Word of the Day: ecdysiast

ecdysiast (n) [ek-ˈdi-zē-ast]

(The link may not be safe for work, unless you work in a strip club.)

A stripper.

"H. L. Mencken, who coined the term Bible Belt, also brought us the word ecdysiast.... [He] came up with ecdysiast based on the zoological term ecdysis, which refers to the molting of arthropods' (such as crabs') outer coverings."
--Jo Weldon, The Burlesque Handbook

"There was no shortage of psychic advice either, from sources such as the 'spiritual intuitive' who double-checks her insights with 'a consortium of angels named Consortium Seven,' or a babe ecdysiastically christened Saleena, who offers to 'balance your energy, awaken your DNA and attract abundance.' Naturally, at the end of all these field trips to the center of the soul, a small emolument to cover stamps and any other expenses the guru may have incurred in another life is in order."
--Woody Allen, "To Err Is Human -- to Float, Divine"

I've never seen a live striptease act, but this word does bring to mind an odd experience I had several years ago, while walking down Eighth Avenue in Manhattan on a sunny afternoon. I saw a nude young woman walking on the opposite side of the avenue. She was not unattractive in shape, but her face wore a blank, zombie-like expression, as if she'd been hypnotized into naked perambulation. Astonished, I stopped to watch as she sauntered slowly down the block and then entered a brownstone. This event elicited some snickers from the other pedestrians, but not any commotion other than that. New York.