Goldmine Of Words

Glossary of Fun Words Sometimes new words can be a lot of fun. This glossary contains three types of fun words: words that are unusually specific and therefore perfect for certain situations, like specious (seeming good or sound at first but lacking real merit) and apolaustic (wholly devoted to the seeking of enjoyment); words that are simply fun to say, like absquatulate (flee, make off; abscond) and quidnunc (a busybody or a gossip); and, my favorite, words for things you never knew there were words for, like omphalopsychite (one who contemplates his navel) and nothosonomia (the act of calling someone a bastard). absquatulate flee, make off; abscond. agelast one who never laughs. aglet the plastic tip on the end of a shoelace. agrestic characteristic of the country, rustic; also, unpolished or uncouth. akimbo of the arms, with the hands on the hips and elbows bent outward. "He stood akimbo and surveyed the wreckage." anadromous of fish, migrating up rivers from the sea to spawn in fresh water. anile like a doddering, foolish old woman. anserine goose-like; also, silly, foolish, or stupid. anthropophagy cannibalism. apolaustic wholly devoted to the seeking of enjoyment. arcadian idyllically pastoral, simple, or untroubled. avuncular of or pertaining to an uncle; also, uncle-like. barratry the offense of frequently stirring up lawsuits or quarrels; also, in maritime law, fraud or gross criminal negligence by a captain or crew at the expense of a ship's owner or of the owner of a ship's cargo. bastinado torture by beating on the soles of the feet. bezonian a scoundrel. bibliobibuli those who read too much. biffy a toilet or outhouse.

bodewash dried buffalo dung, used as fuel for fire. boeotian stupid, dull, obtuse; also, such a person. bolus a large medicinal pill; also, a mass of chewed food. boondoggle an unnecessary activity or wasteful expenditure. borborygmic pertaining to the rumbling of one's stomach or intestines. bosky having an abundance of trees or shrubbery. brobdingnagian enormous, immense. brummagem cheap and showy but inferior and worthless. buccal of or pertaining to the cheek or the mouth. bugaboo something that causes baseless fear or worry; also, a false belief used to intimidate. bumf toilet paper; also, worthless paperwork, literature, or junk mail. callipygian one having shapely buttocks. See also: steatopygian. captious apt to raise objections to trivial faults or defects; given to fault-finding; difficult to please. caryatid a draped female figure supporting an entablature. caseifaction the act of turning into cheese. cataglottism kissing with the tongue. cerumen earwax. chatoyant changing in luster or color, as cat's eyes. chthonic dwelling in the underworld. cicisbeo a male escort or lover of a married woman. collation a light meal. contumelious insolently abusive and humiliating. corrigendum a mistake to be corrected, especially an error in a printed book. corybantic frenzied or agitated. crapulous

given to, characterized by, or suffering from gross excess in eating and drinking. cynosure a center of attraction or admiration. dandle to dance (a child) on one's knees; the action taken by a dandler. deasil clockwise. See also: widdershins. defenestrate to throw out of a window dendrochronology the study of growth rings on trees. dipsomania uncontrollable craving for alcohol. discalced barefooted. doddle something easy or requiring little effort. donnybrook a brawl or heated public dispute. dottle the plug of unburned tobacco left in a pipe after smoking. draggle make wet and dirty by dragging on the ground. ecdysiast stripper. edacious devouring, consuming, voracious. eesome pleasing to the eye. emollient characteristic of that which softens or soothes the skin. enantiodromic characteristic of something that has become its opposite. energumen one who is possessed by a demonic entity. epeolatry worship of words. epigone an undistinguished imitator or descendant of an illustrious person or family. eructation belching; also, discharge of a volcano. esprit d'escalier a remark that occurs to someone later, after it should have been said (often a witty retort that occurs after the moment to use it has passed). estivate to spend the summer. esurient hungry. evancalous

pleasant to embrace. expiscate to learn through laborious investigation. exsanguinate to drain blood from. factotum employee or assistant who does just about everything. fantods a state of nervous irritability; the fidgets; the willies. "Waiting for this semester's report card is giving me the fantods." fernticle freckle. fescue a small stick used to point out letters to a child learning to read. flews the pendulous corners of the upper lip of certain dogs, such as the bloodhound. floccinaucinihilipilification the categorizing of something as worthless. flummery meaningless chatter; also, deceptive language. footle to talk or act foolishly; to waste time. foudroyant dazzling, flashing; also, thunderous, noisy. friable easily crumbled; crumbly. frisson an emotional thrill; a shudder of emotion. frowzy ill-smelling, musty; also, slovenly, unkempt. fugacious fleeting, transitory; difficult to capture. gallimaufry jumble or medley; hodgepodge. geck a dupe. genuflect bend the knee and lower the body, especially in reverence. gleek to joke or jest. gobbledygook windy gibberish or jargon. gorbellied corpulent. gormless dull, stupid, clumsy. gound the gunk that collects in the corners of the eyes during sleep. gowpen

two hands placed together to form a bowl-shape; also, the amount that can be contained in a pair of cupped hands. graustark an imaginary place of high romance. grimthorpe remodel or restore an old building without proper grounding or knowledge of its authentic character or without exercising care to remain faithful to its original quality and uniqueness; after Baron Grimthorpe, English lawyer and architect, restorer of St. Alban's cathedral. hallux big toe. hangdog shamefaced, browbeaten, or intimidated. hebdomedal weekly. hircine goat-like; also, lustful. hirple to hobble or walk lamely. hornswoggle bamboozle, deceive. hoyden a boisterous, carefree girl; a tomboy. infucate to apply cosmetics. inglenook a nook by a fireplace. insouciant blithely unconcerned. insufflate to blow on or breathe into. izzat honor, prestige, reputation. jillick to skip a stone across water. jocoserious combining serious and humorous matters. jugulate to slit the throat. kalopsia the delusion that things are more beautiful than they really are. katzenjammer a loud, discordant noise; also, a hangover; also, a state of depression or bewilderment. kibitz to look on and offer unsolicited, meddlesome advice; to make wisecracks when others are trying to work or speak seriously. kickshaw a trinket or bauble; a culinary delicacy. lambent

softly radiant; of a light or flame, playing on a surface without burning it; also, dealing lightly and gracefully with a subject of discussion. lapidate to stone to death. latrinalia graffiti found in restrooms. legerdemain slight of hand; magic tricks. liripipe a long scarf or cord attached to and hanging from a hood. ludic characterized by playfulness. macerate to make or become soft by steeping in a liquid; also, to waste away by fasting. madefy moisten. maffick to rejoice with an extravagant and boisterous public celebration. malinger pretend to be ill in order to avoid work or shirk duty. marmoreal resembling marble. mawkish excessively or feebly sentimental; also, having a faint, sickly taste. meldrop a drop of mucus at the end of the nose. mendacious telling lies, especially habitually; untruthful. miasma a noxious atmosphere or influence; unpleasant or unwholesome air. misprision neglect or wrongful action committed by a public official. moiety about half of something. monomania obsession with one idea or interest. moonglade the bright reflection of the moon on a body of water. mordant bitingly sarcastic. mosh to engage in uninhibited, frenzied activities with others near the stage at a rock concert. See also: mosh pit.

mosh pit the place near the stage at a rock concert where moshing occurs. See also: mosh. mulct to take money from, by taxation or by trickery. mundungus stinky tobacco.

myrmidon an unscrupulously faithful follower; henchman. napiform resembling a turnip. neologist one who makes up new words. nidify to build a nest. noctambulist a sleepwalker; somnambulist. nosocomephrenia depression due to a prolonged hospital stay. nothosonomia the act of calling someone a bastard. nudiustertian pertaining to the day before yesterday. nyctalopia night blindness. obdormition numbness caused by pressure on a nerve, as when one's foot is "asleep." obnubilate cloud over, darken, or obscure. ochlocracy mob rule. octothorpe the '#' symbol; also, "octothorp." omphalopsychite one who contemplates his navel. See also: omphaloskepsis. omphaloskepsis contemplation of one's navel. See also: omphalopsychite. opsimath one who begins to learn late in life. ort a scrap of food left after a meal is completed. osculate kiss. ovoviviparous producing eggs that hatch within the female's body without obtaining nourishment from it. oxter armpit. pandiculation the stretching that accompanies yawning. panjandrum a pompous official or pretender; also, the mock title of a self-important person. pate top of the head, usually a bald head. penny-farthing an old-fashioned kind of bicycle with a huge front wheel.

penultimate next to last. perendinate to put off until the day after tomorrow; also, to keep postponing from day to day. peripatetic going from place to place; itinerant. philtrum the vertical groove between the nose and upper lip. picaresque of fiction, dealing with the adventures of a rogue. pilose covered with hair. pilpul a nitpicking, unproductive argument. pinguid fat; also, greasy. placebo a harmless substance given as medicine, usually to humor a patient. poetaster an inferior poet. popinjay a talkative and conceited person. popliteal of or pertaining to the back of the knee. preponderate to surpass others in numbers, intensity, force, or prowess. prescind turn aside. psithurism a low whispering sound, such as the rustle of leaves. puckeroo useless, broken. pulchritude attractiveness. purulent containing, consisting of, or discharging pus. pusillanimous timid, faint-hearted, or cowardly. quidnunc a busybody or a gossip. quincunx the pattern of five objects arranged such that four of the five objects form a square, while the fifth is positioned in the middle. "The dots on the '5' side of a die are arranged in a quincunx." quisquilious like rubbish; trashy, worthless. raconteur one skilled in telling stories. rebarbative

causing aversion or irritation. recension an editorial revision of a literary work. recidivist one who continually commits crime and seems incurable of criminal tendencies. recrudesce of a disease, sore, or hostile feeling, to break out again. renitent resistant to pressure. retroussé turned up at the tip, especially a nose. rhabdomantist one who practices divination by means of a rod to locate underground water; a dowser. riant smiling. sanguinary bloodthirsty; murderous. sanguine cheerfully confident or optimistic; also, having a healthy, reddish color. saturnine characteristic of a person having a gloomy or forbidding appearance. scuttlebutt gossip. seersucker a light, thin fabric, such as cotton or rayon, with a crinkled surface and a usually striped pattern. serendipity the faculty of accidentally making happy, unexpected discoveries. sericate silky. simous having a very flat or snub nose, with the end turned up. skosh a small amount; a tad. smithereens fragments or splintered pieces. snollygoster a shrewd, unprincipled person. sockdolager a conclusive blow or remark; also, something outstanding. somnambulist a sleepwalker; noctambulist. spanghew to cause a frog or toad to fly up in the air. spartle to move the body or limbs in a sprawling or struggling manner. specious seeming good or sound at first but lacking real merit. squabash

to crush with criticism. squidger the huge disc, or wink, used to propel other winks in the game of Tiddly-Winks. squiffed intoxicated. steatopygian one having fat buttocks. See also: callipygian. sternutation the act of sneezing; also, a sneeze. stymie to thwart, stump, or obstruct. subderisorious ridiculing in moderation. subfusc drab, dusty. suppurate to form pus; to fester. susurration whispering, murmuring, or rustling. sycophant one who attempts to gain a personal advantage by servile flattery. tantalolagnia arousal caused by teasing. tantivy a headlong dash or rapid gallop; also, characteristic of one in a tantivy; also, the blare of a trumpet or horn. "The man was running tantivy after the thief." tauromachy the art of bullfighting. tenebrific producing darkness; obscuring. tergiversate to turn one's back on one's party or cause; also, to make evasive statements or equivocate. termagant a shrewish, bullying woman. thewy muscled, brawny. tintinnabulous of or relating to bells or the ringing of bells. tizzy a state of nervous excitement or confusion; a dither. tohubohu a state of chaos, disorder, and confusion. tonsure the shaving of the head of those entering certain priesthoods or monastic orders; also, the part of the head left bare after such a shaving. tragus the little flap of cartilage that projects over the hole in one's ear. trollop a promiscuous woman.

twee affectedly cute or quaint; overly precious or nice. ultra-crepidarian giving opinions or criticism beyond one's own range of experience. ululate lament loudly and shrilly; wail. umbrage the feeling of being offended. undulate sway in place. uvula the thing that hangs down in the back of one's throat. vermiculate having wavy, wormlike lines or motion; sinuous, tortuous. vexillologist one who studies flags. vicarious characteristic of feelings or emotions felt or shared imaginatively through the feelings or emotions of another person. vicissitude a change of circumstances affecting one's life. walla-walla the unintelligible sound made by many people talking at once. welter wriggle, writhe. whelm to cover or engulf completely, usually with disastrous effect. whinge complain fretfully, whine. widdershins counterclockwise; also, in a contrary direction. Same as "withershins." See also: deasil. withershins See: widdershins.

Commonly Mispronounced Words Some words in the English language are often mispronounced when spoken. Here are a few commonly mispronounced words with their correct pronunciations and most common mispronunciations. • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

across (a-CROSS) - Incorrect: (a-CROST) athlete (ATH-leet) - Incorrect: (ATH-a-leet) Arctic (ARC-tic) - Incorrect: (AR-tic) comfortable (COM-fort-a-ble, COMF-ta-ble) - Incorrect: (COMF-ter-ble) electoral (eh-LEK-tor-al) - Incorrect: (eh-lek-TOR-al) espresso (ess-PRESS-oh) - Incorrect: (ex-PRESS-oh) February (FEB-roo-air-y) - Incorrect: (Feb-yoo-air-y) figure (FIG-yer) - Incorrect: (fig-er) forte (FORT) - Correct only as the music term: (for-TAY) insouciant (in-SOO-see-ant) - Incorrect: (in-SOO-shant) lambaste (lam-BASTE) - Incorrect: (lam-BAST) library (LIBE-rare-ee) - Incorrect: (LIBE-air-ee) menstruation (men-stroo-A-shun) - Incorrect: (men-STRAY-shun) minuscule (MIN-uh-skyool) - Incorrect: (MIN-ih-skyool) nuclear (NUKE-lee-ar) - Incorrect: (NUKE-yoo-lar) nuptial (NUP-shul) - Incorrect: (NUP-shoo-al) often (OFF-en) - Incorrect: (OFT-en) percolate (PERC-o-late) - Incorrect: (PERC-u-late) plenitude (PLEN-i-tude) - Incorrect: (PLENT-i-tude) probably (PROB-ab-ly) - Incorrect: (PRAH-bal-ly, PROB-ly) pronunciation (pro-NUN-see-A-shun) - Incorrect: (pro-NOUN-see-A-shun) supposedly (sup-POSE-ed-ly) - Incorrect: (sup-POSE-ab-ly) taut (TAUT) - Incorrect: (TAUNT) toward (TOW-ward) - Incorrect: (TOR-ward)

Commonly Misspelled Words Some words are easy to spell. Some aren't. Some are spelled like they sound. Some aren't. The following is a list of frequently misspelled words. In some cases, a particularly common misspelling is given in parentheses. Sometimes these alternate spellings are listed in permissive dictionaries as spelling "variants," but this does not mean these spellings are correct spellings. (The word "ain't" is in the dictionary, too, but it's not correct.)

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

accelerate accidentally (accidently) accommodate accordion (accordian) accumulate acquaintance (acquaintence, aquaintance) acquire (aquire) acquit (aquit) aficionado a lot (alot) amateur anoint apology argument (arguement) atheist a while (awhile) axle (axel) barbecue (barbeque) believable (believeable) believe broccoli camouflage cantaloupe carburetor Caribbean cartilage cemetery (cemetary) chauvinism (chauvanism) chili chocolaty (chocolatey) coliseum, also colosseum (colliseum) collectible (collectable) colonel commemorate congratulations conscious consensus coolly daiquiri Dalmatian (Dalmation) deceive defendant definite (definate) desiccate desperate

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

exercise (excercise) exhilarate existence (existance) Fahrenheit fiery (firey) flabbergast (flabberghast) flotation (floatation) frustum (frustrum) gauge genius (genious; see "ingenious") grammar (grammer) gross guttural handkerchief (hankerchief) harass (harrass) horrific hypocrisy imitate immediately inadvertent (inadvertant) incidentally (incidently) incredible independent indispensable (indispensible) ingenious (ingenius; see "genius") inoculate (innoculate) irascible irresistible (irresistable) judgment (judgement) led (lead) liaison lieutenant liquefy (liquify) lose (loose) maneuver, also manoeuvre marshmallow (marshmellow) medieval, also mediaeval

• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

pastime (pasttime) peninsula pharaoh (pharoah) pigeon (pidgeon) pistachio (pistacchio) playwright plenitude (plentitude) precede presumptuous (presumptious) proceed pronunciation (pronounciation) propagate privilege (priviledge) puerile pursue (persue) putrefy raspberry receipt receive recommend refrigerator (refridgerator) renowned rhythm ridiculous sacrilegious sandal savvy seize (sieze) sensible (sensable) separate septuagenarian (septagenarian) sergeant sheriff shish kebab siege similar simile sorcerer (sorceror) subpoena supersede (supercede) tariff their there

• • • • • • •

deterrence development (developement) diorama disappear disappoint dissipate drunkenness (drunkeness) dumbbell (dumbell) ecstasy

•

embarrass

• •

• • • • • • • • • • •

memento (momento) millennium (millenium) minuscule (miniscule) mischief (mischeif) mischievous (mischievious) misogyny missile misspell (mispell) nauseous necessary no one (noone) occasion occurrence octopus onomatopoeia parallel

•

parliament

• • • • •

• • • • • • • • • • •

they're threshold tongue too (to) tragedy tyranny ukulele (ukelele) until (untill) vacuum vicious weird

•

you're (your

Negatives Without Positives In English, the prefixes in and un, along with others, are used to negate certain root words. The antonym of sane, for example, is insane, and the antonym of stoppable, for example, is unstoppable. But some words that appear to be negated with prefixes have no positive. The opposite of inept is not ept -- there is no such word.

Words With No Positive Forms • • • • • • • • • • •

debunk defenestrate dejected disconsolate disgruntled dishevelled dismayed feckless gormless impetuous impromptu

• • • • • • • • • • •

infernal inhibited insidious insipid insouciant intact invert misgivings misnomer nonchalant noncommittal

• • • • • • • •

inane incessant inchoate incognito incommunicado indomitable ineffable inept

• • • • • • • •

nondescript nonpareil nonplussed unbeknownst ungainly unnerved unswerving untold

•

inert

•

untoward

Words With Uncommon Positive Forms The following words do have positives, formed by removing the negating prefix, but the positive forms of these words are far less common: • • • • • • • • • •

disarray disconcerting immaculate impeccable inadvertent incapacitated incorrigible inevitable innocent inscrutable

• • • • • • • • • •

insufferable interminable unbridled unflappable unfurl unkempt unmitigated unrequited unruly unthinkable

•

insensate

•

unwieldy

Collective Nouns One of the craziest oddities of the English language is that there are so many different collective nouns that all mean "group" but which are specific to what particular thing there is a group of: a herd of elephants, a crowd of people, a box of crayons, a pad of paper, etc. There is great diversity of collective nouns associated with animals, from a sleuth of bears to a murder of crows. The following is a list of the correct terms to describe groups of various types of animals.

Collective Name herd of army of colony of swarm of shrewdness of flange of tribe of culture of cete of colony of sleuth of sloth of pack of colony of lodge of flight of grist of hive of swarm of congregation of dissimulation of flight of flock of volery of sedge of siege of herd of singular of sounder of chain of brace of clash of herd of rabble of swarm of wake of flock of army of clowder of clutter of glaring of pounce of dout of

Animal antelope ants ants ants apes baboons baboons bacteria badgers badgers bears bears bears (polar bears) beavers beavers bees bees bees bees birds birds birds birds birds bitterns bitterns boar boar boar bobolinks bucks bucks buffalo butterflies butterflies buzzards camels caterpillars cats cats cats cats cats (house cats)

Collective Name cry of mute of pack of charm of clan of band of party of scold of smack of herd of mob of troop of deceit of ascension of exaltation of leap of leep of lepe of pride of sault of sowse of troop of lounge of herd of plague of tidings of sord of stud of richness of horde of mischief of nest of company of labor of movement of cartload of tribe of troop of troup of herd of barren of pack of rake of

Animal hounds hounds hounds hummingbirds hyenas jays jays jays jellyfish kangaroos kangaroos kangaroos lapwings larks larks leopards leopards leopards lions lions lions lions lizards llamas locusts magpies mallards mares martens mice mice mice moles moles moles monkeys monkeys monkeys monkeys moose mules mules mules

Commonly Confused Words Abjure and Adjure Abjure means to "renounce" or "repudiate." Adjure means "request earnestly." The words have little in common other than their rarity and similarity of spelling, so they should not be confused.

Adopted and Adoptive Adopted and adoptive both mean "acquired through adoption," but they are not synomyms. One is the reciprocal of the other. A child with adoptive parents is adopted; parents with an adopted child are adoptive. The difference lies in who is doing the adopting. The parents adopt the child, so the child is adopted. The child is adopted by the parents, and so the parents are adoptive.

Adverse and Averse Adverse means "antagonistic." Averse means "feeling disclined." The word averse is more recognizable in two more commonly used forms: avert and aversion.

Affect and Effect These words are commonly confused, and the rules given to tell them apart are often wrong. Affect means "to influence" or "to produce an effect in." Effect means "consequence" or "that which is produced by an agent or cause." Many try to differentiate between the two by saying that affect is a verb, while effect is a noun. Unfortunately, it's not so simple. The word affect can also serve as a noun, meaning "observed or expressed emotional response," and the word effect can also serve as a verb, meaning "to become operative" or "to carry out," as in, "to effect changes."

Aggravate and Annoy Aggravate means "worsen." Annoy means "bother" or "exasperate" or "provoke." Many speakers and writers use aggravate to mean "annoy." Although aggravate has been used in this manner for four hundred years, considerable controversy over this use exists today. Some contend that using aggravate to mean anything other than "worsen" compromises the effectiveness of the word by blurring the distinction it has from similar words. Others argue that annoy can be said to mean "worsen one's temper," which suggests that aggravate is not so inappropriate to use as a synonym for annoy after all. My recommendation is to understand that aggravate means "worsen" and not "bother," but then feel free to use aggravate in contexts where it would be taken to mean "worsen one's temper" rather than "bother" or "irritate."

Allude and Refer

Allude means to refer to something indirectly or covertly. Refer, without qualification, implies referring to something directly, by naming. Frequently allude is misused to mean "refer directly," but this is an abuse of an otherwise useful, specific word.

Anxious and Eager Anxious means "troubled" or "worried." Eager means "having keen interest" or "impatient expectancy." When anxious is used to describe someone's expectancy, it is often incorrectly used to mean "eager," which has a far more positive connotation. One may be anxious about an impending report card, but one would be eager to go on a long-awaited vacation.

Chafe and Chaff Chafe means "to make sore by rubbing" or "irritate or annoy" or "become annoyed." Chaff means "tease good-naturedly." Consequently, one should not become confused with the other.

Compliment and Complement Compliment is a "remark of praise." Complement is "something that completes." Note that free refreshments are complimentary; the word refers to the phrase "with our compliments."

Continual and Continuous Both continual and continuous describe an action or process that occurs over a long period of time. Continual, however, permits that the action may be interrupted by short breaks. Continuous means that the action never pauses. We live continuous lives, eating and sleeping continually.

Deserts and Desserts Most English speakers understand that deserts, with the accent on the first syllable, are a dry, arid lands, while desserts, with the accent on the second syllable, are a sweet things to eat after a meal. What is often confused is that when one gets what one is deserves, good or bad, one is getting one's "just deserts," accent on the second syllable but spelled like the dry, arid lands.

Discomfort and Discomfit Discomfort means "uneasiness or hardship" and "make uncomfortable." Discomfit means "disconcert" and "defeat; thwart." Discomfort comes from Middle English, from the Old French word desconfort. Discomfit comes from the Middle English word discomfiten, from the Old French word desconfit.

Discrete and Discreet Discrete means "discontinuous" or "individually distinct." Discreet means "judicious." The words are understandably often confused, but they should remain distinct.

Effective and Effectual

Effective means "producing an effect" or "in effect." Effectual means "producing a desired effect." A law that is effective is only effectual when it is enforced.

Energize and Enervate Energize means "give energy to," while enervate means "to cause to lose vitality or energy." Sometimes enervate is mistakenly believed to mean "energize," and this is a grievous error, as enervate is actually an antonym of energize.

Enormousness and Enormity Enormousness means "largeness" or "immensity." Enormity means "depravity" or "wickedness" and also means a "crime" or "error." Frequently the word enormity is mistaken to mean "enormousness," which it does not. The two words do originally derive from the same Latin word, enormis, with the word enormity being derived through the French word enormite, but the distinction between the two English words has existed for hundreds of years.

Flack and Flak Flack is a noun that means "press agent" or "publicist" and a verb that means "to act as a press agent." Flak is a noun that means "anti-aircraft artillery" or "bursting of shells fired form antiaircraft artillery" or, more commonly, "excessive or abusive criticism" or "dissension, opposition." If you criticize someone, you are giving them flak, not flack.

Flaunt and Flout Flaunt means "display ostentatiously." Flout means to "disobey openly and scornfully" or "show contempt for." Some use one for the other, but confusing the two words is still widely seen as an error and best avoided.

Forcible and Forceful Forcible means "accomplished by force." Forceful means "powerful and vigorous." Something that is forcible can be accomplished with forceful effort.

Fortuitous and Fortunate Fortuitous means "happening by chance" or "accidental." Fortunate means "lucky." A fortuitous event may be, but is not necessarily, a fortunate event.

Founder and Flounder Founder means "to fail completely." Often it is used to refer to a ship, in which case it means, "to fill with water and sink." Flounder has a less severe definition; it means "to move clumsily or with difficulty" or "to make mistakes or become confused." Although the two words are similar in spelling, they are derived from different sources. Founder comes from the Latin word fundus,

meaning "bottom." Flounder comes from Middle English, from the Anglo-Norman word floundre, of Scandinavian origin. We can flounder but recover, but when we founder, it's final.

Full and Fulsome Fulsome is sometimes mistaken as a synonym for full or fullest, when, in fact, its meaning bears no resemblance to full whatsoever. Fulsome means "cloying, excessive, and disgusting." Although both words have similar etymological roots, the English definitions are divergent enough to cause some gross misunderstandings when the words are confused, particularly in incorrect expressions such as "fulsome praise" and "fulsome apologies."

Imply and Infer Imply means to "hint or suggest without stating directly." Infer means "reach an opinion from facts or reasoning." The two terms are sometimes mistaken to be interchangeable. In actuality, they are quite distinct. The sender of an indirectly stated message is doing the implying, while a receiver that reasons what the message is is doing the inferring.

Inanity and Inanition Inanity means "foolishness" or "senselessness." Inanition means "lacking vigor."

Incredulous and Incredible Incredulous means "unbelieving" or "skeptical." Incredible means "unbelievable" or "hard to believe." If something incredible happens, you may be incredulous.

Ingenious and Ingenuous Ingenious means "clever and inventive." Ingenuous means "open, frank, and sincere" and also "naive, unsophisticated." The words have similar origins, hence the similar spelling, but their meanings have been distinct for centuries.

Lightening and Lightning Lightening refers to something illuminating or brightening. Lightning is what is accompanied by thunder during storms.

Loath and Loathe Loath is an adjective, meaning "disinclined" or "reluctant." Loathe is a verb, meaning "feel hatred or disgust for." Confusion often arises about not only what they mean but how they are pronounced. Loath has a soft th sound, while loathe has a hard th sound.

Luxurious and Luxuriant

Luxurious means "supplied with luxuries." Luxuriant means "growing profusely." Some consider it acceptable to use luxuriant to mean luxurious, but the best policy is to keep the words distinct.

Mucous and Mucus Mucous is an adjective, as in, "a mucous gland." Mucus is a noun, as in, "There is mucus emanating from my mucous glands."

Nauseous, Nauseated, and Nauseating Nauseated means "caused to feel nausea." Nauseating means "causing to feel nausea." If you are nauseated, it is because something else is nauseating. There is no controversy about the meaning of these words, but there is much controversy over what nauseous means. Commonly, the word nauseous is used to mean "nauseated," but some maintain that it should only ever be used to mean "nauseating." In actuality, the word nauseous has meant both for over 400 years, and there is little reason to dispute an accepted usage of a word that dates back to the times in which the English language was at the summit of its development.

Niggard and N***er The word niggard, which means "miser," and its adjective form niggardly, have fallen under attack in recent years due to the relatively recent appearance of n***er, the similarly-spelled racial slur against African-Americans. The objection to the use of niggard on grounds of racial discrimination is unfounded. Apart from the similar spelling, the two words have nothing to do with each other. Historically and etymologically, the two words have had no relation; one did not derive from the other. Niggard comes from Middle English, which in term comes from the Scandinavian word nig. The racial slur is a much more recent word, originating from the Middle French word negre, from the Spanish word negro, from the Latin word niger. These early variations were not considered racial slurs; the derogatory connotation only started showing up as recently as the mid-1900s.

Noisome and Noisy Noisome means "harmful" or "offensive" or "disgusting." Obviously it does not share any shade of meaning with noisy, and so the two words should not be confused with one another.

Passed and Past Passed is a past tense verb. Past can be a noun, adjective, adverb, or preposition -- never a verb.

Peccable and Peccant Peccable means "capable of sinning." Peccant means "guilty of sinning."

Perspicacious and Perspicuous

Perspicacious means "having or showing insight." Perspicuous means "easily understood" or "lucid," or, when referring to a person, "expressing things clearly."

Practicable and Practical Practicable means "usable," while practical means "useful." Not all practicable things are practical, and not all practical things are practicable.

Sanguine and Sanguinary Sanguine means "hopeful" or "optimistic" or "confident." Sanguinary means "bloody" or "murderous." Obviously these are two words it's better not to confuse, lest you convey entirely the wrong idea about something.

Stanch and Staunch Stanch is a verb that means "restrain a flow." Staunch is an adjective that means "firm in attitude, opinion, or loyalty." Both words are pronounced the same way. The distinction is actually quite recent; a hundred years ago, the two words were treated as interchangeable spelling variants. Such is no longer the case, so it's important to distinguish one from the other.

Stationary and Stationery Stationary is an adjective that means "not moving." Stationery is a noun that means "writing paper and envelopes."

Titillate and Titivate Titillate means "stimulate pleasantly" or "tickle." Titivate means "adorn" or "spruce up." The similarity in spelling is coincidental. Titillate comes from the Latin word titillare, which means "tickle. Titivate is a newer word which comes from the earlier word tidivate, which is likely derived from the words tidy and elevate.

Tortuous and Torturous Tortuous means full of twists and turns. Torturous means "causing or involving torture or suffering." These words are sometimes confused because of their similar spelling, but there is no further similarity.

Turbid and Turgid Turbid means "unclear, obscure, confused, disordered" and, when referring to liquids, "muddy, thick, unclear." Turgid means "enlarged, swollen" and, when referring to language, "pompous, overblown grandiloquent." Because the two words are relatively uncommon, one is often confused for the other. Turbid comes from the Latin word turbidus, meaning "disordered," from turba, which means turmoil, possibly from the Greek word turbe. Turgid comes from the Latin word turgidus, from turgere, which means, "to be swollen."

Venal and Venial Venal means "open to bribery" and "corruptible" and, when referring to conduct, "influenced by bribery." Venial means "pardonable," when referring to a fault or sin, and "trifling, not serious" when referring to misconduct.

Palindromes A palindrome is a word or sentence that reads the same forward as it does backward. The words a and I are perhaps the simplest and least interesting palindromes; the word racecar and the name Hannah are more interesting and illustrative. Neither spaces nor punctuation are usually taken into consideration when constructing sentences that are palindromes -- one of the most famous palindromes is A man, a plan, a canal, Panama -- but when the spaces are properly positioned as well, so much the better. An example would be the also famous palindrome Able was I ere I saw Elba, purportedly spoken by Napoleon, referring to his first sighting of the River Elba. Palindromes are a type of palingram called letter palingrams. A palingram is a sentence in which the letters, syllables, or words read the same backward as they do forward. The sentence, "He was, was he?" is a word palingram, because the words can be placed in reverse order and still read the same. The sentence, "I did, did I?" is not only a word palingram but a letter palingram (or palindrome) as well. A number of interesting palindromes are given below for your amusement. Can you make up your own?

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Aibohphobia Alula Cammac Civic Deified Deleveled Detartrated Devoved Dewed Evitative Hannah Kayak Kinnikinnik Lemel Level Madam Malayalam

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A dog, a plan, a canal: pagoda. A man, a plan, a canal: Panama. A new order began, a more Roman age bred Rowena. A tin mug for a jar of gum, Nita. A Toyota. Race fast, safe car. A Toyota. Able was I ere I saw Elba. Animal loots foliated detail of stool lamina. Anne, I vote more cars race Rome to Vienna. Are we not drawn onward, we few, drawn onward to new era? As I pee, sir, I see Pisa! Barge in! Relate mere war of 1991 for a weremetal Ernie grab! Bombard a drab mob. Bush saw Sununu swash sub. Cain: a maniac.

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Minim Murdrum Peeweep Racecar Radar Redder Refer Reifier Repaper Reviver Rotator Rotavator Rotor Sagas Solos Sexes Stats Tenet Terret Testset

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Glenelg (Australia) Kanakanak (Alaska) Kinikinik (Colorado) Navan (Meath, Ireland) Ward Draw (South Dakota) Wassamassaw (South Carolina) Yreka Bakery (Yreka, California)

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Doctor Reubenstein was shocked and dismayed when he answered the ringing telephone, only to hear a strange, metallic, alien voice say, "Yasec iovn eilacilla temeg! Nartsa raehoty lnoenoh pelet gnig, nirehtde rewsnaehn ehw. Deya! Msid! Dnadek cohssaw nietsne buerro, tcod?"

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Cigar? Toss it in a can. It is so tragic. Daedalus: nine. Peninsula: dead. Dammit, I'm mad! Delia saw I was ailed. Denim axes examined. Dennis and Edna sinned. Depardieu, go razz a rogue I draped. Desserts, I stressed! Did I draw Della too tall, Edward? I did? Do good? I? No! Evil anon I deliver. I maim nine more hero-men in Saginaw, sanitary sword a-tuck, Carol, I -- lo! -- rack, cut a drowsy rat in Aswan. I gas nine more hero-men in Miami. Reviled, I (Nona) live on. I do, O God! Doc, note I dissent: a fast never prevents a fatness. I diet on cod. Drab as a fool, aloof as a bard. Drat Saddam, a mad dastard! Draw, O coward! Draw pupil's lip upward. Ed, I saw Harpo Marx ram Oprah W. aside. Eva, can I stab bats in a cave? Evil did I dwell; lewd I did live. Gateman sees name, garageman sees name tag. Go hang a salami; I'm a lasagna hog. Goldenrod-adorned log. Golf? No sir, prefer prison-flog. Harass sensuousness, Sarah. I roamed under it as a tired, nude Maori. Laminated E.T. animal. Lay a wallaby baby ball away, Al. Lepers repel. Let O'Hara gain an inn in a Niagara hotel. Live not on evil. Lived on Decaf; faced no Devil. Lonely Tylenol. Ma is a nun, as I am. Ma is as selfless as I am. Madam, I'm Adam. Madam in Eden, I'm Adam. Marge lets Norah see Sharon's telegram. May a moody baby doom a yam. Meet animals; laminate 'em. Mr. Owl ate my metal worm. Murder for a jar of red rum. Never odd or even. No, Mel Gibson is a casino's big lemon.

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No cab, no tuna nut on bacon. No lemon, no melon. No sir -- away! A papaya war is on. On a clover, if alive, erupts a vast, pure evil; a fire volcano. Party boobytrap. Reviled did I live, said I, as evil I did deliver. Rise to vote, sir. Saw tide rose? So red it was. Senile felines. So many dynamos! Some men interpret nine memos. Stab nail at ill Italian bats. Stack cats. Stella won no wallets. Step on no pets. Stop! Murder us not, tonsured rumpots! Straw? No, too stupid a fad; I put soot on warts. T. Eliot, top bard, notes putrid tang emanating, is sad. I'd assign it a name: gnat dirt upset on drab pot-toilet. Tarzan raised Desi Arnaz' rat. Ten animals I slam in a net. Too bad I hid a boot. Was it a car or a cat I saw? Wonder if Sununu's fired now. Won't I panic in a pit now? Won't lovers revolt now? Yo, banana boy!

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Commonly Looked Up Words The following are believed to be the words most frequently looked up in dictionaries, excluding vulgarities, based on studies of words looked up in online dictionaries between 1997 and 1998. The words are listed in reverse order of frequency, and brief definitions are given. For complete definitions, it is recommended that you look the words up in a proper dictionary.

paradigm an example that serves as a pattern or model. conundrum a riddle answered by a pun; also, a paradoxical, insoluble, or difficult problem. oxymoron the juxtaposition of incongruous or contradictory terms. ubiquitous ominpresent. bastion a well-fortified position. epiphany a revelation. serendipity the faculty of making fortunate discoveries by accident. encephalopathy any of various brain diseases. portcullis a wooden or iron grate, suspended in front of a gateway and lowered to block passage. heuristic a speculative formulation which serves as a guide in the investigation of a problem. metaphor implied comparison between two things by calling or implying that one is the other. pedantic characterized by a narrow, often ostentatious concern for book learning and formal rules. eclectic selecting and employing individual elements from a variety of sources, systems, or styles. misogynist one who hates women. hubris overbearing pride; arrogance. egregious conspicuously bad or offensive. acronym a word fabricated from the initial letters of a name or phrase. synergy the interaction of multiple agents or forces in such a way that the combined effect is greater than the sum of their individual effects. ontology the branch of metaphysics that deals with the nature of being. nihilism the belief that the destruction of existing political and/or social institutions is necessary for future improvement. algorithm a step-by-step procedure for solving a particular problem or set of problems. epistemology the branch of philosophy that deals with the nature of knowledge. esoteric intended for or understood by only a particular group. empirical

relying on or derived from observation or experiment; guided by practical experience rather than theory. stochastic conjectural; involving chance or randonmess. integrity the state of being unimpaired, sound, whole, complete, or strictly moral. hyperbole an exaggeration. symbiosis a relationship of mutually beneficial or dependence. paradox an apparent contradiction which may nevertheless be true. pragmatic dealing with facts and actual occurrences; practical. obsequious exhibiting servile compliance. caveat a warning, qualification, or explanation. euthanasia the practice of ending the life of an individual suffering from a terminal illness or incurable condition. rhetoric the art or study of using language effectively and persuasively; more generally, verbal communication. hegemony the predominant influence of one state over others. holistic emphasizing the whole and the interdependence of its parts. kvetch to complain persistently and whiningly dichotomy division into two usually contradictory parts or opinions. sanguine cheerfully confident or optimistic; also, having a healthy, reddish color. semantic of or relating to meaning. deficit inadequacy or insufficiency. spongiform soft and porous, as a sponge. ambiguous open to more than one interpretation. superfluous extraneous. salient strikingly conspicuous; prominent. capricious subject to whim; impulsive and unpredictable. facetious

playfully jocular; humorous. sycophant one who attempts to gain a personal advantage by servile flattery. fascist a dictatorial person. protocol a code of correct conduct. agnostic one who believes that existence of God cannot be known but does not deny the possibility that God exists. empathy identification with and understanding of another's situation, feelings, and motives. loquacious talkative; garrulous. ethereal characterized by lightness and insubstantiality; intangible. anomaly something that is peculiar, irregular, abnormal, or difficult to classify.

Autograms A self-referencing sentence is a sentence that describes itself. For example, "This sentence has five words," or "This sentence contains nine syllables." A more interesting example is, "In this sentence the word 'and' occurs twice, the word 'eight' occurs twice, the word 'four' occurs twice, the word 'fourteen' occurs four times, the word 'in' occurs twice, the word 'occurs' occurs fourteen times, the word 'sentence' occurs twice, the word 'seven' occurs twice, the word 'the' occurs fourteen times, the word 'this' occurs twice, the word 'times' occurs seven times, the word 'twice' occurs eight times, and the word 'word' occurs fourteen times." An autogram is a self-referencing sentence that describes its letter content. Here are some autograms:

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This sentence contains only three a's, three c's, two d's, twenty-five e's, nine f's, four g's, eight h's, twelve i's, three l's, fifteen n's, nine o's, eight r's, twenty-four s's, eighteen t's, five u's, four v's, six w's, two x's, and four y's. This sentence employs two a's, two c's, two d's, twenty-eight e's, five f's, three g's, eight h's, eleven i's, three l's, two m's, thirteen n's, nine o's, two p's, five r's, twenty-five s's, twenty-three t's, six v's, ten w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This sentence employs two a's, two c's, two d's, twenty-six e's, four f's, two g's, seven h's, nine i's, three l's, two m's, thirteen n's, ten o's, two p's, six r's, twenty-eight s's, twentythree t's, two u's, five v's, eleven w's, three x's, and five y's.

An Autogram That Documents Total Letter Content •

This sentence contains one hundred and ninety-seven letters: four a's, one b, three c's, five d's, thirty-four e's, seven f's, one g, six h's, twelve i's, three l's, twenty-six n's, ten o's, ten r's, twenty-nine s's, nineteen t's, six u's, seven v's, four w's, four x's, five y's, and one z.

An Autogram That Documents Punctuation •

Only the fool would take trouble to verify that his sentence was composed of ten a's, three b's, four c's, four d's, forty-six e's, sixteen f's, four g's, thirteen h's, fifteen i's, two k's, nine l's, four m's, twenty-five n's, twenty-four o's, five p's, sixteen r's, forty-one s's, thirty-seven t's, ten u's, eight v's, eight w's, four x's, eleven y's, twenty-seven commas, twenty-three apostrophes, seven hyphens and, last but not least, a single !

Autograms That Are Also Pangrams A pangram is a sentence that contains every letter of the alphabet at least once. Note the pangrams page at this site for some minimal pangrams -- sentences that try to be as short as possible while still containing every letter of the alphabet. Here, however, are some pangrams that are also autograms.

Sample Autograms (Which Are Also Pangrams) •

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This autogram contains five a's, one b, two c's, two d's, thirty-one e's, five f's, five g's, eight h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, eighteen n's, sixteen o's, one p, one q, six r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty-one t's, three u's, seven v's, eight w's, three x's, four y's, and one z. This autogram contains five a's, one b, two c's, two d's, twenty-six e's, six f's, two g's, four h's, thirteen i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty-one n's, sixteen o's, one p, one q, five r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty t's, three u's, six v's, nine w's, five x's, five y's, and one z. This pangram contains four a's, one b, two c's, one d, thirty e's, six f's, five g's, seven h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, eighteen n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, five r's, twenty-seven s's, eighteen t's, two u's, seven v's, eight w's, two x's, three y's, & one z. This pangram contains four a's, one b, two c's, one d, twenty-six e's, six f's, three g's, six h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, seventeen n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, thirty s's, seventeen t's, four u's, four v's, six w's, six x's, three y's, & one z. This pangram employs four a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty-six e's, three f's, three g's, ten h's, seven i's, one j, one k, three l's, three m's, seventeen n's, twelve o's, three p's, one q, ten r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-two t's, two u's, six v's, seven w's, three x's, five y's, and one z. This pangram employs four a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty-six e's, six f's, three g's, eleven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, three l's, three m's, eighteen n's, thirteen o's, three p's, one q, fourteen r's, twenty-six s's, nineteen t's, five u's, three v's, three w's, four x's, four y's, and one z.

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This pangram has five a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, five f's, three g's, seven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty n's, thirteen o's, two p's, one q, five r's, twenty-three s's, twenty t's, one u, six v's, nine w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This pangram lists four a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, eight f's, three g's, five h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty-two n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, twenty-six s's, nineteen t's, four u's, five v's, nine w's, two x's, four y's, and one z. This pangram uses four a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty e's, five f's, three g's, seven h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, sixteen n's, twelve o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-nine s's, sixteen t's, four u's, six v's, six w's, five x's, three y's, and one z. This pangram uses four a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-six e's, seven f's, three g's, six h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, fifteen n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, thirty s's, sixteen t's, five u's, four v's, six w's, six x's, three y's, and one z. This computer-generated pangram contains six a's, one b, three c's, three d's, thirty-seven e's, six f's, three g's, nine h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, two l's, three m's, twenty-two n's, thirteen o's, three p's, one q, fourteen r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-four t's, five u's, six v's, seven w's, four x's, five y's, and one z.

Autograms That Document Total Letter Content (Which Are Also Pangrams) •

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This pangram contains two hundred nineteen letters: five a's, one b, two c's, four d's, thirty-one e's, eight f's, three g's, six h's, fourteen i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-six n's, seventeen o's, two p's, one q, ten r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-four t's, six u's, five v's, nine w's, four x's, five y's, and one z. This computer-generated sentence contains two hundred forty-seven letters: four a's, one b, four c's, five d's, forty-four e's, nine f's, three g's, seven h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty-nine n's, nineteen o's, two p's, one q, fourteen r's, thirty-one s's, twenty-five t's, seven u's, eight v's, seven w's, two x's, six y's, and one z.

Enumerated Autograms (Which Are Also Pangrams) •

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This first pangram has five a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, six f's, four g's, eight h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, nineteen n's, twelve o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-six s's, twenty t's, three u's, five v's, nine w's, three x's, four y's, and one z. This second pangram totals five a's, one b, two c's, three d's, twenty-nine e's, six f's, four g's, seven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-one n's, sixteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-three t's, four u's, four v's, nine w's, three x's, five y's, and one z. This third pangram contains five a's, one b, two c's, three d's, twenty-six e's, six f's, two g's, four h's, ten i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-two n's, seventeen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-one t's, four u's, six v's, eleven w's, four x's, five y's, and one z. This fourth pangram numbers four a's, two b's, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, seven f's, two g's, six h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, three m's, twenty-three n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-six s's, twenty t's, five u's, five v's, nine w's, three x's, five y's, and one z.

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This fifth pangram embraces five a's, two b's, two c's, two d's, twenty-nine e's, seven f's, three g's, eight h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, three m's, twenty n's, thirteen o's, two p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-six s's, twenty-four t's, three u's, four v's, ten w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This sixth pangram harbours five a's, two b's, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, seven f's, four g's, seven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty-one n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty t's, four u's, six v's, nine w's, three x's, five y's, and one z. This seventh pangram counts four a's, one b, two c's, two d's, thirty e's, five f's, three g's, seven h's, nine i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty-three n's, sixteen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-one t's, four u's, seven v's, nine w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This eighth pangram tallies five a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty e's, five f's, three g's, seven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, six r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty-one t's, two u's, seven v's, nine w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This ninth pangram exploits four a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, seven f's, four g's, eight h's, thirteen i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-two n's, sixteen o's, three p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-six s's, twenty-three t's, five u's, four v's, nine w's, four x's, five y's, and one z. This tenth pangram features five a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, eight f's, five g's, six h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, eighteen n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, six r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty t's, five u's, six v's, nine w's, four x's, four y's, and one z. This eleventh pangram utilizes four a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty-one e's, seven f's, four g's, seven h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, four l's, two m's, twenty n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-nine s's, eighteen t's, six u's, six v's, seven w's, three x's, four y's, and two z's. This twelfth pangram tables five a's, two b's, one c, two d's, twenty-six e's, six f's, two g's, six h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, four l's, two m's, seventeen n's, thirteen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, thirty s's, twenty t's, three u's, six v's, nine w's, five x's, four y's, and one z. This thirteenth pangram includes four a's, one b, two c's, three d's, twenty-nine e's, eight f's, four g's, eight h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-five s's, twenty-four t's, six u's, five v's, ten w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This fourteenth pangram recruits four a's, one b, two c's, two d's, twenty-eight e's, eight f's, four g's, seven h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, ten r's, twenty-six s's, twenty-four t's, six u's, three v's, nine w's, three x's, five y's, and one z. This fifteenth pangram uses four a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty e's, seven f's, two g's, five h's, nine i's, one j, one k, one l, two m's, twenty-two n's, sixteen o's, two p's, one q, five r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty-one t's, three u's, seven v's, ten w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This sixteenth pangram subsumes four a's, two b's, one c, two d's, thirty e's, seven f's, four g's, eight h's, ten i's, one j, one k, one l, three m's, twenty-one n's, fifteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-one t's, six u's, four v's, seven w's, three x's, five y's, and one z.

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This seventeenth pangram tabulates six a's, two b's, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, seven f's, three g's, five h's, ten i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, six r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-four t's, five u's, six v's, ten w's, four x's, five y's, and one z. This eighteenth pangram manifests five a's, one b, one c, two d's, thirty-five e's, eight f's, five g's, ten h's, thirteen i's, one j, one k, one l, three m's, twenty-one n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-six s's, twenty-four t's, three u's, seven v's, seven w's, two x's, five y's, and one z. This nineteenth pangram assembles five a's, two b's, one c, two d's, thirty-five e's, six f's, five g's, ten h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, four l's, three m's, eighteen n's, twelve o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-three t's, three u's, seven v's, nine w's, two x's, four y's, and one z. This twentieth pangram summons four a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, seven f's, three g's, five h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, two l's, four m's, twenty-two n's, sixteen o's, two p's, one q, six r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-one t's, five u's, six v's, ten w's, four x's, five y's, and one z. This twenty-first pangram shows four a's, one b, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, six f's, three g's, six h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty-two n's, sixteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-one t's, four u's, four v's, eleven w's, five x's, six y's, and one z. This twenty-second pangram displays five a's, one b, two c's, four d's, thirty-three e's, five f's, three g's, nine h's, twelve i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty-one n's, thirteen o's, three p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-five t's, two u's, six v's, ten w's, two x's, seven y's, and one z. This twenty-third pangram produces four a's, one b, two c's, four d's, twenty-six e's, six f's, two g's, four h's, ten i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-two n's, seventeen o's, three p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-one t's, six u's, four v's, eleven w's, five x's, six y's, and one z. This twenty-fourth pangram evinces four a's, one b, two c's, two d's, twenty-six e's, six f's, two g's, four h's, nine i's, one j, one k, two l's, two m's, twenty-one n's, seventeen o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, thirty s's, twenty t's, five u's, seven v's, eleven w's, four x's, six y's, and one z. This twenty-fifth pangram discloses four a's, one b, two c's, three d's, thirty-two e's, seven f's, three g's, nine h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, twenty n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, nine r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-five t's, three u's, five v's, ten w's, two x's, six y's, and one z.

Pairs of Autograms (Which Are Also Pangrams) This pangram tables but five a's, three b's, one c, two d's, twenty-eight e's, six f's, four g's, six h's, ten i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, seventeen n's, twelve o's, two p's, one q, seven r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty t's, five u's, six v's, eight w's, four x's, four y's, and one z. The sentence on the reverse side contains

But this pangram tables five a's, three b's, one c, two d's, twenty-nine e's, six f's, six g's, eight h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, three l's, two m's, seventeen n's, fourteen o's, two p's, one q, eight r's, twenty-eight s's, twenty-two t's, six u's, four v's, eight w's, four x's, four y's, and one z. The sentence on the reverse side contains

three a's, one b, three c's, three d's, forty-three e's, seven f's, two g's, nine h's, eight i's, one j, one k, two l's, one m, twenty-four n's, sixteen o's, one p, one q, eleven r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty-three t's, three u's, six v's, seven w's, two x's, five y's, and one z.

three a's, one b, three c's, three d's, forty-six e's, four f's, two g's, ten h's, eight i's, one j, one k, two l's, one m, twenty-four n's, fifteen o's, one p, one q, eleven r's, twenty-nine s's, twenty-three t's, two u's, seven v's, seven w's, three x's, five y's, and one z.

The adjacent text utilizes four a's, one b, two c's, three d's, thirty-six e's, five f's, three g's, nine h's, eleven i's, two j's, one k, four l's, one m, eighteen n's, thirteen o's, one p, one q, eight r's, twenty-seven s's, twenty-four t's, four u's, four v's, seven w's, five x's, four y's, and two z's.

The adjacent text utilizes four a's, one b, two c's, three d's, thirty-two e's, nine f's, three g's, eight h's, eleven i's, two j's, one k, three l's, one m, seventeen n's, fifteen o's, one p, one q, eleven r's, twenty-six s's, twenty-one t's, eight u's, six v's, six w's, three x's, four y's, and two z's.

The righthand sentence contains four a's, one b, three c's, three d's, thirty-nine e's, ten f's, one g, eight h's, eight i's, one j, one k, four l's, one m, twenty-three n's, fifteen o's, one p, one q, nine r's, twenty-three s's, twenty-one t's, four u's, seven v's, six w's, two x's, five y's, and one z.

The lefthand sentence contains four a's, one b, three c's, three d's, thirty-five e's, seven f's, four g's, eleven h's, eleven i's, one j, one k, one l, one m, twenty-six n's, fifteen o's, one p, one q, ten r's, twenty-three s's, twenty-two t's, four u's, three v's, five w's, two x's, five y's, and one z.