Just a Bunch of Rascals
wag
Another amateur clown, a wag is similar to card (#4) in being a habitual
joker, a bit silly in his or her mischief. The word has a longer history
and higher verbal status than the more recent arrival card.
droll
This adjective describes words, facial expressions, or acts that are
amusing in an odd way, perhaps somewhat whimsical. The fact that it
comes from a medieval English word for goblin may help us sense its
flavor.
revelry
(REV uhl ree) Another term for a loud “good time,” in the Dionysian
sense. The verb, “revel,” (REV el) has a milder sense of the enjoying or
relishing of anything, even a thought.
nepotism
(NEP o tizm) This noun refers to favoritism shown to relatives in
practices such as business matters. While it comes from the Latin word for
“nephew,” it now refers to any family member.
filial
(FIL e uhl) This adjective describes the relationship of a son or
daughter to the mother or father. (And think of a related word such as
“affiliated.)
harlequin
(HAR le quin) This fellow is recognizable by his clothing of brightly
colored diamond shapes and his mask. His outfit goes back to the clown figure
in Italian acting troupes several centuries ago. (Romance novels now
sometimes associated with the word have no direct connection.)
antics
This noun describes acts that are perceived as either amusing or
not, depending on the context or on the personality of the beholder.
Strangely enough, it derives from the same root word as antique,
although modern uses have no hint of age about them.
carouse
(kuh ROWZE) This verb refers to taking part in noisy partying. The
noun form, “carousal” (kuh ROWZ uhl) refers to merrymaking but should
not be confused with “carousel,” (KARE o sel), the merry-go-round.
“Carouse” derives from a German expression for the last glass a drinker
could order before the bar closed down.
spartan
(SPAR tun) If you’re spartan in your way of life, you’re far from
hedonistic (#2). You’re self-disciplined, self-restrained, content with a
simple, spare way of life. The adjective also may suggest stoicism (STO ih
siz um), the ability to bear difficult physical or emotional circumstances
without showing distress. The word derives from the ancient Greek city of
Sparta, whose inhabitants supposedly possessed such traits.
posterity
(pos TER uh te) In a limited sense, this noun refers to a person’s
descendents (children, grandchildren, etc.). In a larger sense it is used for
a general sense of “future generations.” (It derives from the Latin word for
“coming after,” the same root that makes “posterior” an elegant way to
refer to a person’s rear end.)
raconteur
(ra kon TER) This noun describes a person who inspires laughter
through his or her verbal talents. The word comes directly from the French
and means a storyteller of skillful wit. (Memory trick: a raconteur recounts
things well.)
chaste
(CHASED) From the Latin word for “pure,” this adjective describes a
person who is morally pure in thought and conduct (noun form, “chastity.”)
The meaning is often simplified to mean simply “not sexually active.” It can
also be used figuratively for a pure and simple design in art of architecture.
hedonist
(HEE dun ist) Derived from the Greek word for “pleasure,” this
noun denotes a person devoted to having a good time.
staid
(STAYED) This adjective is most often used as a compliment to mean “dignified” or, more frequently in a negative sense, “overly prim and proper.”
scion
(SIGH un) This noun is a fancy way of referring to a descendent or
heir, most often to a male of a wealthy family.
card
This noun, mostly used in informal contexts, describes a person who
is not a professional clown but who is eccentrically amusing in his or her
behavior.
posthumous
(PAHS tyoo mus) Literally meaning “after death,” this
adjective has a special “family sense” in referring to a baby born after
the death of his or her father. It can also be used in non-family contexts.
bacchanal
(back uh NAL) This noun refers to any drunken or riotous celebration.
It derives from a Roman celebration in honor of Bacchus, another
name for the god Dionysus, particularly in his role of god of wine.
prolific
(pro LIFF ik) This adjective describes someone with many offspring,
either literal children or figurative children such as books.
epigone
(EP ih gon) If being a scion is tough, being an epigone is tougher,
for “epigone” always has a negative connotation of “second-rate follower.”
From the Greek word for “child,” this noun is now used for a figurative
“second-generation,” an imitator, a copier of an earlier pathbreaker. A
modern slang equivalent might be “wannabe.”
mountebank
Examples of this particular type of clown are largely found in
accounts of earlier eras: they told stories and jokes, even did some magic
tricks in order to attract a crowd of folk to whom they could attempt to sell
ineffective medicines. The history of the word—Italian for “jump up on the
bench” allows us to visualize the start of their crowd-gathering tactics. Today
the word might be used for any unscrupulous salesperson, whether joketelling
or not.
ratiocination
(RASH e os in A shun ) This noun refers to a methodical and
logical process of thinking. And, yes, it derives from the same Latin word
as the mathematical term “ratio.”
libertine
(LIB er teen) This noun refers to a person who acts without moral
restraint, a debauchee (DEB o SHAY)—is Deb O’Shea a debau
progenitor
(pro JEN ih ter) A progenitor is a direct ancestor, or by extension an originator. The other end of the spectrum gives us “progeny,” a Latinate word for offspring, literal or figurative.
avuncular
(uh VUNK u ler) As the second and third syllables suggest, this
word describes a relationship with an uncle. By extension, it’s used even
more often to describe the kind, friendly manner of an unrelated man, a manner like the kind uncle you remember or wish you had had. (Aunts—
time for a protest. There’s no equivalent word for you. Take solace in the
fact that in Latin even some uncles were left out, for the word referred only
to an uncle on the mother’s side!)