Use More Words

WORDS I LEARNED LAST MONTH  

flailure (n): portmanteau of "failure" and "flail," meaning a failure characterized by vigorous but erratic and unproductive movement

Usage: "The mind-bending, Escher-like I-didn’t-say-that-thing-I-said weirdness of Mr. Gingrich’s flailure on this issue I think is exceeded only by the best new thing in the world tonight."

from the 5/18 Rachel Maddow Show in reference to Newt Gingrich's flip-flopping on the Ryan budget and Medicare

untzy (adj): onomatopoetic expression describing the downbeat of techno music; used to describe venues which strive to be trendy by playing loud electronic music and which may emphasize style over substance
Usage:"I’ve never had dinner at Masa for a few reasons: It always seemed packed and—to be honest—a bit untzy. I love to people-watch during dinner, but I wasn’t fond of the spin-class-gone-Euro ambience."
from the Washingtonian's Best Bites Blog review of Masa 14 (Urban Dictionary definition here)  

bollard (n): a short vertical post, typically used to block vehicle passage  
Usage: "In D.C., that steady progression has seen ever more buildings ringed with bollards and outfitted with metal detectors, sealed entrances, and cordoned-off steps . . ."  
from a City Paper article about post-Bin Laden security in DC  

daylight (v, alt.stream mechanics usage): to come to the surface, specifically in reference to an underground body of flowing water
Usage: ". . . put in place a trash trap at the mouth of the stormsewer outfall so that trash and debris washed through the storm sewer system is collected immediately as the stream daylights."  
from a stream conservation document (I am such a sucker for verbed nouns.)  

condign (adj): fitting or appropriate, especially in reference to a punishment  
etymology: com = with; dign = dignity, worthiness  
usage: "The dwarf muttering a terrible oath looked round as if for some weapon with which to inflict condign punishment upon his disobedient wife." (from The Old Curiosity Shop by Dickens)
from: Ugh I can't find it! I saw it in the comments of a well-known blog with cranky/amusing/controversial commenters - DCist, Prince of Petworth, Regretsy, something like that. I am ashamed to say that I thought it was a typo, but I looked it up immediately and was appropriately chastened.  

longueur (n): a tedious passage in a work of literature or performance art.  
Usage: "If this book of 400 pages had been devoted to her alone, it would have been filled with longueurs, but as the biography of a family it has the merit of originality."
from the Dictionary.com Word of the Day