Definitive Jest

Entry:    discomfiting (adj.)

In context:  “Tenuate’s the trade name of diethylpropion hydrochloride, Marion Merrell Dow Pharmaceuticals, technically a prescription antiobesity agent, favored by some of the athletes for its mildly euphoric and resources-rallying properties w/o the tooth-grinding and hideous post-blood-spike crash that the hairier-chested ‘drines like Fastin and Cylert inflict, though with a discomfitting tendency to cause post-spike ocular nystagmus.”

Definition:  A typo or an alternate spelling I can’t find elsewhere?  I have a small list of typos I’ve found as I’ve re-read the book.  I’ll be honest and admit I didn’t notice this until now, though!

    

    Three interesting definitions in the OED: 

1. trans. To undo in battle; to defeat or overthrow completely; to beat, to rout.
2. To throw into perplexity, confusion, or dejection; to cast down utterly; to disconcert.
3. To frustrate or defeat of. Obs. rare.

I’ll go with #3.

Other:    Just a great word!  If you use this one, verbally or in written form, it’s a good bet someone will try to correct you.  But as a true SNOOT, you didn’t mean discomfort, did you?

SNOOT score:   4

Page:   985 fn5a

Source:   Oxford English Dictionary