simonize \SY-muh-nyz\ (verb tr.) - To shine or polish to a high sheen, especially with wax.

"Far beyond merely polishing it up, Susan simonized her personal profile for the online dating site until it gleamed like a freshly minted Krugerrand."

After Simoniz, a trademark.

quean \kween\ (noun) - A bold, impudent, or ill-behaved woman, even a hussy or a strumpet.

"Jean is a keen dean at school but a mean quean on the neighborhood scene."

Today's word originated as Old English cwene [kwene] when "queen" was "cwen" [kweyn]. Both are akin to Dutch kween "barren cow" and Swedish kvinna "woman." All these words ...Read more

tergiversate \tehr-GI-vehr-seyt\ (verb) - Abandon a cause or reverse one's position on something.

"When President Bush the Elder said 'Read my lips: no new taxes,' he later tergiversated on the issue."

Latin tergiversatus, past participle of tergiversor "to turn one's back" hence "to decline or refuse" from tergum "back" + ...Read more

sinecure \SY-nih-kyur; SIN-ih-\ (noun) - An office or position that requires or involves little or no responsibility, work, or active service.

"With layoffs looming due to an alleged decrease in attendance, Ronald was puzzled as to why none of the sinecures who peppered the top of the company's rank structure in the role of 'vice-presidents' ...Read more

indelible \in-DEL-uh-buhl\ (adjective) - 1 : That cannot be removed, erased, or washed away. 2 : Making marks that cannot easily be removed or erased. 3 : Incapable of being forgotten; memorable.

"Wanting an indelible representation of their eternal love for each other, Jim had a tattoo of Jane's name placed on his arm."

Indelible is from ...Read more

nisi \NY-sy, NEE-see\ (adjective) - Not yet final, taking effect at a later date unless invalidated by a certain cause.

"Albert was interested to read that his ex-wife's latest divorce was granted decree nisi as of the previous Friday."

From Latin nisi (unless, if not), from ne- (not) + si (if). The word usually appears in forms such as "...Read more

flout \FLOWT\ (transitive verb) - To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.

(intransitive verb) - To mock, to scoff.

(noun) - Mockery, scoffing.

"Franklin and Sheba were completely mystified by Frida's determination to flout as many social conventions as she could."

Flout comes from Middle English flouten, "to play the ...Read more

superfluous \soo-PER-floo-us\ (adjective) - More than is wanted or is sufficient; rendered unnecessary by superabundance; unnecessary; useless; excessive. (adverb) superfluously, (noun) superfluousness

"You must consider that what is necessary always occurs, and what is superfluous usually, but what is almost necessary, at least in my case, ...Read more

posit \POZ-it\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To assume as real or conceded. 2 : To propose as an explanation; to suggest. 3 : To dispose or set firmly or fixedly.

"It was difficult to posit a solution to the problem or even, indeed, to determine exactly what the problem was."

Posit is from Latin positus, past participle of ponere, "to put, to place,...Read more

uxorious \uk-SOR-ee-us; ug-ZOR-\ (adjective) - Excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.

"Of looks, words, consideration, habitual deference, and eager attention, I was quite as uxorious as I should have been of the warm kiss, or the yielding, fond embrace." -- W. Gilmore Simms, 'Confession, Or, the Blind Heart'

Uxorious is from Latin ...Read more

mooncalf \MOON-kaf\ (noun) - 1 : A daydreamer or absent-minded person. 2 : A fool or simpleton. 3 : A congenitally deformed person.

"Jefferson, who has become a justly popular leading actor over the past few seasons, is both monster and mooncalf."

From the earlier belief that a misshapen birth was a result of effects of the moon.

albatross \AL-buh-tros\ (noun) plural albatross or albatrosses - 1 : Any of several large, web-footed birds constituting the family Diomedeidae, chiefly of the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, and having a hooked beak and long, narrow wings. 2 : A constant, worrisome burden. An obstacle to success.

"Getting the albatross that is Jacobs off of...Read more

preponderate \prih-PON-duh-rayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To exceed in weight. 2 : To incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; to be weighed down. 3 : To exceed in influence, power, importance, number, amount, etc.

"Amour is the one human activity of any importance in which laughter and pleasure preponderate, if ever so slightly, over ...Read more

numen \NOO-muhn, NYOO-\ noun, plural numina \-muh-nuh\ - Divine power, deity, or spirit presiding in a place. Also creative energy.

"David was fond of meditating while watching insipid 70's sitcoms, feeling that they facilitated his symbolic transformation of unconscious material into spirit or numen."

From Latin numen (nod, divine power).

sennight \SEN-yt\ (noun) - A week.

"And with a kiss and a brush of the back of his hand on her cheek Jacob said goodbye to the fair Martha for yet another sennight."

From Middle English, from Old English seofon nihta, from seofon (seven) + nihta, plural of niht (night).

Byzantine \BIZ-en-teen, -tin, bi-ZAN-tin\ (adjective) - 1 : Of or relating to the ancient city of Byzantium. Of or relating to the Byzantine Empire. 2 : Of or belonging to the style of architecture developed from the fifth century A.D. in the Byzantine Empire, characterized by a central dome resting on a cube formed by four round arches and ...Read more

Methuselah \muh-THOO-zuh-luh\ (noun) - 1 : The name of a biblical patriarch said to have lived 969 years. 2 : An extremely old man.

"It just comes natural to me, I suppose. I used to know all the generations of Adam down to Methuselah." -- Paul Green, 'This Body the Earth'

Methuselah is from Hebrew Methushelah, Biblical patriarch represented ...Read more

forcible \FOR-suh-buhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Using force against opposition or resistance; effected or accomplished by force; as, "forcible entry or abduction." 2 : Characterized by force, efficiency, or energy; powerful.

"Filled with regret after the fact, Ellen wanted to characterize the visit as 'forcible entry,' although Henry pointed out that...Read more

hector \HEK-tur\ (noun) - A bully.

(transitive verb) - To intimidate or harass in a blustering way; to bully.

(intransitive verb) - To play the bully; to bluster.

"Mel's sales technique consisted of hectoring and badgering the client until he gave in simply to be left alone."

Hector derives from Greek Hektor, in Greek mythology the chief ...Read more

Q: Is "leave him be" an acceptable substitute for "let him be"? -- J. K. via email

A: To some ears, "leave him be" sounds less elevated than "let him be." Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary notes that "leave it be" is a mostly spoken idiom disliked by some commentators. (Imagine the Beatles singing, "Leave it be"? No way.)

But some ...Read more