when big words get in the way

1. Brouhaha
i. Brouhaha
ii. Noun
iii. Define: A noisy and overexcited reaction
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN French
2. Minutiae
i. Minutiae
ii. Plural noun
iii. Define: Small or precise details
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN Latin, from minutia ‘smallness’
3. Rhetoric
i. Rhetoric
ii. Noun
iii. Define: The art of effective or persuasive speaking or writing; language with a persuasive or impressive effect, but often lacking sincerity or meaningful content
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN from Greek rhetorike tekhne ‘art of rhetoric’
4. Plethora
i. Plethora
ii. Noun
iii. Define: An excessive amount of
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN Latin, from Greek plethein ‘be full’
5. Sycophant
i. Sycophant
ii. Noun
iii. Define: A person who flatters someone important in a servile way
iv. Derivatives: Sycophancy, noun; sycophantic, adjective
v. ORIGIN originally denoting an informer: from Greek sukopjantes, from sukon ‘fig’ + phainein ‘to show’, perhaps with reference to making the insulting gesture of the ‘fig’ (sticking the thumb between two fingers) to informers
6. Lickerish
i. Lickerish
ii. Adjective
iii. Define: Lecherous
iv. Derivatives: Lickerishly, adverb
v. ORIGIN old French lecheros ‘lecherous’
7. Blarney
i. Blarney
ii. Noun
iii. Define: Talk intended to be charming or flattering
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN named after Blarney Castle in Ireland, where there is a stone said to give persuasive speech to anyone who kisses it
8. Flibbertigibbet
i. Flibbertigibbet
ii. Noun
iii. Define: A frivolous and restless person
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN probably imitative of idle chatter
9. Peccadillo
i. Peccadillo
ii. Noun
iii. Define: A minor sin or fault
iv. No derivatives
v. ORIGIN Spanish, from Latin peccare ‘to sin’
10. Incorrigible
i. Incorrigible
ii. Adjective
iii. Define: Not able to be corrected or reformed
iv. Derivatives: Incorrigibility, noun; incorrigibly, adverb
v. ORIGIN Latin incorrigibilis, from in- ‘not’ + corrigibilis ‘correctable
11. Abnegate
i. Abnegate
ii. Verb
iii. Define: Renounce or reject (something desired or valuable)
iv. Derivatives: Abnegation, noun
v. ORIGIN Latin, from negare ‘dent’
12. Invidious
i. Invidious
ii. Adjective
iii. Define: Unacceptable, unfair, and likely to arouse resentment or anger in others
iv. Derivatives: Invidiously, adverb; invidiousness, noun
v. ORIGIN Latin invidiosus, from invidia ‘hostility’
13. Precocious
i. Precocious
ii. Adjective
iii. Having developed certain abilities or inclinations at an earlier age than usual
iv. Precociously, adverb; precociousness, noun; precocity, noun
v. ORIGIN from Latin praecox, from praecoquere ‘ripen fully’
14. coup d'état
i. coup d'état
ii. noun
iii. define: a sudden violent seizure of power from a government
iv. no derivatives
v. ORIGIN French “blow of state”
15. Obstinate
i. Obstinate
ii. Adjective
iii. Define: stubbornly refusing to change one’s opinion or chosen course of action
iv. Derivatives: obstinacy, noun; obstinately, adverb
v. ORIGIN Latin obstinatus, from obstinare ‘persist’


“Call me Rayna,” insisted the precocious 8 year old, upon being called by her given name. She hated that name. It seemed to her like such a waste that she, an avid logophile, would have such a plain name. Even the meaning of the name Mary, bitter, was something she wanted to disassociate herself from. Rayna was the name of her favorite character in the fantasy series she had been reading most recently. Upon learning that it meant ‘queen’ she had adopted it as her new name. Unfortunately not everyone was willing to go along with her frequent name changes and this had caused her to butt heads with a teacher that was as obstinate as she was. The teacher not only insisted on calling her Mary but had gotten her in trouble with her parents by tell them that she was incorrigible and suggesting they send her to boarding school to cure her of her many peccadillos. She had read stories about the horrors of boarding school and knew that her only hope was to stage a coup d'état to remove the teacher. She quickly began to assess which students had, had the most troubles with their instructor so that she could begin building her army. By the end of recess she had acquired the help of Brian, a meek little boy; Christina, who was a bit of a flibbertigibbet; and Kyle, who had the gift of blarney. As Brian and Mary worked out all the minutiae of the scheme, Kyle was sent to draw in reinforcements with his rhetoric and Christina to distract the sycophantic, teacher’s pet, Geraldine. That night Mary abnegated her usual time spent reading in order to pick through the plethora of plans. By the morning the coup was in action. At recess the recruits caused a brouhaha on the playground to draw the lickerish teacher out of her classroom. Unfortunately the teacher was not in the mood to deal with their antics and before the plan could progress any farther the ring leaders’ parents were called. The invidious teacher got her way in the end and not only was Mary sent to boarding school but so where her unfortunate cohorts.