With a deep tip of the hat to the excellent human being Tim Smith whose writing (as Zuzu N Murphy) you should support via his Patreon comes this word, one new to me: “The part of the back (or backbone) between the shoulder blades and the loins which an animal cannot reach to scratch” (Oxford English Dictionary)
Late Latin acnestis, from Koine Greek ἄκνηστις (áknēstis, “spine”), from Koine Greek κνῆστις (knêstis, “spine, cheese-grater”), or from ἀ- (a-) + -κναίειν (-knaíein, “grate, scrape, scratch”) (only attested in compounds), or from incorrect segmentation of κατὰ κνῆστιν (katà knêstin, “on the spine”) (see Homer, Odyssey 10.161).
If you’ve ever seen a pig delighting in rubbing its back against a post or low hanging branch or tree-trunk or you’ve been the one (lucky enough to be) doing the scratching, then you’ll know how hugely grateful they are that the needs of their acnestis is being attended to. Go on, make their day, and scratch away.
And this is the only item I’ll poach from Tim; if you want more of his words (and you should), you need to hand over some folding stuff.
