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Word for the Day: emunctory
2000 Most Challenging and Obscure Words | Norman Schur

Posted on 11/11/2015 1:25:48 AM PST by 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."


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To: tioga; SoothingDave; NeoCaveman
We should have a class pool on who will be the next to go?
41 posted on 11/11/2015 10:22:32 AM PST by xsmommy
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To: xsmommy

Chris Christie.


42 posted on 11/11/2015 10:56:53 AM PST by tioga
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To: xsmommy

LOL, I don’t even want to buy anything from a company that deluded.


43 posted on 11/11/2015 10:57:32 AM PST by tioga
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To: xsmommy; WhyisaTexasgirlinPA
Oh, boy......we need to discuss this!

Drudge is saying it's a wig and proof is she never shows her scalp. Hmmm. One tweet.......she's wearing real hair wigs all right, the scalps of Bill's former girlfriends. This should be good.

44 posted on 11/11/2015 12:28:51 PM PST by tioga
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To: tioga
Too good. Happy Holy Day to you and yours. And especially Happy Holy Day to all those who believe Christmas is all about Santa Claus.


45 posted on 11/11/2015 12:38:12 PM PST by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: tioga

don’t doubt it’s a wig, though i don’t know about showing scalp, i am not conscious of that. i can tell when i need a dye job [like now, i go on friday for mine] bc there’s grey visible at the part. is that what he means?


46 posted on 11/11/2015 1:18:36 PM PST by xsmommy
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To: xsmommy
I thought he meant that even in the breeze, her hair doesn't blow apart to the scalp. You are right though, never have seen roots on her hair. Her Benghazi do was hers for sure........


47 posted on 11/11/2015 1:23:30 PM PST by tioga
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To: tioga

"I want the people to know that they still have two out of three branches of the government working for them, and that ain't bad."

48 posted on 11/11/2015 1:24:51 PM PST by dfwgator
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To: xsmommy
up the road from me Ithaca College is next. Too bad we are not well in to snow season, they wouldn't be out there in that. LOL
49 posted on 11/11/2015 1:36:42 PM PST by tioga
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To: tioga

The distorted thinking at Ithaca would elicit an emunctory reaction from me. But unfortunately it is the tip of the iceberg — & what I long ago predicted. It will get worse. People who really don’t belong in college but don’t fit in the real world either are feeding narcissistic wounds.


50 posted on 11/11/2015 4:40:15 PM PST by MoochPooch (I'm a compassionate cynic.)
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To: MoochPooch; tioga

Heard about Ithaca College. The world has gone mad.


51 posted on 11/11/2015 7:06:36 PM PST by xsmommy
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To: Louis Foxwell

The MSM’s emunctory praise for the welfare state grows tedious. :)


52 posted on 11/11/2015 7:07:47 PM PST by Mr. Jeeves ([CTRL]-[GALT]-[DELETE])
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To: tioga; SoothingDave
I'm reminded of a song... wearing a wig hat and shades to match... Devil with a blue dress...
53 posted on 11/11/2015 7:10:31 PM PST by xsmommy
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To: Mr. Jeeves
Indeed. Their emunctorious libels are an unctuous shmear on the brain.
54 posted on 11/11/2015 7:47:21 PM PST by Louis Foxwell (This is a wake up call. Join the Sultan Knish ping list.)
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To: Louis Foxwell; Lazamataz

The emunctory function, joinly and severally,in extravagant slow motion:

https://www.facebook.com/TheBestYouTubeVideosEver/videos/518863814836821/

DO NOT MISS THIS !


55 posted on 11/12/2015 7:44:56 PM PST by Candor7 (Obama fascism article:(http://www.americanthinker.com/2009/05/barack_obama_the_quintessentia_1.html))
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