Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: SIM-fih-sis, noun Notes: I knew part of the word Yesterday’s word The word dalles means “the rapids of a river running between the walls of a canyon or gorge” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments The reason that our word is one that I didn’t know thatContinue reading “symphysis”

Pronounced: dolls, noun Notes: This is one of those words that I knew, but didn’t know that I knew Yesterday’s word The word politic means “tactful; shrewd” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments Our word came from the Old French word politique (political), which came from the LatinContinue reading “dalles”

Pronounced: POLL-ih-tick, adj Notes: I’ve run across this word and had a vague idea of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word railbird is First usage Our word came into English (well, American English) in the late 1800s Background / Comments The “rail” part of this word refers, not to railroads (as I thought), but toContinue reading “politic”

Pronounced: RALE-bird, noun Notes: It looked to me like it was someone fond of trains, but no Yesterday’s phrase The phrase salad days means First usage Our phrase came about in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our phrase would appear to have been invented by Shakespeare, and was used in the play Antony andContinue reading “railbird”

Pronounced: [as it sounds], noun Notes: This phrase has nothing to do with diets (heh); it is one of the phrases that I have read, but I didn’t know the proper definition Yesterday’s word The word catchpenny is “a trinket; something made to sell readily at a low price, regardless of value or use” FirstContinue reading “salad days”

Pronounced: KACH-pen-ee, noun Notes: I’ve run across this word, and had an idea of the meaning, but I wasn’t quite right Yesterday’s word Curiously, the word dabster means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments It is a bit odd to have a word that has such widelyContinue reading “catchpenny”

Pronounced: DAB-stir, noun Notes: A simple, but strange word Yesterday’s word The word vinous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments People with experience of wines may know this word. I thought it was referred to vines, not wines. Our word came from the Latin word vīnum (wine).

Pronounced: VIE-nuss, adj Notes: Another word that some people will know Yesterday’s word The word foozle means, as a verb, “to botch or bungle: especially to make a poor shot in golf”. As a noun it means “a botched attempt at something” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / CommentsContinue reading “vinous”

Pronounced: FOO-zuhl, verb/noun Notes: You may know this word, especially some people Yesterday’s word The word subfuscous means “slightly dark, dusky, or somber” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Yesterday, I noted that I had “sort of” run across our word. In the Lord Peter Wimsey story GaudyContinue reading “foozle”

Pronounced: sub-FUSS-kuss, adj Notes: I’ve sort-of run across this word, but didn’t look it up, I’m ashamed to say Yesterday’s word The word floccinaucinihilipilification means “estimating as worthless” First usage Our word appeared in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Our word was one used in the funny and long-running British radio word show “My Word!”Continue reading “subfuscous”