Pronounced: buh-TAHL-uh-jee, noun
Notes: A neat word to know; it has uses
Yesterday’s word
The word showboat means, as a verb, “to seek attention by showy, flamboyant behavior; to show off”. As a noun, it is “one who seeks attention in such a way; a show-off”
First usage
This word came into usage in the mid-1800s
Background / Comments
This came from riverboats; they had an onboard theater and troupes of actors… they would stop at towns along the river to offer entertainment. As I noted, this was a borderline word; I knew the verb meaning (“to show off”), but I was unaware of the noun meaning.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 