Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: NID-uhr-ing, noun Notes: It looks like it might be a verb, but it isn’t Yesterday’s word The word gregarious means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments The word I was confusing our word with was “garrulous”. Our word came from the Latin word gregarius (belonging to aContinue reading “niddering”

Pronounced: grih-GER-ee-uhs, adj Notes: I keep thinking this word means “talkative”, but that’s not right Yesterday’s word The word tammany means “relating to political corruption” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Originally, Tammany (also Tamanend) was a wise and peaceful Delaware Indian chief; he became known as theContinue reading “gregarious”

Pronounced: TAM-uh-nee, adj Notes: The word was slightly familiar to me, but I did not know the definition Yesterday’s word The word sclaff means “to scrape the ground instead of hitting the ball cleanly on a golf stroke” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Those of youContinue reading “tammany”

Pronounced: sklaf, verb Notes: Many people may know this word; I didn’t — do you? Yesterday’s word The word extrality is “exemption from local laws: the privilege of living in a foreign country, but subject only to the home country’s jurisdiction” First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments OurContinue reading “sclaff”

Pronounced: ek-STRAL-ih-tee, noun Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word palinode means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word palinōidia, which is made up of palin (back; again) and aeidein (to sing). The story (according to Plato) isContinue reading “extrality”

Pronounced: PAH-luh-node, noun Notes: Our word makes me think of “paladin”, but it is not related Yesterday’s phrase The phrase Mother Hubbard is “a loose shapeless dress for a woman” First usage Our phrase came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our phrase came from the nursery rhyme “Old Mother Hubbard”. TheContinue reading “palinode”

Pronunciation: MUHTH-uhr HUHB-urhd, noun Notes: I didn’t know that this was a word Yesterday’s word The word millefleur means “having an allover pattern of small flowers and plants” First usage This is odd; there seem to be two different ideas: some reference material said that our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1910); otherContinue reading “Mother Hubbard”

Pronounced: meel-FLUHR, adj Notes: I didn’t know this was a word, but you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word eidolon means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word eidos (form; idea).

Pronounced: eye-DOH-luhn, noun Notes: Another new word for me Yesterday’s word The word titivate means “to make or become smart or spruce” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s to early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came (it is thought) from a combination of tidy and elevate — thus, “toContinue reading “eidolon”

Pronounced: TIH-tuh-vate, verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word Yesterday’s word The word verigreen is “a simple or gullible person” First usage Our word came into English in the 1950s Background / Comments Our word came from very, which came from the Old French word verai (true), which came from theContinue reading “titivate”