Scandium

In the real world, scandium is a rare silvery white metallic element. Who would have thought? I loved the invented meanings and friendly banter that went along with this meaning. It brought back memories of the old days when I had lots of blog visitors. I hope it's a sign that those days are returning. Choosing a winner was tricky as the meanings were all funny and innovative. However, a choice had to be made, so I went with...

Greedy Biscuit Baron: Scandium is the scientific term for the sleep/eyegrit that gets left in the corner of your eye after having had a kip. There are similar scientific terms for other unwanted bodily by-products, such as scendium which is the scientific term for bogeys and heardinium for earwax....

Good work, GBB. And great to have you back!

Rusticate

Rusticate has two very different meanings in real life. The most expected meaning is "to retire to the country". That's quite delightful and is a word that should be used more often. The other, unexpected meaning, is quite bizarre and intriguing. According to my dictionary, rusticate also means to "banish someone temporarily from university as a punishment". Now who would have ever thought that? That's what I like about being a word imp - the lifelong learning.

Anyway, the game participants will be keen to know which invented meaning has been selected as today's winner. It was a hard decision, but I have gone with the effort of Hey Jude. Well done, Jude. Here it is: To rusticate is to country-fy something. People who live in the city often rusticate their property to make it feel like they live more rurally. An example of this would be to adorn their garden with a wagon wheel, or an old milk can filled with a pansy plant.

Invigilate

Invigilating is actually supervising people who are sitting an exam! I would love to do that. It's one of my life's aims to invigilate! Usually the invented meanings are way cooler than the real meaning and they still are, but I just love the real meaning as well.

I chose Tony Chestnut's meaning as today's word imp winner. Well done TC. Here's his suggestion: Invigilate is the antonym of procrastinate. Why put off until tomorrow what you can do today? (As a great procrastinator I can think of plenty of reasons!).

Viviparous

I am viviparous! It means producing live offspring which is what I have done twice. Strangely enough, the day I'm updating this blog (24 March) is the 13th anniversary of my last viviparous experience - which is another way of saying it's my youngest child's 13th birthday today. But I digress...

I have chosen Vicki Malicki as today's winner. Here's her funky meaning for viviparous: Viviparous is what happens to a once vivacious and beautiful woman when she realises that she has grown older, is losing her looks and men don't look at her in quite the same way anymore. Her vivaciousness vapourises, seemingly overnight, and all that is left is an empty shell of a woman. If only she had gone to secratarial school like her mother had wanted her to instead of relying on rich men to keep her in the lifestyle she was accustomed to....

Decretal

Thanks for your great meanings for decretal. It is actually a papal decree. Quite obvious when you think about it. However, ignorance was bliss on this occasion and allowed us to get creative. My favourite today was the creative moment from Hey Jude. Thanks Jude!

Here's her winning entry: Unfortunately I gave to be very honest with this one, and tell you all that decretal is the stuff you see hanging out of fishes' bottoms in fish tanks. And when it finally breaks off, another fish will come along and eat it. Yuck.

Sough

Sough describes a sighing sound - for example, the sighing sound made by the wind. That gives me another idea for a way to use the word 'sough' in future... Anyway, two brave word imps joined the game today and both were in the same ballpark.

Vicki Malicki scraped through with her suggestion that "Sough when pronounced sounds like cough. Sough is the noise that comes out when someone is saying a rude word under their breath, while trying not to let people in their immediate vicinity know that they are saying a rude word. You would think they just wouldn't bother saying it at all if they don't want people to hear, but an unstoppable urge leads them to sough. As for me, I just say it out loud!"

Legerdemain

Legerdemain is actually another word for sleight of hand or cunning deception. I'm not sure whether Dogmum knew that when she invented her cunning meaning. I liked that meaning a lot, Dogmum. However, on this occasion I have chosen the suggestion of LivelyClamor as it made me giggle - too close to the bone perhaps!

Here's LC's meaning for you: Legerdemain is making sure you have enough left on your to do list to put off working on taxes till tomorrow.

Graminivorous

Graminivorous means grass eating. So cows and sheep are graminivorous. I feel glad to know that. Thanks for your interesting meanings today. I chose the suggestion of Dogmum as my favourite - although I enjoyed them all. Well done everyone.

Dogmum said: Graminivorous describes inverse proportional eating in the animal kingdom. There is a common saying that people eat like a sparrow, usually used to describe someone who doeasn't eat very much. In actual fact, sparrows eat 2-3 times their body weight every day. Therefore the feeding patterns of animals such as sparrows is classed as graminivorous.

Brinjal

My dictionary informs me that brinjal is the name for the dark purple South African fruit which is - for reasons unexplained - cooked and eaten as a vegetable. I'll take their word for it. There's no mention of whether it's a vegetable dreaded by children. Perhaps someone of South African background can inform us of the taste of a brinjal. Thanks for your interesting contributions. I thoroughly enjoyed them and have chosen, as today's winner,Vicki Malicki for her choice of brinjal as a rite of passage.

Here's VM's meaning: Brinjal is an ancient Indian custom where upon reaching the age of 13, Indian males must eat exactly 13 of the hottest chillis available in India. This is where the term Delhi Belly originated from, as you can imagine the after effects of eating 13 very hot chillis is not too pleasant.

Pusillanimous

Pusillanimous is a synonym for timid and cowardly. I will try to use that in a sentence today! Thanks for your intriguing meanings for pusillanimous. I enjoyed reading them.Congrats to Whitedaisy for a great meaning.

Whitedaisy's winning entry is: Pusillanimous refers to the society of mysterious black cats which always comes out from nowhere. No one knows their names and where they came from. These cats are pusillanimous.

Cognomen

A cognomen is another word for nickname. My dictionary also says it's another word for surname. I prefer the nickname version. Thanks for your innovative meanings. I loved them all and I enjoyed this creative and very academic sounding meaning from Vfmac, today's winner:

The cognomen was an old position among young scribes. One so honored was tasked with holding up an open book for an elder, acting as a human podium in essence.

Grillage

Grillage describes a wooden frame used as a building foundation on soft earth. That's according to my dictionary. However, your fabulous meanings were much more interesting and I've chosen the invented meaning from Scriptor Senex as my fave today. Here's his suggestion: "Grillage is that which happens when an amateur attempts to barbecue sausages. It derives from the words grill and pillage and the results are usually inedible."

Thanks for your contributions and sorry for my 2 month absence. I was still on earth, just busy moving house and dealing with family issues as well as having a bit of a break. Welcome back!

Crocidolite

Crocidolite is a yellow mineral produced from a fibrous silicate. My dictionary gives several other chemical/scientific details, which I can't be bothered repeating here. Basically, nothing to do with crocodiles!

Realityjunkie's meaning was the pick of a great bunch this week. Thanks for your fabulous contributions. Here's RJ's suggestion:

Crocidolite is a dermatologic term used to describe a patient with severely dry skin. There are many creams available for these poor eczema ridden people, however, the best treatment is to dampen the skin, rub vaseline or crisco on the skin and occlude the area.

Panopticon

A panopticon was a proposed circular prison with a central section for prison warders, and the cells all placed around that in a circle. Cool!

Our invented meanings were just as cool and Hey Jude's suggestion was perfect. I think I'll join. Thanks Jude.

Here it is again: Panopticon describes followers of of the 'Peter Pan' movement - members of this group have vowed never to grow up. They meet every year for a convention, which is known as the Panopticon.

Tenaculum

Ouch! A tenaculum is actually a sharp hook that a surgeon uses for picking up arteries. Sounds dangerous. Moving right along... I loved the meanings sent in for this word. You all made the decision as hard as it always is. Well done for your efforts. I finally chose the meaning suggested by Vicki Malicki. Love your work Vicki!
Here's her contribution:

Paul the Octopus from Germany who successfully predicted many game outcomes in the recent Soccer World Cup was a Tenaculum. He was revered throughout the Octopus world and his sad departure from this life has left a huge gap. However, a rumour is circulating that an up and coming young Octopus called Gary from Samoa is widely tipped to become the next Tenaculum.

Carking

Carking apparently means burdensome. I can't explain that, so I won't try. Swiftly on to the invented meanings then...

What a hard choice. There were some excellent meanings for carking, but Realityjunkie had such a warm and fuzzy entry that I just had to choose it.

Here it is: Carking is the sweet sound puppies make while they're sleeping. It's somewhere between a bark and a sigh. I love the sound of carking.

Elecampane

Elecampane is less beautiful than it sounds to me. It's a plant with bitter aromatic leaves.

I loved the word picture created by LivelyClamor. Here's the winning meaning: Elecampagne is a canopy with lots of little bells sewn onto it which ring at the slightest breeze.

Petuntse

Petuntse describes white earth that is used in China for making porcelain. Thanks for your varied meanings.

Angripengwin is today's winner, with this lovely meaning: Petite old woman who has a habit of wobbling about the place.

Boscage

Boscage refers to masses of trees or shrubs. I certainly have never heard of the term before. However, I can now say that I am fortunate to be surrounded by boscage where I live. I loved the invented meanings for boscage and would like to make silver_flight today's winner. In fact, I think this meaning should be the real one for boscage. Here it is:
I think this would be an old-fashioned starched shirt that forces one into a particular posture in an attempt to confer authority.

Gigmanity

Gigmanity refers to middle class - or so says my dictionary. I thought it would be something far more imaginative, like the meaning suggested by Hey Jude for example.
Well done, HJ. You're a winner!

Hey Jude's meaning follows: Gigmanity was the name of the giant in one of the several versions of Jack and the Beanstalk. It may surprise you to know that there have been several versions of this story by different authors. The name Gigmanity didn't stick because back in the 1800's is was a reasonably weird name and the publisher suggested it be changed to Giant.