rescript

Pronounced: REE-script, noun

Notes: You might be able to guess this meaning

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Yesterday’s word

The word popinjay is “someone who indulges in vain and empty chatter”

First usage

Our word is old; it came into English in the early 1300s

Background / Comments

Once again, I’m going by a memory that may or may not be correct, but I think I heard this word in the original Star Trek series. I think Scotty used our word to describe an ambassador in “A Taste of Armageddon”, which is from the first season. I may try to re-watch this show, just to see if I remembered correctly. I didn’t know the word when I heard it then, but I never looked it up. I liked the sound of it, and it was clearly not meant in a complimentary way. Our word came into English from French and Spanish, but traces back to the Arabian word babbaga (parrot). The reference information I have says that the last syllable was changed from “ga” to “jay” because people thought the word referred to a jay. Update: I did watch “A Taste of Armageddon”, and I remembered correctly; Scotty does call Ambassor Fox a popinjay.