scapegrace

Pronounced: SKAPE-grace, noun

Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning (if you don’t know it)

---

Yesterday’s word

The word transpontine means “situated on the farther side of a bridge”. This word also has a British meaning “situated on the south side of the Thames”.

Background / Comments

The word comes from trans- (across) and Latin pons (bridge) — and the bridge was any London bridge that crossed the Thames. Originally, usage referred to the less respectable theaters on the south side of the Thames. The more respectable north side of the river was the cispontine, meaning “situated on the North side of the Thames”. As the usage of these words spread, the meaning became more generalized to the far side/near side meanings.

First usage

This word came into usage in the mid-1800s.