boondoggle [boon-dog-uhl, -daw-guhl]

noun1 a wasteful and worthless project undertaken for political, corporate, or personal gain, typically a government project funded by taxpayers ( Read more... )

ripsnorter [rip-snawr-ter]

noun:
(informal, slang)
1 something or someone exceedingly strong or violent
2 something or someone remarkably good or exciting

Examples:

'Memphis,' his instrumental version of Chuck Berry's 'Memphis, Tennessee,' was a rockabilly-blues ripsnorter with a scorching 12-bar solo. (William Grimes, Lonnie Mack, Singer ( Read more... )

absquatulate [ab-skwoch-uh-leyt]

verb:
to flee; abscond

Examples:

The AU deputy envoy to Somalia has been authorized to vacate or absquatulate Somalia within seven days with effect from today. (Mohamed Hussein Mentalist, Federal Government Of Somalia Had Set Seven Days Ultimatum To Africanunion Envoy To Absquatulate The Country, Modern Ghana, ( Read more... )

highfalutin, highfalutin' [hahy-fuh-loot-n]

adjective:
(informal) seeming or trying to seem superior, important, etc; pompous; pretentious

Examples:

When you study English Literature you're given this highfalutin poetry that you really have to get into - that once you understand, you can really appreciate. But actually getting to that point ( Read more... )

humdinger [huhm-ding-er]

noun:
a person, thing, action, or statement of remarkable excellence or effect; a striking or extraordinary person or thing

Examples:

Do you prefer biographies? Neil Baldwin's Martha Graham: When Dance Became Modern is a real humdinger. (Kristofer Collins, Pittsburgh Lit: What We're Reading in December, The ( Read more... )

noun:
1 a mock serenade with kettles, pans, horns, and other noisemakers given for a newly married couple.
2 (informal) an elaborate, noisy celebration.

Examples:

This Monday night shivaree is ideal to calm those who got too excited opening Christmas gifts. (Nick Canepacolumnist, Column: Nick Canepa’s Chargers grades vs. Tennessee Titans, ( Read more... )

plumptious [pluhmp-shuhs ]

adjective:
(informal) plump and delicious

Examples:

She says plumptious beauties, I say grapes. She says lambent puce, I say pink. She says. "Heady wafts of serenity-inducing scent", I say, "What stinks?" (Janelle Koenig, Janelle Koenig: Sweet serving of Queen Nigella, The West Australian, December 2015)

( Read more... )

worrywart [wur-ee-wawrt, wuhr-]

noun:
a person who tends to worry habitually and often needlessly; pessimist; fussbudget.

Examples:

Theo (aka Turbo, voiced by Ryan Reynolds) is an outcast in the garden: he loves speed much to his brother's embarrassment (Paul Giamatti, who brings his argumentative worrywart character to the mollusk world) ( ( Read more... )

yonks [yonks]

noun:
(informal British) a very long time

Examples:

Our Yorkshire Farm star Amanda Owen has admitted that Ravenseat farm experienced its 'worst day in yonks' in the aftermath of Storm Franklin. (Jess Grieveson-Smith, Our Yorkshire Farm's Amanda Owen's woe after 'worst day in yonks' on Ravenseat Farm, YorkshireLive, February 2022 ( Read more... )

cockamamie [kok-uh-mey-mee]

noun:
(Informal, slang) ridiculous, pointless, or nonsensical

Examples:

They came up with this cockamamie story about bullying basically - it was basically dog-whistling, that I was bullying my partner. (Sam Moore, Danny John-Jules hits out at 'filthy' Strictly Come Dancing, The IndependentMarch 2022)

Before ( Read more... )