Pronounced: muh-TAHN-uh-mee, noun
Notes: Although I didn’t know the definition, I did recognize part of the word
Yesterday’s word
The word bludge means
- to avoid work or responsibility
- to get by imposing another; sponge
First usage
Our word came into English in the 1910s
Background / Comments
As I noted yesterday, our word is primarily used in Australia and New Zealand. Our word has an interesting twisting of meaning. A bully armed with a bludgeon (a short club with one end heavier than the other [due to it being weighted or just thicker]) is called a “bludgeoner”. In the 1800s, “bludgeoner” was shortened to “bludger” and became a slang word for “pimp”. Then the verb bludge came about to describe the actions of a “bludger”, and then finally, it acquired our meaning in Australia and New Zealand, with only the idea of sponging or cadging remaining.
Richard's Vocabulary Word-of-the-Day 