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Word watching answers: June 21, 2006

SCUPPERNONG

(b) A cultivated grapevine belonging to the variety of the southern muscadine, Vitis rotundifolia, so called, originally found in the region of the Scuppernong River, California. 1949: “The poetic fable of the origin of the purple scuppernong grape in the seedling that sprouted on the edge of the pool stained with her blood from the silver arrow.”

COREN

(b) Elect, select, choice. An obsolete form of “chosen”. 2006: “Alan Coren is my coren kind of philosopher.”

PEKAN

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(b) A kind of American polecat, Martes pennanti. Also called a Fisher (it doesn’t fish) and a Hudson’s Bay Sable. 1760: “The fur of this animal, as also of the Pekan, another creature of the wild-cat kind, are what are called the Menue Peleterie, or lesser furs.”

CACHOLONG

(b) A variety of the opal, opaque, bluish-white, porcelain-white, pale yellowish or reddish. From Kaschtschilon, “beautiful stone” of Kalmucks and Tartars. 1791: “That variety of calcedony which is known to mineralogists by the name of Cacholong.”