CREPUSCULAR

Crepuscular                 of twilight; or dim

First encountered:      when looking up information about small, wild cats - little-known but just as lovely as a snow-leopard. See http://www.catsurvivaltrust.org/

How it's used:         a cat is a crepuscular predator. - meaning that it hunts at twilight

How you might use it:   He is nice but crepuscular - meaning ' he is nice but dim.'

Why I like this word:    Because its a word that doesnt sound anything like what it means. It sounds like its talking about something or someone extremely scabby - or am I the only person who thinks that?  'He was a crepuscular human being' - sounds scabby doesn't it? A bit like Ecclefechan - which is actually a town in Scotland, or a small dried fruit tart named after a town in Scotland,  but doubles as a very effective curse.

Rippley - A crepuscular creature mistaking my laptop for a bed, possibly on account of the cushion that someone very kindly put there. She had had a very busy time catching a small green bird, a baby shrew, a possibly very rare lizard, and a vole. All but the vole survived to be caught another day.

Logorrhea

Logorrhea:                  excessive and often incoherent talkativeness or wordiness.

First encountered:     watching a crappy* film 'Life or something like it' out of the corner of my ear. Liked the word, looked it up.

How it's used:            In common parlance it can be used anwhere 'verbal diarrhea' might be used. For example:' Logorrhea is a useful personality trait for anyone wanting to go into politics.'
In Pscychology Logorrhea is a communication disorder sometimes classified as a mental illness, resulting in incoherent talkativeness.(thanks wikipedia)
However as one of the symptoms can be monotous, incoherent mumbling, it might be hard to tell the diference between a legitimate sufferer and someone under the influence of drugs, alcohol or whatnot.
How you can use it:    'You never stop going on. Have you got logorrhea or summit';

Origin:                       its all greek to me. Sounds like slang - verbal diarrhea and all that, also possibly could come from logos meaning 'word' and rhoia meaning 'flow'

* IMHO but Not just my opinion - http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/life_or_something_like_it/

Gnomic

Gnomic:      A pithy saying that expresses a general truth (Collins) OR something short, mysterious  and not easily understood that seems wise (Cambridge) OR something pertaining to Gnomes.

First encountered: In a lecture on Time and Tense 

How it's used:   In a literary context it is a function of the present tense in narrative where the 'gnomic present' presents generic truths that are commonly thought to be valid. (Shipman H. 2012)

How you might use it: When being chatted up by someone short, mysterious and not easily understood, you could say 'My, you are Gnomic'.

What might happen:  You might get punched on the nose on account of how ignorant, non-literary types might think you are accusing them of being a short, ugly little man who ought to be wearing a pointy hat, and standing  over a tiny, tiny stream holding a pretend fishing pole.

You could get one of those here: http://www.gnomeandgarden.com/fishing_gnome.jpg

Where it came from:    It sounds greek and the clever version is apparently.  As for the short hairy men - apparently french...

If you love gnomes you could go here: http://www.gnomereserve.co.uk/

And if you are over-run, try this: http://www.howtosurviveagardengnomeattack.com/?

uterley wet and a wede

uterley wet and a wede    completely useless much like fotherington-thomas and other bugs

First encountered             St. Custards

How to use:                     You are uterly wet and a wede


How to respond:              Hello trees, hello birds, hello sky I don't care


Have I gone Mad:            No of course not! Look on these works you mighty and despair... http://www.stcustards.free-online.co.uk/intro.htm

Why today:                     Ronald Searle dies aged 91.

Well - I probably need permission and if so, I'll remove it.  But it's an honest tribute....

Discombobulate

Discombobulate:           All in a bother, upset and confused, at sixes and sevens, be-fuddled and bemused.

First encountered:         A favourite of my good friend Laura Colborn, and used frequently when we shared the corner of an office at Bates Dorland, in Westbourne Terrace.

How it's used:           The change of plans discombobulated the Duchess, who had been planning a quiet night in with a bottle of Gin.
                                   Whilst usually the epitome of cool, Friedrich was discombobulated by Helga's heimal stare.


How you can use it:     However you like - it's a handy word to throw into conversation. 'I was feeling discombobulated ' is a good excuse for occasions when you have 1) arrived late for a meeting 2) failed to hand in your homework 3) burnt the toast.
OR
I know my shoes are on the wrong feet and my shirt is on backwards but I was discombobulated by finding my wife in the shower with the postman.

Origin:                           It appears that someone just made it up and it caught on.  Possibly American, and possibly corrupted from discompose, sometime in the 19th or early 20th Century.

Discombobulation in Theatre:  if you're in Eastbourne next March you could go to see Angus Barr and Merce Ribot in their play, called Discombobulated http://www.ents24.com/web/event/Discombobulated-Under-Ground-Theatre-Eastbourne-2749077.html

Condign

Condign:                      Deserved or suitable.

First encountered:        Suggested by John Waldron. A fellow writer and foraging blogger: http://jpwaldron.wordpress.com/

How it's used:              Often used in the context of crime and punishment. Hanging is a condign punishment for people who drop litter - especially MacDonalds boxes thrown out of car windows.

How you might use it:   After slogging away at work for 14 hours a couple of glasses of pink is a condign way to un-wind.

Another use entirely:       Check this out.  There ARE litttle green men. Well, there might be. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Condign  and if you need further proof - actual condign evidence made into a video. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=docuUP7x3V8

Who started it:                Possibly the french, who believed heartily in condign punishment (especially around about 1789) and of course, the Romans.

And an extra:                Shoes condign for every occasion and every person from shopper to dog lover: http://jo-jo.ru/pictures/creative/18965-neobychnaya-obuv.html (also contains some slightly bizarre stuff - unlike the shoes, it may not be condign for everyone).

Meretricious

Meretricious:       means 'gaudy' or 'plausible, but specious', 'deceptively pleasing' or (literally) 'like a prostitute'.

First encountered:   suggested by my friend, Kathy Jones, who also loves words - and likes this one particularly because it's a little bit tricksy.

How it's used:       That is a meretricious argument - meaning it sounds good but it's b******s
                          or she dressed meretriciously - meaning she looks like a hooker.

Why is it tricksy?:   Sounds like it might be a good thing, on account of how it sounds like 'meritorious'.

And here's a strange thing:   both have the same root.  From Latin, Merere which means to earn money, or to deserve.


Gaudy or Gaudi:      http://www.sagradafamilia.cat/