Back with another vocabulary post! Today’s letter is T, which stands for tea (I’m enjoying a cuppa right now, actually), tacky, television, and terpsichore. And here we go!
Tardigrade – a tiny invertebrate, also known as a water bear, that is tougher than you. Read this National Geographic article about why that is true (cool pictures too).
TARDIS – stands for “Time and Relative Dimension in Space.” What? You don’t watch Doctor Who?
What in the name of Gallifrey is wrong with you?
It’s the Doctor’s spaceship. Series 8 has just begun. The Twelfth Doctor is played by Peter Capaldi, who happens to also be a huge fan of the long-running sci-fi show. This is gonna be great, heh heh.
Okay, I’ll give you another Ta word, since the TARDIS isn’t a real thing. *sob*
Tachycardia – an excessively rapid heartbeat.
Tchotchke – a knickknack or cheap ornament.
“I am Groot,” Groot said and snickered, pointing at the tchotchkes lined up on the spaceship’s console.
“Can it, shrub,” Rocket said. “Those are my special things. Knock ‘em over and you’re firewood.”
Teapoy (Indian) – a little three-legged table used for serving tea.
Tesseract – a four-dimensional cube within a cube.
I’m in your universe, messing with your mind.
Image: JasonHise / Wikipedia.com
Theremin – a musical instrument played by moving the hands in a field, creating oscillations that are translated into sound. It is named after its inventor, Leon Theremin.
Composer Bernard Herrmann used one to great effect in the score for the original (superior) film, The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951). Click here to watch a video of Theremin playing his invention. Then go watch the movie on YouTube.
Thespian – refers to the dramatic arts or tragedy; also an actor or actress.
Tilde (TIL-deh)– the little squiggle appearing over some letters; it indicates a nasal pronunciation. Example: the Spanish word mañana (tomorrow).
Titular – having a title, or referring to something or someone in title only.
Topiary (TOH-pee-air-ee)– clipping of hedges or shrubbery into shapes.
Read The Shining, by Stephen King. There is a whole thing about the topiary at the Overlook hotel that will make you never feel safe around hedge animals ever again.
They look innocent enough…
Image: travel-paradise.blogspot.com
Toff – British slang word referring to a member of the upper class.
Treacle (British) – what we call molasses in the U.S. Also used to indicate something sickeningly sweet.
“Shall I flatter you, detective?” Moriarty cooed. “You’re sooo smart, aren’t you? Does that make you feel all special?”
“That’s quite enough treacle,” Sherlock said. “Get on with your evil plot. I know you’ve got one.
Trumpery – foolish twaddle, useless, worthless. Can be either a noun or an adjective.
Tsonga – Bantu language spoken by people in Mozambique, Zambia, and South Africa. I’m sorry I could not find a link to anyone speaking it. Learn more here.
Tulle (French) – a thin, fine netting woven of rayon, silk, or acetate. Used for veils and tutus.
Turgid – swollen, inflated.
“Looking a bit turgid there, Marge; been eating too many salty crisps, have you?”
Twixt – between.
Twee (British) – dainty, cute or quaint to an excessive degree.
Typhoon – a tropical cyclone or hurricane, mainly Pacific
Like the one that caused this.
Tyro (also tiro) – a beginner or novice in anything.
Tzimmes (Yiddish) – also spelled tsimmes, this is a Jewish dish, a stew made from carrots and other root vegetables and dried fruits. It is eaten at Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year festival.
I don’t know about you, but I think this looks freaking delicious.
That’s all the T words I have for you today, people. Not as many funny ones for this letter. Until next time!
Graphomaniac - A. Elizabeth West 
