Jouska

Cover image for the Jouska word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Jouska

n.
a hypothetical conversation that you compulsively play out in your head—a crisp analysis, a devastating comeback, a cathartic heart-to-heart—which serves as a kind of psychological batting cage that feels far more satisfying than the small-ball strategies of everyday life.

French jusqu’à, until. In baseball, “small ball” is a cautious offensive strategy devoted to getting on base via walks, bunts, and steals, forgoing the big home run moments that fans tend to enjoy. Pronounced “zhoos-ka.”

Tornomov

a cloudy sky and landscape

Inerrata

a hand holding a broken cup

The Meantime

Cover image for the The Meantime word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Elosy

a blurry image of a person in a subway car

Sayfish

Cover image for the Sayfish word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Suerza

a tunnel with a light emanating from the end