A few fun words that were new to me this week:

fichu, n A woman’s triangular scarf of lightweight fabric, worn over the shoulders and crossed or tied in a loose knot at the breast
page 43, Tidings of Great Boys by Shelley Adina
“‘Look at the lace on that fichu,’ Carly breathed.

gymkhanas, pl n Multi-game equestrian events performed to display the training and talents of horses and their riders; in India, gymnasium
page 55, Tidings of Great Boys by Shelley Adina
“On the walls were pictures of kids from the forties at their gymkhanas, pictures of fishermen, pictures of me — but only a couple of those.”

godowns, pl n Warehouses
page 12, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
“The city has godowns where goods are loaded and unloaded, courses for greyhound and horse racing, countless movie palaces, and clubs for dancing, drinking, and having sex.”

Sampan on the Yangtze River, via Wikipedia

sampans, pl n Relatively flat-bottomed Chinese wooden boats 12 to 15 feet long
page 27, Shanghai Girls by Lisa See
“Sampans — hung with ropes, laundry, and nets — cluster together like insects on a carcass.”

More great words on my Words from my reading page.

Reviews of books cited here:
Tidings of Great Boys by Shelley Adina
Shanghai Girls by Lisa See

What new words have you found lately?