Lexical Compendium
Wait... what is this? Sometimes I come across a word, phrase, idiom, quote, reference, bit of slang, person of interest, etc that either I don't know or I find amusing, interesting, etc. This is a collection of those items so that I can refer back to them in emails, texts, etc.
Recent Entries:
- : capricious
- : gormless
- : bruxism
jawbone
"Jawboning" is a political technique in which statements are made by persons of authority in order how to influence public perception or behavior without making formal policy changes.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Definition: jawbone Reference ID definition-jawbone
- U.S. jobs report: These numbers have economists jawboning - news article using the word "jawboning" Reference ID us-jobs-report-these-numbers-have-economists-jawbo
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kayfabe
Kayfabe is the convention of presenting staged performances as genuine or authentic. The word is used primarily in the world of wrestling, but it is also used more generally to just mean a fake presentation. I heard the word being used in the context of politics to describe President Trump and lying.
The exact etymology of the word is uncertain, but there are theories that it is slang (perhaps somewhat Pig Latin-ized) for "be fake." [2]
(link to this entry)
References:
- Wikipedia: Kayfabe Reference ID wikipedia-kayfabe
- Merriam Webster word origin: Kayfabe Reference ID merriam-webster-origin-kayfabe
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leitmotif
A leitmotif is a recurring theme, idea, or motif that runs through a work, often associated with a particular character, concept, or situation. The term originates from German Leitmotiv, meaning "leading motif" and was used to describe Wagner's characteristic association of a melody to a character.
I was introduced to this term while watching Music by John Williams. In the documentary, George Lucas describes how he wanted John to create a theme for each of the characters in Star Wars.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Definition: leitmotif Reference ID definition-leitmotif
- Music by John Williams - Documentary on Disney+ Reference ID music-by-john-williams
- Wikipedia: Leitmotif Reference ID wikipedia-leitmotif
- IMDB: Music by John Williams Reference ID imdb-music-by-john-williams
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litotes
Do you have the habit of expressing a positive statement by negating its opposite (or vice-versa)? For example, saying something is "Not bad" when you mean that it's good?
This is called a litotes (pronounced LIE-tuh-teez). The word comes from the Greek lítotēs, meaning simplicity. Litotes can be used to soften something, i.e. saying "I'm not bad at this" seems less boastful than saying "I'm pretty good at this." It can also be used for humorous effect, for example saying "I don't hate it!" instead of saying that you like something.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Wikipedia: Litotes Reference ID wikipedia-litotes
- Definition: litotes Reference ID definition-litotes
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metonymy
A metonymy is a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is substituted with another closely associated with it. For example, in the sentence "Hey, who are all the suits?" the word suit is a metonymy for "business people."
The word comes from the Greek metōnymía, meaning "a change of name."
I heard the word in an episode of PBS' Otherwords.
(link to this entry)
References:
- YouTube: Otherwords - The Ancient Origins of Body Words Reference ID youtube-otherwords
- Wikipedia: Metonymy Reference ID wikipedia-metonymy
- grammarly.com blog entry - Metonymy: How to Use This Literary Device Reference ID grammarlycom-blog-entry
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milquetoast
The word milquetoast is used to describe a meek or timid person.
It originated from the comic strip character Caspar Milquetoast, created by Harold T. Webster in 1924. The character was known for his timidity and refusal to participate in controversial discussions. Some time after the character's debut, the term "milquetoast" began to be used to describe people with similar characteristics.
Caspar's last name is derived from "milk toast," a breakfast food that was thought to be easy to digest and was a popular food for convalescents in New England (USA) in the 19th and early 20th century.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Definition: Milquetoast Reference ID definition-milquetoast
- Wikipedia: Caspar Milquetoast Reference ID wikipedia-caspar-milquetoast
- Wikipedia: Milk Toast Reference ID wikipedia-milk-toast
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neologism
A neologism is a newly coined word or expression.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Definition: neologism Reference ID definition-neologism
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orthosomnia
Orthosomnia is an obsession with getting "perfect" sleep. The word was coined in a 2017 article in the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine titled Orthosomnia: Are Some Patients Taking the Quantified Self Too Far?
We termed this condition “orthosomnia,” with “ortho” meaning straight or correct, and “somnia” meaning sleep, because patients are preoccupied or concerned with improving or perfecting their wearable sleep data. We chose this term because the perfectionist quest to achieve perfect sleep is similar to the unhealthy preoccupation with healthy eating, termed orthorexia.
I first encountered this term while listening to an episode of The Guardian's Science Weekly podcast called Is sleep perfectionism making us more exhausted?
Updates:
In a May 2026 article in The Economist, they state that "Nearly half of all Americans and around 40% of Britons now use a smartwatch, smart ring, phone app or another similar device to track their sleep." [1]
(link to this entry)
References:
- The Economist: Should you use a sleep tracker? Reference ID economist-sleep-tracker
- Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine; Volume 13, Issue 02 Reference ID journal-of-clinical-sleep-medicine-volume-13-issue
- Science Weekly: Is sleep perfectionism making us more exhausted? Reference ID science-weekly-is-sleep-perfectionism-making-us-mo
- Wikipedia: Orthosomnia Reference ID wikipedia-orthosomnia
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phononics
Phononics is the study of the behavior and control of mechanical vibrations and acoustic waves in materials.
The word is derived from phonon (a quantum of vibrational energy in a crystal lattice, analogous to a photon in light). It seems to be a relatively new neologism, as it doesn't have an entry in conventional dictionaries.
I first came upon this word in a Science magazine article titled Does the mantis shrimp pack a phononic shield?. The study provides experimental proof that the mantis shrimp’s club acts like a biological shock absorber, using phononic filtering to prevent damage.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Does the mantis shrimp pack a phononic shield? - Science, 387, 659–666, 2025. Reference ID does-the-mantis-shrimp-pack-a-phononic-shield
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rhodopsin
I learned, from sort of an unlikely source -- the National Park Service, the reason why "night vision" is reset after exposure to light. That our pupils dilate is probably obvious, but what I didn't know was that the body produces a protein called rhodopsin which, through a series of chemical reactions, gives our rods the ability to "see" in dim light. The protein decays in bright light (though much slower in longer wavelengths, i.e. red light). When depleted, it takes ~30m to regenerate.
(link to this entry)
References:
- Dark Adaptation of the Human Eye and the Value of Red Flashlights - National Park Service blog article Reference ID dark-adaptation-of-the-human-eye-and-the-value-of
- Wikipedia: Rhodopsin Reference ID wikipedia-rhodopsin
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