“Heteroclite,” as an adjective, describes behavior or opinions out of the ordinary. And like its synonym “eccentric,” “heteroclite” also can be a noun describing a person who behaves in such an irregular manner. British culture has long celebrated heteroclite people — or heteroclites — in works such as John Timbs’ 1866 book “English Eccentrics and Eccentricities,” and Edith Sitwell’s 1933 book “The English Eccentrics.” In more recent decades, the British newspaper “The Telegraph” ran a special obituary series (also published as a 2022 book) called “Eccentric Lives.”