Uranus
On the radio the other day, someone said "Uranus" in such a way that it sounded like an adjective, "urinous." According to Wikipedia, that's actually the earliest of the current...
palilalia, copropraxia
Wikipedia says that "palilalia" is "the repetition or echoing of one's own spoken words." It can sometimes be a symptom of Tourette Syndrome. I already knew that coprolalia (involuntary swearing)...
wheelhouse
According to Urban Dictionary and other sources, one's "wheelhouse" is an "area of expertise." I gather it's used similarly to "forte" or "strong point" or "metier."...
griesel
"Griesel" is apparently another term for biodiesel, more specifically for vegetable oil used as diesel fuel. I first encountered the term in a story submitted to SH; did a web...
Filks, Xena, LotR, Classics, Old English, linguistics, B5, etc
So I was sitting around with O. and D. and Kam the other night, and someone mentioned Chicago, and D. said his brother Kevin lived in Chicago. And someone asked...
hurling, camogie, shinty, bandy, and cammag
Hurling is Ireland's second-most-popular sport (after Gaelic football). It involves hitting a ball with a stick to score goals; I get the impression it's vaguely related to field hockey. According...
hypsography
"Hypsography" is the measurement and mapping of topographical elevation. (I wrote this note in late 2006, but neglected to post it. So the word is no longer exactly new to...
schvitz
To "schvitz" is to sweat; more commonly, a schvitz is a steam bath, as one might take in a sauna....
cacoethes
It's possible I've heard this one before, but I like it too much to pass it up, and I don't think I ever knew what it meant before. A "cacoëthes"...
has the hump
Apparently, in British slang, to "have the hump" is to be "annoyed or upset with someone," according to The Free Dictionary. I wonder if the phrase derives ultimately from Kipling....