Jan. 10, 2026
Matt’s words
Omega (n): 24th letter in Greek alphabet; the extreme or final part; end
Popular word: Omega watches, Omega hvac companies, Omega car repair.
Symbol is used all over the place: physics, biology, video games, movies, brands
Revelation 22:13: “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.”
Mnemonic: Think of alpha and omega being opposites – the beginning and the end
Consummate (v):Complete in every detail
Has different uses: consummate the marriage: a consummate professional (a perfect/high-level professional)
Yet the Netflix deal, assuming it is consummated, would leave CNN and its sister channels exposed, vulnerable to purchase by someone else. —David Folkenflik, NPR, 12 Dec. 2025
Mnemonic: “summ” in the middle means sum, like to “sum up” or complete a story. The sum of an addition problem in math is what everything adds up to in the end
Finito (adj):finished in Italian
Provides an extra emphasis when used in English
Test week is done. Over. Finito
Mnemonic: You can hear “fin” like finished. But since it’s Italian it’s “neat.”
Surcease (n/v):come to an end; cease
First heard this in The Raven:
Ah, distinctly I remember it was in the bleak December,
And each separate dying ember wrought its ghost upon the floor.
Eagerly I wished the morrow;—vainly I had sought to borrow
From my books surcease of sorrow—sorrow for the lost Lenore—
For the rare and radiant maiden whom the angels name Lenore—
Terrible transgressions lead to worse ones, with no prospect of surcease, let alone moral regeneration. —WSJ, 14 Feb. 2019
Mnemonic: It basically just means “cease,” which most of us are familiar with
Terminus ad quem (n):destination; purpose; goal; the end point of a process
The project reached its terminus ad quem
Also can be used for dating, like the end of an era – This marked the terminus ad quem of the Jurassic period…
Mnemonic: Terminus is like “terminal/terminate.” Odd: it’s an odd way to say it. Kwem: sort of sounds like “when.”
Mom’s words:
Desist (v): to stand away from; to leave off
I insist you desist from making that awful noise! Merriam-Webster
Mnemonic: Think of the legal doublet, “cease and desist” (though it’s close to redundant). Also, you’re probably familiar with insist and persist, but maybe not desist. Combine them into, “I insist that you don’t persist but that you desist.”
Coup de grace (n): a decisive finishing blow, act, or event
The prosecutor presented his coupe de grâce—a videotape of the illegal event actually taking place.
Mnemonic: A coup is a blow or a strike (to a government), but “de grace” adds that the blow or strike is a finishing move that ends gracefully; seals the victory.
Fruition (n): the state of bearing fruit; the point at which a plan or project is realized (original meaning was “pleasurable use or possession”)
Truth is a weapon so powerful that the slowness of its fruition matters little in the end. —Edith Hamilton, New Yorker, 12 Sept. 1994
Mnemonic: You’ve arrived at the fruit of your labors.
Crack on: continue or begin work on the next phase quickly, energetically, and excitedly
Let’s crack on writing our New Year’s resolutions; it’s Dec. 31st at 11:00 p.m.!
After the interruption, the speaker said, “Right then, let’s crack on.”
Mnemonic: If you’re walking on ice and it starts cracking, you’re going to move forward energetically and excitedly (but also carefully, if you’re smart).
Bob’s your uncle: “And there you have it,” or “It’s that simple.”
Example in conversation
A: How do I get to your house?
B: Take the first turn on the right, walk about 50 meters and Bob’s your uncle.
Mnemonic: From ecEnglish.com, the origin of the phrase goes back to 1887, when British Prime Minister Robert Gascoyne-Cecil appointed his nephew, Arthur Balfour, as Minister for Ireland.
At the time, many saw this appointment as an example of favouritism, since Balfour wasn’t especially experienced. The joke was that it’s easy to succeed when Bob’s your uncle (literally)! Arthur referred to Robert as “Uncle Bob,” and the phrase stuck.
Since then, it’s become a casual way to say something is quick, easy, or sorted.
A: How do I get to your house?
B: Take the first turn on the right, walk about 50 meters and Bob’s your uncle.
Colossal Compilation:
This consummate, finito, omega 100th episode is the coup de grace, the terminus ad quem of the Vocabulary Mnemonics podcast, which means that your friends Matt and Mom will indeed surcease and desist and say “Bob’s your uncle” to this podcast project as it comes to fruition while cracking on growing our personal lexicons, and we hope you will, too.
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