• stem-winder • Pronunciation: stem -wain-dêr • Hear it! Part of Speech: Noun Meaning: 1. A keyless watch that is wound up by a permanent stem connected to the spring. 2. Something first-rate, something excellent in its class, a doozy . 3. A rousing, energetic speech. Notes: This word has been arou...

fes-uh-nahyn, -nin]
–adjective
scurrilous; licentious; obscene: fescennine mockery.

Origin:
1595–1605; < Latin Fescennīnus of, belonging to Fescennia, a town in Etruria noted for jesting and scurrilous verse; see -ine1

And, will wonders never cease?, it's not listed as obsolete or archaic.

Here's what etymonline has to say: 1590s, "oppressively hot, close and moist" (of weather), from obs. verb sulter "to swelter" (1580s), alteration of swelter. Fig. sense of "hot with lust" is attested from 1704; of women, "lascivious, sensual, arousing desire"...

Ah ha, now I get it. The old Amer-Brit "football" quibble plays a role here. Thanks for clearing it up.

Other than inflammable, are there any other such non-antonyms based on "in"?

It's nice to know you missed someone. Gives hope that if I hang around awhile then disappear, someone may notice.

Let's hope we don't have to miss you.

Would he be a fan of Crystal Palace?

I don't get it. You lost me on this one.

I don't play any card games, other than solitaire on my computer. However, this term did just come up in a crossword puzzle. Thanks to this discussion, I knew the answer.

I'm not quite sure what V wanted to say here, but my interest has been piqued by the "Stella Bridges" name. Is there any tie-in that anyone can come up with that includes the Bridges part? Or is perhaps Stella merely a reference to her looks or performance? Performance being as the charact...

I am curious as to the reference to an "obligation to follow suit in card games like bridge." Is this a specific to card games reference, or just an example pulled out of thin air?

Can anyone help?

Thank you Audiendus and saparris, I enjoy these poetic constructions. Would that I had a poetic bone in my body so that I could take part myself. Keep up the good work!

Thank you once again.

I recently learned a new word that may be even harsher than scurrilous:

sterquilinious

Of or relating to a dung hill.

It's hard to find on the Internet, but it is in the print version of the OED.

Use it for your least favorite politician.

It is interesting that the examples given are of people generally considered fairly decent. Would the murder of Hitler or Gaddafi be an assassination? Just today, in an article on the US Supreme Court, I was reminded of the word "extrajudicial." Applied to the Court, it refers to activitie...

Quite by chance, I just read another article on this word. It also explains tittle. A tittle is the dot over the i.

I've seen this one before someplace, but can't remember where. It's from Dickens, but I don't know how he came up with it. As to Pharisaical being a synonym, my take is not really. I gather that Pharisaical is being pecksniffian about religious matters, whereas a pecksniff may just be a stickler for...