i.e. to play for nothing). Although the theory is often heard that it represents the French word l'oeuf, meaning 'an egg' (from the resemblance between an egg and a nought) this seems unlikely.
'the bee's knees' - The phrase was first recorded in the late 18th century, when it was used to mean 'something very small and insignificant'. Its current meaning dates from the 1920s, at which time a whole collection of American slang expressions were coined with the meaning 'an outstanding person or thing'. Examples included the flea's eyebrows, the canary's tusks, and one that still survives - the cat's whiskers. The switch in meaning for the bee's knees probably emerged because it was so similar in structure and pattern to these other phrases.
flea market - Flea market comes from the French marché aux puces, a name originally given to a market in Paris which specialized in shabby second-hand goods of the kind that might contain fleas. The earliest English use that the 20-volume Oxford English Dictionary has found dates from 1922
OK - There have been numerous attempts to explain the emergence of this expression, which seems to have swept into popular use in the US during the mid-19th century. Most of them are pure speculation. It does not seem at all likely, from the linguistic and historical evidence, that it comes from the Scots expression och aye, the Greek ola kala ('it is good'), the Choctaw Indian oke or okeh ('it is so'), the French aux Cayes ('from Cayes', a port in Haiti with a reputation for good rum) or au quai ('to the quay', as supposedly used by French-speaking dockers), or the initials of a railway freight agent called Obediah Kelly who is said to have written them on documents he had checked.
A more likely explanation is that the term originated as an abbreviation of orl korrekt , a jokey misspelling of 'all correct' which was current in the US in the 1830s. The oldest written references result from its use as a slogan by the Democratic party during the American Presidential election of 1840. Their candidate, President Martin Van Buren, was nicknamed 'Old Kinderhook' (after his birthplace in New York State), and his supporters formed the 'OK Club'. This undoubtedly helped to popularize the term (though it did not get President Van Buren re-elected).
snob - People often claim that this word originated as an abbreviated form of the Latin phrase sine nobilitate, meaning 'without nobility' (i.e. 'of a humble social background'). Various accounts of the circumstances in which this abbreviation was supposedly used have been put forward: on lists of names of Oxford or Cambridge students; on lists of ships' passengers (to make sure that only the best people dined at the captain's table); on lists of guests to indicate that no title was required when they were announced. The theory is ingenious but highly unlikely. The word snob is first recorded in the late 18th century as a term for a shoemaker or his apprentice. At about this time it was indeed adopted by Cambridge students, but they didn't use it to refer to students who lacked a title or were of humble origins; they used it generally of anyone who was not a student.
By the early 19th century snob was being used to mean a person with no 'breeding', both the honest labourers who knew their place, and the vulgar social climbers who copied the manners of the upper classes. In time the word came to describe someone with an exaggerated respect for high social position or wealth who looks down on those regarded as socially inferior. It's quite possible that the phrase sine nobilitate may have appeared in one context or another, but it is difficult to see why it would have given rise to a word for a shoemaker.
America - is named after Amerigo Vespucci, but few know why. Two myths about Vespucci are common. The first is that Vespucci was a fraud who never traveled to the New World. The second is that he was the first European to set foot on mainland America. Both are untrue.
Vespucci made two trips to the New World as a ship’s navigator, the first in 1499. Then in 1503 and 1504 he published two letters he had written to Lorenzo de Medici about his voyages. In the letters he put forward the idea that what Columbus had discovered was not in fact a new route to Asia, but rather a new continent. Vespucci also published the first letter under the title Novus Mundus, or New World, thereby coining that phrase. The letters were a media hit (but whether their popularity was because of his innovative navigational theories or his description of the sex lives of American Indians is a question), and Vespucci became a celebrity.
jump on the bandwagon - In 19th and early 20th century America, a bandwagon was exactly what it sounds like, a wagon, usually horse-drawn, which carried a musical band. Bandwagons were used in circuses, to lead parades, and at political rallies. Hence to join or jump on the bandwagon was to follow the crowd, and in a political context with the connotation that one was there for the entertainment and excitement of the event, rather than from deep or firm conviction.
Blackmail - derives from the old practice of clan chieftains who ran protection rackets against farmers in the Scottish-English border counties. If the farmers did not pay the mail, the chiefs would steal their crops and cattle. This sense of mail is from Old English meaning rent or tribute and ultimately comes from the Old Icelandic mál, meaning speech or agreement. (This is one of those Old English words introduced by Viking raiders.) This sense is unrelated to other senses of mail and is now obsolete except for its use in blackmail.
It'll cost you an arm and a leg - In George Washington's days, there were no cameras. One's image was either sculpted or painted. Some paintings of George Washington showed him standing behind a desk with one arm behind his back while others showed both legs and both arms. Prices charged by painters were not based on how many people were to be painted, but by how many limbs were to be painted. Arms and legs are "limbs,"therefore painting them would cost the buyer more. Hence the _expression, "Okay, but it'll cost you an arm and a leg."
In the past, personal hygiene left much room for improvement. As a result, many women and men had developed acne scars by adulthood. The women would spread bee's wax over their facial skin to smooth out their complexions. When they were speaking to each other, if a woman began to stare at another woman's face she was told, "mind your own bee's wax." Should the woman smile, the wax would crack, hence the term "crack a smile" In addition, when they sat too close to the fire, the wax would melt . . . therefore, the expression "losing face."
Straight laced - Ladies wore corsets, which would lace up in the front. A proper and dignified woman, as in "straight laced". . . wore a tightly tied lace.
Minding your "P's and Q's - At local taverns, pubs, and bars, people drank from pint and quart-sized containers. A bar maid's job was to keep an eye on the customers and keep the drinks coming. She had to pay close attention and remember who was drinking in "pints" and who was drinking in "quarts," hence the term "minding your "P's and Q's "
Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey - In the heyday of sailing ships, all war ships and many freighters carried iron cannons. Those cannons fired round iron cannon balls. It was necessary to keep a good supply near the cannon.However, how to prevent them from rolling about the deck? The best storage method devised was a square-based pyramid with one ball on top, resting on four resting on nine, which rested on sixteen. Thus, a supply of 30 cannon balls could be stacked in a small area right next to the cannon. There was only one problem...how to prevent the bottom layer from sliding or rolling from under the othe rs. The solution was a metal plate called a "Monkey" with 16 round indentations.However, if this plate were made of iron, the iron balls would quickly rust to it. The solution to the rusting problem was to make "Brass Monkeys." Few landlubbers realize that brass contracts much more and much faster than iron when chilled.Consequently, when the temperature dropped too far, the brass indentations would shrink so much that the iron cannonballs would come right off the monkey. Thus, it was quite literally, "Cold enough to freeze the balls off a brass monkey." (All this time, you thought that was an improper expression, didn't you.)
INTERESTING FACTS
Q. Why do men's clothes have buttons on the right while women's clothes have buttons on the left?
A. When buttons were invented, they were very expensive and worn primarily by the rich. Since most people are right-handed, it is easier to push buttons on the right through holes on the left. Because wealthy women were dressed by maids, dressmakers put the buttons on the maid's right! And that's where women's buttons have remained since.
Q. Why do ships and aircraft use 'mayday' as their call for help?
A. This comes from the French word m'aidez - meaning 'help me' - and is pronounced approximately, 'mayday.'
Q. Why are zero scores in tennis called 'love'?
A. In France , where tennis became popular, round zero on the scoreboard looked like an egg and was called 'l'oeuf,' which is French for 'egg.' When tennis was introduced in the US , Americans (mis)pronounced it 'love.'
Q. Why do X's at the end of a letter signify kisses?
A. In the Middle Ages, when many people were unable to read or write, documents were often signed using an X. Kissing the X represented an oath to fulfill obligations specified in the document. The X and the kiss eventually became synonymous.
Q. Why is shifting responsibility to someone else called 'passing the buck'?
A. In card games, it was once customary to pass an item, called a buck, from player to player to indicate whose turn it was to deal. If a player did not wish to assume the responsibility of dealing, he would 'pass the buck' to the next player.
Q. Why do people clink their glasses before drinking a toast?
A. It used to be common for someone to try to kill an enemy by offering him a poisoned drink. To prove to a guest that a drink was safe, it became customary for a guest to pour a small amount of his drink into the glass of the host. Both men would drink it simultaneously. When a guest trusted his host, he would only touch or clink the host's glass with his own.
Q. Why are people in the public eye said to be 'in the limelight'?
A. Invented in 1825,limelight was used in lighthouses and theatres by burning a cylinder of lime which produced a brilliant light. In the theatre, a performer 'in the limelight' was the center of attention.
Q. Why is someone who is feeling great 'on cloud nine'?
A. Types of clouds are numbered according to the altitudes they attain, with nine being the highest cloud If someone is said to be on cloud nine, that person is floating well above worldly cares.
Q. In golf, where did the term 'Caddie' come from?
A. When Mary Queen of Scots went to France as a young girl, Louis, King of France, learned that she loved the Scots game 'golf.' So he had the first course outside of Scotland built for her enjoyment. To make sure she was properly chaperoned (and guarded) while she played, Louis hired cadets from a military school to accompany her.
Mary liked this a lot and when returned to Scotland (not a very good idea in the long run), she took the practice with her. In French, the word cadet is pronounced 'ca-day' and the Scots changed it into 'caddie.
Q. Why are many coin banks shaped like pigs?
A. Long ago, dishes and cookware in Europe were made of a dense orange clay called 'pygg'. When people saved coins in jars made of this clay, the jars became known as 'pygg banks.' When an English potter misunderstood the word, he made a container that resembled a pig. And it caught on.
Q. Did you ever wonder why dimes, quarters and half dollars have notches (milling), while pennies and nickels do not?
A. The US Mint began putting notches on the edges of coins containing gold and silver to discourage holders from shaving off small quantities of the precious metals. Dimes, quarters and half dollars are notched because they used to contain silver. Pennies and nickels aren't notched because the metals they contain are not valuable enough to shave.
A group of antelope is called a herd.
A group of ants is called an army or a colony.
A group of apes is called a shrewdness.
A group of baboons is called a troop.
A group of badgers is called a cete.
A group of bass is called a shoal.
A group of bears is called a sleuth or a sloth.
A group of beavers is called a colony.
A group of bees is called a swarm, grist or hive.
A group of birds is called a flock, flight or volery.
A group of boars is called a sounder.
A group of buffalo is called a herd.
A group of bucks is called a brace or clash.
A group of caterpillar is called an arnmy.
A group of cats is called a clowder or clutter.
A group of cattle is called a herd or drove.
A group of chickens is called a brood or peep.
A group of chicks is called a clutch or chattering.
A group of cobras is called a quiver.
A group of colts is called a rag.
A group of cows is called a kine.
Twelve cows is called a flink.
A group of coyotes is called a band.
A group of cranes is called a sedge or siege.
A group of crocodiles is called a float.
A group of crows is called a murder.
A group of cubs is called a litter.
A group of deer is called a herd.
A group of dogs is called a pack.
A group of donkeys is called a herd or pace.
A group of doves is called a dule.
A group of ducks is called a brace, paddling or team.
A group of eagles is called a convocation.
A group of elephants is called a herd or a parade.
A group of seals is called a pod.
A group of elk is called a gang.
A group of emus is called a mob.
A group of falcons is called a cast.
A group of ferrets is called a business.
A group of finches is called a charm.
A group of foxes is called a skulk or leash.
A group of frogs is called an army or colony.
A group of geese is called a flock, gaggle or skein.
A group of gnats is called a cloud or horde.
A group of goldfish is called a troubling.
A group of gorillas is called a band.
A group of greyhounds is called a leash.
A group of hares is called a down or husk.
A group of hawks is called a cast or kettle.
A group of hens is called a brood.
A group of herons is called a hedge.
A group of hogs is called a drift or parcel.
A group of horses is called a team, pair or harras.
A group of hounds is called a pack, mute or cry.
A group of kittens is called a kindle or litter.
A group of larks is called a exaultation.
A group of leopards is called a leep or leap .
A group of lions is called a pride.
A group of magpies is called a tiding.
A group of mallards is called a sord.
A group of martens is called a richness.
A group of moles is called a labor.
A group of mules is called a barren or span .
A group of owls is called a parliment.
A group of parrots is called a company.
A group of partridges is called a covey.
A group of peacocks is called a muster or ostentation.
A group of pheasants is called a nest or bouquet.
A group of plovers is called a congregation.
A group of ponies is called a string.
A group of rattlesnakes is called a rhumba.
A group of ravens is called an unkindness.
A group of rhinos is called a crash.
A group of rooks is called a building or clamor.
A group of snakes is called a nest.
A group of snipes is called a walk or wisp.
A group of sparrows is called a host.
A group of squirrels is called a dray.
A group of starlings is called a murmuration.
A group of storks is called a mustering.
A group of swine is called a sounder or drift.
A group of teals is called a spring.
A group of toads is called a knot.
A group of trout is called a hover.
A group of turkeys is called a rafter.
A group of turtledoves is called a pitying.
A group of turtles is called a bale.
A group of woodcocks is called a fall.
A group of woodpeckers is called a descent .
Word Scrambles
DORMITORY:
When you rearrange the letters: DIRTY ROOM
PRESBYTERIAN:
When you rearrange the letters: BEST IN PRAYER
ASTRONOMER:
When you rearrange the letters: MOON STARER
DESPERATION:
When you rearrange the letters: A ROPE ENDS IT
THE EYES:
When you rearrange the letters: THEY SEE
GEORGE BUSH:
When you rearrange the letters: HE BUGS GORE
THE MORSE CODE :
When you rearrange the letters: HERE COME DOTS
SLOT MACHINES:
When you rearrange the letters: CASH LOST IN ME
ANIMOSITY:
When you rearrange the letters: IS NO AMITY
ELECTION RESULTS:
When you rearrange the letters: LIES - LET'S RECOUNT
SNOOZE ALARMS:
When you rearrange the letters: ALAS! NO MORE Z'S
A DECIMAL POINT:
When you rearrange the letters: I'M A DOT IN PLACE
THE EARTHQUAKES:
When you rearrange the letters: THAT QUEER SHAKE
ELEVEN PLUS TWO:
When you rearrange the letters: TWELVE PLUS ONE
MOTHER-IN-LAW:
When you rearrange the letters: WOMAN HITLER
Here are 234 different isms, each representing a philosophical, political or moral doctrine or a belief system. In selecting terms for the list, The individual responsible for comprising this list deliberately avoided any word which applys ism to a personal name, so that Marxism doesn't count although it is otherwise an ideal candidate for the list. He also excluded isms which do not refer to a specific belief system, such as impressionism (an artistic movement) or alcoholism (a disease). Despite these omissions, enough remain to leave an ism in every pot, including beliefs about proper government, God, and the nature of existence itself.
Word Definition Word Definition
absolutism doctrine of government by a single absolute ruler; autocracy
absurdism doctrine that we live in an irrational universe academicism doctrine that nothing can be known accidentalism theory that events do not have causes acosmism disbelief in existence of eternal universe distinct from God adamitism nakedness for religious reasons adevism denial of gods of mythology and legend adiaphorism doctrine of theological indifference or latitudinarianism adoptionism belief that Christ was the adopted and not natural son of God aestheticism doctrine that beauty is central to other moral principles agapism ethics of love agathism belief in ultimate triumph of good despite evil means agnosticism doctrine that we can know nothing beyond material phenomena anarchism doctrine that all governments should be abolished animism attribution of soul to inanimate objects annihilationism doctrine that the wicked are utterly destroyed after death anthropomorphism attribution of human qualities to non-human things anthropotheism belief that gods are only deified men antidisestablishmentarianism doctrine opposed to removing Church of England's official religion status antilapsarianism denial of doctrine of the fall of humanity antinomianism doctrine of the rejection of moral law antipedobaptism denial of validity of infant baptism apocalypticism doctrine of the imminent end of the world asceticism doctrine that self-denial of the body permits spiritual enlightenment aspheterism denial of the right to private property atheism belief that there is no God atomism belief that the universe consists of small indivisible particles autosoterism belief that one can obtain salvation through oneself autotheism belief that one is God incarnate or that one is Christ bitheism belief in two gods bonism the doctrine that the world is good but not perfect bullionism belief in the importance of metallic currency in economics capitalism doctrine that private ownership and free markets should govern economies casualism the belief that chance governs all things catabaptism belief in the wrongness of infant baptism catastrophism belief in rapid geological and biological change collectivism doctrine of communal control of means of production collegialism theory that church is independent from the state conceptualism theory that universal truths exist as mental concepts conservatism belief in maintaining political and social traditions constructivism belief that knowledge and reality do not have an objective value cosmism belief that the cosmos is a self-existing whole cosmotheism the belief that identifies God with the cosmos deism belief in God but rejection of religion determinism doctrine that events are predetermined by preceding events or laws diphysitism belief in the dual nature of Christ ditheism belief in two equal gods, one good and one evil ditheletism doctrine that Christ had two wills dualism doctrine that the universe is controlled by one good and one evil force egalitarianism belief that humans ought to be equal in rights and privileges egoism doctrine that the pursuit of self-interest is the highest good egotheism identification of oneself with God eidolism belief in ghosts emotivism theory that moral statements are inherently biased empiricism doctrine that the experience of the senses is the only source of knowledge entryism doctrine of joining a group to change its policies epiphenomenalism doctrine that mental processes are epiphenomena of brain activity eternalism the belief that matter has existed eternally eudaemonism ethical belief that happiness equals morality euhemerism explanation of mythology as growing out of history existentialism doctrine of individual human responsibility in an unfathomable universe experientialism doctrine that knowledge comes from experience fallibilism the doctrine that empirical knowledge is uncertain fatalism doctrine that events are fixed and humans are powerless fideism doctrine that knowledge depends on faith over reason finalism belief that an end has or can be reached fortuitism belief in evolution by chance variation functionalism doctrine emphasising utility and function geocentrism belief that Earth is the centre of the universe gnosticism belief that freedom derives solely from knowledge gradualism belief that things proceed by degrees gymnobiblism belief that the Bible can be presented to unlearned without commentary hedonism belief that pleasure is the highest good henism doctrine that there is only one kind of existence henotheism belief in one tribal god, but not as the only god historicism belief that all phenomena are historically determined holism doctrine that parts of any thing must be understood in relation to the whole holobaptism belief in baptism with total immersion in water humanism belief that human interests and mind are paramount humanitarianism doctrine that the highest moral obligation is to improve human welfare hylicism materialism hylomorphism belief that matter is cause of the universe hylopathism belief in ability of matter to affect the spiritual world hylotheism belief that the universe is purely material hylozoism doctrine that all matter is endowed with life idealism belief that our experiences of the world consist of ideas identism doctrine that objective and subjective, or matter and mind, are identical ignorantism doctrine that ignorance is a favourable thing illuminism belief in an inward spiritual light illusionism belief that the external world is philosophy imagism doctrine of use of precise images with unrestricted subject immanentism belief in an immanent or permanent god immaterialism the doctrine that there is no material substance immoralism rejection of morality indifferentism the belief that all religions are equally valid individualism belief that individual interests and rights are paramount instrumentalism doctrine that ideas are instruments of action intellectualism belief that all knowledge is derived from reason interactionism belief that mind and body act on each other introspectionism doctrine that knowledge of mind must derive from introspection intuitionism belief that the perception of truth is by intuition irreligionism system of belief that is hostile to religions kathenotheism polytheism in which each god is considered single and supreme kenotism doctrine that Christ rid himself of divinity in becoming human laicism doctrine of opposition to clergy and priests latitudinarianism doctrine of broad liberality in religious belief and conduct laxism belief that an unlikely opinion may be safely followed legalism belief that salvation depends on strict adherence to the law liberalism doctrine of social change and tolerance libertarianism doctrine that personal liberty is the highest value malism the belief that the world is evil materialism belief that matter is the only extant substance mechanism belief that life is explainable by mechanical forces meliorism the belief the world tends to become better mentalism belief that the world can be explained as aspect of the mind messianism belief in a single messiah or saviour |
millenarianism belief that an ideal society will be produced in the near
future modalism belief in unity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit monadism theory that there exist ultimate units of being monergism theory that the Holy Spirit alone can act monism belief that all things can be placed in one category monophysitism belief that Christ was primarily divine but in human form monopsychism belief that individuals have a single eternal soul monotheism belief in only one God monotheletism belief that Christ had only one will mortalism belief that the soul is mortal mutualism belief in mutual dependence of society and the individual nativism belief that the mind possesses inborn thoughts naturalism belief that the world can be explained in terms of natural forces necessarianism theory that actions are determined by prior history; fatalism neonomianism theory that the gospel abrogates earlier moral codes neovitalism theory that total material explanation is impossible nihilism denial of all reality; extreme scepticism nominalism doctrine that naming of things defines reality nomism view that moral conduct consists in observance of laws noumenalism belief in existence of noumena nullibilism denial that the soul exists in space numenism belief in local deities or spirits objectivism doctrine that all reality is objective omnism belief in all religions optimism doctrine that we live in the best of all possible worlds organicism conception of life or society as an organism paedobaptism doctrine of infant baptism panaesthetism theory that consciousness may inhere generally in matter pancosmism theory that the material universe is all that exists panegoism solipsism panentheism belief that world is part but not all of God’s being panpsychism theory that all nature has a psychic side pansexualism theory that all thought derived from sexual instinct panspermatism belief in origin of life from extraterrestrial germs pantheism belief that the universe is God; belief in many gods panzoism belief that humans and animals share vital life energy parallelism belief that matter and mind don’t interact but relate pejorism severe pessimism perfectibilism doctrine that humans capable of becoming perfect perfectionism doctrine that moral perfection constitutes the highest value personalism doctrine that humans possess spiritual freedom pessimism doctrine that the universe is essentially evil phenomenalism belief that phenomena are the only realities physicalism belief that all phenomena reducible to verifiable assertions physitheism attribution of physical form and attributes to deities pluralism belief that reality consists of several kinds or entities polytheism belief in multiple deities positivism doctrine that that which is not observable is not knowable pragmatism doctrine emphasizing practical value of philosophy predestinarianism belief that what ever is to happen is already fixed prescriptivism belief that moral edicts are merely orders with no truth value primitivism doctrine that a simple and natural life is morally best privatism attitude of avoiding involvement in outside interests probabiliorism belief that when in doubt one must choose most likely answer probabilism belief that knowledge is always probable but never absolute psilanthropism denial of Christ's divinity psychism belief in universal soul psychomorphism doctrine that inanimate objects have human mentality psychopannychism belief souls sleep from death to resurrection psychotheism doctrine that God is a purely spiritual entity pyrrhonism total or radical skepticism quietism doctrine of enlightenment through mental tranquility racism belief that race is the primary determinant of human capacities rationalism belief that reason is the fundamental source of knowledge realism doctrine that objects of cognition are real reductionism belief that complex phenomena are reducible to simple ones regalism doctrine of the monarch's supremacy in church affairs representationalism doctrine that ideas rather than external objects are basis of knowledge republicanism belief that a republic is the best form of government resistentialism humorous theory that inanimate objects display malice towards humans romanticism belief in sentimental feeling in artistic expression sacerdotalism belief that priests are necessary mediators between God and mankind sacramentarianism belief that sacraments have unusual properties scientism belief that the methods of science are universally applicable self-determinism doctrine that the actions of a self are determined by itself sensationalism belief that ideas originate solely in sensation siderism belief that the stars influence human affairs skepticism doctrine that true knowledge is always uncertain socialism doctrine of centralized state control of wealth and property solarism excessive use of solar myths in explaining mythology solifidianism doctrine that faith alone will ensure salvation solipsism theory that self-existence is the only certainty somatism materialism spatialism doctrine that matter has only spatial, temporal and causal properties spiritualism belief that nothing is real except the soul or spirit stercoranism belief that the consecrated Eucharist is digested and evacuated stoicism belief in indifference to pleasure or pain subjectivism doctrine that all knowledge is subjective substantialism belief that there is a real existence underlying phenomena syndicalism doctrine of direct worker control of capital synergism belief that human will and divine spirit cooperate in salvation terminism doctrine that there is a time limit for repentance thanatism belief that the soul dies with the body theism belief in the existence of God without special revelation theocentrism belief that God is central fact of existence theopantism belief that God is the only reality theopsychism belief that the soul is of a divine nature thnetopsychism belief that the soul dies with the body, to be reborn on day of judgement titanism spirit of revolt or defiance against social conventions tolerationism doctrine of toleration of religious differences totemism belief that a group has a special kinship with an object or animal transcendentalism theory that emphasizes that which transcends perception transmigrationism belief that soul passes into other body at death trialism doctrine that humans have three separate essences (body, soul, spirit) tritheism belief that the members of the Trinity are separate gods triumphalism belief in the superiority of one particular religious creed tuism theory that individuals have a second or other self tutiorism doctrine that one should take the safer moral course tychism theory that accepts role of pure chance ubiquitarianism belief that Christ is everywhere undulationism theory that light consists of waves universalism belief in universal salvation utilitarianism belief that utility of actions determines moral value vitalism the doctrine that there is a vital force behind life voluntarism belief that the will dominates the intellect zoism doctrine that life originates from a single vital principle zoomorphism conception of a god or man in animal form zootheism attribution of divine qualities to animals |
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Ailurophile A cat-lover. Ameliorate To make or become better, more bearable, or more satisfactory Assemblage A gathering. Becoming Attractive. Beleaguer To exhaust with attacks. Brood To think alone. Bucolic In a lovely rural setting. Bungalow A small, cozy cottage. Callipygous Having beautifully proportioned buttocks. Cathartic Inducing catharsis; purgative. Chatoyant Like a cat’s eye. Comely Attractive. Conflate To blend together. Crestfallen Dejected; dispirited; discouraged Cynosure A focal point of admiration. Dalliance A brief love affair. Demesne Dominion, territory. Demure Shy and reserved. Denouement The resolution of a mystery. Desuetude Disuse. Desultory Slow, sluggish. Diaphanous Filmy. Dissemble Deceive. Dulcet Sweet, sugary. Ebullience Bubbling enthusiasm. Effervescent Bubbly. Efflorescence Flowering, blooming. Effluence The act or an instance of flowing out. Elision Dropping a sound or syllable in a word. Elixir A good potion. Eloquence Beauty and persuasion in speech. Embrocation Rubbing on a lotion. Emollient A softener. Ephemeral Short-lived. Epiphany A sudden revelation. Erstwhile At one time, for a time. Ethereal Gaseous, invisible but detectable. Evanescent Vanishing quickly, lasting a very short time. Evocative Suggestive. Fetching Pretty. Felicity Pleasantness. Forbearance Withholding response to provocation. Fugacious Fleeting. Frisson A moment of intense excitement. Furtive Shifty, sneaky. Gambol To skip or leap about joyfully. Glamour Beauty. Gossamer The finest piece of thread, a spider’s silk. Halcyon Happy, sunny, care-free. Harbinger Messenger with news of the future. Imbrication Overlapping and forming a regular pattern. Imbroglio An altercation or complicated situation. Imbue To infuse, instill. Incipient Beginning, in an early stage. Ineffable Unutterable, inexpressible. Ingénue A naïve young woman. Inglenook A cozy nook by the hearth. |
Insouciance Blithe nonchalance.
Inure To become jaded. Labyrinthine Twisting and turning. Lachrymose Given to tears or weeping. Lagniappe A special kind of gift. Lagoon A small gulf or inlet. Languor Listlessness, inactivity. Lassitude Weariness, listlessness. Leisure Free time. Lilt To move musically or lively. Lissome Slender and graceful. Lithe Slender and flexible. Love Deep affection. Loquacious Talking or tending to talk much or freely. Mellifluous Sweet sounding. Moiety One of two equal parts. Mondegreen A slip of the ear. Murmurous Murmuring. Nemesis An unconquerable archenemy. Offing The sea between the horizon and the offshore. Onomatopoeia A word that sounds like its meaning. Opulent Lush, luxuriant. Palimpsest A manuscript written over earlier ones. Panacea A solution for all problems. Panoply A complete set. Pastiche An art work combining materials from various sources. Penumbra A half-shadow. Petrichor The smell of earth after rain. Plethora A large quantity. Propinquity Proximity; Nearness Pyrrhic Successful with heavy losses. Quintessential Most essential. Ratatouille A spicy French stew. Ravel To knit or unknit. Redolent Fragrant. Resplendence Splendid or dazzling in appearance. Riparian By the bank of a stream. Ripple A very small wave. Saccharine Overly or sickishly sweet. Scintilla A spark or very small thing. Sempiternal Eternal. Seraglio Rich, luxurious oriental palace or harem. Serendipity Finding something nice while looking for something else. Soliloquy The act of talking to oneself Summery Light, delicate or warm and sunny. Sumptuous Lush, luxurious. Surreptitious Secretive, sneaky. Susquehanna A river in Pennsylvania. Susurrous Whispering, hissing. Talisman A good luck charm. Tintinnabulation Tinkling. Umbrella Protection from sun or rain. Untoward Unseemly, inappropriate. Vespertine Relating to, or occurring in the evening. Vestigial In trace amounts. Wafture Waving. Wherewithal The means. Woebegone Sorrowful, downcast. Zephyr A gentle breeze. |
1. A bicycle can't stand alone; it is two tired.
2. A will is a dead giveaway.
3. Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.
4. A backward poet writes inverse.
5. In a democracy it's your vote that counts; in feudalism, it's your Count that votes.
6. A chicken crossing the road: poultry in motion.
7. If you don't pay your exorcist you can get repossessed.
8. With her marriage she got a new name and a dress.
9. Show me a piano falling down a mine shaft and I'll show you A-flat miner.
10. When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.
11. The guy who fell onto an upholstery machine was fully recovered.
12. A grenade fell onto a kitchen floor in France resulted in Linoleum Blownapart.
13. You are stuck with your debt if you can't budge it.
14. Local Area Network in Australia : The LAN down under.
15. He broke into song because he couldn't find the key.
16. A calendar's days are numbered.
17. A lot of money is tainted: 'Taint yours, and 'taint mine.
18. A boiled egg is hard to beat.
19. He had a photographic memory which was never developed.
20. A plateau is a high form of flattery.
21. The short fortuneteller who escaped from prison: a small medium at large.
22. Those who get too big for their britches will be exposed in the end.
23. When you've seen one shopping center you've seen a mall.
24. If you jump off a Paris bridge, you are in Seine.
25. When she saw her first strands of gray hair, she thought she'd dye.
26. Bakers trade bread recipes on a knead to know basis.
27. Santa's helpers are subordinate clauses.
28. Acupuncture: a jab well done.
29. Marathon runners with bad shoes suffer the agony of de feet.
30. The roundest knight at king Arthur's round table was Sir Cumference. He acquired his size from too much pi.
31. I thought I saw an eye doctor on an Alaskan island, but it turned out to be an optical Aleutian.
32. She was only a whisky maker, but he loved her still.
33. A rubber band pistol was confiscated from algebra class because it was a weapon of math disruption.
34. The butcher backed into the meat grinder and got a little behind in his work.
35. No matter how much you push the envelope, it'll still be stationery.
36. A dog gave birth to puppies near the road and was cited for littering.
37. Two silk worms had a race. They ended up in a tie.
38. A hole has been found in the nudist camp wall. The police are looking into it.
39. Atheism is a non-prophet organization.
40. Two hats were hanging on a hat rack in the hallway. One hat said to the other, 'You stay here, I'll go on a head.'
41. I wondered why the baseball kept getting bigger. Then it hit me.
42. A sign on the lawn at a drug rehab center said: 'Keep off the Grass.'
43. A small boy swallowed some coins and was taken to a hospital. When his grandmother telephoned to ask how he was, a nurse said, 'No change yet.'
44. The soldier who survived mustard gas and pepper spray is now a seasoned veteran.
45. When cannibals ate a missionary, they got a taste of religion.
46. Don't join dangerous cults: Practice safe sects.