Mikhail Epstein's definitions

thanatagog

thanatagog or thanatagogue (Greek thanatos, death + Greek agein, to lead; cf. pedagog, demagog, mystagog) - one who prepares old or terminally ill people for dying.

He is a thanatagog by vocation and occupation. He works at a hospice.

by Mikhail Epstein November 7, 2003

chronopathy

chronopathy n. (Gr. khronos, time + Gr. patheia, suffering) Ð a temporality disorder, a deficiency of time sense and inability to manage time, to comply with schedules, etc.

Chronopathy is the unindentified cause of many social disorders and career failures.

Chronopathy can be compared to blindness or dyslexia. As a severe impairment of the time orientation ability, it should be treated as a psychological condition rather than a moral deficiency.

by Mikhail Epstein November 13, 2003

etceteric

etceteric adj (from etcetera, "and so forth")- somebody or something usually included in the "etcetera" rubric, one among "the others," "the like," "the rest," not named individually; marginal, anonymous, obscure.

I'm afraid you have never heard about Andrew Lynch. No, he is not an exoteric writer. He is simply an etceteric writer.

Alan has worked in zoology for almost forty years, and he still remains an etceteric researcher. Isn't this a shame? Let's find a way to give some tribute to him.

Kaluga is not an etceteric Russian provincial town, it is known for the best preserved cityscape and architecture of the 19th century.

by Mikhail Epstein November 6, 2003

chronomania

chronomania n (Greek khronos, time + Greek mania, obsession, madness; cf. megalomania, balletomania) - obsession with time and speed; inclination to utilize every moment and to submit one's life to a total time control.

America suffers from chronomania. Faster, faster, faster! Why not to stop and to look in tranquility where we stand and into which future we have been rushing headlong.

Chronomania may become dangerous for your mental health. Try to find a different focus of life, apart from schedules and deadlines.

by Mikhail Epstein November 9, 2003

bespite of (conjunction)

bespite of conj (blend of "because of" and "in spite of" - a condensed form of the expression "because of, or perhaps in spite of."

This work, when done and published, will be met with keen interest by scholars and general public alike, bespite of its controversial nature.


Bespite of the intensity of the debate, there has been considerable advancement in our understanding of this global trend.

Bespite of the expectation of Truman's impending loss, Democrats turned out, and by means of an "underdog effect" assured Truman's victory.

by Mikhail Epstein November 14, 2003

chairy

chairy adj (chair + suffix y) Ð someone who likes to chair meetings, to preside, to

be a master of ceremonies.

Jimmy is every bit as chairy as Andrew, which spells trouble at a small institution like ours.

She is a wonderful person, but maybe just a touch too chairy to share a household with her.

by Mikhail Epstein November 2, 2003

protologism

protologism n Greek protos, first, original + Greek logos, word; cf. prototype, neologism - a newly created word which has not yet gained any wide acceptance. It is a prototype or a hypothetical projection of a new lexical unit before it may become current in writing or speech. The word "protologism" proposed here and now is itself an example of protologism.

In contrast to protologisms, neologisms are words that have already been in public usage by authors other than their inventors. As soon as a protologism finds its way into newspapers and websites, journals and books, it becomes a neologism.

by Mikhail Epstein November 6, 2003