Lookaback

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

Lookaback

n.
the shock of meeting back up with someone and learning that your mental image of them had fallen wildly out of date—having grown up or gotten old, fallen apart or pulled themselves together—which shakes your faith in the accuracy of the social puppet show that runs continuously inside your head.

From look back + taken aback, taken by surprise.

Daguerreologue

Daguer-reologue

a man sitting in blurred silhouette at a desk

Loss Of Backing

Cover image for the Loss Of Backing word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Amentalio

a person in a white dress, facing away

Scrough

a person working on the sidewalk

Addleworth

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

Harke

a dreamlike image of a person's face over water