As always (unless otherwise specified), I get my definitions from my sturdy Oxford American Dictionary. 

Phrase of the week:  ” . . . as dizzy as a termite in a yo-yo.”

Quote of the week:

“Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.”

Albert Einstein, (attributed)
US (German-born) physicist (1879 – 1955) [Found on Wikipedia]

Bivouac >n. a temporary camp without tents or cover, used esp. by soldiers or mountaineers. 

Slumgullion (n. informal) cheap or insubstantial stew.

Slurry (n.) a semiliquid mixture, typically of fine particles of manure, cement, or coal, and water.

Propitiate v. [trans.] win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them: the pagans thought it was important to propitiate the gods with sacrifices.

Quisling >n. a traitor who collaborates with an enemy force occupying their country.  -Origin:  World War II: from the name of Major Vidkun Quisling (1887-1945), the Norwegian army officer and diplomat who ruled Norway on behalf of the German occupying forces 1940-45.