TRICHOTILLOMANIA

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Dr. Goodword
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TRICHOTILLOMANIA

Postby Dr. Goodword » Thu Jul 10, 2008 10:37 pm

• trichotillomania •

Pronunciation: tri-kê-ti-lê-may-ni-ê • Hear it!

Part of Speech: Noun, mass (no plural)

Meaning: The irresistible urge to pull out your hair.

Notes: Today's Good Word is dedicated to those who think that English doesn't have a word for everything. It is generally used in medicine in reference to a mental disorder but every word is subject to figurative usage and this one is no exception. A person who feels the urge to pull out his or her hair may be a trichotillomaniac or a trichotillomanic. The latter also serves as the adjective for today's word.

In Play: "Pulling out one's hair" is an English idiom meaning to undergo extreme frustration. I am sure all Americans have experienced this urge, especially recently: "The cost of gas, the war in Iraq, the dollar devaluation, job losses and mortgage failures are all behind a rising sense of trichotillomania in the US." We also find ourselves in situations where we need a word much, much longer than nuts: "This crossword puzzle is driving me to trichotillomania!" Nothing like today's word for that situation.

Word History: This stunning Good Word is composed of the compounding roots of three Greek words: thrix, trikh- "hair" + tillein "to pluck hair" + mania "madness". The relation between brilliance and madness, so deeply ingrained in Western thinking, shows up in the heritage of Greek mania. The same root appears in mantis "visionary, seer" (borrowed by English for praying mantis). In Latin we also see it in mens, mentis "mind", the origin of English mental and our noun suffix -ment. The same root came to Sanskrit in mantrah "prayer, advice", a meaning related to the Greek sense of "seer" found in mantis. Mania conjures up visions of craziness and intelligence like no other word.
Last edited by Dr. Goodword on Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:00 am, edited 1 time in total.
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engineer27
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Re: TRICHOTILLOMANIA

Postby engineer27 » Fri Jul 11, 2008 11:30 am

• trichotillomania •
Mania congers up visions of craziness and intelligence like no other word.
"congers up" ... an in "Makes one think about eels"?

Perhaps Dr. Goodword suffers from Anguillimania?

Stargzer
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Postby Stargzer » Fri Jul 11, 2008 2:36 pm

Well, in Doc's defense, Conger does in reality conjure up a certain amount of craziness.
Regards//Larry

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Slava
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Postby Slava » Fri Jul 11, 2008 5:42 pm

So, can you go up to your hair stylist and ask, "How's thrix?"

And if she's got the right name, "How's thrix, Tilly?"
Life is like playing chess with chessmen who each have thoughts and feelings and motives of their own.

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Re: TRICHOTILLOMANIA

Postby gailr » Fri Jul 11, 2008 9:23 pm

• trichotillomania •
Mania congers up visions of craziness and intelligence like no other word.
"congers up" ... an in "Makes one think about eels"?
Perhaps he was distracted by Image

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Conger-Conjure

Postby Dr. Goodword » Sat Jul 12, 2008 12:07 am

I'm hesitant to correct it since you guys have had so much fun with it.
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