A.Word.A.Day--scatology

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The Magic of Words

Jun 30, 2010

This week's theme
Dirty words

This week's words
coprolalia
scoria
scatology

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A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

scatology

PRONUNCIATION:

(skuh-TOL-uh-jee)

MEANING:

noun:
1. The scientific study of excrement.
2. An obsession with excrement or excretion.
3. Language or literature dealing with excretory matters in a prurient or humorous manner.

ETYMOLOGY:

From Greek skato-, combing form of skor (dung). Ultimately from the Indo-European root sker- (excrement) that is also the source of dreck and scoria.

USAGE:

"One fund will be left empty, while the second will contain a steaming pile of what, at the risk of descending into scatology, can only be described as two-year Greek government notes."
Mark Gilbert; Hedge-Fund Guy Seduces Buffett to Safeguard Bonus; BusinessWeek (New York); Jan 14, 2010.

Explore "scatology" in the Visual Thesaurus.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

I don't hate my enemies. After all, I made 'em. -Red Skelton, comedian (1913-1997)

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