The term is still used today in British English to indicate something, usually a situation that is unnecessarily complex or chaotic, in the phrase "What a palaver!".
salubrious /səˈluːbrɪəs/ adjective health-giving; healthy. I actually used to think that this pertained to celebration. Sometimes it pays to look things up!
Read the following passage from Robert E. Howard. He was a man born out of his time — a strange blending of Puritan and Cavalier, with a touch of the ancient philosopher, and more than a touch of the pagan, though the last assertion would have shocked him unspeakably. An atavist of the days of blind chivalry he was, a knight errant in the somber clothes of a fanatic. A hunger in his soul drove him on and on, an urge to right all wrongs, protect all weaker things, avenge all crimes against right and justice. Wayward and restless as the wind, he was consistent in only one respect — he was true to his ideals of justice and right. Such was Solomon Kane. Which, besides striking me as awesome, prompted me to lookup... Atavist noun A person of atavistic beliefs or habits. Which didn't really help, so of course I went a little further... Atavistic adjective relating to earlier, more primitive behavior that returns after an absence.
I see it most often used in a scientific sense. Usually relating to genetics. Like atavistic genes or atavistic [primal] behavior. It's one of those words that doesn't really have a next level activation beyond its technical definition. And it feels dated to me... like something that might have gotten thrown around a bit when Darwin was popular and had a more accessible analogy than it does now.
I've often seen it in the sense of "He felt the atavistic urge to bash his boss's brains in with the toaster oven."
Conurbation noun an extended urban area, typically consisting of several towns merging with the suburbs of one or more cities. "the major conurbations of London and Birmingham"
I can't fault you for that. Certain words that I lookup leave me thinking: nah, not for me. And I rarely have a good reason as to why. This (conurbation) isn't one of them, though. I just came across it in a cyberpunk detective story and felt it worked nicely there.
To me it feels like a word that was made up because they felt like they needed an extension for the word "urban". It's clunky and pragmatic!
James Bama is an illustrator/artist known for, among many other things, the covers for the Doc Savage series:
Courtesy of Stephen King. Rabelaisian adjective displaying earthy humor; bawdy. "the conversation was often highly Rabelaisian"
Definition of wisp 1: a small handful (as of hay or straw) 2a: a thin strip or fragment b: a thready streak e.g. a wisp of smoke c: something frail, slight, or fleeting e.g. a wisp of a girl, a wisp of a smile 3archaic : WILL-O'-THE-WISP
Six years ago, according to FB, but: homeovestism (uncountable) (psychology) sexual arousal in response to wearing clothing that is typical for one's sex aka getting one's kicks from being cisgender. Who knew?
Crepitate verb gerund or present participle: crepitating make a crackling sound. "the night crepitates with an airy whistling cacophony"
