escutcheon (n.): 1 a : a defined area on which armorial bearings are depicted, marshaled, or displayed usually consisting of a shield or something made to resemble a shield — see DEXTER 2, SINISTER; compare BASE, CHIEF, FESS, LOZENGE, NAVEL, NOMBRIL, POINT Escutcheon is a word that comes from heraldry, a bizarre, obscure subject that [...]
Freudian (adj.): of, relating to, or in accordance with the psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud I had a dream last night that I was on tour with the band last night and we were staying in a pretty crappy motel in a backwater town, most likely in upstate New York. Singer Tom and I were, [...]
autological (adj.): describing oneself (as an adjective) or exemplifying one’s definition (as a noun) Old friend, former bandmate, prodigious talent, and all-around good guy Seb Roberts commented recently on my “warmthiness” post with the following: One of my favourite words in the English language is “factoid.” Y’know, the word so commonly used as a synonym [...]
academic (adj.): of no practical or useful significance Many of you are aware that I spend a disturbing amount of time playing Scrabulous, the third-party app designed for Facebook by a couple of Indian fellows, Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, which has quickly become the stickiest and most addictive of the new Facebook add-ins available. When [...]
