Tremellose

Tremellose means shaking like a jelly. Simple when you think about it. Thanks for your invented meanings. They were great. And Magdalene is our lucky winner for the last day of the year. Great work, Magdalene. Keep it up.

Postliminy

Postliminy is a Roman law which allowed a banished person or a captive to regain their privileges once they returned to their own home land. Quite civilised really. Your invented meanings for postliminy were more whimsical and I enjoyed reading them very much. Thanks for being part of this blog. Mandy was today's poll winner. Great work, Mandy.

Corundum

Corundum is a crystallized mineral. Something like sapphires and rubies, apparently, but with a less romantic name. Congratulations to realityjunkie and any other word imps who've added new babies to their families this year. Very exciting and thanks for the news! Keep up the great work. We need more word imps! And congratulations as well to Bea N Random for the great win on the poll today.

Insufflation

Insufflation is simply breathing on or into something. In a slightly more bizarre sense, it can also refer to breathing on someone as part of an exorcism. Great invented meanings, by the way. Today's winner on the poll was suggested by Thinks! Great work, again.

Benthos

Benthos is the collective term for the life forms which thrive on the ocean bottom. But do they know it's Christmas? Thanks for your very funny invented meanings for benthos. I was amused. The pollsters loved Magdalene's invented meaning. Great work, M.

Cordovan

Cordovan is leather from Cordova. Simple really. Your invented meanings were wonderful. Thanks for your contributions. I'm happy to add that Dancerella was well deserved winner today. Great work!

Tenesmus

Tenesmus isn't nice. It's the continual desire to rid the bladder or bowels of their contents, along with the associated painful straining. We could do without that this Christmas. Thanks for your myriad of fascinating entries - and especially to Thinks! who was the runaway winner on the poll. Great work!

Gelid

Gelid meanings icy cold. Now that does actually ring a vague bell. Perhaps I've read it before or heard it somewhere. It's not gelid here in summery New Zealand, although cooler this evening thank goodness. I hope those of you experiencing gelid conditions in the northern hemisphere have a happy time of it. Sonnjea B was the talented winner on today's poll. Great work, Sonnjea.

Quidnunc

I'm a quidnunc. It's a gossip. I try not to be, but I can't help myself. Now I know there's such a fabulous word for it, I may take it up professionally. "Oh, what do you do then?" Me? I'm a quidnunc, of course." Your meanings were wonderful as always. I had a good giggle reading through them after being too busy to come to the blog for a while. So thanks for being here, even when I wasn't! Elisenda was the clever winner on today's poll. Great work and beautiful name too!

Stylobate

A stylobate has nothing to do with style. Well, maybe, if you're an architect it might. Anyway, it's a long basement supporting a row or several rows of columns. I can picture a stylobate but I can't say I've ever heard the term before. Your invented meanings for stylobate were great. The winner with the most votes from his peers was The Encourager. Great work!

Embay

To embay something is to enclose it or shut it in. In particular, though, embay is used to describe the action of moving a ship into a bay. Your meanings were far more interesting, obviously. Stephen received the most votes for his wonderful meaning. Great work, as always, Stephen.

Manumission

Manumission is great. It's the act of setting slaves free. I never knew it was called manumission, but I am a fan of freeing slaves. Your meanings were wonderful and very enjoyable to read on what's been a down day for various reasons. Thanks for the humour. And well done to Silver_flight who reached the top of the poll today.

Rubricate

To rubricate something is to mark it with red. So I guess those teachers who love marking school books with copious red pen marks are rubricating. Who knew? Thanks for your answers. They were wonderful. And I'm pleased to report that Lorenzothellama was chosen as today's poll winner. Great work, Lorenzo.

Loment

A loment is a pod which, when it's mature, breaks into separate parts each containing one seed. Fascinating. I can't give you an example sorry. Perhaps the scientific word imps could enlighten us further. Thanks for your whimsical invented meanings for loment. The poll winners were The Dancer and Stephen. Well done, you two.

Guttler

A guttler is someone who eats like a glutton. Sadly, I have had some guttler moments in my time. The invented meanings were fantastic. I actually found it almost impossible to choose three. The only way I managed to do it was to take away the pressure and think, oh well, it's only a game. After all that, the winner by a nose (or was it a sniff of caffeine?) was Scallywagger. Great work!

Subtrahend

The subtrahend is the thing which is subtracted in a subtraction sum. Simple really. I remember learning maths. I even remember teaching it. But I don't remember coming across the subtrahend. However, memory isn't my strong point, so I figure it must be something I've filed away just a bit too carefully. Your invented meanings were exceptional and the runaway winner on the poll was b.e.mendez. Great work!

Emblement

Emblement describes the profits from sown land. Alternatively it can be used to describe the natural products of soil. Hope that makes things abundantly clear. Your meanings for emblement were great. Thanks for your efforts. And a big congratulations to Aviva who's the winner on today's poll.

Porrect

Porrect is interesting. In terms of an action, to porrect is to stretch out part of the body. Or, it can be to tender or submit a document, presumably from an outstretched hand. Fascinating and very educational. Your meanings of course, were hilarious. Merriam and Sandra Dodd were equally as good, according to voters. Well done, both of you.

Nidificate

As suggested, guessed or channelled by Aviva, to nidificate is to build a nest. Not very many invented meanings to choose from today, but it was a case of lacking in quantity and gaining in quality. I loved the meanings which were presented by a dedicated few and it's clear that most of the voters loved the work of Thinks! who topped the poll with 80 per cent of the votes! Great work, Thinks!

Strigil

A strigil sounds painful and unappealing. It's actually a skin scraper which was used, according to my dictionary, by "ancients at bath". I actually have no idea what that really implies, but it doesn't sound like something I'd like to witness. Your meanings, however, were wonderful. Strigil is a word that evokes and encourages interesting meanings and I'm pleased our word imps came to the party on that one. Sadly, though, I can't put three names on the poll until the poll returns from its break. Vote by other means if you like. There were lots of good ones but I had to make a choice because the poll was kaput. I chose Magdalene. Well done, M. You made me laugh.

Filibeg

Apparently filibeg is the Scottish word for kilt. Correct me if I'm wrong. I always thought kilt was the Scottish word for kilt, but there you go. Your meanings for filibeg were wonderful, even if there were fewer than usual. Perhaps everyone's busy with the festive season. Thanks to Pastor Phil for the clarification on the meaning of filibeg as Gaelic for little kilt. Very helpful. The winner, though, was Mandy, who got the most votes on a poll which was sometimes AWOL. It came back eventually with Mandy as the champ. Great work!

Nugatory

Nugatory is basically a negative word. It can be used to describe events or things that are futile, inoperative or not valid. I hope that will be useful for any of our less optimistic word imps interested in the possibility of vocabulary stretching. I thoroughly enjoyed all the invented meanings and highly recommend those of the winning duo, Aviva and Coolskoolmom. Well done, you two. Great work.

Heddles

Heddles are small cords in a weaving loom. I'm no weaver but, apparently, the warp is passed through the heddles before going through the reed. That's all gobbledygook to me but will probably be transparently obvious to a craft-minded soul. I loved the invented meanings which were, in the main, a lot easier to decipher. Congratulations to "He Might Be Giant" for an intriguing name and a great win on the poll. Drop by again soon.

Canorous

Canorous means melodious. Quite simple really. Your invented meanings were far more complicated, as I like them to be. And congratulations to Chris. Her very funny invented meaning took a well deserved 50 per cent of the votes on the poll. Great stuff.

Novercal

Novercal, oddly enough, means stepmotherly. Not sure when you would use that in a sentence, but I suppose it could appear in a fairy tale or two. Your invented meanings were wonderful, with the poll win going to Brian O Vretanos. Well done, BOV.

Harquebus

A harquebus is a gun. It's an early portable gun which was supported on a kind of tripod. Presumably an improvement on the cannon. Your invented meanings for harquebus were wonderful and two word imps tied for first place on the poll. Congrats to Thinks! and Magdalene for their great meanings.

Fealty

The real meaning for fealty is tricky but I'll give it a go. It's the acknowledgement made by a feudal tenant of fidelity to his lord. I hope that makes sense. If not, check out your own dictionary for further clarification. Something old fashioned anyway. I loved the variety of invented meanings on the blog today. And I always enjoy the meanings which manage to bring in the word imp family in some form or another. The voters agreed, so it's congratulations to Auntibeck for her amusing invented meaning. Great work, Auntibeck.

Logomachy

Logomachy is indeed about words. Several of our word imps took this tack and I enjoyed their invented meanings very much. However, the real meaning of logomachy is a dispute over words or an argument which is based on verbal points. Good to see some new names on the blog today. I hope you join us again soon. Winners on the poll, with a tie for first place, were Thesaurus Rex and Silver_flight. Great work, you two.

Gossoon

A gossoon is a lad, according to my dictionary. Not much more to add except that it's of Anglo-Irish derivation and seems to have some connection with the French garcon. So, my learning continues. Your invented meanings were inventive and lots of fun. Thanks for participating. I always appreciate it, even if I don't say! And congratulations to Loonilidi who beat her rivals on the poll today. Great work LL.

Glandiferous

Glandiferous means bearing acorns. Presumably in the form of a tree rather than a girl carrying them in a basket but you never know, I guess. Anyway, the invented meanings for glandiferous were varied and mind bending. Dancerella sat at the top of the poll with her witty meaning. Well done!

Midden

A midden is some kind of rubbish pile or dunghill, oddly enough. Apparently, it's usually a prehistoric type of rubbish heap full of shells and bones. Charming. Our invented meanings were far more romantic and we have two sharing the winner's podium today. Congratulations to Rhonda and Lorenzothellama!

Peruke

Yes, peruke is another term for wig. Not sure how or why as my dictionary wasn't telling. Our invented meanings were far more on the ball, if you ask me. Lots of variety, too, which is always good. A dedicated word imp, Brian o Vretanos, topped the poll by the tiniest of whiskers today. Great work, Brian.

Viviparous

Viviparous is a zoological term referring to those who give birth to live young as opposed to laying an egg which hatches later. I guess that makes me viviparous. If only I could pronounce it correctly! Your invented meanings were well written and fun to read, with Judi's being the deserved winner on the poll. Great work, Judi.

Murex

A murex is a shellfish. The interesting thing about the murex is its ability to produce purple dye. I like purple, so I'd probably like the murex. Your invented meanings were spot on today. Thanks for the fun. I'm happy to announce that Thinks! was today's poll winner with another great meaning. Well done.

Sistrum

A sistrum is a jingling rattle used by ancient Egyptians. I enjoyed your invented meanings for sistrum and thought they were much better than the true meaning. Raelha's meaning gained favour with the most voters - again! Great work, Raelha.

Teapoy

A teapoy, using my alliterative skills, is a tiny three-legged table for tea. It may also have four legs if preferred. So we were on the right track with our invented meanings. Herdingcats is today's winner on the poll with a very descriptive meaning. Well done!

Popliteal

Popliteal refers to the hollow at the back of the knee. So says my esteemed lexicon. Your invented meanings were well thought out and v. interesting. Thanks for taking the time to play the game. I'm always glad to have your company. The voters liked Raelha's meaning today. Great work, Raelha.

Kraken

Kraken is a mythical sea monster whose mythical home was off the coast of Norway. I haven't heard of him before, but I'll check him out in a Norwegian fairy tale book some time. I'm assuming he's male, of course. Maybe not. The voters loved the meaning suggested by Scriptor Senex today. Great work, SS. Keep it up.

Brachylogy

Brachylogy is conciseness of speech or excessively condensed speech. I'm sorry to say I'm not a brachylogist! I find them sometimes worth of admiration and sometimes frustrating. Thanks for your innovative possibilities for brachylogy. We have two winners - again. This time, it's Sandy Shoes and Thesaurus Rex. Great work, both of you.

Blindage

Blindage is a screen used as fortification by troops in sieges - presumably to keep them out of sight of the enemy. I'm not an expert on war, so I'm just surmising from the vague meaning in my dictionary. I like the sound of the word, though, and I love the invented meanings. There was a tied at the top of the poll today. The winners were Thinks! and Debra Quarles. Well done, you two.

Lixiviate

To lixiviate something is to separate it into soluble and insoluble parts by percolation in water. I never was that great at science, sorry. I know that definition will make a lot of sense to most of you, though. I rather liked the invented meanings today. Good to see some new faces and the return of some familiar ones. And well done to Brian O Vretanos - who is the winner on the poll today. Great work again, Brian.

Scopula

Those whose invented meanings involved magnifying lenses weren't far from the mark in some ways. You'd certainly need a magnifying glass to see scopula. And you'd need a dead bee. Scopulae (yes, that is the plural) are the small brushlike hairs found on a bee's legs. Not sure I've ever looked for them, but someone obviously did. Presumably, a scopula is one such hair. Magnification required to see that would probably be considerable. Look at all the learning we're doing! Chris is to be congratulated for her wonderful meaning for scopula. Thanks, Chris.

Rosolio

Rosolio is a sweet cordial which originated from a plant named sundew which I've never heard of. I'm picking the cordial is probably red but my dictionary was mum on that point. Such a drink would be nice to quaff on a warm Spring day like the one I'm experiencing here in New Zealand. Your invented rosolios were wonderful, as always. Sorry Brian, as a blonde, I couldn't put your meaning on the poll - even though I liked it! The winner, by a long way, was Raelha. Thanks, Raelha. Great work.

Ogham

Ogham (also spelled ogam) is an ancient alphabet that I, for one, have never heard of until now. Apparently it had 20 letters and was used in Britain and Ireland. Not sure how similar it was to our current alphabet. Perhaps the linguists out there can bring us up to speed on that. Thanks to Thinks! for another great invented meaning. You're top of the poll once again. Your dedication to Word Imperfect is appreciated - especially considering you're a cat!

Nagana

Nagana isn't nice. It's a livestock disease transmitted via the tsetse fly. Your invented meanings were great! I was very impressed with them. We had another tie on the poll today. It was between Pastor Phil and The Encourager. How appropriate. I'm sure you'll both be happy to share the honour.

Scug

Oh the poor scug! It's a person lacking spirit, sociabililty, sportsmanship and manners! Come on, scug. Get your act together. I suspect we all know a scug. Some may even be related to one. Nuf said. Well done, Magdalene, for your great meaning for scug. You're today's poll winner.

Bradawl

A bradawl is a small non-spiral boring tool. I can't think of a use for one right now, but leave it with me. I should come up with something over the course of the day. Speaking of the day, you may or may not have noticed that I've changed the time of day that I update this blog. Hopefully this will be more family friendly! I loved your meanings for bradawl by the way. Very innovative. Aviva is today's winner, by the way. Great work, Aviva.

Anosmia

Anosmia is having no sense of smell. Now that could be useful from time to time. My daughter, unfortunately, has the opposite of anosmia. A highly developed sense of smell. Not sure of the word to describe that. Well done for all your meanings for anosmia. They were hilarious. Judi was the winner today. Great work, Judi.

Jequirity

Oddly enough, jequirity is an Indian shrub! Its seeds are used for ornamental and medicinal purposes. We were all well and truly fooled by that one. Loved your meanings as usual. Its amazing how many original meanings we can come up with, each and every day. The power of the human mind and all that, I guess. And one of our clever word imps has won at the poll again today. Congratulations, Brian O Vretanos!

Exuviate

To exuviate is to shed or slough off your skin, shell or other type of covering. A couple of our word imps were very close to the correct meaning - accidentally I'm sure. I found it interesting to read the invented meanings and try to figure out the invented etymology that went along with them. Obviously avoiding housework today! And happy to add that Aviva took the votes with her meaning for exuviate. Thanks, Aviva. Great work.

Pittite

A pittite is someone who sits in a seat located in the pit of a theatre. Obvious, some would say. The blog meanings were a wonderful mix of "of course!" and "fancy that!" today. Well done to everyone who played the game - especially Chris who was top of the poll today. Great work!

Jeremiad

A jeremiad is a lamentation or doleful complaint, named for Jeremiah of Biblical fame. Some of your meanings weren't far off the mark today. I really enjoyed reading them and found each one interesting. Thanks for your dedication to the cause. Realityjunkie took all the sympathy and a lot of the votes today. Congratulations for being the winner on the poll, Realityjunkie. Hope it made up for the jeremiad of a day!

Dandle

To dandle a child is to dance the child around in your arms or on your knee. A great pasttime! Thanks for your invented meanings for dandle. I enjoyed them immensely. Well done to Brian O Vretanos who was the winner on today's poll. Great work as always, Brian.

Fabulist

A fabulist creates fables. Apparently this can be in the literary sense - as in Aesop - as well as being the equivalent of a liar. I think I'd rather be the literary type of fabulist. But there's another interesting fact to tuck away. Thanks for your meanings today. Two word imps tied at the top of the poll. Well done to Thinks! and Scriptor Senex. Keep up the great work.

Welkin

My dictionary tells me that welkin is a poetic word for sky. Poetic? Mmmm. Interesting. I have no more to say on that topic. I liked my own invented meaning much better. However, the winner on the poll was Judi. Great work again, Judi.

Skippet

Okay. Here goes. A skippet is a small container. The container is cylindrical and wooden. It was historically used to protect the seal attached to a ribbon on a deed. Any the wiser? Never mind. Today was another one of those days when each of the three people on the poll received the same number of votes. So it's a hearty congratulations to Magdalene, Brian O Vretanos and Sara. Love your work!

Platinize

To platinize something is to coat it with platinum. Obvious really. However, I do prefer the option of Coolskoolmom's type of platinizing - as did the voters on the poll. Well done, Coolskoolmom. And send your platinizer this way soon!

Huggery

I wish I could say a huggery was something a lot more cuddly than it really is. But I can't. It's really a little boring. It happens when a barrister tries to get a job with an attorney. Something like that anyway. The dictionary meaning was a bit vague. However, the invented meanings were fabulous. I loved them all. And I personally think huggery should get a new meaning. Magdalene's huggery was a big hit with the voters, so that could be it. Well done, Magdalene.

Trecento

The trecento is the correct name for the 14th century in Italian art and literature. At first I found this hard to fathom, thinking that 14 and "tre" didn't seem to work that well together. But then I engaged my brain and realised that the 14th century was really all the dates starting with 13! And, yes Pastor Phil, I did start this blog on Friday 13th. Just to make a point. Back to trecento. Thanks for the meanings added by dedicated word imps. They were very creative. There's something weird going on though. Last time I put a "tri" word on the blog, 3 people tied on the poll. And it's happened again with a "tre" word. So, strangely enough, it's congratulations to Brian O Vretanos, Aviva and Lorenzothellama!

Fraxinella

Fraxinella is a garden herb which, oddly enough, emits a flammable vapour in hot weather! Good grief. As if life wasn't frightening enough. However, I don't have it in my garden as far as I know. I loved the meanings on the blog today. Wonderful! The voting was split evenly between Aviva and Thinks! Great work, both of you.

Thaumaturge

Yes, thaumaturge is a real word. And a good one. It means miracle worker. I had fun reading the meanings from our word imps today and welcome the contributions from several new names on the blog. There was a wide range of suggestions and the winner on the blog came from a newcomer of royal status, named King William. Well done, KW.

Paternoster

Paternoster is mostly in relation to things of the faith. It's apparently another word for The Lord's Prayer. It has other related meanings which you can discover for yourself. However, it's apparently also the word to describe a fishing line with hooks at intervals. Of course the word imps were on fine form with their invented meanings, as is always the case. The pollsters particularly liked the meaning suggested by Holly. Great work, Holly. And lovely name, too.

Kerf

A kerf is the edge left by cutting something with a saw. So, the cut end of a tree which has been felled is called a kerf. Who knew? Hopefully the woodcutter did, but I'm not so sure. However, we had a wonderful range of word imps vying for the leader board again today. Some old names and new ones - which was very exciting. Well done to Coolskoolmom who came away with a win on the poll today. Great work!

Sporangium

A sporangium is a special case for the production of spores. Thank you all for a wonderfully humorous range of meanings for sporangium today. I was very amused by all of today's contributions. Voting was fervent, with a tie between Osobutterfly and Thesaurus Rex. Well done, both of you.

Glyptography

Glyptography is the art of engraving on gem stones. More new information for my tired brain. I can't recall having ever seen an engraved gem stone but there you go. Thanks to the dedicated band of word imps who are keeping things going while some of our number are busy with other duties. I appreciate your commitment. Your meanings were great and the best of all, according to pollsters, was Magdalene. Great work!

Flustra

Flustra is some kind of "sea mat" resembling seaweed, according to my lexicon. Probably that ghastly stuff I accidentally step on while I'm having a summer dip. We only had a small number of word imps participating today but their meanings were great. I hope our other participants come back soon. We miss you! In the meantime, Ju's Little Sister was the winner on the poll. Thanks JLS. I loved your meaning.

Piscivorous

A piscivorous person is a fish eater, of course. Not sure if I would have figured that out without the help of the dictionary though. Herbivorous, carnivorous, omnivorous, piscivorous. I never knew there was a fourth category. Perhaps there are more still... Watch this space. Congratulations to Karishma Hasnat who was a runaway winner on today's poll. Well done, KH. And all the best with the job.

Meniscus

Meniscus is the term for the the curved upper surface of liquid in a container. Fascinating. The invented meanings were also wonderful and I'm pleased to announce The Encourager as today's winner. Well done.

Jactitation

Jactitation seems to have several meanings. One is to falsely claim to be someone's spouse! Another is the restless tossing and turning that occurs with feverish illness. Yet another is limb or muscle twitching. I've had that, but I didn't know it was jactitation at the time. Now I do. And so do you. Thanks for your invented meanings. They all took different winding roads which made for an interesting reading journey. Today's winner on the poll was Edith. Thanks for that Edith. Well done.

Pilgarlic

Pilgarlic actually does have something to do with garlic! It means bald headed and its etymology (according to my dictionary rather than my scholarly background) is related to the similarities between a bald head and peeled garlic! So there you go. I'll try hard to remember that one next time I see a pilgarlic. Thanks for your well written meanings. Very descriptive and interesting indeed. Magdalene was the favoured one among voters today. Great work!

Simoom

A simoom occurs chiefly in the Arabian desert. It's a suffocatingly hot dusty wind which sweeps through a narrow path and is gone within minutes. Makes me glad I'm not a desert dweller. The invented meanings were especially enjoyable and poll voters chose the meaning suggested by Realityjunkie as the best of the best today. Well done, RJ.

Peduncle

Peduncle is, strangely enough, a botanical term. It's the name for the main stalk of a plant. Perhaps I learned that many moons ago but didn't have a reason to remember it. I've got a feeling that I'll forget it again - but never mind. Thanks for your fabulous meanings for peduncle today. I enjoyed them immensely. Voters chose Thesaurus Rex as the winner on the poll. Well done, TR.

Orrery

An orrery is a clockwork model of the planetary system - something we should all have been well aware of. However, I'm happy to admit that it was news to me. Fascinating array of invented meanings today! Thanks for all your contributions. Well done especially to Raelha who's made it to the top of the poll today.

Undine

An undine is a female water sprite who has the chance of receiving a soul if she marries a mortal and bears a child. Another important fact that I've missed over the years. Ho hum. Thanks for your interesting and wide ranging invented meanings for undine. Today's poll winner is Shella. Well done!

Tribology

Tribology is the study of friction, lubrication and wear and tear on machine parts. Well, well, well. Nothing like the meanings invented by the esteemed word imps today, but interesting nevertheless. I think that word could come handy in a pub quiz some day! Oddly enough for a word starting with "tri", all three contestants on the poll gained the same number of votes today. So all three are winners. Congratulations to Sprite, The Encourager and Realityjunkie.

Roucou

Roucou is an orange dye which comes from a West Indian tree of the same name. Our invented meanings are far more fascinating, I'm sure you'll agree. Raelha was the top word imp on our poll today, with a resounding win. Fabulous work, Raelha!

Chad

I heard about chad on the radio the other day. It's the stuff that lots of people, including myself, wrongly call "confetti". Chad is the real name for the stuff which is punched out of a hole punch! I hope I'm not the only one who didn't know that already. Thanks for your invented meanings. They were great. I've added up the votes cast on the blog and through the poll and am happy to announce that Phil was top of the pops today. Well done, Phil.

Eyas

An eyas is, surprisingly, a young hawk which is "in training". I can't be specific on what it's in training for, but I suspect it's something top secret. Anyway, another useful piece of information for those collecting such stuff. Thanks for your interesting meanings for eyas. The poll has finally returned and I'm happy to announce that Edith and Thinks! are equal first. Great work you two.

Opodeldoc

Opodeldoc is nowhere near as interesting as it sounds. My dictionary refers to it as a kind of soap liniment. Not sure if that means a lot to me. There was also mention made of "kinds of medical plaster". So I'll leave it with you to decipher if necessary. Another medical one for the qualified word imps amongst us. Loved your creative meanings today! And very well done to Bee, for a spectacular win on the poll. Keep up the good work.

Equilibrist

An equilibrist is a rope walker. Strange that! Way back when I started this blog in October last year I used a great word - funambulist - which also means rope walker. Just thought I'd share that little piece of trivia with the word imp world. Loved your invented meanings for equilibrist - and particularly enjoyed the meaning suggested by Pastor Phil which was also the winner on the poll. Great work, P.P.

Filaria

Filaria is a parasitic worm! Yukky! It's injected into the bloodstream via certain types of flies and mosquitoes. The blog meanings were far more palatable. Thanks for visiting. Aviva was the poll favourite today. Congratulations on a great meaning, Aviva.

Rhabdomancy

Rhabdomancy is the correct word for water divining using a rod. Fascinating stuff! I hope I wasn't the only one who didn't know that before today. Your invented meanings for rhabdomancy were excellent and I'm pleased to say that Judi was today's winner. Great work, Judi!

Nekton

Nekton is the collective term for free swimming organic life that you would find in oceans and lakes. I'm no scientist, so I'm not sure if I understand what I just typed. Perhaps it will mean something to someone else, though. Nevertheless, a plethora of invented meanings for nekton were suggested. The winner on the poll was Brian O Vretanos. Great work, again, Brian.

Quiff

A quiff is ever so cute. It's a curl lying over a forehead. Just like the nursery rhyme. I'll be looking for opportunities to use that word as soon as possible. The invented meanings were just as wonderful. I found it extremely tricky choosing my top three, though, as each sounded exactly right. The poll voters didn't have any trouble picking a winner, however. It was Realityjunkie. Well done, RJ.

Madrepore

A madrepore is a kind of perforated coral as well as the animal which produces such coral. News to me, but so is most of the stuff I find in the dictionary. My knowledge fits in a box which is much smaller than I'd like to admit. I hope this blog will change that, if only slightly. We had a great turn out of invented meanings today, with a well-deserved win to Herdingcats. Great work!

Scrimshank

To scrimshank is to shirk your duties. Such a person is, of course, a scrimshanker. My dictionary refers to the term as "military slang". Perhaps some of our North American word imps secretly knew that. I'm glad I know this word now. I shall enjoy using it at the earliest possible opportunity. Thanks to Pami Sami for her take on scrimshank. We loved that meaning and it was a clear poll winner today. Great work, PS.

Puttoo

Puttoo is an Indian fabric made from coarse goat's wool. I loved the meanings for puttoo and offer my heartiest congratulations to Thinks! for another fine winning effort.

Vicennial

Vicennial refers to anything which recurs every 20 years or lasts 20 years. Fabulous meanings as always, and apologies again for going AWOL on my dedicated word imps. But I'm back now! Not concentrating well though. I realised, too late, that I hadn't put my three favourites for this one on the poll after all. Late night brain flag, I call it. So, many apologies. In order to avoid a voting backlog, I've decided on a winner myself. Thanks, Brian O Vretanos. I thought your meaning was fabulous.

Doxy

Doxy has two distinct meanings. Firstly, a doxy is a beggar's wench. Who knew? Secondly, a doxy is an opinion on theology. Quite varied meanings, as you can tell, but there you go. The invented meanings were also varied and gave me much cause for hilarity. Thanks for that. The contribution from Wunx~ sneaked through on the poll. Well done, Wunx~.

Buccinator

I'm sorry to report that a buccinator is neither interesting nor funny. According to my dictionary it's a flat, thin cheek muscle. Oh well. It gave us food for thought and plenty of great meanings. Thinks! thought hard and made it to 50 per cent of the vote on the poll - which was enough to be declared today's official winner. Good thinking!

Curare

Curare is a bitter substance from South American plants which Indians used to poison their arrows. Nasty! I'll keep that little tidbit under my hat for now. Not sure if and when it will come in handy. Your invented meanings were strange and wonderful. Magdalene's meaning pipped the others at the post in the winning stakes. Well done, Magdalene. You kept your nose just in front!

Umbles

Umbles is the edible offal of deer and definitely has a connection with the term humble pie. You'll have to look it up yourself for more information on that as the time of night prevents me from going into any further detail. Well done on a fascinating array of invented meanings. Realityjunkie was back with flying colours today and a big win on the poll. Well done, RJ.

Flews

The hanging lips of a bloodhound are known as flews. Another extraordinary fact brought to you by Word Imp. The invented meanings were just as extraordinary and well crafted. Brian O Vretanos had plenty of followers today and his meaning topped the poll. Well done, BOV.

Smallage

Smallage is nowhere near as interesting as it sounds. It's wild celery. The invented meanings were far more out there. I enjoyed reading them very much. It was quite a pick me up after a long day at a squash tournament. Well done, everyone, and especially Pastor Phil who's back from holiday and winning on the poll again. Great work.

Dotard

A dotard is someone in his or her dotage, of course. Now, for those who need more help, your dotage is usually that stage of life when old age and feebleness of mind coincide. I know a few dotards, but I'm too polite to name them. The invented meanings were wonderfully funny, as always. And I'm thrilled to announce that Ju's Little Sister won our hearts and votes with her invented meaning. Great work!

Flivver

A flivver is a cheap motor car. Funny that. Our family has always owned flivvers and never known what to call them. Now we do. It's a slang word of unknown origin according to my dictionary. However, all sorts of other flivvers made it to the blog. Well done everyone - and welcome back, Pastor Phil. Thesaurus Rex took full honours on the poll for this one. Congratulations, again, T.R.

Exsanguinate

To exsanguinate something is to drain it of blood. Charming. There were several word imps who knew this one - obviously ghoulish horror movie fans - but I have to admit it was news to me. I prefer romantic comedies with less blood letting. I thoroughly enjoyed reading today's meanings and am happy to announce that Flamingo was today's poll winner. Congratulations!

Sciagraphy

Sciagraphy is very interesting. It's the action of shading while drawing. It's also x-ray photography. And it's telling the time by looking at the shadows on a sun dial. So, there you go. Fascinating and incredibly informative. If only I could still remember that tomorrow. Ho hum. Well done to Thinks! who was the winner on the poll today.

Geostrophic

Geostrophic means depending on the rotation of the earth. I thoroughly enjoyed the variety of invented meanings on the blog today. Thanks for continuing to visit. I appreciate it very much. The poll voting left Pami Sami as today's winner. Great work, PS!

Repique

A repique is part of a card game called piquet. I think it's when you win 30 points before you've even started playing. Something like that anyway. What a fabulous array of invented meanings! Well done to you all - especially the winner, Raelha. Well done, Raelha.