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:
- : defenestration
- : fridging
- : groyper
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.
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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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spoonerism
A spoonerism is a slip-up in speech in which the person talking transposes the first part of two words. For example, saying "shake a tower" instead of "take a shower." The word is named after Reverend William Archibald Spooner (1844–1930) who, apparently, this happened to often.
I came across this while listening to an episode of The Allusionist which discussed an old puzzle novel called "Cain's Jawbone." Among the many word-based challenges in this puzzle novel are spoonerisms which the player must identify in order to put the pages in the right order.
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References:
- Definition: spoonerism Reference ID definition-spoonerism
- Podcast: The Allusionist - Episode 195: Word Play 5: 100 Pages of Solvitude Reference ID podcast-the-allusionist
- Wikipedia: Spoonerism Reference ID wikipedia-spoonerism
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thagomizer
A thagomizer is a bit of paleontology jargon referring to the spikes on a stegosaurian dinosaur.
When I was young, the Stegosaurus was my favorite type of dinosaur. I had no idea what the spikes were called until very recently though. I especially didn't know that the word was coined by none other than Gary Larson of Far Side fame.
In 1982, Gary Larson wrote a comic in which a caveman, perhaps in a teaching role, explains to an audience that these spikes were named "after the late Thag Simmons."
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References:
- Wikipedia: Thagomizer Reference ID wikipedia-thagomizer
- Thagomizer: Why Stegosaurus’ Spiky Tail Was Named After A Cartoon Reference ID thagomizer-why-stegosaurus-spiky-tail-was-named-af
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