Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: MITH-rih-day-tiz-um, noun Notes: I ran across this word while researching a recent word, and thought the background was interesting (and it gave me a laugh) Yesterday’s word The word boscage is “a mass of trees or shrubs” First usage Our word came into English in the second half of the 1300s Background / CommentsContinue reading “mithridatism”

Pronounced: BAHS-kij, noun Notes: Not a cage for your boss… Yesterday’s word The word tachyphylaxis means “successively decreased response to a drug or a toxin over time” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments As an avid reader of detective/crime/mystery stories, one of the good plots involves tachyphylaxis –Continue reading “boscage”

Pronounced: tak-uh-fih-LACK-sis, noun Notes: What a word! Some people might know this Yesterday’s word The word crepitate means “to make a crackling sound; crackle” First usage A rare dual usage; our word came into English in the early 1600s but with a different (and now obsolete) meaning (see below); the meaning given above is fromContinue reading “tachyphylaxis”

Pronounced: KREP-ih-tate, verb Notes: Not at all what I thought Yesterday’s word The word nephalism means “teetotalism; abstinence from alcohol” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments One who practices nephalism is a ‘nephalist’. I am a nephalist; given all of the problems caused by drinking and drunkenness, IContinue reading “crepitate”

Pronounced: NEE-fuh-liz-uhm, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I like it; it would be good to drop into conversation Yesterday’s word The word opuscule means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word opusculum, which is made up of opus (work)Continue reading “nephalism”

Notes: My mind thought of several possible meanings; none of them correct. Pronounced: oh-PUHS-kyool, noun Yesterday’s word The word hurly-burly, as a noun, means “disorder; confusion; commotion; uproar”. As an adjective, it means “characterized by disorder, confusion, commotion, uproar”. First usage Our word came into English way back in the mid-1400s Background / Comments IContinue reading “opuscule”

Pronounced: HURL-ee-BURR-lee, noun/adj Notes: This is one of those words I see and think I sort of know (and I’m close to the real meaning) Yesterday’s word The word kef means “a state of drowsy contentment” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments This is one of theContinue reading “hurly-burly”

Pronounced: kafe (alt: kef), noun Notes: A great word; I hope all of you have experienced it! Yesterday’s word The word probative means “serving to test something or providing a proof” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word probare (to test orContinue reading “kef”

Pronounced: PRO-buh-tiv (alt: PRAHB-uh-tiv), adj Notes: This word might be what you think it is Yesterday’s word The word obscurantism means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word makes me think of obfuscation (making things hard to understand). There is, or has been an “obfuscated C codeContinue reading “probative”

Pronounced: uhb-SKYOOR-uhn-tiz-uhm (alt: ob-skyoo-RAN-tiz-uhm), noun Notes: I was kind of close to the meaning, but not quite right Yesterday’s word The word jobbery means “the use of a public office for private gain” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments I knew that “jobber” (from which our word comes)Continue reading “obscurantism”