Esurient

Adjective: “Hungry or Greedy.”

Used in a Sentence: “It seems a tad esurient of my learned colleague to favor 17 highway projects in his own district and a combined total of two in the districts of the remaining 10 members of this committee.”    Read more »

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Arrogate

Verb: “To claim or seize without justification. Claim on behalf of another, ascribe.”

Used in a Sentence: “My client would argue that the administration has improperly arrogated time-honored legislative prerogative, Madam Chair.”

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Plectrum

Noun:  “A  small thin piece of metal, plastic, bone or similar material, used to pluck the strings of certain instruments, such as the guitar or lute.”

Used in a Sentence: “In fairness, Mr. Secretary, I will say that my indsutry’s treatment at the hands of your agency’s gibbering, pus-brained regulators has only caused me within the last several weeks to want to gouge out my eyes with a blunt plectrum.”    Read more »

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Valetudinarian

Noun: “A sickly or weak person, especially someone morbidly concerned with their own health.”

Adjective: “Chronically ailing; sickly.”

Used in a Sentence: “Are you deaf? The senator from Pasadena isn’t Armenian. He’s valetudinarian.”

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Apodeictic

Adjective: “True as proved by demonstration. Incontestable because it has been shown to be true or proved that it can be shown to be true.”

Used in a Sentence: “That the worst offenders are kept behind bars where they belong as a result of these sentencing guidelines is apodeictic.”

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Skirling

Verb: “To create a high, shrill, wailing tone like a bagpipe.” (An apt description for the vocal stylings of a number of lawmakers.)

Used in a Sentence: “Elimination of this important program would inevitably lead to widespread hardship and painful skirling.”

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Spung

Noun: Something so appalling or terrible words cannot describe it, according to the Urban Dictionary.

Used in a Sentence: “With due respect to the author, allowing this measure to become law is nothing but pure, unadulterated spung.”    Read more »

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Flinders

Noun: “Bits, fragments or splinters.”

Used in a Sentence: “This is slightly more than budget dust, Madam Chair, it’s more like budget flinders.”

(Sir Matthew Flinders mapped the Australian coast in 1802.)

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Misprision

Noun: “The deliberate concealment of one’s knowledge of a treasonable act or a felony.” “Neglect or wrong performance of official duty.” “Seditious Conduct.”  Or: “Erroneous judgment particuarly of the value or identity of something.” 

Used in a Sentence: “Perhaps misprision is too strong a word, Assemblyman, but one hopes there’s a day job you can fall back on.”     Read more »

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Anosmic

Adjective: Impaired or lost sense of smell

Used in a Sentence: “As an inspector of CAFOs, Madam Chair, I’m very grateful to be anosmic.”

(As defined by the US Environmental Protection Agency, a CAFO is a “Confined Animal Feeding Operation.” That means a congregation of  “animals, feed, manure and urine, dead animals and production operations on a small land area.    Read more »

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