EXCUUUSE ME: Vomitory -- the word conjures images of Roman senators disgorging after a feast. So when it showed up in the plan for improvements to the Edward Jones Dome submitted by the St. Louis Convention and Visitors Commission yesterday, it caused a run (so to speak) on the dictionary.

The commission put it this way: "CVC is proposing to replace the vomitory and sponsor signage on the concourses ..."

Eeew -- is that going to be nasty?

A trek through the Oxford English Dictionary, which is called wordreference.com online, quickly put the issue to rest.

The first definition for a vomitorium is: "An entrance or exit passage in an ancient Roman amphitheatre or theatre." When used as a noun, a vomitory is the same thing as a vomitorium.

So, while this is not where the overly full Romans went to disgorge themselves, they may have taken a vomitory to get to the place where they then may have spewed up their dinner.

All we can say is whew, glad to have that one cleaned up (so to speak).