ETYMOLOGY
from Latin auricomus, from auri-, comb. form of aurum (gold) + coma (hair) + -ous
EXAMPLE
“…Mrs. Poignarde, who was walking beside Saltasche, raised her eyelashes, and timidly looked for a recognition. Mrs. Hepenstall, a very frisky matron, and her friend of the auricomous hair, looked blankest forgetfulness…”
From: Hogan, M.P.: A Novel
By May Laffan Hartley, 1881
ETYMOLOGY
? perhaps from bung (the buttocks, the backside [obs.]) + -us (abounding in, full of)
EXAMPLE
“…Sims, after a little unartistic squaring, lunged out awkwardly, and caught Tom on the chest with his left. Tom, who was evidently waiting to find out what his adversary could do, returned smartly on the gob, and in getting back, fell on his corybungus…”
From: Tom Sayers, Sometime Champion of England,
His Life and Pugilistic Career
By Thomas Sayers, 1866
‘Fight between Tom Sayers and George Sims, for £75, on Tuesday, the 28th of February, 1854, at Longreach’
ETYMOLOGY
from soiled (defiled) + dove (gentle, innocent, or loving woman)
EXAMPLE
“…In “A Daughter of Eve,” Mr. Hain Friswell, who is favourably known as a producer of light literature, introduces, by way of arousing a sensation, a young lady, whom he euphemistically styles “a soiled dove.” It is impossible to regard modern society without acknowledging the abundant existence of such persons…”
From: Dublin University Magazine
A Literary and Political Journal
January to June 1863
‘Modern Novel and Romance’
ETYMOLOGY
from the Hebrew proper name Nabal (a wealthy sheep owner who refused to pay tribute to King David for protecting his flocks),
from nabal (a disgraceful, impious, or villainous person)
from nabal (to be foolish, act foolishly)
EXAMPLE
“…As for those men that resemble the rigorous iudge, that neither feare God, nor good man, that neuer thinke of the saluation of their sinful seduced soules, that either be Athiestes or Libertines or Machiuelians or Spend-thriftes or couetous Nabals or great Gamsters or Luxurious and Riotous persons or seditious and traiterous papists, are no fitte men to bee such a husband as I propose …”
From: A sermon preached at Trafford in Lancashire
By William Massie, 1586
PRONUNCIATION
NAY-buhl
ETYMOLOGY
variant of taradiddle (a trifling falsehood, a petty lie)
EXAMPLE
“…Oh, don’t call them lies, sister; it’s such a strong, ugly word. Please call them tallydiddles, for I don’t believe she meant any harm. Besides – besides – if they should turn out to be truth? Really, sister, that’s the weight on my mind; so many things sounded as if they might be true…”
From: Wives & Daughters
By Elizabeth Gaskell, 1866
ETYMOLOGY
from white + nose
EXAMPLE
“…We now hoisted sail and stood off the land. The wind, together with the sea, was fast rising, many a ‘white nose‘ chequering the blueness of the more open water…”
From: A Naturalist’s Ramble to The Orcades
By A. W. Crichton, 1866
ETYMOLOGY
for n. 1. – a variant of pottinger
for n. 2, 3, 4 – from podge (anything short or thick) + ‑er
EXAMPLE
“…He cannot deal the knock-me-down blows of Old Brough, and if you watch your opportunity you may give him a podger. I am seldom in a cause of any consequence before him without getting into some squabble with him…”
From: Life of John, Lord Campbell, 1881,
Letter dated 9 March, 1816
ETYMOLOGY
from Greek ὀνόµατ– ὄνοµα (name) + -ous
PRONUNCIATION
uh-NOM-uh-tuhss
EXAMPLE
“…For our own parts, we will not be forward to remove the disguise, and, indeed, in very many cases we should as a rule prefer the anonymous to the onomatous mode of addressing the public…”
From: The Spectator
A Weekly Review of Politics, Literature, Theology, and Art
Volume the Forty-Second, 1869
ETYMOLOGY
from writing (vbl. n.) + -er
EXAMPLE
“…and that of the shape of the x from a form like theMS. & to the modern one, which occurs towards the end of the volume, may help some future and more learned writinger to settle the date more closely than I can…”
From: Bishop Percy’s Folio Manuscript
By F. J. Furnivall (Forewords)
J.W. Hales, 1867
ETYMOLOGY
possibly from maum (mellow, soft, esp. over-ripe) + –ish
EXAMPLE
“…but she fed more vpon fancie, than glutted hir selfe with any cates there presente: more vpon daintie deuices, than any parcell of repast: for this meate forsooth was mawmish, & this melancholie: this dish would driue hir to drincke, and this cause hir to drie…”
From: Narbonus The Laberynth of Libertie
By Austin Saker, 1580
Lexicophilia 