toper \ TOH-puhr \ (noun) - One who drinks frequently or to excess.

"But there remains a core of bottom-line voters to whom the promise of tax cuts is as seductive as gin to a toper. -- David Nyhan, ...Read More

jocular \ JOK-yuh-luhr \ (adjective) - 1 : Given to joking or jesting. 2 : Characterized by joking; playful.

"He had not been a jocular man, and occasionally, while she was laughing with Bob, she had caught him studying ...Read More

kobold \KOH-bold\ (noun) - In German folklore, a haunting spirit, gnome, or goblin.

"The Kobolds were a species of gnomes, who haunted the dark and solitary places, and were often seen in the mines." -- Sir Walter Scott, ...Read More

subterfuge \SUB-tur-fyooj\ (noun) - A deceptive device or stratagem.

"In the end, however, all the stealth and subterfuge were for naught, as the young publicity agent couldn't keep the secret." -- Larry Tye, 'The Father ...Read More

mores \MOR-ayz; -eez\ (plural noun) - 1 : The fixed customs of a particular group that are morally binding upon all members of the group. 2 : Moral attitudes. 3 : Customs; habits; ways.

"In much the same bold spirit, I ...Read More

maelstrom \MAYL-struhm\ (noun) - 1 : A large, powerful, or destructive whirlpool. 2 : Something resembling a maelstrom; a violent, disordered, or turbulent state of affairs.

"The murk became thicker as Zachareesi ...Read More