Author: Cadie (Page 25 of 46)

I am sure I’ve never seen this word before I found it in “The Case of the Lame Snail”, in The Complete Casebook of Herlock Sholmes. I had to stop reading and look it up. From the context, I thought it might mean something like the center of attention. I wasn’t entirely wrong.

Cynosure – someone or something that strongly attracts attention or admiration; something serving for guidance or direction

Usage: “Herlock Sholmes was the cynosure of all eyes as he picked up the football and drew from his pocket a large magnifying glass.”

In this case, Sholmes’ help is required to determine the winner of a football (soccer) match. Dr Jotson is concerned at the end of the story that Sholmes made a mistake, the only one he had ever known Sholmes to make. You will have to read “The Case of the Lame Snail” yourself to determine if Sholmes did in fact make a mistake.

This is a fun word to say. I found it in “Pinkeye’s New Year Resolution” in The Complete Casebook of Herlock Sholmes. From the context, I thought it might mean courage, maybe even stupid courage, and I was not far off the true definition. There are some modern terms one could use, but they are vulgar and (in my opinion) distasteful. Why not use a nice word like temerity instead?

Temerity – reckless boldness, rashness

Usage: “Information at my disposal leads me to the conclusion that he has rented an office in the wing of a large building, owned by the Limehouse Trust, Limited. Moreover, he has had the temerity to put his real name on the door.”

I know that I have read this word and heard it spoken before. I think it means fast or quick. When I found it in “The Mystery of the Mince-Pie” in The Compete Casebook of Herlock Sholmes, I decided it was high time I looked the word up to be sure. Well, I was not very close with my definition.

Voracious – craving or consuming large quantities of food (voracity is the noun version of this adjective)

Usage: “With some dismay I noticed that my amazing friend was suffering from a severe lack of proportion. He served the Turnham Greens, their guests and me, with a cube of pudding about the size of a piece of loaf sugar. The remainder he placed on his own plate. Even though the dinner was a change from the kippers and pancakes of Mrs Spudson, Sholmes might have controlled his voracity. Once he nearly choked with a large mouthful of pudding and had to bury his head in the large red pocket handkerchief.”

Here is a curious word that Dr Jotson uses to describe Sholmes’ pipe in “The Mystery of the Mince-Pie”. As I am not a smoker, I decided to look the word up to find its exact meaning. In fact, the word has no special meaning or tongue-in-cheek use. It truly describes the pipe.

Meershaum – a mineral, hydrous magnesium silicate, occurring in white, claylike masses, used especially for pipe bowls

Usage: “Between his thin lips was a large meershaum pipe.” (from The Complete Casebook of Herlock Sholmes)