Winnewaw

a person wearing a party hat

Winnewaw

n.
an unexpected burst of good news that only makes you skeptical, believing that every sudden rise in your fortunes must inevitably be accompanied by an impending fall, which leaves you feeling uneasy at the end of a really good day, waiting around for the punch line.

Middle English winne, joy + wawe, woe. Compare williwaw, a sudden blast of wind descending from the mountains to the sea. Pronounced “win-uh-waw.”

Lap Year

several people racing bicycles uphill in a forest

La Cuna

Cover image for the La Cuna word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

Furosha

a storm raging in the sky over a building

Hemeisis

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

Vulture Shock

Cover image for the Vulture Shock word card on the Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows

The Giltwrights

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