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jack’s dictionary of cunning linguists
- Wilfrid Laurier University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
jack’s dictionary of cunning linguists novitiate: a johnny come lately rabid: foaming at the mouth aging: can’t afford to lose face / agen despondent: is sunk in depression effete: a poet taster, nosegay some would have it swinging: lets down his hair puritanical: her lips are sealed conscientious: gives ’m a fair shake tonsorial: gets in the hair impetuous: dives in head-first indifferent: gives the cold shoulder radical: in a hot bed of activity reckless: headed for a crackup hard-up: has trouble making ends meet bilingual: is beside herself, he speaks with a forked tongue turbulent: is often feeling floosie disapproving: favours a crackdown outstanding: is head and shoulders above myopic: can’t see beyond his nose meek: turns the other cheek loyal: sticks it out through thick & thin bankrupt: goes belly up clumsy: hits it right on the nose marginal: involved in split decisions timid: won’t find fault with anyone hermaphroditic: really comes into herhishisher own inquisitive: an eager beaver thorough: doesn’t want to leave anything out lesbian: speaks in the mother tongue sentimental: lives in nether nether land optimistic: believes s/he is making head way sadistic: always beats it moralistic: makes snap judgements 38 / By Word of Mouth reformed: gets a weight off herhis shoulders journalistic: gives a blow by blow account inexperienced: fuzzy faced parsimonious: speaks with pursed lips the tightwad truculent: holds herhis own proletarian / fallen / cursed: lives by the sweat of his brow divine: she brings down the world on his head experienced: fuzzy faced fed up: will tell him/her where to get off tempted: within an inch of his wife angry: cuts off his nose to spite his face lucky: experiences a windfall promiscuous: has a loose tongue likes a loose tongue too malcontented: airs grievances impatient: plays hard and fast hypocritical: is two-faced epicurean: develops a taste for it enterprising: ’d snap you up in a minute, a split second inventive: eager to find a new wrinkle, vents her views witty: a real wag with women speculative: gets caught in boom & bust aboriginal: is leary of pale faces investigative: an undercover agent fears someone will blow her cover sadomasochistic: deals is dealt a heavy blow catches you in one hell of a tongue-twister acrobatic: goes into a nose dive a tail spin English: keeps a stiff upper lip equivocal: faces a split decision aggressive: knows you can never get off easy duplicitous: between a lick and a promise Freudian: trusts in a slip of the tongue harried: sometimes s/he’s all in competitive: busy nosing out rivals snotty: looks down his nose at The Poetry of Dennis Cooley / 39 [3.230.128.106] Project MUSE (2024-03-19 09:08 GMT) 40 / By Word of Mouth narcissistic: the spitting image lucky: wins by a nose despondent: down in the mouth correspondent: keeps in touch premature: finds things are touch and go impatient: always beats it traditional: is above that sort of thing reserved: makes no bones about it will tell him/her where to get off athletic: calling audibles in the huddle (jocular asides) sure sure I have a glib & fluid tongue so do you you too for my part I am voluble [fr. volvere to roll; akin to oe wealwian to roll, Gk eilyein to roll, wrap] hence a rolling tongue & yr rollin over wrapt as in vulva [integument, womb; akin to Skt ulva womb, L vol-vere to roll—more at voluble] to speak up, to pipe up a pipe dream, blowing bubbles & she is forever blowing me, to roll yr r’s my bonnie lass; to babble on religious: wholly committed devout: holy thine macho: hard nosed offensive: rubs people the wrong way rude: can’t keep a civil tongue in his head humbled: faces a real come down improvident: up to the chin in fickle: blows hot and cold casual: comes breezing in at the last moment uncoordinated: way out of whack disadvantaged: is really up against it unskilled: a fringe player venturesome: lets down the hair over bearing: baring down on him rabid: foaming at the mouth fomenting trouble confused: doesn’t know what’s eating her fierce: she’d box his ears legalistic: issues sub poenas The Poetry of Dennis Cooley / 41 opportunistic: johnny on the spot blows his chances athletic: breezes thru the warm ups / the preliminaries exploitive: plays you for a sucker Catholic: gets into bad habits jocular: does laps to stay in shape lip/lap lip/lap lip...