Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: SLUB-er, verb Notes: This looks too much like “slobber” for me to work out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word mumpish means “sullen; silent; depressed” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments This sounds like a great word to work into conversations. It doesn’t have anything toContinue reading “slubber”

Pronounced: MUM-pish Notes: This word is not what I thought it was Yesterday’s word The word pavonine means of, or like, a peacock resembling the feathers of a peacock, as in coloring and array First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word pāvōnīnus,Continue reading “mumpish”

Pronounced: PAV-uh-nine (alt: PAV-uh-nihn), adj Notes: I didn’t know this word, and I don’t think I’ve run across it Yesterday’s word The word compunctious means “feeling remorse or guilt” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word compungere (to prick hard), comprisedContinue reading “pavonine”

Pronounced: kuhm-PUNGK-shuhs, adj Notes: You may be able to figure out the meaning (if you don’t already know it) Yesterday’s word The word demesne means possession of land as one’s own an estate or part of an estate occupied, controlled by and worked for the exclusive use of the owner First usage Our word cameContinue reading “compunctious”

Pronounced: dih-MAIN (alt: dih-MEEN), noun Notes: Not only could I not pronounce this word, I didn’t know what it meant Yesterday’s word The word equanimous means “even-tempered: calm and composed in all circumstances” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is a straightforward Latin word: aequs (equal;Continue reading “demesne”

Pronounced: ih-KWAN-uh-muss, adj Notes: I’ve seen the word in reading, but could not properly define it Yesterday’s word The word rusticate means “to go to, stay, live in, or sojourn in, the country” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments The proper bit of our word to recognize isContinue reading “equanimous”

Pronounced: RUSS-tih-kate, verb Notes: You may know this word; I keep seeing “rust” and go down the wrong path Yesterday’s phrase The phrase dog whistle, as a noun, refers to “a coded message that appears innocuous to the general publish, but that has an additional interpretation meant to appeal to the target audience”. As anContinue reading “rusticate”

Pronounced: as written, noun/adj Notes: You may know this term if you spend time in the arena in which this is used Yesterday’s word The word desiderium means “an ardent longing, as for something lost” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments Our word made me think ofContinue reading “dog whistle”

Pronounced: des-ih-DEER-ee-uhm, noun Notes: Even if you don’t know this word, you may be able to guess it Yesterday’s word The word logrolling means the exchange of favors, especially by legislators by voting for each other’s legislation a sport in which two players stand on a floating log and try to knock each other offContinue reading “desiderium”

Pronounced: LOG-roh-ling, noun Notes: I know one of the two meanings Yesterday’s word The word diffluence is the act of flowing off or away the act or process of dissolving into a liquid; liquefaction; deliquescence First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I did not know the meaning ofContinue reading “logrolling”