Noteworthy Words by DFW
The late-David Foster Wallace was incredibly fond of collecting words he found to be noteworthy, either by scribbling on the pages of the books he was currently reading, circling specific words in his personal dictionary, or compiling standalone vocabulary lists. The latter method is illustrated below, in the form of just two pages from the hundreds of word lists he amassed over the years.
Courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center.
http://www.listsofnote.com/2011/12/david-foster-wallaces-word-lists.html
Transcript
VOCAB 3/97
lee (n) — place sheltered from wind / side of ship away from wind
ruck — a multitude of people mixed together / (v) to crease or fold
plication — act or process of folding / condition of being folded
rimple — a fold or wrinkle
pinchbeck — any cheap imitation / zinc and copper alloy used as fake gold
scored — scarred or marked in parallel lines
bolo — long heavy Phillipine machete
wrack (n) — damage from devastation, volence / ruin
neap (adj.) — from NEAP TIDE, lowest possible tide
flitch — longitudinal cut in tree; a bunch of long planks bound together to make a beam
abrogate (adj.) — abolished or annulled by authority
detinue — act of unlawfully detaining personal property OR a legal action to recover property wrongfully detained
murenger — wallmaker
maugre — in spite of, notwithstanding
laciniate — fringed
antipodal — situated on opposite sides of the world
antipode — direct or diametrical opposite
primipara — woman who’s pregnant for the first time
minim — tiny or insignificant portion
aquarelle — drawing in transparent watercolor
belvedere — open, roofed structure built to command a view, like a PRESS BOX
celadon — pale to very pale green
Guttate — In the form of drops / spotted as if from drops
Trochar / Trocar — Sharp device used by mortician to remove blood for embalming
