It’s three now (November, that is,) and I can’t guarantee a blog today—with the U.S. Election to watch and think about.
The world, as Sean O’casey said, is in a state of chassis.
We’ll see.
Maybe just a few words—to feel like normal again.
myxomatosis noun [ mass noun ] a highly infectious and usually fatal viral disease of rabbits, causing swelling of the mucous membranes and inflammation and discharge around the eyes. (Now, where did I pick this up?)
zygote noun Biology a diploid cell resulting from the fusion of two haploid gametes; a fertilized ovum. DERIVATIVES zygotic |-ˈgɒtɪk| adjective ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek zugōtos ‘yoked’, from zugoun ‘to yoke
diploid adjective: (of a cell or nucleus) containing two complete sets of chromosomes, one from each parent. Compare with haploid. • (of an organism or part) composed of diploid cells. noun: a diploid cell, organism, or species. DERIVATIVES diploidy noun ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from Greek diplous ‘double’ + -oid.
gamete noun Biology a mature haploid male or female germ cell which is able to unite with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote. DERIVATIVES gametic |gəˈmɛtɪk| adjective ORIGIN late 19th cent.: from modern Latin gameta, from Greek gametē ‘wife’, gametēs ‘husband’, from gamos ‘marriage’. (I hit the jackot there but I doubt I can use any of it.)
nugatory adjective: of no value or importance: a nugatory and pointless observation. • useless or futile: the teacher shortages will render nugatory the hopes of implementing the new curriculum. ORIGIN early 17th cent.: from Latin nugatorius, from nugari ‘to trifle’, from nugae ‘jests’.
And—are you ready for this? I came upon a whole phrase—in theTLS, where else?— that sounds wonderful…
amarinthine mandarinate
amaranth noun 1 a plant of a chiefly tropical family that includes love-lies-bleeding. ●Family Amaranthaceae: several genera, especially Amaranthus. 2 a purple colour. DERIVATIVES amaranthine adjective ORIGIN mid 16th cent.: from French amarante or modern Latin amaranthus, alteration (on the pattern of plant names ending in -anthus, from Greek anthos ‘flower’) of Latin amarantus, from Greek amarantos ‘not fading’.
mandarin noun 1 (Mandarin or Mandarin Chinese) [ mass noun ] the standard literary and official form of Chinese, spoken by over 730 million people. 2 an official in any of the nine top grades of the former imperial Chinese civil service .• [ as modifier ] (of clothing) characteristic of a former Chinese mandarin: a red-buttoned mandarin cap. • a porcelain ornament consisting of a nodding figure in traditional Chinese costume. 3 a powerful official or senior bureaucrat, especially one perceived as reactionary and secretive: a civil service mandarin. DERIVATIVES mandarinate noun ORIGIN late 16th cent. (denoting a Chinese official): from Portuguese mandarim, via Malay from Hindi mantrī ‘counsellor’. (I’d say it’s a purple porcelain ornament. What do you think?)
There!
Here i am, back to normal.