This installment continues the exploration of novel words and expressions, gathered from literary and media forays. These words may be unfamiliar to you, or perhaps you already recognize them; either way, I invite you to ponder my lack of knowledge.

hench — An informal adjective describing someone who is strong, fit, and muscular. I encountered this term in a "BBC Sounds" podcast discussing Jeff Bezos, the billionaire founder of Amazon. Was it meant to describe me, by chance?!

quomodocunquizing — This term characterizes someone or something that generates income in any possible manner. For example: "Jeff Bezos is a quomodocunquizing entrepreneur."

From a compilation of amusing words:

The 40 Funniest Words in the English Language-And How to Use Them

We speak a pretty silly language if you really think about it. And the proof comes in the form of the 40 funniest…

bestlifeonline.com

borborygmus — This refers to the rumbling noises produced by fluid or gas movement in the intestines. It was included in the same list.

disasterclass — A newly coined term observed in an article about the Conservative Party conference, a play on "masterclass." This was humorously embodied by Lamentable Loopy Liz (Truss) and Fishy Rishi (Sunak), especially considering the political blunders surrounding the HS2 project. Announcing the cancellation of the Manchester line during the party conference there was an uncharacteristically poor PR move, akin to Liz's peculiarities.

Congrats, Rishi: you've got a party so dreadful that Nigel Farage has turned you down | Marina Hyde

Liz Truss's return, the PM's HS2 dithering, Mr Brexit himself: no Netflix doc could truly 'make sense' of this Tory…

www.theguardian.com

colloquium — Referring to an academic gathering or seminar. This term was found in an article discussing university matters:

Abuse of Oxford's trans students and staff saddens me, says vice-chancellor

Prof Irene Tracey tells assembly free speech has been 'centre stage' at university during her first year in post

www.theguardian.com

phantasmagoria — This term, which may also be spelled as fantasmagorie, refers to a type of horror theater that utilized magic lanterns to project eerie images like skeletons and ghosts onto screens or walls. It was mentioned in "Technofeudalism" by Yanis Varoufakis.

“orchestrated obfuscation” — A delightful phrase referring to the financial sector, also taken from "Technofeudalism."

archaeometry — This is a serious academic discipline where practitioners utilize various scientific techniques to solve archaeological problems, as discussed in "Technofeudalism."

gonnection — A term found in "The Great Gatsby" by F. Scott Fitzgerald, where the character Meyer Wolfsheim mistakenly refers to "connection" with a unique pronunciation. I initially thought I had discovered a new word, only to realize it was a misspelling!

katana — A traditional Japanese sword featuring a curved, single-edged blade and a long grip suitable for two hands. This word appeared in a review of the sci-fi film "Infinite" on Netflix. Yes, I do spend quite a bit of time watching films!

horcrux — A term introduced by J.K. Rowling, referring to a dark magical object created to achieve immortality by splitting a wizard's soul. It was mentioned in "Going Infinite" by Michael Lewis, which I’m currently reading to understand how someone could amass £25 billion in their twenties, despite the potential dubiousness of it all (currently under investigation). Interestingly, Lewis was reportedly paid $10 per word for this book and happened to be working on it during the collapse of the FTX empire—quite the fortuitous timing!

I hope you found this collection enjoyable, and please feel free to share your own favorite words in the comments.

Thank you for reading.

Previous articles from The Word Collector:

Part 33 — Going Monk Mode In Taumata­whakatangihanga­koauau­o­tamatea­turi­pukaka­piki­maunga­horo­nuku­pokai­whenua­ki­tana­tahu

Going Monk Mode In…

The Word Collector — Part 33

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Part 32 — Turpitudinous Tourons

Turpitudinous Tourons

The Word Collector — Part 32

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Part 31 — Hurkle durkle, medicanes and misophonia

Hurkle Durkle, Medicanes And Misophonia

The Word Collector — Part 31

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Part 30 — Immortal earworms

Immortal Earworms

The Word Collector — Part 30

medium.com

Part 29 — Government on the RAAC

Government On The RAAC

The Word Collector — Part 29

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Part 28 –Saved by a *deus ex machina*

Saved By A Deus Ex Machina

The Word Collector — part 11

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Part 27 — Pre-Lapsarian Yakers

Pre-Lapsarian Yakers

The Word Collector — part 27

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Part 26 — Fegans, Jorts, Rababs And Scotch Bonnets

Fegans, Jorts, Rababs And Scotch Bonnets

The Word Collector — part 26

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Part 25 — Fissiparous Hegemony

Fissiparous Hegemony

The Word Collector — part 25

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Part 24 — Lollygag And Booktok

Lollygag And Booktok

The Word Collector — part 24

medium.com

Part 23 — Patronymics And Samovars

Patronymics And Samovars

The Word Collector — part 23

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Part 22 — Medium Is No Chronofage If YRMIRY

Medium Is No Chronofage If YRMIRY

The Word Collector — part 22

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Part 21 — Everything Is Eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious

Everything Is Eellogofusciouhipoppokunurious

The Word Collector — part 21

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Part 20 — Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia And The Matthew Effect

Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia And The Matthew Effect

The Word Collector — part 20

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Part 19 — A Nappuccino And Some Typo-Squatting

A Nappuccino And Some Typo-Squatting

The Word Collector — part 19

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Part 18 — Yeeting Detritovres

Yeeting Detritovres

The Word Collector — part 18

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Part 17 — An Inverted Pyramid Of Piffle On The Bed Of Procrustes

An Inverted Pyramid Of Piffle On The Bed Of Procrustes

The Word Collector — part 17

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Part 16 — Having The Jones And Partisan Acrimony

Having The Jones And Partisan Acrimony

The Word Collector — part 16

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Part 15 — Spycops In The Boondocks

Spycops In The Boondocks

The Word Collector — part 15

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Part 14 — Harlots, Stochastic Parrots, And The Devil’s Cufflinks

A Series Of Unfortunate Events

The Word Collector — part 14 — Harlots, Stochastic Parrots, And The Devil’s Cufflinks

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Part 13 — The Things We Make Exceptional

The Things We Make Exceptional

The Word Collector — part 13

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Part 12 — “Semper Fidelis” And Semantic Symbiosis

“Semper Fidelis” And Semantic Symbiosis

The Word Collector — part 12

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Part 11 — Heliophobic Hikikomori

Heliophobic Hikikomori

The Word Collector — part 11

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Part 10 — Lenticular Clouds And Peque Peques

Lenticular Clouds And Peque Peques

The Word Collector — part 10

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Part 9 — Big Red Boots And Nepo Babies

Big Red Boots And Nepo Babies

The Word Collector — part 9

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Part 8 — A Patina Of Smilies

The Word Collector (part 8)

More specimens — A Patina Of Smilies

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Part 7 — Atavistic frou frou

Return Of The Word Collector (part seven)

More specimens — Atavistic frou frou

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Part 6-Mouth Breathers And Pearl Clutchers

The Word Collector — part six

The Lexophile’s Latest List

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Part 5 — The Lexophile’s Latest List

The Lexophile’s Latest List

The word collector — part 5

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Part 4 — Revenge of the word collector

Revenge Of The Word Collector

Part four of an etymological extravaganza

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Part 3- An Etymological Extravaganza

An Etymological Extravaganza

The Word Collector (part 3)

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Part 2- Return Of The Word Collector

Return of The Word Collector

An etymological extravaganza

medium.com

Part 1 — A Moment In The Sun

The Word Collector

A Moment In the Sun

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