Juggernaut – a massive force that crushes everything in its path. Derived from the Hindi name Jagannath, one of the avatars of Vishnu, Lord of the World.
Prestidigitation – slight of hand. Cobbled together from the French word preste (nimble), the Italian word presto (quick), and the Latin digitus (finger). Nimble Quickfinger! Nimble Quickfinger would be a great name for an androgynous, sexually voracious pickpocket in a high fantasy setting. Nimble Quickfinger, the scourge of all the brothels in King’s Landing! (apologies to George R.R. Martin).
Dropsy – archaic term for edema, swelling due to water retention
Endentulous – without teeth, as in “Grandad’s endentulous now, he finds it harrowing to eat a normal meal. He has become skeletal and truculent as a result. Furthermore, he can no longer practice prestidigitation due to his dropsy. It’s as though his corporeal body conspires against him and thwarts his every attempt at happiness. If it weren’t for his near-total amnesia, he’d be hell to live with; a real juggernaut.”
I only recently learned the word “endentulous”. I couldn’t sleep and was reading some City of Vancouver coroner’s reports on the Interweebs. (Yes, this is one of the many creepy things I do in the middle of the night; nevertheless, I am mostly harmless). The person who died was referred to as “endentulous”. Note to self: save enough money so that when I am old I can live in a care home with properly trained staff. What happened to this individual because he had no teeth and was being fed by caregivers who did not have the correct skills was awful. If you want to know, I will tell.
Chloe Cocking 