Third Shelf Words

A comprehensive list of vocabulary terms and definitions covering language, psychology, science, and cultural concepts from the lecture notes.

Affluenza

Addiction to over consumption.

Extortion

Taking something by force, threats, or coercion.

Polemic

an aggressive attack on or refutation of the opinions or principles of another

Culebra

Snake in Spanish.

Splurge

Spending money freely and extravagantly.

Tycoon

A wealthy, powerful person in business or industry.

Inertia

A tendency to do nothing or to remain unchanged.

Assimilate

To take in or understand fully.

Catalyst (not chem)

A person or thing that precipitates an event.

Birds

Slang term for female or amounts of coke.

Vices

Wicked or immoral behavior.

Yamero

Stop in Japanese.

Ohaneze

Everybody in Igbo.

Harlot

Prostitute.

Misconstrued

Interpreted wrongly.

Cold turkey

The abrupt cessation of an act rather than stopping gradually.

Odiar

Hate in Spanish.

Bruja

Witch in Spanish.

Prestige

Widespread respect and admiration, often due to achievement.

Guise

An external form, appearance, or manner of presentation, typically concealing the true nature of something.

Innate

Natural.

Whipped

Dominated by a significant other to the point of being bossed around.

Retribution

Punishment inflicted on someone as vengeance for a wrong and criminal act.

Atrevido

Daring in Spanish.

Four temperaments

A proto psychological theory stating there are four fundamental personality types: sanguine, choleric, melancholic, and phlegmatic.

Temperament

A person or animal's nature, especially if it permanently affects their behavior.

Haptic

Relating to the sense of touch, specifically concerning the perception and manipulation of objects using touch and proprioception.

Haptics

(1) the use of electronically or mechanically generated movement that a user experiences through the sense of touch as part of an interface (as on a gaming console or smartphone)

(2) a science concerned with the sense of touch

Graveyard shift

Working late at night until early in the morning.

Digress

To leave the main subject temporarily in speech or writing.

Sleight of hand

Skillful deception, commonly with hands, used to deceive or manipulate, such as card tricks.

• Pronounced slight

Solace

Comfort or consolation in a time of distress or sadness.

Bravado

A bold manner or a show of boldness intended to impress or intimidate.

Cardinal directions

The four main compass directions: north (N), east (E), south (S), and west (W).

• There are intermediate directions as well like NE

Azimuth

The direction of a celestial object from the observer, expressed as the angular distance from a north or south point on the horizon.

In the picture:

1 horizon

2 zenith

3 star

4 meridian

5 vertical circle

6 azimuth

7 observer

Zenith

(1) the time at which something is most powerful or successful.

(2) the point in the sky or celestial sphere directly above an observer.

Turn of phrase

A particular or characteristic manner of expression.

Hybristophilia

A phenomenon characterized by sexual interest in and attraction to those who commit crimes.

Chronemics

The study of how humans use and perceive time in communication, including nonverbal cues like punctuality, pace of speech, and response times.

Boy wonder

An exceptionally talented young man or boy.

Top shelf

Refers to high quality; also means pornographic in British English.

Ember months

The final four months of the calendar year (September to December) considered together as a very busy period.

Pathologize

To regard or treat as psychologically unusual or unhealthy.

Embolism

Obstruction of an artery, typically by a blood clot or an air bubble.

Alluvion

Flood.

Upward mobility

The capacity or facility for rising to a higher social or economic position.

Pugilist

A fighter, especially a professional boxer.

Asceticism

the practice of strict self-denial as a measure of personal and especially spiritual discipline : the condition, practice, or mode of life of an ascetic : rigorous abstention from self-indulgence

Polity

a society or state considered as a political unit: could potentially be related to a religious denomination’s structure

Caveat emptor

is a Latin phrase meaning "let the buyer beware." It is a commercial principle where the buyer assumes the risk of a purchase, making it their responsibility to inspect goods or property for defects before completing the transaction.

Caveat venditor

A Latin phrase meaning 'let the seller beware'; the opposite of caveat emptor.

Lozenge

(1) diamond shape

(2) a small usually sweetened and flavored medicated material that is designed to be held in the mouth for slow dissolution; think of like a cough drop

Caprice

(1) a sudden, impulsive, and seemingly unmotivated notion or action

(2) a sudden usually unpredictable condition, change, or series of changes

Quid pro quo

something granted or expected in return for something +a form of harassment

Curare

a bitter, resinous substance obtained from the bark and stems of some South American plants. It paralyzes the motor nerves and is traditionally used by some Indigenous peoples to poison their arrows and blowpipe darts.

rogues' gallery

a collection of pictures of persons arrested as criminals also : a collection or list likened to a rogues' gallery (e.g. dictators, viruses, a hero's villains)

stratum

a layer of something, especially rock, soil, or similar material 

• plural strata 

• "members of other social strata"

Gambit

a chess opening in which a player risks one or more pawns or a minor piece to gain an advantage in position

Monogram

a motif of two or more letters, typically a person's initials, usually interwoven or otherwise combined in a decorative design, used as a logo or to identify a personal possession.

• E.g. designer logos: LV (Louis Vuitton), CC (Coco Chanel)

Siesta

An afternoon nap or rest.

rhotacism

(1) a defective pronunciation of r, especially : substitution of some other sound for that of r (e.g. wabbit) (2) linguistics the historical change of a voiced consonant sound (such as the alveolar consonants \z\, \d\, \l\ or \n\) to an r-like consonant (e.g. ben in Hebrew to bar in Aramaic)

latchkey kid/child

a child who is at home without adult supervision for some part of the day, especially after school until a parent returns from work.

consigliere

a person who serves as an adviser or counselor to the leader of a criminal organization such as the mafia 

• solves internal disputes and represents the boss in meetings with the boss's crime family and other crime families

armoire

A usually tall cupboard or wardrobe.

• “arm wahr”

Omnibus

(1) noun a volume containing several novels or other items previously published separately. (2) adjective comprising/containing/including several/many items e.g. an omnibus bill

Anthology

A collection of selected literary pieces, passages, works of art, or music.

Dunning Kruger effect

a cognitive bias that describes the systematic tendency of people with low ability in a specific area to give overly positive assessments of this ability. The term may also refer to the tendency of high performers to underestimate their skills.

• Basically an amateur thinking they're one of one until they get that wakeup call

defenestration

(1) a throwing of a person or thing out of a window (2) a usually swift dismissal or expulsion (as from a political party or office)

• Be careful with the second meaning, as it could stem from the defenestrations of Prague involving Catholics and Protestants

Philander

readily or frequently enter into casual/illicit se*ual relationships, especially used on men.

Axiom

a statement or proposition which is regarded as being established, accepted, or self-evidently true.

• a+b = b+a

• Axiomatic

Adjudicate

to make a formal judgment/decision in a dispute/competition; to settle judicially; to act as judge

Behoove

to be necessary, fit, or proper

• “It behooves us to go”

deliquesce

become liquid by absorbing moisture from the air. 

• del ih kwes

apologia

a defense of one's opinions, position, or actions 

• apple owe jee yuh

quiddity

the inherent nature or essence of someone or something; essence, especially a distinctive feature

Serendipity

finding valuable things by chance; luck

temerity

rashness, recklessness, audacity

Coalition

an alliance for combined action, especially a temporary alliance of political parties forming a government or of states.

polymath

A person of wide-ranging knowledge or learning.

guano

the excrement of seabirds and bats, especially used as fertilizer

je ne sais quoi

something (such as an appealing quality) that cannot be adequately described or expressed

• French for “I don't know what”

sui generis

not like anyone or anything else; constituting a class alone; unique, peculiar 

• Latin, literally ‘of its own kind’.

Comorbidity

the simultaneous presence of two or more diseases or medical conditions in a patient.

• Comorbidity = one condition is given priority, others are treated in relation

• Multimorbidity = no one condition is given priority

bate

falconry (of a hawk) beat the wings in an attempt to escape from the perch; to attempt to fly off something (such as a gauntlet) often due to eagerness, startledness, or fear

midriff

the region of the front of the body between the chest and the waist; the mid-region of the human torso; midsection

acolyte

(1) a person assisting the celebrant in a religious service or procession; a person who assists a member of the clergy in a liturgical service by performing minor duties (2) assistant or follower

Celebrant

(1) a person who performs a rite, especially a priest at the Eucharist. (2) one who celebrates something

Denizen

(1) inhabitant (2) a person allowed residence in a foreign country

Dimorphism

the existence of two different forms of a species

• E.g. sexual dimorphism

epitaph

a phrase or form of words written in memory of a person who has died, especially as an inscription on a tombstone.

Microcosm

a community, place, or situation regarded as encapsulating in miniature the characteristic qualities or features of something much larger.

Echolalia

the repetition of vocalizations made by another person

Literati

well-educated people who are interested in literature.

Via Crucis

(1) the journey of Jesus to the place of his crucifixion. (2) a set of images representing the Stations of the Cross. (3) the suffering and self-sacrifice of a Christian.

• “The way of the cross”

vitriol

Bitterly harsh criticism.

Zeitgeist

the general intellectual, moral, and cultural climate of an era; the defining spirit or mood of a particular period of history as shown by the ideas and beliefs of the time.

Sacristy

a room in a church where sacred vessels and vestments are kept and where the clergy prepares for services, rites, etc.

Ingrate

maybe derogatory an ungrateful person

cataclysm

(1) a sudden violent change/disruption, especially in a political or social context (2) a large-scale and violent event in the natural world; catastrophe

Rally cap

a baseball cap worn inside-out or in some other unconventional manner by players and/or fans to will a team to a come-from-behind victory late in a game. The rally cap is primarily a baseball superstition