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Philip I. Thomas
ContraptionWorkshopPostcard

Diction

A collection of words worth knowing.

  • Gavage — the administration of food or drugs by force, especially to an animal
  • Brouhaha — a noisy and overexcited reaction or response to something
  • Donnybrook — a scene of uproar and disorder; a heated argument
  • Hegemony — leadership or dominance, especially by one country or social group over others
  • Lindy — the idea that the future life expectancy of a technology or idea is proportional to its current age
  • Nut graf — a paragraph that explains the significance or context of a story
  • Asymptote — a line that a curve approaches but never quite reaches
  • Athwart — from side to side; in opposition to. "Pearl Jam stood athwart popularity."
  • Milquetoast — a timid, meek, unassertive person
  • Kitsch — art or design in poor taste due to excessive garishness or sentimentality
  • Ennui — a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction from lack of occupation or excitement
  • Bacchanal — a wild, drunken celebration or revelry
  • Atavistic — relating to or characterized by reversion to something ancestral or primitive
  • Rigmarole — a lengthy, complicated, and seemingly pointless procedure
  • Interlocutor — a person who takes part in a dialogue or conversation
  • Locution — a word, phrase, or particular way of speaking
  • Disparate — fundamentally different or distinct in kind; unable to be compared
  • Confabulation — the production of fabricated or distorted memories without intent to deceive; in AI, when a model generates plausible but false information
  • Sanguine — optimistic, especially in a difficult situation; also blood-red in color
  • Cogent — clear, logical, and convincing
  • Digression
  • Cull
  • Shtick
  • Shoddy
  • Reprobate
  • Nihilistic