With the upcoming 'cicadapocalypse', this is a timely word. I'd forgotten that the 'chrys' part is from the Greek for gold. A hint to Poe there? Not likely, but I felt like tossing that in.

The innate human distrust of alterity is a problem that has plagued us for all history, as far as I know. Even within the diverse groups it exists, with inner groupings becoming smaller and smaller. Yet we are, as someone much wiser than I said, a political animal, and we need to be with others. As ...

For interesting relatives, see Burglar and Bourgeois. The burglar burgled the bourgeois mansions of the borough?

Happy Memorial Day to one and all!

I just learned that stud is also from the same root. Steed, stallion, stand, stay, stud, etc. Not the dainty palfrey, though.

Still "Coming Soon", so no one to talk to.

I suppose it might be more appropriate to post this under convenient , but as it made me think of this word, I'll put it here. There is a new shop opening in my little city. "Coming soon, Convivence Store!" So, naturally, I tried to make a portmanteau out of that, coming up with a convenie...

Anyone care to come up with a theory on how a root for bath/bath-house also went along to become pain, anguish, and torture? Ouch!

."The clamor for gun safety laws is rising fast in America."

Sadly, in space no one hears you scream.

Witness battue.

That's what I get for assuming I did it right. Fixed now.

I've forgotten my high-school French sufficiently to have to ask, is the 'd'oeuvre' of the 'chef' and 'hors' phrases pronounced differently or the same in their home country?

Dozenal sounds like a sleep-aid drug name, no?

For treatment and comments on lagniappe, one of my favorite words, see here.

I found a discussion of this on a site called wordorigins.org, where someone quotes the OED.

There's also etymonline's blurb on good as a noun.

Hope this is what you were looking for.

High-falutin' definition of food fight: becoming refractory with refections in the refectory.

So high-falutin', refections isn't in my spellchecker. Hmph!

War is not a word to play with...

Well, there goes one card game!