Wondrous Words Wednesday

Wondrous Words Wednesday is a weekly meme, started by Bermudaonion where we share new (to us) words that we’ve encountered in our reading. Feel free to join in the fun.

Oooh, I have a whole bunch of new words. They all come from The Case Has Altered by Martha Grimes, of which by the way I will be posting a review pretty soon.

escritoire - a writing table or desk

While Bannen was speaking to someone at headquarters in Lincoln, Jury looked at the bronze busts set into alcoves, a Sheraton escritoire, and a large semicircular sideboard with mahogany veneer.


sanguine- 1. bloodred 2. a. consisting of or relating to blood b. of the complexion: ruddy 3. having blood blood as the predominating bodily humor; also: having the bodily conformation and temperament held characteristic of such predominance and marked by sturdiness, high color and cheerfulness 4. confident, optimistic

If there was anything Jury didn't feel, it was "sanguine".


parsimonious - frugal to the point of stinginess

Although he still had no clear picture of Max Owen, he had decided nonetheless that a man who would be parsimonious with light, when he had such a woman to stand in its rays, would probably cheat at cards.