Animadversion--Dad

Animadversion means Strong Criticism

Dad loves animadversion, especially from UNC fans about the Duke basketball team.

Thanks to http://www.factacular.com/subjects/Interesting_Words for the word.

spoonerism--Mom

spoon·er·ism  (spn-rzm)

n.

A transposition of sounds of two or more words, especially a ludicrous one, such as Let me sew you to your sheet for Let me show you to your seat.

When Mom's flabbergasted, she sometimes creates spoonerisms. My favorie spoonerism was when she called a couple named Muff and Judge, "Juff and Mudge."

doxology--Todd

dox·ol·o·gy/däkˈsäləjē/

Noun:

A liturgical formula of praise to God

This Christmas, Todd read the scripture at the Christmas Eve service, and next Christmas, Todd will lead the congregation in singing the doxology.

Absquatulate--Sister Jenn

* ab·squat·u·late  (b-skwch-lt)

intr.v. ab·squat·u·lat·ed, ab·squat·u·lat·ing, ab·squat·u·lates Midwestern & Western U.S.

1.

a. To depart in a hurry; abscond: "Your horse has absquatulated!" (Robert M. Bird).

b. To die.

2. To argue.

---

[Mock-Latinate formation, purporting to mean "to go off and squat elsewhere".]

Regional Note: In the 19th century, the vibrant energy of American English appeared in the use of Latin affixes to create jocular pseudo-Latin "learned" words. There is a precedent for this in the language of Shakespeare, whose plays contain scores of made-up Latinate words. Midwestern and Western U.S. absquatulate has a prefix ab-, "away from," and a suffix -ate, "to act upon in a specified manner," affixed to a nonexistent base form -squatul-, probably suggested by squat. Hence the whimsical absquatulate, "to squat away from." Another such coinage is Northern busticate, which joins bust with -icate by analogy with verbs like medicate. Southern argufy joins argue to a redundant -fy, "to make; cause to become." Today, these creations have an old-fashioned and rustic flavor curiously at odds with their elegance. They are kept alive in regions of the United States where change is slow. For example, Appalachian speech is characterized by the frequent use of words such as recollect, aggravate, and oblige.

(I loved the note from the free online dictionary, so I pasted it here.)

Sister Jen absquatulated when Rosie brought her a present: a giant dead...what is that?
* Thanks to http://www.factacular.com/subjects/Interesting_Words for the word.

Agerasia--Brother Matt, Ann

Agerasia means A Lack of the Signs of Age

In his wedding toast, Brother Matt complimented Ann's impressive agresia, noting her youthful skin.

Thanks to http://www.factacular.com/subjects/Interesting_Words for the excellent word

Behoove--Kristin

be·hoove (b-hv)

v. be·hooved, be·hoov·ing, be·hooves

v.tr.

To be necessary or proper for: It behooves you at least to try.

v.intr.

To be necessary or proper

Kristin said to her Yankee children, "It behooves you at least to try the okra, a Southern staple for your dad and me; they didn't like it."

Canescent--Dad's birthday word

Canescent

means

 

Becoming White; Hoary On his birthday, Dad's celebrating being canescent.