ineffable -- Gretchen

in·ef·fa·ble (n-f-bl) adj. 1. Incapable of being expressed; indescribable or unutterable. See Synonyms at unspeakable. 2. Not to be uttered; taboo: the ineffable name of God. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin ineffbilis : in-, not; see in-1 + effbilis, utterable (from effr, to utter : ex-, ex- + fr, to speak; see bh-2 in Indo-European roots).] in·effa·bili·ty, in·effa·ble·ness n. in·effa·bly 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

 

Gretchen dances with an ineffable joy.

Allopathy -- Dad

Allopathy

Conventional medical treatment of disease symptoms that uses substances or techniques to oppose or suppress the symptoms.

Mentioned in: Homeopathic Medicine, Acute Prescribing, Homeopathic Medicine, Constitutional Prescribing

Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine. Copyright 2008 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

 

Because Dad was an allopathic pediatrician, I didn't start seeing a naturopath until I had moved away from home.

profligate -- Mom

prof·li·gate (prfl-gt, -gt)

adj.

1. Given over to dissipation; dissolute.

2. Recklessly wasteful; wildly extravagant.

n.

A profligate person; a wastrel.

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[Latin prflgtus, past participle of prflgre, to ruin, cast down : pr-, forward; see pro-¹ + -flgre, intensive of flgere, to strike down.]

---

profli·ga·cy (-g-s) n.

profli·gate·ly adv.

 

Mom is not cheap, but she's not profligate either; like me, she's frugal.

Abstruse -- Ann

ab·struse  (b-strs, b-) adj. Difficult to understand; recondite. See Synonyms at ambiguous. [Latin abstrsus, past participle of abstrdere, to hide : abs-, ab-, away; see ab-1 + trdere, to push; see treud- in Indo-European roots.] ab·strusely adv. ab·struseness n.

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.

Though Ann's students may at first imagine that Calculus's logic is abstruse, Ann reveals its beauty.

nemesis -- Todd

nemesis
nem·e·sis (nm-ss)

n. pl. nem·e·ses (-sz)

1. A source of harm or ruin: Uncritical trust is my nemesis.

2. Retributive justice in its execution or outcome: To follow the proposed course of action is to invite nemesis.

3. An opponent that cannot be beaten or overcome.

4. One that inflicts retribution or vengeance.

5. Nemesis Greek Mythology The goddess of retributive justice or vengeance.

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[Greek, retribution, the goddess Nemesis, from nemein, to allot; see nem- in Indo-European roots.]

 

In tennis, some players' nemesis is  on the other side of the net, but Todd's nemesis is his hip.

semaphore -- Sister Jen

sem·a·phore (sm-fôr, -fr)

n.

1. A visual signaling apparatus with flags, lights, or mechanically moving arms, as one used on a railroad.

2. A visual system for sending information by means of two flags that are held one in each hand, using an alphabetic code based on the position of the signaler's arms.

tr. & intr.v. sem·a·phored, sem·a·phor·ing, sem·a·phores

To send (a message) or to signal by semaphore.

 

Sister Jen needs a semaphore to call her children to dinner.

avuncular -- Little Brother Matt

avuncular [əˈvʌŋkjʊlə]

adj

1. of or concerned with an uncle

2. resembling an uncle; friendly; helpful

[from Latin avunculus (maternal) uncle, diminutive of avus grandfather]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003

 

Little Brother Matt treats his nieces and nephews with avuncular fun.