Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: MAHR-plot, noun Notes: I have never run across this word Yesterday’s word The word pococurante means “indifferent; nonchalant” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word started as a character in Voltaire’s work Candide, published in 1759. Many characters in that work were carefully named. PococuranteContinue reading “marplot”

Pronounced: POH-koh-kyu-RAN-tee, adj Notes: Looks Spanish, but I don’t it Yesterday’s word The word dinky means, in the US, “small; insignificant; undesirable”. In the UK, it means “attractively tiny; cute” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments I did not realize that the UK meaning was different. OurContinue reading “pococurante”

Pronounced: DING-kee, adj Notes: This word is a bit of a cheat; I know (as I’m sure you do) the US meaning, but it has a different meaning in the UK. Yesterday’s word The word pinnacle means an upright architectural member often ending in a small spire a lofty peak the highest point of developmentContinue reading “dinky”

Pronunciation: PIH-nih-kuhl, noun Notes: There was one meaning I didn’t know (but it rather specialized) Yesterday’s word The word sinisterity means left-handedness skillfulness in the use of the left hand awkwardness or clumsiness evilness, unluckiness, etc First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word shows the historicContinue reading “pinnacle”

Pronounced: sin-uh-STER-uh-tee, noun Notes: You may know the definition; I didn’t realize this was a word Yesterday’s word The word deflagrate means to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off to cause something to burn in such a manner First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / CommentsContinue reading “sinisterity”

Pronounced: DEH-fluh-grate, verb Notes: It looks like it should mean “to put out a fire” Yesterday’s word The word vorpal means “sharp; deadly” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought the word was familiar; it was created by Lewis Carroll in the book Through the Looking-Glass inContinue reading “deflagrate”

Pronounced: VUHR-puhl, adj Notes: This word was familiar to me, but I could not place it. I thought it may be related to “vulpine “. Yesterday’s word The word henotheism means “the worship of one God without denying the existence of other gods” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background /Continue reading “vorpal”

Pronounced: HEH-nuh-thee-ih-zuhm, noun Notes: Interesting word Yesterday’s word The word bauchle, as a noun, means an old, worn-out shoe Something useless or worn out A useless person; a fool As a verb, it means “to subject to disgrace or contempt” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments OurContinue reading “henotheism”

Pronounced: BAH-kuhl (alt: BO-kuhl), noun, verb Notes: Because of where I grew up, I cannot easily distinguish between a short “o” and the “ah” sounds (more in tomorrow’s comments) Yesterday’s word The word whelm means to turn upside down usually to cover something to overcome in thought or feeling; overwhelm First usage Our word cameContinue reading “bauchle”

Pronounced: (H)WEHLM, verb Notes: I have heard of overwhelm and underwhelm, but not our word Yesterday’s word The word curtal, as a noun, is a woodwind instrument, an early form of bassoon (also known as a dulcian) an animal with a tail docked off anything abridged or cut short As an adjective, it means havingContinue reading “whelm”