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skarked, guying, and putresce

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 3:01 pm
by cnichol
This is my first time suggesting words through this forum. I was reading a short story by Neil Gaiman called "Forbidden Brides of the Faceless Slaves in the Secret House of the Night of Dread Desire" (fun story!) and there were a few words I either had not heard of or had not heard them used in that way before. Here they are:

skarked - "Above her . . . night things whooped and skarked." I know what it means but I'm curious where the word came from.

guying -"I find myself guying literary convention . . ."

putresce - "the body began to putresce." Again, I deduced what it means but am curious about the word itself.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 3:12 pm
by Perry Lassiter
Always glad to welcome a new poster. I have no clue, however, to the words, except the last verb must have come from the noun putrescence from putrid. Where is the short story? Sounds like fun. And keep posting on here!

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 4:11 pm
by Audiendus
I haven't heard of "skark", but I presume it is onomatopoeic.

"Guy" means to mock or ridicule.

Posted: Wed Nov 23, 2011 6:21 pm
by Perry Lassiter
google skark. Fascinating.