Malotype

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

Malotype

n.
a certain person who embodies all the things you like the least about yourself—a seeming caricature of your worst tendencies—which leaves you feeling repulsed and fascinated in equal measure, having stumbled upon a role model of exactly the kind of person you never want to be.

Latin malus, bad + typus, a kind of sculptor’s mold. A mold is essentially a negative image of the object you want to sculpt—so if you’re trying to shape yourself, perhaps a good first step is to scoop away the negative space. Pronounced “mal-uh-tahyp.”

Ironsick

a group of random devices

Heart Of Aces

a person covering their eyes with their hands

On Tenderhooks

Cover image for the On Tenderhooks word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Tornomov

a cloudy sky and landscape

Starlorn

snow flakes in the dark

Candling

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