#212 capricious

capricious- adjective - characterized by or liable to sudden unpredictable changes in attitude or behaviour; impulsive; fickle

- caprice, capriciousness- noun

-from French, Italian capriccio- capo- head +riccio- hedgehog, suggesting a convulsive shudder of a hedgehog's spines

In the fullness of their revelry, they fluttered, chirping and frolicking, from bush to bush, and tree to tree, capricious from the very profusion and variety around them.

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#211 cappuccino

cappuccino- coffee with steamed milk, sometimes served with whipped cream or sprinkled with powdered chocolate

In Italian cappuccino went on to develop another sense, "espresso coffee mixed or topped with steamed milk or cream,” so called because the color of the coffee resembled the color of the habit of a Capuchin friar. The first use of cappuccino in English is recorded in 1948.

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#210 capon

capon- a castrated cock fowl fattened for eating

Old English capun, from Latin capo, related to Greek koptein- to cut off

Even cooks who don't know a capon from a Cornish game hen will find worthwhile dishes within their skill set.

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#209 caper

caper- a playful skip or leap; a high-spirited escapade; slang- an organized robbery

C16 from capriole

(It's interesting to me that caper means more than the slang definition.)

One highlight of this caper is the ensemble wore translucent sombreros that covered them down to the shoulders to enable them to do their feisty or sneaky steps in perfect unison.

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#208 capacious

capacious- capable of holding much; roomy; spacious

C17 from Latin capax, capere- to take

capaciously, capaciousness

Kitty and Debby, enveloped in capacious gingham aprons, and appearing somewhat flushed and nervous, stood waiting to serve.

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#207 cantankerous

cantankerous- quarrelsome; irascible

- C18, from Anglo French, perhaps from C14 conteckour- contentious person from conteck strife

Mr. Stephens, who can be cantankerous, is not winning popularity contests on the council or with public employee unions, with whom he has tangled.

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#206 candour

candour or U.S. candor- the quality of being open and honest; frankness; fairness; impartiality

- C17 from Latin candor, candere- to be white, shine

That great class to which they had risen, and now belonged, demanded a certain candour, a still more certain reticence.

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#205 canape

canape- a small piece of bread, toast, etc. spread with a savoury topping

- C19 from French- sofa

No, the true Christmas canape is the single mouthful: a well sourced and perfectly roasted cocktail sausage, better still one wrapped in bacon as a reminder that Christmas lunch is actually about all the things that aren't the turkey, ditto balls of indulgent sausage meat stuffing.

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#204 campanile

campanile- a bell tower, not usually attached to another building

- C17 from Italian, campana- bell

The campanile is not the only leaning tower in Pisa.

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#203 camaraderie

camaraderie- a spirit of familiarity and trust existing between friends

- C19 from French, from comrade

This camaraderie is a fine and sometimes noble feeling, but it can cover up the needs of justice and human progress for accountability.

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#202 calumet

calumet-a less common name for peace pipe

- C18 from Canadian French, from French straw, from Late Latin calamellus- a little reed

The calumet is then solemnly smoked, and the burial of a war hatchet for each party and for each ally concludes the treaty.

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#201 caliph

caliph, calif, kalif, khalif- the title of the successors of Mohammed as rulers of the Islamic world, later assumed by the Sultans of Turkey

- C14 from Old French , from Arabic khalifa- successor

In classic Islamic theology, only the caliph is authorized to declare offensive jihad against non-Muslim states for the purpose of subjugating them under the rule of Sharia, Islamic law.

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#200 caldera

caldera- a large basin-shaped crater at the top of a volcano, formed by the collapse or explosion of the cone

C19 from Spanish caldera- literally cauldron

"We want to better understand the tell-tale signs that a caldera is advancing to eruption so that we can improve warnings and avoid false alerts.

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#199 calathus

calathus- a vase-shaped basket represented in ancient Greek art, used as a symbol of fruitfulness

-C18 from Latin, from Greek kalathos

The ‘calathus' generally signifies the basket in which Greek women placed their work, and especially the materials used for spinning.

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#198 caesura

caesura- in prose, a pause especially for sense, usually near the middle of a verse line

-C16 from Latin caedere to cut

Like the knocking at the door in Macbeth, 35 or the cry of the watchman in the Tour de Nesle, they show that the horrible caesura is over and the nightmares have fled away, because the day is breaking and the ordinary life of men is beginning to bestir itself among the streets.

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#197 cadence

cadence- the beat or measure of something rhythmic, a fall in the pitch of a voice; a modulation; rhythmic construction of verse or prose

-C14 from Old French, Italian cadenza, from Latin cadere to fall

His voice varying in cadence from a deep baritone, to a high falsetto, maintains throughout the distinctive characteristic of a Dublin accent and pronunciation.

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#196 cacophony

cacophony- jarring sound, discordant, harsh

- also cacophonous, cacophonic

- from Greek kakos- bad

In my hotel around the corner from this small squarish building of black volcanic stone, I had to put on noise-limiting earphones to block out the clash of cymbals, the blare of foghorns and other insistent cacophony from the square below at night.

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#195 cacology

cacology- a bad choice of words; faulty speech

- from Greek kakologia, kakos- bad

Jermaine's continual stumping on his leadership abilities to the media in addition to the occasional cacology never helped raise his standing amongst the fan base.

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#194 cabaret

cabaret- a floor show of dancing, singing

- C17 from Norman French: tavern, probably from Late Latin camera an arched roof

Cass Elliot contented herself with a career in cabaret, and in the early 1970s was a frequent guest on television programs like The Hollywood Squares.

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#193 cabal

cabal- a small group of intriguers, especially one formed for political purposes; a secret plot, conspiracy, intrigue

- C17 from French cabale, from Latin cabala

The politician's cabal is in full media combat when it comes to protecting his name.

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#192 buxom

buxom- of a woman healthily plump, attractive, and vigorous; full-bosomed

- C12 buhsum compliant, pliant, from Old English bugan to bend; related to Dutch buchsam, German biegsam

Former "Designing Woman" star Delta Burke, long a beacon for the buxom, is appealing to large, economy-size women by vowing to "balance the scales of fashion justice.

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#191 buskin

buskin- a sandal-like covering for the foot and leg, reaching the calf and usually laced; a thick soled laced half boot resembling those worn by actors of ancient Greece in tragic drama; also cothurnus

- C16 Spanish borzegui; Old French bouzequin; Italian borzacchino

And teach her tread aloft in buskin fine.

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#190 burl

burl- a small knot of wool, a rounded warty outgrowth from the trunk, roots, or branches of certain trees; to remove the burls from cloth

C15 from Old French burle tuft of wool, from Late Latin burra shaggy cloth

The antique dresser featured a beautiful wood grain of chestnut burl.

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#189 burlesque

burlesque- an artistic work especially literary or dramatic, satirizing a subject by caricaturing it; a ludicrous imitation or caricature

- C17 from French, from Italian burlesco, from burla- a jest

After singing in burlesque clubs like the Candy Box in Birmingham, England, playing in Mike Sanchez's rhythm and blues band and the Blue Harlem swing troupe and - as Imelda Clabby (her birth name) - making a record of mostly covers (2003's No Turning Back) in her bedroom, May decided to break away and form her own band.

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#188 burgess

burgess- a citizen or freeman of a borough; any inhabitant of a borough

- C13 from Old French burgeis, from borc town, from Late Latin burgus

His countenance, originally that of a portly, comely burgess, is now emaciated with poverty and anxiety, and rendered wild by an insane lightness about the eyes.

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#187 burble

burble- a bubbling or gurgling sound; a flow of excited speech

- C14 of imitative origin; Spanish borbollar- to bubble, gush; Italian borbugliare

The latest burble from the TV talking heads this morning now suggests that he is delaying his resignation as leverage for a favorable plea.

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#186 bunkum/buncombe

bunkum/buncombe- empty talk; nonsense; (chiefly from U.S.) empty or insincere speechmaking by a politician to please voters or gain publicity

- C19 after Buncombe, a county in North Carolina, alluded to in an inane speech by a Congressional representative about 1820

If one compares the serious tone of this speech with the hard cider and coon-skin buncombe of the Harrison campaign of 1840, and its lofty philosophical thought with the humorous declamation of the Taylor campaign of 1848, the speaker's advance in mental development at once becomes apparent. (about Abraham Lincoln)

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#185 bulimia

bulimia- pathologically insatiable hunger; also bulimia nervosa- a disorder characterized by compulsive overeating followed by vomiting: sometimes associated with anxiety about gaining weight

-C17 from Latin, from Greek boulimia from bous ox+limos hunger

There's also good evidence that bulimia is a multifaceted disorder, and that genetics plays a role.

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#184 buffoon

buffoon- a person who amuses others by ridiculous or odd behaviour, jokes; a foolish person

- C16 from French bouffon, from Italian buffone, from Latin bufo- toad

Pretending to be a buffoon is a luxury for those who don't have to worry about being believed.

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#183 bucolic

bucolic- of or characteristic of the countryside or country life; rustic; of or relating to shepherds; pastoral

- from Greek boukolikos, boukolos- cowheard, from bous ox

Bucolic New England is perfect for a scenic fall drive.

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#182 buckram

buckram- a stiffened cotton or linen cloth, stiffened with buckram like bookbinding

- C14 from Old French boquerant, ultimately from bukhara- once an important source of textiles

Leading it were two hideous demons, also clad in buckram, with countenances so frightful that Sancho, having once seen them, shut his eyes so as not to see them again. ~ Don Quixote

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