Words of the Day, Summer '06

Over the summer I worked as an intern at an engineering firm. I had my own little cubicle with a phone, drawers, and a whiteboard. Unfortunately, I really had almost no use for any of the above, as I spent most of my time on the computer helping on others' projects. Deciding to break up the monotony, my fellow intern cube-neighbor and I decided to implement a Word of the Day, which was proudly displayed on both whiteboards for all to see. Now, you get to read them too.

• Defenestrate: To throw out a window
• Antidisestablishmentarianism: Commonly, the state of being against the separation of church and state
• Juxtaposition: Placing two things in close proximity for contrasting effect
  
• Postprandial: Relating to the time after a meal
• Ennui: A long-lasting boredom and dissatisfaction
  
• Thaumaturge: A magician
  
• Deflagrate: To burn with intense heat and sparks
• Stultiloquy: Silly babbling
  
• Ephemeron: Something that exists only for a brief moment
  
• Mugwump: Someone who remains aloof on important issues
  
• Venal: Susceptible to bribery
  
• Flagitious: Criminal or villainous
  
• Numismatic: Relating to money, especially metallic currency
  
• Cachinnatory: Characterized by loud laughter
  
• Paronomasia: A play on words; a pun
  
• Termagant: A harsh-tempered or overbearing woman
  
• Obfuscate: To render unintelligible or difficult to understand
  
• Boondoggle: A pointless task that falsely appears to be of some value
  
• Yegg: A safecracker. (You know, like in The Italian Job.)
  
• Bloviate: To speak pompously.
  
• Festinate: To hurry or rush
  
• Mattoid: A borderline psychopath
  
• Oppugn: To question the validity of
  
• Hirsute: Hairy
  
• Multifarious: Of many varied types
  
• Hebetude: The state of being dull or lethargic
  
• Nescience: Lack of knowledge
  
• Nefarious: Wicked or criminal, usually referring to an action
  
• Plebian: Commonplace; of the common people
  
• Fustigate: To beat or punish severely
• Conurbation: An area in which numerous cities run together without any clear boundaries between them
  
• Deray: Disorder; merriment
  
• Germane: Relevant, pertinent
  
• Obnubilate: To cloud over; to becloud
  
• Blithe: Showing a cheerful indifference considered to be improper or inappropriate
  
• Skullduggery: unscrupulous behavior; trickery
  
• Supercilious: Haughtily disdainful or contemptuous
  
• Surreptitious: Done or made by stealth
  
• Mellifluous: Sweetly or smoothly flowing
  
• Peremptory: Leaving no opportunity for denial or refusal; imperative
  
• Inveigh: To protest strongly or attack vehemently with words
  
• Fatuous: Foolish or inane; silly
  
• Arrogate: To claim without proper warrant
  
• Perspicacious: Having keen mental perception and understanding
  
• Supposititious: Fraudulently substituted or pretended; spurious
  

And if, by any chance, you find this a supercilious attempt to bring peremptory attention to my striking supposititious lack of hebetude and nescience, I suggest you find yourself some skullduggery, you mulifarious bloviating yegg.