phantasmagoria [fan-taz-muh-gawr-ee-uh, -gohr-]

noun:
1 having a fantastic or deceptive appearance, as something in a dream or created by the imagination
2 having the appearance of an optical illusion, especially one produced by a magic lantern
3 changing or shifting, as a scene made up of many elements

Examples:

Witness the number ' ( Read more... )

poltroon [pol-troon]

noun:
a wretched coward, lacking courage; ignobly timid and faint-hearted

Examples:

Turned him into a scaredy-cat. A yellow belly. A cowardly custard. Faint-of-heart, jellyfish, gutless wonder, chickenheart, pantywaist, poltroon and wheyface. You get to pick. (Rich Johnson, What Will The (Or A) Joker Do With Red Hood Now ( Read more... )

atavistic [at-uh-vis-tik]

adjective:
reverting to or suggesting the characteristics of a remote ancestor or primitive type.

Examples:

As I see it, the real pleasure of the taxi whistle is its outmodedness; the core of its charm is atavistic. In a world where virtually everything we do is mediated by technology, taxi-whistling is old-fashioned ( Read more... )

casuistry [kazh-oo-uh-stree]

noun:
1 specious, deceptive, or oversubtle reasoning, especially in questions of morality; fallacious or dishonest application of general principles; sophistry
2 the determination of right and wrong in questions of conduct or conscience by analyzing cases that illustrate general ethical rules

Examples:

At each ( Read more... )

fustian [fuhs-chuhn]

noun:
1 a stout fabric of cotton and flax
2 inflated or turgid language in writing or speaking
adjective:
1 pompous or bombastic, as language
2 worthless; cheap

Examples:

Freed of the architectural fustian of the Frick's Gilded Age home, the art breathes anew, each painting in its own world rather than entwined with ( Read more... )

deshabille, déshabillé, dishabille [dez-uh-beel, bee, disuh-beel]

noun:
1 the state of being dressed in a careless, disheveled, or disorderly style or manner; undress
2 a garment worn in undress
3 a disorderly or disorganized state of mind or way of thinking

Examples:

In fact, dressing outrageously nakedly can be likened to what happened ( Read more... )

milieu [mil-yoo, meel-; French mee-lyœ]

noun:
the physical or social setting in which something occurs or develops; surroundings, especially of a social or cultural nature

Examples:

This unique geographic, historical and political milieu confers a certain intrigue to this otherwise familiar fare, but the story itself is pure Western, the ( Read more... )

Bezique - noun.

Bésigue, anglicized as bezique is a card game originating in France. I don't dare summarize the rules, so you can watch the video below or read up on them here.

Click to view

atelier [at-l-yey, at-l-yey]

noun:
a workshop or studio, especially of an artist, artisan, or designer

Examples:

The building, significant for its cultural and historical value, faces an uncertain future, prompting initiatives for its conservation. Kotaro Takamura, a pivotal figure in Japanese art and poetry, used this atelier as his ( 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... )