* "commination" - the first definition given for commination is "an instance, or the action of announcing, warning of, or threatening punishment or vengeance, esp. divine punishment or vengeance." The etymology is Latin and comes from comminari, which means to "threaten." The part that grabbed my attention was at the end of the etymology where it said after several Latin words "--more at MOUNT." Over the last few years, I've come to realize that mounts (short for mountains) are often used as a representation of secret organizations working to control events in the world from behind public knowledge, which organizations the Book of Mormon describes as "secret combinations." "Combination" and "commination" sound almost identical, and secret organizations that don't rely on secret threats don't stay secret for long.* "mental chemistry" = "associationism by analogy with chemistry that forms mental compounds with qualities not inherent in the elements to be combined." What does this look like? Can one use a recipe, for lack of a better word, saying, "combine three parts fear, one part disgust, and one part anger to get a person willing to act in a certain unusual-for-them way"? Such formulas would come in handy in marketing fields and politics.* "groovy" has an unexpected first definition: "settled into a fixed often tiresomely undeviating way of living or acting or thinking <so-called leaders who have become [groovy] dolts." This isn't how people usually use the word.
* "sludge": "to sludge" can mean either "to fill in with sludge" or the opposite, "to clear of sludge."
* "frazil" = "ice crystals or granules sometimes resembling slush that are formed in turbulent water." Wouldn't these exist in slushie drinks or some ice cubes? Oddly, the etymology says the word is from the French fraisil meaning "coal cinders" and further claims that comes from the Latin word for "torch." What do cinders and ice crystals have to do with each other?* "cylinder" has a very odd etymology: "MF or L; MF cylindre, fr. L cylindrus, fr. Gk kylindros, fr. kylindein to roll; akin to OE sceol wry, sqinting, OHG scelah, ON skjalgr wry, squinting, L scelus crime, wickedness, Gk skolios curved, crooked, skelos leg, Alb tshäle lame; basic meaning: turning, bending." Wickedness? Squinting? What's that about?* "topless" has two older definitions, the archaic-labeled one of "so high as to reach up beyond sight," and the obsolete-labeled one of "SUPREME." Because the dictionary treats archaic definitions as old but still valid, that means "topless" can mean having an invisible top.* "syncryptic" is a word that describes how imposters can hide in plain sight: "of, relating to, or being a protective resemblance in appearance in which basically unlike organisms are similar (as in color) often through a common adaptation to their environment, also: exhibiting such resemblance...compare SYNTECHNIC." Just because someone looks and acts a part doesn't mean they're genuinely motivated by the same things that motivate outwardly-similar people.* "syncerebrum" = "a brain (as of an insect) consisting of several segments."* "sequester" has a lesser-known definition of "to hide from public view: withdraw from circulation: SECLUDE, SECRETE <old houses...[sequester]-ed under leafy boughs--Amer. Guide Series: Vt.> <no crusading idealist ever thought it right to [sequester] himself in an estate--Norman Thomas>."
* "nice" has an etymology that is anything but nice: "ME, foolish, wanton, fr. OF, simpleminded, stupid, fr. L. nescius ignorant, not knowing, fr. nescire not to know--more at NESCIENCE." We use "nice" now to mean "kind," and many a smart person is kind. I think the smartest people are usually going to be the kindest, for being unkind hurts one's own heart and it doesn't inspire genuine love or loyalty in others.
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