Reading the entire dictionary front to back! It’s something I’ve always wanted to try. We’re speeding through this bunch of pages as J becomes K.
We start with dessert. Jimmies are “tiny rod-shaped bits of usually chocolate candy often sprinkled on ice cream.” The dictionary doesn’t add that only some parts of the country call them that. And then jimmy is “a small crowbar,” and “to force something open with a jimmy.” Now imagine if the crowbar was actually a giant jimmy candy.
The dictionary includes both judgment and judgement, even though we were all taught in school that the former is the correct one. The editors would seem to agree, because it uses that spelling for judgmental, judgment call, and judgment day.
A juvenile is “a young person” and “showing incomplete development.” This of course leads to juvenile delinquency, “violation of the law and antisocial behavior by a juvenile.”
Okay, we’ve reached the letter K! Somebody get Alan Moore on the line, because this section begins with kabbalah, “a medieval Jewish mysticism marked by belief in creation through examination and a cipher method of interpreting scripture.” If that’s a bit much, the second definition is just “esoteric or mysterious doctrine.”
Once again, the dictionary loves animals. A kangaroo is “any of various large leaping marsupial mammals of Australia and adjacent islands with powerful long legs and a thick tail used as support.” No mention of the famous pouch, although I guess the “marsupial” part covers that.
Karma is “the force generated by a person’s actions held in Hinduism and Buddhism to perpetuate reincarnation and determine the nature of a person’s next existence.” Is it inappropriate of me to suggest this concept has grown behind those two beliefs?
For something perhaps less spiritual, a kegger is “a party featuring one or more kegs of beer.” I’m assuming “or more” is likely.
A kink is “a short tight twist or curl,” or “an imperfection.” But you want to know about the saucy definition, which is this book is just “a mental peculiarity.” That covers a lot.
Do you know the word know? It’s “to perceive directly,” “to have understanding or direct cognition of,” “to recognize the nature of,” “to be acquainted or familiar with,” “to be aware of the truth of,” and “to have a practical understanding of.” I know the dictionary is trying to cover all bases, but this feels just a little repetitive.
Then it’s back to animals down under with koala, “a grey furry Australian marsupial that has large hairy ears and feeds on eucalyptus leaves.” Sorry, Australia, but there’s no dictionary entry for the kookaburra.
A short section, the letter K ends with a new one, kwashiorkor, “a disease of young children caused by deficient intake of protein.” Hmm, there’s really no way I can make that funny.
Next: Taking the L.
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