Leucomelanous

Grant gives Martha a little Greek test with the word leucomelanous. Leuco, meaning “white,” and melano, meaning “black,” together refer to someone with a fair complexion and dark hair, like Snow White or Veronica from the Archie comics. This is part of a complete episode.

Transcript of “Leucomelanous”

All right, here’s a stumper for you. I hope, okay, what does the word leukomelanus mean?

Leukomelanus, would that be like l-e-u-c-o, something like that? Yeah, okay, so the first part is Greek for white.

Right, like leukocytes in the blood, right?

White blood cells. Yeah, and the melano would be like black, dark, like melanin.

Melancholy. Right, yeah.

So something that’s black and white? Is it like a zebra?

No, it’s a person who has a fair complexion with dark hair, like Snow White. She has very pale skin, but dark hair. Elizabeth Taylor.

Yeah, well, I don’t know, the purple eyes kind of throw it.

Violet eyes.

I love that.

It’s kind of beautiful, but when you break it down and there’s, I don’t know, does it work for you?

Absolutely. Veronica in the Archie comics always worked for me.

The little blue in her hair.

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