abulia – \ay-BOO-lee-uh\ noun : abnormal lack of ability to act or to make decisions
exempla gratia- Webster was struck with an acute case of abulia at the video store; he could not decide between Pornochio or Saving Ryan’s Privates.
baksheesh – \BAK-sheesh\ noun : payment (as a tip or bribe) to expedite service
exempla gratia- “Here, take this baksheesh,” Ben told Heather, handing her a sweaty wad of singles. “I don’t have time for the usual tops-and-tails and champagne room. Just give me a quickie, down-and-dirty.”
denegation – \deh-nih-GAY-shun\ noun : denial
exempla gratia- Dexter was in a constant state of denegation. Among other things, he still adheres to the fact that not only did Thomas Dewey win the election of ’48, but also Bush won the election of ’00.
enfant terrible – \ahn-fahn-teh-REE-bluh\ noun : a child whose inopportune remarks cause embarrassment
exempla gratia- Henry and Alice had quite the enfant terrible in little Dennis. He once announced to a crowded room of their friends that not only did he just “shit his pants” but he also once “touched the cat’s special place.”
farrago \fuh-RAH-goh\ noun : a confused mixture : hodgepodge
exempla gratia- Taking two ounces of every bottle of liquor his parents had, Jack created a potent farrago of spirits he dubbed “Jack’s Magic Potion.” Upon drinking an eighth of the concoction, his lunch of hot dogs, french fries, and jelly beans made an encore appearance on the kitchen floor.
halcyon – \HAL-see-un\ adjective : calm, peaceful
exempla gratia- After swallowing a handful of Halcion, Patrick felt halcyon and ready for bed.
hypnagogic – \hip-nuh-GAH-jik\ adjective : of, relating to, or occurring in the period of drowsiness immediately preceding sleep
exempla gratia- As I laid there, about to fall asleep, lying in a hypnagogic state, I wondered why David Cross was teaching my Biology class, and I was sorry that I had such a hard time paying attention because he’s one funny guy. I was just. so. . sleepy. . .
louche – \LOOSH (“OO” as in “food”)\ adjective : not reputable or decent
exempla gratia- Did you say that Vera was “louche” or “loose?” Oh wait, they’re the same thing, aren’t they?
nyctalopia – \nik-tuh-LOH-pee-uh\ noun : night blindness
exempla gratia- At first, they thought it was Fred’s nyctalopia that gave him a tendency to walk into walls and closed doors unless he turned on all the lights. It turns out Fred’s just spastic. Once while eating at the Mexicali Grille, he managed to spill his beer, overturn a bowl of salsa onto his pants, AND jab a fork in his eye– all in one fluid motion. I’ve never seen anything like it.
oneiric – \oh-NYE-rik\ adjective : of or relating to dreams : dreamy
exempla gratia- While he lay sleeping, Scruffy had oneiric visions of bottomless bowls of soup and rivers of MD 20/20. These dreams were only interrupted when he awoke to the sounds of raccoons leaping into the Dumpster in which he was resting.