I wondered in an old post if a contrivance were pejorative. Now I'd say that it can be, but if the contriving isn't nice, connivance would be the better word to use. And vice-versa.
Even having read this way back when it first came out, and several times since then, I can't seem to break myself of the habit of pronouncing it with a 'knack'. Sigh.
Would putting the decoration on the first letter alter the pronunciation to 'ay'? I took 4 years of French in high school, but that was a couple of years back, and I never used it either.
GBS of course was thinking idolatry of the Bard when he coined his word, but idolatry has two parts itself. The -latry part is covered in the Dr.'s discussion of epeolatry . Another word to add to the list started there is angelolatry. Perhaps of interest is that -latry is related to larceny .
I was wondering about verger, the guy who holds the verge, which according to dictionary.com is "a rod, wand, or staff, especially one carried as an emblem of authority or of the office of a bishop, dean, or the like."
Though the bourgeois do tend to be possessed of generous bellies and budgets, it appears their word is not related. See here and here . I was surprised, as I was led to thinking they might be by the dismissive term for a bourgeois; bougie. Come to find out bougie is not only that, but also a candle ...
Post cards have always cheaper than envelopes, but one-centers may still be old enough to be worth something. You should look them up. Or, just add the difference to make today's cost and you can use them.