Two new words

Obambulate - "to wander aimlessly"

and

Ochlophobia - "an abnormal fear of crowds

Source?  Foyles' Philavery: A Treasury of Unusual Words Chambers 2007)

maze vs labyrinth

a maze is a series of analytic puzzles to be solved; a series of compartmentalized and confusing paths, most of which lead to dead ends (a left-brain endeavor)

a labyrinth is a spiral walking course designed to engage the right-brain. you enter, follow the path to the center, turn around, and walk back out.

and, according to Daniel Pink in A Whole New Mind, there are 4,000 public and private labyrinths in the United States.

the Dole Plantation in Oahu claims to have the largest maze in the world. they have very kindly made a virtual version so that you can take the challenge from your living room: http://www.dole-plantation.com/Worlds-Largest-Maze

lots of claims on the title of longest labyrinth in the world, so go to google & pick your favorite...folks in Buffalo built an ice labyrinth for a winter festival, really isn't it amazing what people get up to...

picture courtesy of http://myfunniestposts.blogspot.com/2011/01/funonthenet-largest-ice-labyrinth-in.html

Orthodoxy and ...

...orthopraxy.  Orthodoxy is "a pattern of belief and worship...consistent with the fundamental teachings of the Church."

Orthopraxy is "a pattern of Christian behavior ...consistent with the practice of Jesus and the spirit of the gospel."

All that per the Encyclopedia of Catholocism (Harper San Francisco 1995).

But, per the 1913 version of Webster's, orthopraxy is "the treatment of deformities in the human body by mechanical applicances."

Rites

In the Catholic church a non-priest can take the confession of a dying person (could a non-Catholic?).  But, you need a priest to give you Holy Communion, as well as to perform the other rites of 'extreme unction' (the shorthand for which is extramunction).  Now, extreme unction need not be performed only when one is dying.  It can be administered to those who are merely sick.  Here's what I don't know ... what's the difference (in the Catholic Church) - if any - between last rites and extreme unction?

Spirits

Cointreau is triple sec - a very strong triple sec, but triple sec nonetheless.  Per Wikipedia, Cointreau, first sold in 1975, is still owned by the Cointreau family.  One member of that family managed Le Cordon Bleu in Paris for a time in the 1980s.  Trying to verify all this I went to the official Cointreau website.  Before one can visit that site, one must assure the web powers that be that one is at least 21 years of age - a birthdate must be entered.  How this would deter anyone - or what it accomplishes - is beyond me.....

Per the OED, an aperitif is an alcoholic drink which is drunk before a meal in order to 'stimulate the appetite.'  A digestif, on the other hand, aids in the digestion of food.  Per Wikipedia, Cointreau is both an aperitif and a digestif.

tegestologist

I just realized that I am a tegestologist because I have a collection of beer coasters. I feel proud.

And if the tegestologist tries to collect too many coasters in one evening, this is how the collection might appear:

But really now that the collection has a name, I'm wondering if it shouldn't have insurance.