THERE'S A WORD FOR THAT?




The English language is full of curious words and phrases that refer to the most unusual things. Who ever imagined there was a word that meant "having a shapely buttocks" (callipygian) or the cry of a newborn baby (vagitus)?



THERE'S A WORD FOR THAT?
Key: The word's language of origin appears directly below it, and to the right of that is an example sentence and an etymology, along with any related themes.

Word
Phonetic Pronunciation
Part of Speech
Definition
abulia
New Latin
ay-BOO-lee-uh
 abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions
Ex.

Etym.
Rel. Themes:
It was one of those mid-afternoon classes, when abulia settles in and the desire to learn is overtaken by a longing to toss a frisbee on the quad.
From a New Latin word that combines the prefix a- "without" and boulē "will."
There's A Word For That?
callipygian
Greek
cal-i-PIJ-i-en
 pertaining to or having shapely buttocks
Ex.
Etym.

Rel. Themes:
 The gym was full of men on a quest for the callipygian ideal.
From the name of a statue of Aphrodite, Aphrodite Kallipygos. From the Greek kallos "beauty" + pyge "buttocks."
Apo Mythologia | High-Falutin' Praises | There's A Word For That?
catoptromancy
Greek
ka-TOP-tro-man-see
 divination by means of a mirror
Ex.

Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 In the world of children's animation, catoptromancy is largely the province of evil overlords and jealous queens, whose mirrors tend to give them painful truths.
From katoptron "mirror" + manteia "divination"
There's A Word For That?
demimonde
French
DEM-i-mond
 1. a distinctive class or group that is often an isolated part of a larger class or group, esp. one having little reputation or prestige
2. a class of women on the fringes of respectable society supported by wealthy lovers
Ex.

Rel. Themes:
 He was but one member of the great literary demimonde of trashy romance novels and throw-away teen ghost stories.
There's A Word For That?
enfant terrible
French		 ahn-FAHN ter-EE-bluh noun 1. a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment
2. a person known for shocking comments or outrageous behavior
3. a usu. young and successful person who is strikingly unorthodox or innovative
Ex.

Rel. Themes:
 Five years ago, Napster founder Sean Fanning was the enfant terrible of the file-sharing business.
French Phrases | High-Falutin' Insults | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
esprit d’escalier
French		 eh-SPREE des-kal-i-YE noun a witty remark thought of too late
Etym.

Rel. Themes:
 From the notion that one thinks of the perfect remark on his way out (literally, “wit of the staircase”).
French Phrases | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
grandiloquent
Latin		 gran-DIL-o-kwent adjective 1. pompously eloquent
2. making a show of knowledge by using large words
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
 He was so grandiloquent I could barely understand him.
Big Words About Big Words | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
Gretna Green
Toponym		 GRET-na GREEN noun a place where many eloping couples are married
Ex.

Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 Since Nevada has no waiting period for a marriage license, it has long been an ideal Gretna Green for runaway lovers.
From the Scottish village of the same name
There's A Word For That? | Toponyms
hyperborean
Greek		 high-per-BOR-ee-un adjective 1. of or relating to an extreme northern region: frozen
2. of or relating to any of the arctic peoples
Ex.

Etym.

Rel. Themes:
 Although she had endured many a hyperborean winter during her childhood, she always wore a jacket whenever the mercury dipped below 60.
From Greek hyper- "above" + Boreas "god of the north wind." Literally, "beyond the north wind."
Apo Mythologia | Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
lothario
Eponym
lo-THER-ee-oh
 a man whose chief interest is seducing women
Ex.

Etym.
Rel. Themes:
Don't let his dashing looks deceive you - he's nothing more than a conniving lothario with no interest in a long-term commitment.
From Lothario, character in Nicholas Rowe's 1703 play The Fair Penitent.
Eponyms | High-Falutin' Insults | Likely Literary | There's A Word For That?



matrocliny
Latin
MA-truh-klin-ee
 inheritance of traits primarily from the mother (patrocliny is the male equivalent of this term)
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
 His matrocliny was apparent because he shared the same knowing smile and brown eyes.
There's A Word For That?
noblesse oblige
French
no-BLESS uh-BLEEZH
 the obligation of those of high rank to be honorable and generous to those of lower status
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 John D. Rockefeller believed that noblesse oblige was the price of great wealth.
French for “nobility obligates”
French Phrases | There's A Word For That?
oneiric
Greek
o-NIGH-rik
 of or relating to dreams; DREAMY
Ex.
Ex. 2.

Rel. Themes:
 Salvador Dali was a master of oneiric landscapes.
The warm rays of the sun and the subtle buzzing of insects cast an oneiric haze over the whole afternoon.
Little-known Synonyms for Well-known Words | There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress
[Top]
psephology
Greek
say-FOAL-a-gee
 the scientific analysis of political elections and voting
Ex.
Rel. Themes:
 To most, psephology is more of an inexact art than a precise science.
There's A Word For That?
Ruritanian
Toponym
rur-i-TAY-knee-en
 of, relating to, or having the characteristics of an imaginary place of high romance
Ex.
Etym.

Rel. Themes:
 Tolkien set the standard for Ruritanian fiction when he penned The Hobbit in the 1930s.
From the mythical kingdom of Ruritania, setting of Anthony Hope's 1894 novel The Prisoner of Zenda.
Toponyms | There's A Word For That?
sansculotte
French
sanz-koo-LOT
 1. an extreme radical republican in France at the time of the Revolution
2. a radical or violent extremist in politics
Ex.

Etym.

Rel. Themes:
 These days, it is not uncommon to hear about a group of sansculottes taking over a school or other public building to wring concessions from their government.
French for "without culottes (knee breeches)," from the fact that radical republicans in the French Revolution, usually from the poorer Third Estate, did not wear culottes.
French Phrases | There's A Word For That?
sybarite
Greek
Toponym		 SIB-uh-rite noun a person whose chief interests are luxury and the gratification of sensual appetites
Ex.

Etym.

Rel. Themes:
That old sybarite is easy to entertain! Just give him some feminine distractions and a glass of wine and you won’t hear from him all night.
Literally, an inhabitant of Sybaris, an ancient Greek town in southern Italy whose inhabitants were renowned for their love of luxury.
There's A Word For That? | Toponyms
trichotillomania
Greek		 try-kuh-ti-luh-MAY-nee-uh noun an abnormal desire to pull out one's hair
Ex.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 Greg's trichotillomania left him with frayed eyebrows and a random array of bald spots.
From the Greek trich- "hair" + tillein "to pull, pluck" + -mania "madness."
There's A Word For That? | Words That Impress



triskaidekaphobia
Greek		 tris-ky-dek-uh-FO-be-uh noun fear of the number 13
Ex.

Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 My cousin is so stricken with triskaidekaphobia that he stays locked indoors on the 13th of every month.
From treis "three" + kai "and" + deka "ten" + phobos "fear"
There's A Word For That?
vinaceous
Latin		 vi-NAY-shus adjective having the color of red wine
Ex.
Ex. 2.
Etym.
Rel. Themes:
 The vinaceous petals stood out in stark contrast against the surrounding greenery.
The vinaceous rosefinch is a stunning find for a birdwatcher.
From the Latin vinaceus, meaning "of wine."
Likely Literary | There's A Word For That?


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