Word for the Day: emunctory

2000 Most Challenging and Obscure Words | Norman Schur

[Louis Foxwell]

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In order that we might all raise the level of discourse and expand our language abilities, here is the daily post of "Word for the Day".

(emunctory) [ih MUNCK tuh ree]

hear it pronounced

adjective

As an adjective, emunctory describes anything pertaining to the conveying of waste matter from the body, especially nose blowing. As a noun it denotes any body cleansing organ or canal, such as the execretory ducts, kidneys and pores. The word is derived from late Latin emunctorous (excretory) and emunctorium (a means of cleansing through ecretion; in classical Latin, a pair of nostrils). It all goes back to the Latin verb emungere (to cleanse a nose and with the reflexive pronoun - se emungere - to wipe one's nose) and its past participle emunctus.

The Latin phrase emunctae naris (literally, "with a clean nose") was used figuratively to mean "shrewd, discerning", and taking it a step further, as the poet Horace used it, "with a keen scent for other people's faults" (Why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the bean this is in thine own eye?" - Matt. 7:3 - or, as the New English Bible puts it, "Why do you look at the spec of sawdust in your brother's eye, with never a thought for the great plank in your own?"); but some say all Horace meant by homo emunctae naris was "a man of keen perception." You can take your choice of bibles and interpretations of Horace. In Tristan Shandy (1767) Laurence Sterne adivses: "Blow your noses, - cleanse your emunctories, - sneeze, my good people."

[Louis Foxwell]

Rules: Everyone must leave a post using the Word for the Day in a sentence.
The sentence must, in some way, relate to the news of the day.

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[Louis Foxwell]

Vent your spleen, fellow wordsmiths. Have a joyously emunctous time targeting our favorite snots with peals of derision.

[TheThirdRuffian]

My emunctory discharge this morning looked just like a little Barak Obama swimming in the toilet.

[Louis Foxwell]

As well he is. Such a joy to flush, eh?

[Candor7]

Yes, well emunctory activity such as purging one’s snot valve does have its risks:

http://www.thesmokinggun.com/documents/bizarre/man-killed-grandmother-for-blowing-nose-at-dinner-890341

[SWAMPSNIPER]

[Arthur McGowan]

In a sentence:

Ted Cruz has a great emunctory plan for Washington.

[Robert A Cook PE]

A big bird just walked by talking about the debate ... It was a classic emucommentary.

[Old Sarge]

The Latin phrase emunctae naris (literally, "with a clean nose") can also describe one who does not suck up (e.g. "brown-nosing").

[dblshot]

Hillary’s actions are nasty and unsavory
Causing her to whine exculpatory
As she tries
To cover lies
But we all can smell something emunctory

[Louis Foxwell]

You say the nicest things. LOL

[Ditter]

My nose was running money .........but it’s snot.........its emunctory!

[Louis Foxwell]

Hard to know how to select an award for your entry.

Here's my best effort:

FLUSH THIS

[Louis Foxwell]

Madness abounds.

[Louis Foxwell]

May Cruz give us a happy issue of our affliction.

[Louis Foxwell]

A worthy bit of satire.

[Louis Foxwell]

Yep, Sarge. Clean nose, clean heart.

[shibumi]

I blow my nose at you, so called Authur-King!"

(An emunctory response.)

[Louis Foxwell]

Limerick of the day

[Louis Foxwell]

What do you smell?

wishful thinking