paltry --Willie

pal·try  (pôltr) adj. pal·tri·er, pal·tri·est 1. Lacking in importance or worth. See Synonyms at trivial. 2. Wretched or contemptible. [Probably from obsolete and dialectal paltry, trash, perhaps from Low German paltrig, ragged, from palte, rag.] paltri·ly adv. paltri·ness n.

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

Willie is sweet and fun, but no sucker: he won't do your dirty work for a paltry sum. 

ontology Hayden

on·tol·o·gy  (n-tl-j) n. The branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. on·tolo·gist n.

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

Hayden, like his Auntie Mary, may find that he's more interested in ontology than in the stock market. 

collude -- Gretchen, Lucie, and Auntie Mary

col·lude  (k-ld) intr.v. col·lud·ed, col·lud·ing, col·ludes To act together secretly to achieve a fraudulent, illegal, or deceitful purpose; conspire. [Latin colldere : com-, com- + ldere, to play; see leid- in Indo-European roots.] col·luder n.

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

Gretchen and Lucie seem sweet and innocent, but I'm guessing they collude to get what they want: a later bedtime, or a sweet treat, or talking with their Auntie Mary, for example.

redaction -- Dad and Auntie Mary

re·dac·tion  (r-dkshn) n. 1. The act or process of editing or revising a piece of writing; preparation for publication. 2. An edited work; a new edition or revision.

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

When Dad was running for president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Auntie Mary was honored to help him with the redaction of his articles. 

paradox -- Mom

par·a·dox  (pr-dks)

n.

1. A seemingly contradictory statement that may nonetheless be true: the paradox that standing is more tiring than walking.

2. One exhibiting inexplicable or contradictory aspects: "The silence of midnight, to speak truly, though apparently a paradox, rung in my ears" (Mary Shelley).

3. An assertion that is essentially self-contradictory, though based on a valid deduction from acceptable premises.

4. A statement contrary to received opinion.

---

[Latin paradoxum, from Greek paradoxon, from neuter sing. of paradoxos, conflicting with expectation : para-,beyond; see para-¹ + doxa, opinion (from dokein, to think; see dek- in Indo-European roots).]

Today's paradox: Mom's retired and she's working overtime.

INHOINISIE -- Auntie Mary and Ann

(In hoyne a see)

new word created by my friend Brandon Casey-Adams and his friend 

It is an acronym meaning "I've Never Heard Of It and Now I See It Everywhere."

Ann and I had never heard of Michelle Alexander and her book The New Jim Crow (which is an excellent exploration of the ways that the current penal system functions as a de facto Jim Crow, mirroring the South's Jim Crow system after Reconstruction), but now that we've read it, Michelle Alexander and her book are INHOINISIE.

contrarian -- Todd

con·trar·i·an  (kn-trâr-n) n. One who takes a contrary view or action, especially an investor who makes decisions that contradict prevailing wisdom, as in buying securities that are unpopular at the time. contrarian adj.

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

I'm not sure if Todd is a contrarian, but I know he's done well in the stock market. 

adjudicate -- Sister Jen

ad·ju·di·cate  (-jd-kt) v. ad·ju·di·cat·ed, ad·ju·di·cat·ing, ad·ju·di·cates v.tr. 1. To hear and settle (a case) by judicial procedure. 2. To study and settle (a dispute or conflict): The principal adjudicated our quarrel. v.intr. To act as a judge. [Latin adidicre, adidict-, to award to (judicially) : ad-, ad- + idicre, to judge (from idex, judge; seejudge).] ad·judi·cation n. ad·judi·cative adj. ad·judi·cator n.

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

It's true that Sister Jen has a law degree, but even without the degree she's always been quick-witted and able to adjudicate disputes. 

demarcate-- Little Brother Matt

de·mar·cate  (d-märkt, dmär-kt) tr.v. de·mar·cat·ed, de·mar·cat·ing, de·mar·cates 1. To set the boundaries of; delimit. 2. To separate clearly as if by boundaries; distinguish: demarcate categories. [Back-formation from demarcation.] de·marcator n.

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

As a basketball coach, Little Brother Matt has to demarcate each player's responsibilities.