Whiplash in the library. Dear Word Detective: I came across the
word “boustrephedon” years ago in an Inspector Morse mystery.
The author of that series, Colin Dexter, imbued Morse with the
same passion for crossword puzzles and obscure words that he
enjoyed, and could be counted on to insert an interesting or
little-used term into each new book. I can safely say I have
only seen this word in print two or three times in the 15-or-so
years since I first read that book. I have the definition, can
you supply some background? — Tisa Philbin. Good question, and
I’m so glad someone finally asked about “boustrephedon,” one of
my favorite prehistoric mammals. The “boustrephedon,” which
flourished during the Late Devouring Period, resembled a
mastodon in many respects, but lacked the mastodon’s legendary
social finesse and was shunned by other animals of the period.
The roots of the boustrephedon’s name gives a clue to the
problem. The Middle English word “bouse” meant “to swill
alcohol, to drink heavily” (giving us th