KUNA \KOO.nuh\ n. the basic monetary unit of Croatia, pl. KUNA or KUNE
Lipa, on the other hand, is derived from the Serbo-Croat word for LINDEN (or lime tree).
Collins/CSW/SOWPODS players also get to play the Anglicized plural LIPAS, and the shorter form of linden, LIND.
KYAT \chaat or kee.ART\ n. the basic monetary unit of Myanmar (Burma)
ANOA /uh.NOH.uh/ n. a small water buffalo found primarily in Indonesia
There are two species of anoa, a lowland and a mountain variety, but you’ll have to pull out your hiking gear to catch a sight of either of them. The most likely place to look is in Sulawesi, a large Indonesian island, formerly known as Celebes.
Don’t worry if you’ve never heard of it, because yesterday I put together a little map to help you plan your expedition…
There doesn’t even seem to be much footage of this little creature in its natural habitat. I had to settle for this cute-but-somewhat-sad crowd-pleaser taken in an L.A. zoo…
OLLA /OL.uh or AW.lyah/ n. a ceramic pot used for cooking stews, storing and cooling food, and irrigation, especially in the American Southwest
Having been introduced into the American Southwest by the Spanish, clues for the olla will often play on this pedigree with Hispanic preceders like PUEBLO (a communal village), CASA (a house or mansion), or CANTINA (a bar).
Perhaps most frequently, clues will reference the stews and soup dishes for which this pot is widely used. The most important culinary dish to recognize is a Spanish meat and bean stew called olla podrida…
but you’ll also find references to other elements of Spanish cuisine, including PAELLA (a saffron-flavored seafood, chicken, and rice dish) and FRIJOLE (a large family of beans, including the PINTO bean, used in Mexican cookery).
Speaking of frijole, here’s a short video that not only shows you how to make an authentic Frijoles de la Olla, but also tells you how to pronounce it properly…
Let’s finish off with some practice. Find a four letter word that answers to each of the following clues…
See how kind this month’s Crosswordese theme has been to your morning solve?
APSE /aps/ n. a large recess in a church that is usually semicircular in shape and often covered with a highly decorated half-dome
As always, you can learn a few more things about a word by thinking about the clues that are often given for it, and then doing a little bit of research…
I also got a chuckle out of a clue I once encountered for this word: [Area under a semidome]. I wondered how on earth the editor could possibly expect the average crossword solver to be familiar with calculus ;-)
Architectural structures which resemble an apse in some way are often described as APSIDAL. A good example of an apsidal structure is an EX(H)EDRA (pl. EX(H)EDRAE or EX(H)EDRAS), which is a semicircular seating area usually set into an external face of a building.
Some churches have a small secondary apse on either side of the main apse. Such an apse is called an APSIDIOLE. Here’s a picture of a mummy apse with her two baby apsidioles…
Confusingly, today’s word is sometimes also used interchangeably with the word APSIS (pl. APSIDES), which is an astronomical term referring to a point of either closest or furthest approach of an orbiting body. These points, which are known as the PERIHELION and APHELION respectively, are often connected by an imaginary line called the line of apsides, which I just thought I’d mention in passing.
P.S. An architectural structure with three apses, like the one I showed you above, can be described by Collins/CSW/SOWPODS players as TRIAPSIDAL, or TRIAPSAL. North American Scrabblers however, must refer to such a thing as ‘an architectural structure with three apses’.
LIEN /LEE.un or LEEN/ n. a right to keep a person’s property until a debt owed by that person has been paid
A property capable of being subject to a lien is said to be LIENABLE.
LIENAL is also a perfectly good word, however the bank manager may look at you strangely if you use it while discussing your mortgage. That’s because in this form, lien most likely means ‘spleen’, and your lienal contract may have just secured yours against a loan!
If you’re after a four letter word satisfying any of the following clues, today’s word is most likely it…
Here’s a very clear introduction to the concept of a lien that goes a little beyond today’s definition…
In addition to the basic types of lien discussed in that video, there are lots of specific types of lien relating to particular contractual contexts.
For example, a DEMURRAGE lien refers to a carrier’s lien on a charterer’s goods for any unpaid charges incurred through delays in unloading the carrier’s vessel. Another example is an INCHOATE lien, which is one that may be revoked in a court of law (or something like that — I’m not particularly fluent in legalese).
Of course, if you’re a Scrabble or Words With Friends fan, you’ll mainly be interested in the fact that lien is the only anagram of the more mundane line, and has the rather handy front hook of ALIEN.
RHEA /REE.uh/ n. a flightless, greyish-brown, three-toed bird, similar in appearance to an ostrich or emu, found in the South American grasslands
I’ve crafted the above definition of today’s word to cover you for just about any crossword clue I’ve encountered for this creature…
It’s always difficult in my Word of the Day to predict which words readers will find common and which they’ll find obscure. To some of you, the rhea might be a bird you see all the time, while you might never have seen, or even heard of, an emu. Being an Australian, for example, I see emus all the time, but I’m not at all familiar with the rhea.
One of the reasons I write an anecdote or two about each word is to make sure that even if you’re disappointed with the head word on any given day, you’ll learn something new in the elaboration. Not always, I realize; but usually. So now let me try to keep that promise today…
The inability of the rhea to fly is due to the absence of a ridged, keel-like breastbone called a CARINA (plural CARINAE or CARINAS). The carina is adapted for the attachment of flight muscles, and a bird with this structure (i.e. a bird that can, in principle at least, fly) is often called a CARINATE.
A bird that lacks a carina (like the rhea, emu, or ostrich) is often called a RATITE. Most ratites have gone the way of the MOA (an extinct flightless bird, formerly found in New Zealand).
P.S. For Collins/CSW/SOWPODS Scrabblers, you might be interested to know that one species of rhea is known (in some parts of the world at least) as the NANDU, which is also occasionally spelled NHANDU or NANDOO.
ECRU /EH.kroo, AY.kroo, eh.KROO or ay.KROO/ n. an off-white color reminiscent of unbleached linen or silk
Example: “They have recently opened a new spinning department initially producing Aran and chunky yarns in both ecru and naturally coloured British wools, such as Black Welsh, Suffolk and Wensleydale.”
You’ll see plenty of giveaway synonyms in the crossword grid, including…
If nothing else, today’s word will impress your Scrabble or Words With Friends opponent a tad more than its common anagram. And speaking of those games, here’s a puzzle closer for you…
What anagram of PICTURES contains the letters E-C-R-U in that order?
SLOE /slow/ n. another name for the blackthorn, or the fruit it bears
The proper scientific name for this tree is Prunus Spinosa, which I mention mainly to sneak in the perfectly good Scrabble word, PRUNUS.
The fruit of the sloe is a DRUPE (a word I just learned today describing any fleshy fruit with a stone inside) that looks a bit like a small purple plum.
Sloes (the fruit) are sometimes used to make jelly or jam (although sloe jam sounds more like a style of music than something you put on toast). Today’s fruit is, however, probably best known for bringing into the world a flavored liqueur called sloe gin.
Just for fun, I thought I’d find out how to make it…
And you know what? That’s already enough to solve most crossword clues you’ll see for this fellow…
But I knew you would want more, so I came prepared…
Although the sloe is mostly used for its fruit, the wood of the tree also gets a good workout. Most interesting, for word gamers I mean, is the fact that the wood of the sloe tree is often used to make a traditional Irish walking stick, or club, called a … wait for it … SHILLELAGH (pronounced /shi.LAY.lee or shi.LAY.la/, in case you were wondering).
So there you go. You now have a word to describe that little stick thingy that leprechauns seem to carry around all the time. And on that note, I’m going to leave you with a funny t-shirt…
P.S. At a handsome 10 letters long, the Scrabble player is likely to require a shillelagh before playing one, but they might have some luck with the slightly more playable 9-letter variant, SHILLELAH.
P.P.S. Collins/CSW/SOWPODS Scrabble fans also get access to the following treats: SLOEBUSH, SLOETHORN, and SLOETREE. The last one is particularly important as it is a very high probability bingo!
AGHA or AGA /AH.guh/ n. a title, sometimes hereditary, used for a civil, military, or spiritual leader, especially in Turkey
For example, in the days of the Ottoman Empire when a member of the Turkish infantry was called a JANISSARY (also JANIZARY or JANISARY), the chief of the Sultan’s guards was referred to as the Janissary Agha. Hey look! Here comes one now…
Usually, the crossword clues for this little fellow are rather pedestrian things like [Turkish title] or [Ottoman officer], although I did once get a chuckle out of the punny [Khan opener?].
As always, I learned a bunch of cool new words while researching this one.
One article described today’s word as an AULIC title. I suppose I should know the word aulic, but I don’t. At least I didn’t. It means ‘of or relating to a royal court’. That’s actually a handy vocabulary word, so I’m going to try to remember it. Don’t be surprised if I sneak it into one or two daily words just for practice. (This service isn’t just for *you*, by the way!)
Then, just for fun, I checked to see if the word agha had any Scrabbly extensions. That’s how I discovered YATAGHAN (also ATAGHAN or YATAGAN). Turns out a yataghan is an old Turkish dagger that is usually long and curved. And you know what?
If you look really closely at the guy on the horse, I reckon he is actually carrying one!
EMIR /eh.MEER or uh.MEER/ n. a title given to independent rulers in certain Islamic countries
So long as your geography isn’t too bad, you probably won’t struggle with typical clues for this one: [Arab dignitary], [Dubai leader], or [Qatar bigwig].
The province or state over which an emir presides is often referred to as an EMIRATE. You’ve probably heard of the United Arab Emirates, for example. If you’ve been there, you may have even flown with the airline known as Emirates! (A native of an emirate is often referred to as an Emirati, but don’t expect to get away with that one on the Scrabble board.)
Today’s word has a bunch of variant spellings, including AMIR (which is actually closest to the original), followed by EMEER and AMEER. Furthermore, all variants allow the -ate extension, a symmetry not always respected by dictionaries. So you’re getting quite a few words for the price of one today ;-)
Actually, Islamic culture has always been a wonderful source of Scrabbly titles, with others you might want to investigate including the SHEIKH (pronounced /shake/, so always a goodie for spelling bees), CALIPH, MIRZA, VIZIER, IMAM, WAZIR, and (my favorite Y-dump) the SAYYID, along with the plethora of variant spellings the process of transliteration has bred.
One Muslim title that entertained me this morning comes from the Persian word Amirzade, which refers to the male descendant of an amir (with the -zade part having to do with ‘birth’).
It turns out that when this word is spoken, the emphasis is on the bit I’ve bolded in Amirzadi. And this is where the lovely word MIRZA (a Muslim prince by blood) comes from. (Incidentally, I thought its anagram, ZIRAM, might belong in today’s story too, but alas, it is a type of chemical salt or something.)
DISCLAIMER: I am not, and have never (in any sober context at least ) claimed to be, an etymologist, linguist, lexicologist, or other professional associated with the scholarly study of words. In fact, if I’m to believe what my friends tell me, I’m not a professional at anything.
ERNE or ERN /urn/ n. a predatory sea-bird, especially the white-tailed eagle
It does, however, often pay to know that a bird of prey is sometimes referred to as a RAPTOR, as in [Raptor of the sea] or [Raptorial seabird].
By the way, while investigating this word I discovered a rather handsome Scrabbly extension you might enjoy: VELOCIRAPTOR, a fierce predatory dinosaur. Not bad huh?
EPEE /AY.pay or EP.ay/ n. a sword used for dueling and fencing
In rare situations you might even encounter the PASSADO (a forward thrust movement) or the FLEURET (an alternative name for the foil).
Although the epee will usually be clued in a straightforward way (once you’ve learned the above lingo of course), some of the more playful clues I’ve encountered include…
Of course, it always helps being told the answer in advance ;-)
If you see an epee on the board in a game of Scrabble or Words With Friends, don’t hesitate to capitalize on the front hook opportunity of TEPEE (a conical shaped Native American tent), which can also be spelled TEEPEE or TIPI.
And don’t forget that the person actually doing the fencing can garner you an easy 50 points too; the fencer is called an EPEEIST!
ALOE /AL.owe/ n. a genus of succulent flowering plants encompassing around 500 species
Indeed, I suspect it is really this most common aloe that crossword constructors are cluing time and time again with [Natural balm], [Shampoo ingredient], and [Soothing succulent].
BTW… Quite often dictionaries list a plant genus as capitalized and you may wonder how it makes its way into the Scrabble dictionary.
The thing is, it is a common practice (reflected in dictionaries) to allow a genus name to be uncapitalized when it is being used to refer to a generic member of a genus (i.e. to a generic species).
Here’s an example that will teach you a high probably bingo word at the same time: An ALOETIC is a medicine made from several aloes.
See how the word aloes here is not referring to the genus itself, but rather to its members?
Funnily enough, today’s word has only one anagram, and that was a word you learned just yesterday: OLEA, the plural of OLEUM (an old Latin word for ‘oil’).
P.S. For Collins players, you also get the adjective ALOED, which you can use to indicate the presence of aloes. So when you see that one, don’t think it gives you permission to go around aloeing* yourself.
OLEO /OH.lee.owe or OWE.lee.owe/ n. a shortened colloquial form of oleomargarine preferred in the US (over margarine used in Britain and other parts of the world) which is a butter substitute made from vegetable oils
And just in case you didn’t understand that last one…
The reason I’m familiar with the latter is that my Scrabble program once responded to my opening play of OLE with the ever-so-slightly jaw-dropping…
P.S. here are the answers to yesterday’s puzzle…
EWER /YOO.ur/ n. a wide-mouthed jug traditionally used for carrying water, but now used more as an ornament
In years gone by, the ewer was a very popular object of paintings; especially of the so-called “Still Life” art form. That’s why you’ll also need to recognize it as a likely answer to clues like [Common still-life subject] or the slightly more demanding [Item in Cassatt's "Woman Bathing"].
What? You haven’t heard of Cassatt’s “Woman Bathing”? Me neither…
And speaking of women bathing, how charming is this little excerpt from Don’t Cry Alone by Josephine Cox…
“In no time at all, the fire was blazing cheerfully, the curtains were drawn against the night, and Beth was pouring the water from the kettle into the bath; a spill of cold water from the ewer, then another drop from the kettle, and the water was just the right temperature, the warm steam rising nicely and filling the room with a comfortable warm smell.”
Now that’s not just defining a word; that’s experiencing it!
Current Theme: Crosswordese
OGEE /OH.jee or oh.JEE/ n. an architectural molding having an S-shaped cross-section
At last you have a name for those funny bendy bits in arches…
While researching today’s word, I also stumbled upon another couple of pieces of armory for the word gamer’s arsenal.
First was OGIVE, which often refers to ‘a pointed or Gothic arch’ (adj. OGIVAL), and also shares a complex lineage with ogee that I won’t attempt to reproduce here.
Second was SIGMOID, which I finally got around to looking up today, and which is usually used to mean ‘S-shaped’.
Current Theme: Crosswordese
ETUI /ay.TWEE/ n. a little ornamental case for holding small jewellery or other useful items, especially those required for emergency sewing jobs
I kicked off April’s Crosswordese theme with this one for a very good reason. No crossword solver, Scrabble player, or spelling bee contender can escape this little gem.
You see, crossword constructors are always on the lookout for words with a high vowel to consonant ratio, because there just aren’t very many of them in the English language, and the grid always requires them. As a result, the ones that do exist in our lexicon occur with a much greater frequency than consonant-heavy words .
In Scrabble, players (well, the ones who know what they’re doing at least!) are always trying to ‘balance their racks’, which means unloading surplus vowels in moves known as ‘vowel dumps’. As a quick way to dump an E-U-I combo through an existing T on the board, ETUI is pretty cherished by this crowd.
And even in spelling bees, this charming little word gets a good workout. After all, if nobody told you how to pronounce this word, would you have worked it out? Probably not from its lineage: “French, from Old French estui, prison, from estuier, to guard, from Vulgar Latin estudiāre, from Latin stadium, study..” Sheesh!
Scott Firebaugh will certainly carry this one to his grave…
But compare the word he spelled correctly to become the 2010 AARP National Spelling Bee Champion, to the one that relegated him to second place in 2009, and I think you’ll agree that you should never judge a word by its length ;-)