dexterity--Lucie and Auntie Mary

dex·ter·i·ty (dk-str-t)

n.

1. Skill and grace in physical movement, especially in the use of the hands; adroitness.

2. Mental skill or adroitness; cleverness

 

Lucie's physical dexterity makes her an excellent athlete and her mental dexterity makes her a good reader, too. (Like her Auntie Mary, she's multi-talented.)

languish--Gretchen

lan·guish  (lnggwsh)

intr.v. lan·guished, lan·guish·ing, lan·guish·es

1. To be or become weak or feeble; lose strength or vigor.

2. To exist or continue in miserable or disheartening conditions: languished away in prison.

3. To remain unattended or be neglected: legislation that continued to languish in committee.

4. To become downcast or pine away in longing: languish apart from friends and family; languish for a change from dull routine.

5. To affect a wistful or languid air, especially in order to gain sympathy.

Gretchen dances--she does not languish-- in NC's summer heat.

symbiotic--Dad and Jack

sym·bi·o·sis (smb-ss, -b-) n. pl. sym·bi·o·ses (-sz) 1. Biology A close, prolonged association between two or more different organisms of different species that may, but does not necessarily, benefit each member. 2. A relationship of mutual benefit or dependence. [Greek sumbisis, companionship, from sumbioun, to live together, from sumbios, living together : sun-, syn- + bios, life; see gwei- in Indo-European roots.] symbi·otic (-tk), symbi·oti·cal (--kl) adj. symbi·oti·cal·ly adv.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition copyright ©2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved

Dad and Jack have a symbiotic relationship as they travel in London: Dad knows all the history and Jack can navigate the tube.

transpose--Mom

trans·pose (trns-pz)

v. trans·posed, trans·pos·ing, trans·pos·es

v.tr.

1. To reverse or transfer the order or place of; interchange.

2. To put into a different place or order: transpose the words of a sentence. See Synonyms at reverse.

3. Mathematics To move (a term) from one side of an algebraic equation to the other side, reversing its sign to maintain equality.

4. Music To write or perform (a composition) in a key other than the original or given key.

5. To render into another language.

6. To alter in form or nature; transform.

v.intr.

1. Music To write or perform music in a different key.

2. To admit of being transposed.

n. Mathematics (trnspz)

A matrix formed by interchanging the rows and columns of a given matrix.

Mom transposes from time to time: Muff and Judge might be Juff and Mudge and Mahan and Janice might be Jahan and Manice, for example.

soporific--Ann

sop·o·rif·ic  (sp-rfk, sp-)

adj.

1. Inducing or tending to induce sleep.

2. Drowsy.

n.

A drug or other substance that induces sleep; a hypnotic

Sermons are, for Ann, the most dependable soporific.

malingerer--Todd

ma·lin·ger (m-lnggr)

intr.v. ma·lin·gered, ma·lin·ger·ing, ma·lin·gers

To feign illness or other incapacity in order to avoid duty or work.

---

[From French malingre, sickly.]

---

ma·linger·er n.

 

When Todd couldn't wash the dishes because he was in pain, he was no malingerer: he had hip surgery this year, so now he can always wash the dishes.

chimera--Sister Jen

chi·me·ra also chi·mae·ra (k-mîr, k-)

n.

1.

a. An organism, organ, or part consisting of two or more tissues of different genetic composition, produced as a result of organ transplant, grafting, or genetic engineering.

b. A substance, such as an antibody, created from the proteins or genes of two different species.

2. An individual who has received a transplant of genetically and immunologically different tissue.

3. A fanciful mental illusion or fabrication

When I told my neurosurgeon that Sister Jen likes famous people, he asked me to give her this message: "Fame is a chimera, just like everything else." (I believe he was using the third definition.)