a nilometric cubit

Paul was distressingly clean, but Babbitt reveled in a good sound dirtiness, in not having to shave till his spirit was moved to it.

Some ambrosia fungi are only known from beetle galleries, and it is believed that those associations are obligate — the fungi cannot survive without the beetle farmers. Generations of closely related beetles farm generations of cloned ambrosia fungus.

The patron saint of hathos connoisseurs, H.L. Mencken, was a brave soul, but even a fellow as sturdy and unstinting as he might have been struck dumb in the presence of the extravagantly hathotic Kathie Lee Gifford.