Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ete-suh-LAY-toe, noun Notes: Although I’d not run across this word, you may be able to get close to the meaning (as I did) Yesterday’s word The word dalmatic refers to “a loose, wide-sleeved outer garment worn by some monarchs at their coronations and by deacons, bishops, etc in some churches” First usage This wordContinue reading “isolato”

Pronounced: dal-MAT-ick, noun Notes: My guess at the meaning was far off the mark Yesterday’s word The word battology is “a tiring repetition of words, either spoken or written” First usage This word goes back to around 1600 Background / Comments I’ve definitely met people whose conversation was battology — just a repetition of theContinue reading “dalmatic”

Pronounced: buh-TAHL-uh-jee, noun Notes: A neat word to know; it has uses Yesterday’s word The word showboat means, as a verb, “to seek attention by showy, flamboyant behavior; to show off”. As a noun, it is “one who seeks attention in such a way; a show-off” First usage This word came into usage in theContinue reading “battology”

Pronounced: SHOW-boat, verb/noun Notes: This was a borderline word. I was pretty close to the meaning Yesterday’s word The word wuther means “the manner of wind blowing fiercely” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I got this word confused with “druther” or “druthers”. Our word is more commonlyContinue reading “showboat”

Pronounced: WUHTH-er, verb Notes: I confused this word with another word Yesterday’s word The word gaslight means “to manipulate psychologically” First usage This word came into use in the 1960s Background / Comments I assume most people know this word, and may be surprised that I didn’t know it. I know that the word comesContinue reading “wuther”

Pronounced: GAS-light, verb Notes: I’ve run across this word in reading, and had a sense of the word, but wasn’t quite right (you probably know this word) Yesterday’s phrase The phrase de profundis means “out of the depths of sorrow or despair” First usage I could not find information about when this phrase started beingContinue reading “gaslight”

Pronounced: day pro-FOON-dis, adv Notes: I didn’t know this phrase, but I tried to work it out, and didn’t get it right Yesterday’s word The word masstige, as a noun, means “products that have the perception of luxury, but are relatively affordable and marketed to masses”. As an adjective, it means “relating to such aContinue reading “de profundis”

Pronounced: mass-TEEZH (alt: mass-TEEJ), noun/adj Notes: My guess was way off one this word Yesterday’s word The word lunker means “something very large compared to others of its kind; a very large fish” First usage The word showed up in the mid-1800s Background / Comments This word showed up in America, so it is thoughtContinue reading “masstige”

Pronounced: LUNG-ker, noun Notes: Another word that I don’t recall Yesterday’s word The word dripple means “to flow in a small stream or to fall in drops” First usage This word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments This word is a blending of drip and dribble. I guess one would useContinue reading “lunker”

Pronounced: DRIP-uhl, verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this — you may know the word Yesterday’s word The word hadal means “found at extreme ocean depth, the abyss (over 20,000 feet or 6.5 km)” First usage The word comes from the 1950s Background / Comments Our word comes from the word Hades withContinue reading “dripple”