Words for Nerds--Haruspice

Do you have haruspice in the pantry? Let's find out. Haruspice means ...

A. A leafy South American spice similar to figwort.

B. An ancient Roman soothsayer.

C. Confused, perplexed.

D. The slot into which an engine's dipstick is inserted.

Believe it or not, the correct definition of haruspice is ... B ... an ancient Roman soothsayer. These were the guys who would read animal entrails before a major battle to divine whether victory would be forthcoming.

Haruspices specialized in reading the livers of sacrificed sheep. Often times, if the liver readings were unfavorable, Roman generals would postpone battles or change strategy. Although we may laugh at such "superstition", I wonder. The Romans didn't do too badly with their sheep liver military planning.

Scrambled Toast ... Word Sell