Sunday Rest: telegony. Word Not To Use Today.

Telegony sounds like an ability to inflict pain from a distance. This is a real-life talent possessed by, for instance, Florence Foster Jenkins: 

but it isn't telegony.

Telegony is the idea that a woman's children are influenced genetically by all her previous lovers.

As far as I can make out the idea is completely nuts (though I suppose someone might be able to get an interesting bit of Sci Fi out of it).

In fact I think it's so nuts that, that, given an opportunity to spend time with a supporter of the idea or with Florence Foster Jenkins, I might even choose dear Florence, instead.

Word Not To Use Today: telegony. This word was made up in the 1800s from the Greek tele- which means far, and gonos, which means seed or procreation.