Daily Crossword: If you can’t pronounce it, is it a word?

(Concerning yesterday's crossword puzzle from the Free Press)

I got 10 across just fine (“Ship’s mast”), i.e., spar, because I know a lot about boats.

Stern, bow, port, starboard, first mate's cabin, galley, officers’ mess, steal their rum - the whole nine yards.


["Numism... numismat... huh?"" photo GH]

I even got 37 across in a snap (“Dresser mat”), i.e., doily, because my granny crocheted hundreds of them. A doily a day.

But 54 across was just plain sneaky.

“Of coin collecting.”

Yes, I finally had it, i.e., numismatic, but only thanks to the fact that I filled in everything around it.

I wonder. If I can’t pronounce it, is it an actual word?

And if you collected coins and suffered from asthma, would we call you an asthmatic numismatic or the other way around?

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And, a high-kicking French dance is called...? (6 letters)

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