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Jeremiah
jejune for naïve People get jejune (say it dje-djoon) confused with with jeune and juvenile. Even Julian Fellowes, script writer for Gosford Park. Jejune means dull, empty or meagre. Jeune is French for young; juvenile is English for young. And there's no such word as jejeune.
jeremiad for Jeremiah A few jeremiads claimed that the
celebrity novel would be the death knell of our literary culture. Guardian June 16, 2008 A Jeremiad is a
dismal prophecy given out by the dismal prophet Jeremiah. And that would be "the death of our literary culture" or "sound the death knell of". A knell is the sound of a bell tolling for the dead: "The curfew tolls the knell of parting day".
jive with for jibe with Jive is a dance; to jibe is to
agree.
jute box for juke box (imdb) Jute is a vegetable fibre; juke boxes played jazz and rock'n'roll music.
juvenalia for juvenilia Your youthful output is
juvenilia.
Katharine of Aragorn for
Katharine of Aragon She came from Aragon in Spain and was no relation to the
Lord of the Rings character.
klutz for dummy Bill Bryson's science for klutzes. Sue Arnold Guardian Mar 7 09 A klutz is a clumsy person; a dummy is an ignoramus.
knit picking for nit picking Nit picking is the careful removal of louse eggs, not the disassembly of a jersey.
knob for nob Reliable period knob Fenella Woolgar. Times May 19 08) A knob is an idiot (explanation is too adult for publication). A nob is a member of the NOBility. (But you can ignore all those stories about snob standing for sine nobilitas.)
knoll for knell "Postmodernism really makes creative sense only as the perpetual death knoll of good old American Modernism and the American century." Web A knoll is a small hill and is sometimes grassy; a death knell is a bell tolled for the dead. Were there other kinds?
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