garbology (gar-BOL-uh-jee) noun

   The study of a society or culture by examining what it discards.

[Garb(age) + -logy.]

   "Though garbology remains a relatively unplumbed subject, several colleges
   and universities offer courses that look at what people throw away and how
   it reflects who they are."
   Tina Kelley, Class at N.Y.U. Looks for Deeper Meaning at Fresh Kills,
   The New York Times, Mar 23, 2000.

This week's theme: uncommon words with common suffixes.

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A Robin Red breast in a Cage / Puts all Heaven in a Rage. -William Blake,
poet, engraver, and painter (1757-1827)

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Pronunciation:
http://wordsmith.org/words/garbology.wav
http://wordsmith.org/words/garbology.ram