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Word Tasting Notes
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James Harbeck
Mar 26
WTN: Sounding Like the “Right Sort”
Sounding Like the “Right Sort” I was in Columbus for the annual ACES conference for the last few days
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WTN: Sounding Like the “Right Sort”
Sounding Like the “Right Sort” I was in Columbus for the annual ACES conference for the last few days
Mar 26
James Harbeck
Mar 22
WTN: excipient
excipient There are quite a lot of words that we use on a regular basis to smooth the flow of reading
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WTN: excipient
excipient There are quite a lot of words that we use on a regular basis to smooth the flow of reading
Mar 22
James Harbeck
Mar 20
WTN: cathedral
cathedral  If polyhedral means 'many-sided', and dodecahedral means 'twelve-sided',
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WTN: cathedral
cathedral  If polyhedral means 'many-sided', and dodecahedral means 'twelve-sided',
Mar 20
James Harbeck
Mar 16
WTN: Pronunciation tip: Irish counties
Pronunciation tip: Irish counties It's St. Patrick's again, and why would I pass up a chance
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WTN: Pronunciation tip: Irish counties
Pronunciation tip: Irish counties It's St. Patrick's again, and why would I pass up a chance
Mar 16
James Harbeck
Mar 13
WTN: bodacious
bodacious “Bodacious!” OK, who said it? Who do you associate bodacious with? Let me guess. Snuffy
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WTN: bodacious
bodacious “Bodacious!” OK, who said it? Who do you associate bodacious with? Let me guess. Snuffy
Mar 13
James Harbeck
Mar 10
WTN: nival
nival Who can rival the nival scenery of the True North Strong and Free? There's no place like a
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WTN: nival
nival Who can rival the nival scenery of the True North Strong and Free? There's no place like a
Mar 10
James Harbeck
Mar 7
WTN: ensconced, sconce
ensconced, sconce  At the evening's length, as I love to do, I abscond with my laptop into my
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WTN: ensconced, sconce
ensconced, sconce  At the evening's length, as I love to do, I abscond with my laptop into my
Mar 7
James Harbeck
Mar 5
WTN: scuzzy
scuzzy  Would you rather go to a sketchy place or a scuzzy place? What would you say is the
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WTN: scuzzy
scuzzy  Would you rather go to a sketchy place or a scuzzy place? What would you say is the
Mar 5
James Harbeck
Feb 28
WTN: stodgy
stodgy It's stodgy weather, chums, when all is muck and slush and sludge, like guts full stuffed
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WTN: stodgy
stodgy It's stodgy weather, chums, when all is muck and slush and sludge, like guts full stuffed
Feb 28
James Harbeck
Feb 26
WTN: penchant
penchant I remember when I first encounteried this word, I had a sense of what it meant, generally –
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WTN: penchant
penchant I remember when I first encounteried this word, I had a sense of what it meant, generally –
Feb 26
James Harbeck
Feb 24
WTN: ignotus
ignotus America has a set of matching acronyms for some of its most important people: POTUS, the
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WTN: ignotus
ignotus America has a set of matching acronyms for some of its most important people: POTUS, the
Feb 24
James Harbeck
2
Feb 22
WTN: Avening
I have updated the article on my blog – with the pronunciation for both Avenings, as heard on videos
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WTN: Avening
I have updated the article on my blog – with the pronunciation for both Avenings, as heard on videos
Feb 22
James Harbeck
Feb 18
WTN: obambulation
obambulation I did something this morning that I seldom enjoy – and didn't enjoy today either: I
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WTN: obambulation
obambulation I did something this morning that I seldom enjoy – and didn't enjoy today either: I
Feb 18
James Harbeck
Feb 15
WTN: vetation
vetation In a language as verbally efflorescent as English, the inevitable excrescent lexical
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WTN: vetation
vetation In a language as verbally efflorescent as English, the inevitable excrescent lexical
Feb 15
James Harbeck
Feb 13
WTN: Pronunciation tip: 10 useful German words
Pronunciation tip: 10 useful German words My latest pronunciation tip is about 10 German words that I
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WTN: Pronunciation tip: 10 useful German words
Pronunciation tip: 10 useful German words My latest pronunciation tip is about 10 German words that I
Feb 13
James Harbeck
Feb 8
WTN: chortle
chortle Heh. This is a word that sounds like it sounds like it means, or anyway sounds like it means
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WTN: chortle
chortle Heh. This is a word that sounds like it sounds like it means, or anyway sounds like it means
Feb 8
James Harbeck
Feb 5
WTN: biopic
biopic English pronunciation is a balancing act, a tightrope between sound and spelling where even a
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WTN: biopic
biopic English pronunciation is a balancing act, a tightrope between sound and spelling where even a
Feb 5
James Harbeck
Feb 2
WTN: Unknown knowns
Unknown knowns It's opening the door to meet a stranger and realizing you know the person already
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WTN: Unknown knowns
Unknown knowns It's opening the door to meet a stranger and realizing you know the person already
Feb 2
James Harbeck
Jan 31
WTN: cistern
cistern Let us first flush out any misconceptions about what this word comes from or what it might
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WTN: cistern
cistern Let us first flush out any misconceptions about what this word comes from or what it might
Jan 31
James Harbeck
Jan 30
WTN: viz.
viz. One of the comic strips I liked in my childhood was a quirky one set in the “old west” and
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WTN: viz.
viz. One of the comic strips I liked in my childhood was a quirky one set in the “old west” and
Jan 30
James Harbeck
Jan 26
WTN: pregale, regale
pregale, regale “It's seven courses,” Arlene said, leaning forward, her eyes widening. “Not
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WTN: pregale, regale
pregale, regale “It's seven courses,” Arlene said, leaning forward, her eyes widening. “Not
Jan 26
James Harbeck
Jan 25
WTN: cold feet, hotfoot
cold feet, hotfoot This is the time of year you can get to be like a cat when it comes to heading
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WTN: cold feet, hotfoot
cold feet, hotfoot This is the time of year you can get to be like a cat when it comes to heading
Jan 25
James Harbeck
Jan 23
WTN: flounce
flounce He pounced on a piece of text and fairly bounced with outrage. “Words don't get meaning
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WTN: flounce
flounce He pounced on a piece of text and fairly bounced with outrage. “Words don't get meaning
Jan 23
James Harbeck
Jan 20
WTN: sashay
sashay It turns out my sense of traipse is a little out of step with some other people's. A few
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WTN: sashay
sashay It turns out my sense of traipse is a little out of step with some other people's. A few
Jan 20
James Harbeck
Jan 18
WTN: Pronunciation tip: Uranus
Pronunciation tip: Uranus OK, we all know that there are two ways people pronounce Uranus. We may
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WTN: Pronunciation tip: Uranus
Pronunciation tip: Uranus OK, we all know that there are two ways people pronounce Uranus. We may
Jan 18
James Harbeck
Jan 17
WTN: traipse
traipse In her song “Language Is a Virus,” Laurie Anderson says “paradise is exactly like where you
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WTN: traipse
traipse In her song “Language Is a Virus,” Laurie Anderson says “paradise is exactly like where you
Jan 17
James Harbeck
Jan 12
WTN: From the bookshelf: Twice Have the Trumpets Sounded
From the bookshelf: Twice Have the Trumpets Sounded My mother-in-law, Arisa, when she left us, left
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WTN: From the bookshelf: Twice Have the Trumpets Sounded
From the bookshelf: Twice Have the Trumpets Sounded My mother-in-law, Arisa, when she left us, left
Jan 12
James Harbeck
Jan 9
WTN: desultory
desultory I have to admit, my word tastings have been somewhat desultory lately. In truth, they'
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WTN: desultory
desultory I have to admit, my word tastings have been somewhat desultory lately. In truth, they'
Jan 9
James Harbeck
Jan 6
WTN: Pronunciation tip: decisive, divisive, err
Pronunciation tip: decisive, divisive, err My latest pronunciation tip is about three words that my
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WTN: Pronunciation tip: decisive, divisive, err
Pronunciation tip: decisive, divisive, err My latest pronunciation tip is about three words that my
Jan 6
James Harbeck
Jan 4
WTN: slothe
slothe I spent a week at my parents' house over Christmas doing as little as possible. I went to
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WTN: slothe
slothe I spent a week at my parents' house over Christmas doing as little as possible. I went to
Jan 4