A Modest Construct

borborygmus

n. A rumbling sound made by the movement of gas in the intestines heard from a distance.

If you ever wanted a more intelligent way to say that your stomach is growling, here it is. From the Greek βορβορυγμος, our English equivalent is a pretty straightforward transliteration. The muscles of the gastrointestinal…

basilisk

n. a mythical snake-like creature reputed to be so venomous its gaze was deadly

n. a type of lizard (genus Basiliscus)

“Ben,” I hear you saying. “Tell me you’re not doing an entry about a basilisk because you read about it in Harry Potter.”

Fear not, dear reader(s)! As it turns out, today’s entry was…

a priori

adj. known ahead of time

adj. based on hypothesis rather than experiment

a posteriori

adj. involving deduction of theories from facts.

Appropriated directly from Latin in the early 18th century, these epistemological phrases have become favorites of mine, to the point that my neologistic streak kicks in and I start using them as nouns because they…

anal retentive

adj. a disposition oriented to fine details

This is a really interesting phrase. We’ve many of us used it before; I’d always wondered, but never investigated, why this particular phrase happens to be used in a context of someone who is fixated upon details and control and orderliness–a sort of OCD…

mendicant

1. n. A beggar

2. n. Historically, a member of an order of friars, forbidden to own property, who beg for a living

The historical use of the word mendicant to describe Christian orders with vows of poverty began in the Middle Ages. There were four primary mendicant orders: the Franciscans, the Carmelites, Dominicans,…

maudlin

adj. Effusively or tearfully sentimental

I have for quite some time been aware of the definition of “maudlin,” and in fact have used it as a pejorative on more than one occasion. Its definition of sappy sentimentality is enough to arouse disgust—I’ve even used it synonymously with “trite.”

I had no idea, however,…

palimpsest

n. a parchment or the like from which writing has been partially or completely erased to make room for another text.

I chose “palimpsest” because I recently read it (I wish I could remember where) and had absolutely no idea what it meant. I thought, “This is such a strange-looking word, it…

apothegm

n. a short, witty, and instructive saying

Also apophthegm.

This is such a wild and crazy word (especially the alternate spelling, which is closer to the original Greek and was reinstated by Samuel Johnson in England, where it remains the preferred spelling). It comes from the Greek apophthegma (analogous to our “quip”), itself a derivation…

catapult

n. an ancient military engine for hurling stones, arrows, etc.

You might be wondering why, in a segment normally devoted to esotery and foreign words, I’ve used something as relatively pedestrian as ‘catapult.’

Well, as in most cases, it boils down to etymology. What you’re likely to find is that catapult comes to English…