Pedagogy, penetration depth, prick posts, and pu-pu platters!

I'll bring you the "P" words from this book that Jon and Harmony got me for my birthday. This is from Butt Rot and Bottom Gas: A Glossary of Tragically Misunderstood Words (Eric Groves, Sr.)


P

paliasse: a crude mattress stuffed with sawdust

panspermia: the theory that the elementary "seeds of life" disseminate throughout all intergalactic space

pansy: a type of violet cultivated from the wildflower heartsease (Viola tricolor) as a hybrid for display in gardens [a pansy has five large delicate petals, and different hybrids range from white to yellow with reddish centres, as well as deep blue with purple centres]

partnering: to lift or carry a partner, as when a male ballet dancer lifts a ballerina

party pooper: someone too tired or lethargic to participate in a festive gathering

pea: a tiny, spherical, green vegetable

peacock: the male of the peafowl bird species, noted for its beautiful tail feathers

peashooter: a child's toy made from a tubular straw and used to blow peas or other small projectiles at high velocity

pedagogy: the art of educating children in reading, writing, mathematics, and other academic disciplines

pedodontist: a dentist who specializes in treating children's teeth

peep sight: a gun-sight placed on the back of a rifle or handgun that uses a small circle aligned with another gun-sight in front

peewit: a small bird named for its distinctive cry; also called LAPWING

penal: having to do with penalties or prison

penal labor: hard labor used as a form of punishment for convicted criminals

penal servitude: a jail term featuring the imposition of hard physical labor as punishment

penetrance: in genetics, a measurement of how frequently a particular gene affects the organisms that carry the gene

penetration depth: the depth that electromagnetic radiation penetrates into a material

penology: the study of prison administration and the rehabilitation of prisoners

peon: a virtual slave forced into bondage to satisfy unpaid debts

petcock: a valve that releases pressure from a steam boiler

petrophile: an oil-consuming micro-organism used in the cleanup of oil spills [according to recent scientific testing, the most effective petrophile appears to be the Pseudomonas bacteria]

phagocyte: [From the Greek word phagein, meaning "to eat"] in cytology (the study of microscopic cells), a colorless blood cell that attacks and eats foreign material in blood, whether invasive germs or other harmful detritus {the phagocyte is essential to the human immune system, which is the set of biological defenses that fight infection and disease}

phagocytosis: the phenomenon that occurs when phagocyte cells surround and eat invading organisms

phallus impudicus: a type of fungus that produces rod-shaped mushrooms

phonography: written representations of the sounds of speech

phoque: [French word] a fur-covered aquatic mammal; a seal

pianism: a piano player's musical artistry

pianist: one who plays the piano

pigeon pea: the Cajunus cajun plant, related to the pea plant; found primarily in the tropics

pinchcock: a valve on a flexible tube used to regulate the flow of fluids

pink ball: in the billiard game of snooker, the pink ball worth six points

pink cockatoo: an Australian cockatoo with pink-tinged feathers

pink fairy armadillo: a type of armadillo, a mammal of the species Dasypodidae

pink-headed duck: a large diving duck native to India

pink of my John: a common European herb from which most pansy hybrids are derived

pink sheets: a publication listing the prices of over-the-counter shares of stock

pip: any tiny seed, such as that from an apple

pissasphalt: a soft black bitumen with the consistency of tar

poop deck: the elevated deck at the rear, or stern, of a sailing ship

pooped: weary, out of energy

prick post: an archaic architectural term for a queen post, one of the two upright support posts in a queen-post roof truss; the two upper ends are usually bound together by a cable or rod

prick song: a musical composition written with dots or points rather than standard musical notation ["Oh, hee's the Courageous Captain of Complements; he fights as you sing prick song" - William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet]

Private Bag: an alternative term for a Private Mail Bag, a type of high-volume postal delivery service common in many countries (particularly Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa) and generally used by large organizations such as corporations or governments

prophylaxia: [From the Greek word prophylaktikos, meaning "to guard or prevent"] a medical regimen to forestall disease rather than treat it after the fact; for example, applying an antibiotic cream to a burn to prevent potential infection

Pschitt: a brand of French soda pop

puck: a hard rubber disk that hockey players try to shoot through a goal

pucker: to form the lips into a small circle, usually before a kiss

puckfist: a type of sphere-shaped fungus that contains dustlike spores

pulled pork: pork shoulder meat cooked until it is tender enough to be shredded with a fork; usually served with barbecue sauce

pump and dump: to fraudulently advertise inflated stock prices, then sell the stock with the intent to make a profit

pump organ: a musical keyboard organ with air supplied by a foot pump

pupa: the dormant form of an insect

pupu platter: [From the Hawaiian word pupu, meaning "appetizers"] a round wooden platter of Hawaiian hors d'oeuvres or appetizers that has a pink or blue flame issuing from a central bowl {the pupu platter is served before a meal's main course, and may contain tidbits of pork / vegetables / fruit / etc.}

Puseyism: the collected teachings and beliefs of Dr. Edward Bouverie Pusey, one of the most influential preachers of the Church of England (Anglican Church) [From his post at Oriel College, part of the University of Oxford in Great Britain, Dr. Pusey preached sermons and authored treatises collectively labeled PUSEYISM by his devoted followers. As part of the broader Oxford Movement embraced by like-minded theologians, Puseyism taught that Anglicans should return to venerable theological concepts, and reject rationalism - the notion that human reason may be employed in lieu of reliance on scripture.]

pussytoes: an alternative name for the genus Antennaria of herbaceous perennial plants

pussy willow: either of two types of willow trees bearing velvety flowers: the Salix discolor found throughout North America, or the Salix caprea found throughout Europe