Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: taw-TAHL-uh-jee, noun Notes: I’ve seen this word used, but wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pinchgut means, as a noun, “a miserly person”; as an adjective, it means “miserly” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word has a nautical origin: it originallyContinue reading “tautology”

Pronounced: PINCH-gut, noun/adj Notes: This word is new to me Yesterday’s word The word hypocorism is a pet name the practice of using a pet name the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Instead of “pet name”, I’ve seenContinue reading “pinchgut”

Pronounced: high-POCK-uh-riz-uhm (alt: hih-POCK-uh-riz-uhm), noun Notes: I think I posted this word at work some years ago, but not here Yesterday’s word The word bludge, as a noun, means “an easy task”. As a verb it means to shirk responsibility to obtains something through the generosity of others; to scrounge First usage Our word cameContinue reading “hypocorism”

Pronounced: bluhj, verb/noun Notes: I thought this might have have something to do with hitting another person (nope!) Yesterday’s word The word previse means “to forsee” or “to forewarn” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments I thought that most might get this meaning, seeing pre- (before) and viseContinue reading “bludge”

Pronounced: prih-VIZE, verb Notes: I didn’t know this word, but you may be able to correctly guess it Yesterday’s word The word codswallop means “nonsense” First usage This word came into English in the 1950s Background / Comments I knew this word, but there is a story behind this word that I didn’t know. InContinue reading “previse”

Pronounced: KODZ-wall-up, noun Notes: This is a word that knew, but I liked the origin story Yesterday’s word The word anon means in a short time; soon; immediately at another time First usage Very old; the word dates back to before 1000. Background / Comments I learned this word as a freshman in high school,Continue reading “codswallop”

Pronounced: uh-NON, adv Notes: This is not short for anonymous… Yesterday’s word The word copacetic means “excellent; satisfactory; OK” First usage Our word goes back to the 1910s Background / Comments For some reason, I thought our word was Italian, but apparently, there are multiple theories about the origin: some say it comes from BlackContinue reading “anon”

Pronounced: koh-puh-SEH-tick, adj Notes: Also copasetic. I kind of know this word (it was marginal) Yesterday’s word The word estivate means to spend the summer, as at a specific place of in a certain activity (in zoology) to spend a hot, dry season in an inactive, dormant state, as certain reptiles, snails, and insects. FirstContinue reading “copacetic”

Pronounced: ESS-tuh-vate, verb Notes: I didn’t originally know this word, but I think I’ve run across it multiple times, so it was marginal, but I added it Yesterday’s word The word Struwwelpeter is “a personStruwwelpeter with long, think, disheveled hair” (think of the famous picture of Einstein with his hair all wild) First usage OurContinue reading “estivate”

Pronounced: STROO-uhl-pea-tuhr, noun Notes: Even if you don’t know the definition, I’m sure you can guess at the origin of this word Yesterday’s word The word gallinipper is “any of various insects that sting or bite, especially a large southern US mosquito” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background /Continue reading “Struwwelpeter”