I have missed doing these! June just disappeared for me. I have been on a children's book kick lately so I haven't been running into many interesting words for the most part, but just for fun I wanted to do something ...
All of these are from Murder with Puffins by Donna Andrews (not really new words, but fun to play with...)
But it didn't look as if I'd get any peace and quiet in the cottage for a while, with Aunt Phoebe and Mrs. Fenniman arguing about the weather and trying to pout their potions and philters into me. philters
1: a potion credited with magical power
2: a potion, drug, or charm held to have the power to arouse sexual passion
Origin: late 16th century: from French philtre, via Latin from Greek philtron, from philein 'to love'.
Definitely going with definition one here!
At one point, we actually saw Victor Resnick stalking down the street in a disreputable mackinaw that made him look more like a scarecrow than ever.
mackinaw
A short coat or jacket made of a thick, heavy woolen cloth, typically with a plaid design. Origin: early 19th century: named after Mackinaw City, Michigan, formerly an important trading post.
I tried to give my voice an authentic quaver calculated to create the impression that Rhapsody was in genuine danger of being beset by the minions of the law, bearing handcuffs, rubber hoses and truncheons. Whatever truncheons were.
truncheon
1: a shattered spear or lance (actually that one is new to me)
2: a : [ obsolete] club, bludgeon
b : a staff representing an office or authority; baton
c : a police officer's billy club <-- that is the one I had in mind
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| Good grief! This is an auction lot from Christies! NINE ASSORTED WOOD POLICE TRUNCHEONS LATE 19TH OR EARLY 20TH CENTURY All of plain turned form and including one with a transfer printed Royal Coat-of-Arms and another with a branded V.R. cypher. longest 17in. (43cm.) |
So, I already knew what truncheons were - but for some reason the word made this bit of Pirates of Penzance get stuck in my head - so now I am going to inflict it on you too :) ...
Okay - I lied - this is the version from the 80's The Pirate Movie but think that they totally nailed this song. I wish I could find a better clip. Best use of a truncheon that I can think of :)
Your post was fun. I only knew mackinaw (the coat and the city). The rest were new to me. Thanks for the video. That was fun.
ReplyDeleteI would have guessed philter was a new, funky way to spell filter. I don't ever want to live anywhere cold enough to have a coat named after it!
ReplyDeleteI knew mackinaw, but not the others.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed the video. Thanks I thought of a mackinaw as yellow plastic, like a raincoat. Didnot know it's wool. I see the word often in my books.
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