The Princeton Spectator Glossary
Absurd words are invaluable for confusing readers and disguising our own illogical thinking, the twin objectives of The Spectator. A partial list of words weve found useful to these noble ends:
abscission the act of cutting off
ad captandum to the crowd; an ad captandum argument appeals to the mob, rather than to reason
adamantine unyielding; inflexible; pertinacious
adumbrate to foreshadow
alembic tending to refine or improve
augean an incredible or distasteful task that requires herculean efforts to accomplish
autarky national self-sufficience; economic non-intercourse
auto-da-fe the burning of a heretic at the stake
bacchanal a drunken or riotous celebration
belletrists writers of literature regarded for its aesthetic value rather than its didatic or informative content
bibacity mild dipsomania; disposition to drinking
bibitory relating to alcoholic consumption
brannigan a wild riot usually inspired by alcohol
brumal wintry; hibernal; hiemal
byzantine of, relating to, or characterized by intrigue; scheming or devious; complicated and difficult to deal with
calaboose a jail; a hoosegow
captious marked by a disposition to find and point out trivial faults
choleric easily angered; bad tempered
circumjacent lying around (something)
condign deserved; adequate; appropriate; apposite
contemn to damn
contumacious obstinately disobedient or rebellious; insubordinate
contumely an instance of being rude; defiance; misbehavior
countermand to cancel or reverse (a previously issued order)
crescive growing; on the rise; tumescing
decedent a dead person
dehortations arguments against (something)
deipnosophists people skilled at table-talk
demoded no longer in fashion
despoil to sack; plunder
deturpation labefaction; a decline in moral quality
dewy-eyed innocent; naοve
dirigisme state planning of the economy; etatism
disenterated exenterated; disemboweled
ecdysiasm stripping
eleemosynary relating to charity; caritative
embosk to cover with foilage so as to conceal
emict to urinate
empleomania a crazed desire for holding public office
ensorcell to place a spell on
epicene sexless; neuter/effeminate; unmanly
epistolography letter writing, esp. considered as an art
erethismic abnormally irritable or sensitive
ergotizing reasoning or arguing logically
espy to glimpse; to catch sight of
euripus a dangerous strait with currents that will most likely rent a ship
eviscerate to disembowel; to destroy, esp. an argument, plan or system
expiscate to fish out, as in details or objects
extant still in existence
fatuity stupidity; fat-headedness; witlessness; inability to grasp reality
fegaries vagaries, caprices; arbitrary acts
fetial relating to diplomacy
fisc treasury
glower to stare angrily; to seem threatening, esp. used to describe the sky
gravamen the part of the accusation that weighs most heavily against the accused
hagiography biography of a saint
haruspicy fortune-telling; prognostication
hectoring intimidation or bullying
hery to announce or treat as a hero; to lionize
heteroclite strange or unusual; bizarre
impostume an instance of wrongdoing
impudicity immodesty; shamelessness
incomestible inedible; inesculent
incondite badly put together; poorly organized or planned
inculpate to incriminate
inutile lacking in utility or serviceability; not useful
inveigh to protest vehemently against something
jactitation a false boasting or charm
jejune not interesting; dull; lacking maturity; childish; having no nutritive value
kidney temperment
labefaction a breakdown of morality; a lessening in quality
lapidate to stone someone, usually to death
limacine slug-like
limbmeal to deal with limb by limb (a la piecemeal)
lucriferous relating to money, esp. its acquisition
mammon money considered as a false god or all-consuming objective
matinal of or relating to the early part of the day; of the morning
maudlin effusively or tearfully sentimental; cloying
melancholy sadness or depression of the spirits; pensive reflection or contemplation
mendacity untruthfulness; dishonesty
mendicant a beggar
miasmic a noxious atmosphere or influence; having foul fumes
miscegenation a pejorative term denoting marriage between races, esp. between blacks and whites; a sin in the eyes of white supremacists
mossback a very old-fashioned person; one with ancient views or thinking
multiparous having given birth more than once
nephalism abstention from alcohol; teetotalism
nethermost farthest down; lowest
nonplus to confuse or perplex; to metagrobolize
obliquity deviation from proper moral conduct; immorality; perversity
obscurantist one who opposes intellectual advancement and political reform; one who opposes the spread of knowledge
obsidious like or relating to a seige
obstreperous loud and cacophonous; noisily disruptive
obtrude intrude; to thrust out or push forward; to force something upon another
ochletic relating to disease caused by crowded urban living conditions
odeum strong dislike, contempt, or aversion
oenophiles wine lovers
ogygian antediluvian; ancient; relating to the flood during Ogyges's rule a long time ago
oniomaniacal having an irresistible urge to purchase things
opprobrium disgrace arising from exceedingly shameful conduct; scornful reproach or contempt
orgulous proud
otiose lazy; indolent; of no use
outmoded unfashionable; demoded
panglossian blindly or naively optimistic
parvanimous small-minded and small-hearted; the opposite of magnanimous
peccable liable to sin
perficiently thoroughly and effectively
perlustrate to investigate or vet thoroughly
perpend ponder; consider
petulance irrascibility; quality of being quick to anger or offense
phlegmatic having or suggesting a calm, sluggish temperament; unemotional; slow to action or concern
piscicapture fishing
platitude a bromide; an unremarkable statement delivered as if it were profound
plerergate replete; full of
predation act of plundering or maraudering
protean highly changeable; readily taking on varied shapes, forms or meanings; mercurial, labile
pulchritude great physical beauty or appeal
puling crying or whining weakly and detestably; plaintive
quiescent having grown quiet or inert
quotidian everyday; commonplace
rapacious taking by force; plundering; without reck
redoubtable giving rise to awe; formidable and seemingly insuperable
redound to have an effect or consequence
regnant currently reigning; ruling; in power
renascent showing renewed growth or vigor; having undergone rebirth
retromingent urinating backwards
retund to force back or parry; to oppose successfully with force or arguments
sanguinary a blood bath
sanguine cheerfully confident; optimistic
saturnalia a celebration marked by unrestrained revelry and often licentiousness; an orgy
satyromaniac a man utterly consumed with sex; male version of a nymphomaniac
sejant sitting
sinecure a position or an office that requires little or no work but provides a salary
soi-disant self-proclaimed or self-styled
solecism a breach of grammar or of propriety
solon a law-giver or ruler
soporific inducing or tending to induce sleep; drowsy; somnifacient; somnific
stein a beer mug
strabismic partially blind; failing to perceive or understand correctly or fully
stramash an imbroglio, brannigan, donnybrook
stratocracy government by the military
subaltern a person of lower position or rank; assistant
suborn to cause to take illegal action; to convince to break the law
sulphurous fiery; hellish; relating to brimstone, esp. homiletically
temerity recklessness; foolhardy disregard of danger
tendentious marked by a strong, implicit point of view; biased
terpsichorean relating to dancing; tripudiary
thanatology the study of death and dying, especially in their psychological and social aspects
thersitical abusive or obscene; extremely vulgar
togated wearing a toga, esp. as signifying peaceful times (when Romans would wear them)
transmogrified mutated from something normal into something horrible and repellant
transmute to change from one substance to another
transvection the conveyance of a witch through the air upon a broom
tripe something of no value; rubbish
troika threesome (no sexual meaning); a set of three upon horses
tumescent somewhat swollen or distended; growing in size
ugsomeness disgustingness; loathsomeness
ukase an authoritative order or decree; an edict
unbosom to unburden oneself of; to get off one's chest
vection the spreading of disease; passage of infection from person to person
verjuice sour juice of crab apples; ill-tempered and sour in disposition
vernal fresh and young; relating to spring
vertiginous giddy; dizzy; affected by vertigo; relating to a height or place that would give rise to vertigo
victualage food
vilipend to view or treat with contempt; to treat as of little value or significance
viz. that is; namely; videlicet; scilicet (sc.)
xyloid of or similar to wood
yclept named; called
