--- gomi at speakeasy.net wrote: > > My nitpick for the day. A couple of people on this list have tossed > this > > word around now. From the context, I can figure that it means > "speculative", > > "conjectural", "theoretical", etc... > > > > Try as I might, however, I can't find any evidence that this an actual > word. > > The dictionaries and thesauri at my disposal don't contain it and the > web > > keeps feeding me surgical websites dealing in and around certain human > > orifices. > > > > What is this word and where does it come from? Enquiring minds want to > know. > > It's an English version of the old legal term 'ex clunes', which is an > intensified version of 'ex nihilo' when applied to the source of a > particular line of reasoning. Id est, "just thinking out my ass here". It's well on its way to becoming a real word, though, if the OED editors ever read this list. Jerry Friedman _______________________________ Do you Yahoo!? Declare Yourself - Register online to vote today! http://vote.yahoo.com