pro•lix /prolíks/ adj.


1. (of speech, writing, etc.) wordy, redundant; tedious.


"Oh this useless thing! A terrible read. Underdeveloped characters, impossibly fractured plot, entirely prolix, over-explanatory dialogue. Ugh."
Carter set down the dictionary and sipped his coffee.

can•ter /kánter/ n. & v.


1. a gentle gallop.


It was then that the bottom half of Marie's body rebelled. After years of careful plotting, it made it's move, breaking into a canter down the stairs leaving the tyrant upper half groping at the empty space below the navel.

pre•emp•tive /prée-émptiv/ adj.


1. (of military action) intended to prevent attack by disabling the enemy.
2. to seize upon before someone else can.


The remaining six of them were standing around the last piece discussing very diplomatically exactly how and when to divide it when Jim, armed with a silver fork he had concealed in his shirt cuff, made a preemptive attack and devoured the cake. He laughed and laughed. Then they shot his balls off.

cil•i•um /síleeum/ n. (usu. in pl. cil•i•a /sílea/)


1. a short minute hairlike vibrating structure on the surface of certain cells, either causing currents in the surrounding fluid or providing propulsion.


After leaving them in the room to argue about the whereabouts of James's Foam Suppressor, I stood leaning over the railing looking down at the Jewish women's morning swim club. They moved in slow elliptical patterns, their black gowns like cilia moving them through the water.

ca•price /keprées/ n. /kepríshes/ adj.

1. an unaccountable or whimsical change of mind or conduct.



I stared a long time at the blue one. I walked around the store with it in my hand. When I came back to the shelf again, I thought, the red one was pretty nice too. I thought about how the red one would be nice to see in the mornings and would match the pillows. Okay, red it is. As I approached the counter I imagine me waking up tomorrow and first thing thinking "Shit. Should've got the blue one." Back to the shelf. I decidedly grab the blue one. As I turn away I notice that the red one has a nice sparkle. I have both in my hands. I could get both. Switch them in and out. Red in the evenings, blue in the..well. Blue would be good in the evening too. Just pick one! Christ. It's so hard though. This is taking way too long. I stare and stare. Suddenly I pick up the gold one, march to the register, pay, leave, ride the train home and fall asleep for 12 hours.

lap•i•dar•y /lápideree/ adj. & n.

1. concerned with stone or stones.
2. (of writing style) dignified and concise, suitable for inscriptions.
3. (n.) a cutter, polisher, or engraver of gems.

She fusses with her dress a bit and sings the opening lines from Black Swan. When she floats over to what's left of the sofa and rests beside me, she sets to work her lapidary imagination and walks her transparent fingers across my thigh. Fingers like tines breaking apart my meatloaf dreams.

os•si•fy /ósifi/ v.tr.

1. turn into bone.
2. make or become rigid or unprogressive.

When the topic turned to international dental systems and then golf, he became more ossified than ever and gathering up the delicate, loose material of his shirt into the form of a shovel he dug his way across the crowded room shaking his head no, no.

re•crim•i•na•to•ry /rikríminetawree/ adj.

1. make mutual or counter accusations.

"Did you eat my last piece of bread?"
I had, but rather than admit it, I gave my roommate a recriminatory look and added, "When can I expect your rent?"

keen /keen/ n. & v.


1. a lamentation for the dead uttered in a loud wailing voice or in a wordless cry.



Trish fell, her composure popping like a plastic cup under a tire, when the hairdresser removed the dryer revealing the haircut that would end her marriage; the lady next to her was pointing while the faces pressed up to the window keened intractably.

in•trac•ta•ble /intráktebel/ adj.


1. hard to control or deal with.


They fumbled about in the dark, groping and squeezing at the intractable erection.