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metaphors

Off the peg thoughts

A fine metaphor for a mind incapable of original thought or phrasing. The lady has a stock of ready-made comments...

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Dree

A Scottish or archaic word meaning to endure and used in the expression to ‘dree one’s weird’ – to submit...

collective nouns

Badgers

‘A cete (or set) of badgers’ – until I saw it written, I assumed that ‘set’ was the only spelling. ...

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Dottle

This nice glottal stop word refers to the remnant of tobacco left in a pipe after smoking. In Christopher Logue’s...

triologisms

Mastiff-like tenacity

Such jaw-gripping tenacity is used to describe the force that the ending '-cious' adds to words, as in the word...

collective nouns

Boars

‘A singular of boars’ – a singular collective noun if ever I saw one.

...

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Splatchers

‘Splatchers?’ said Roger. ‘Splatchers,’ said the boy. ‘For walking on the mud.’ ‘Gosh!’ said Roger. ‘Like snowshoes?’

When these children...

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Patteran

The children in Swallows & Amazons leave 'patterans' for each other so they can signal which direction they have taken: 'You...

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Orographic

I learned some fine landscape words from reading Barry Lopez’s Arctic Dreams. Orographic means ‘relating to mountains, especially as regards...

metaphors

Plump with meaning

When there is substance behind them, the most ordinary words acquire meaning, and so satisfy the senses as ripe nuts...

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Glebe

A piece of land serving as part of clergyman’s benefice and providing income; (archaic) land, fields. Origin: Late Middle English...

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Dimity

A hard wearing cotton fabric woven with stripes or checks – in Gaskell it’s used to refer to a ‘dimity...

Off the peg thoughts

Dree

Badgers

Dottle

Mastiff-like tenacity

Boars

Splatchers

Patteran

Orographic

Plump with meaning

Glebe

Dimity

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