Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: LO-kuhr-nize, verb Notes: A word I’ve not run across Yesterday’s word The word rupestrine means “living or growing among rocks” First usage The word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word has Latin roots: rūpēs (steep cliff; crag) combined with the ending -trine which was take from lacustrine (livingContinue reading “locarnize”

Pronounced: roo-PESS-trin, adj Notes: I could not figure out how to parse this word to get the definition Yesterday’s word The word solesize means “to make an error in language, etiquette, etc” First usage This word came into usage in the mid-1600s Background / Comments You may be familiar with the noun form – solecism.Continue reading “rupestrine”

Pronounced: SOL-uh-size, verb Notes: Another word I’ve run across, but I only picked up the general meaning Yesterday’s word I had trouble in looking the up meaning of chambray: the place I got this word from says only that it is “a finely woven cloth (of cotton, silk, or linen) with an equal mix ofContinue reading “solecize”

Pronounced: SHAM-bray, noun Notes: This word is one of those that I’ve seen and heard, but really could not properly define Yesterday’s word The word Barbados (the verb) means “to forcibly ship someone to another place to work” First usage Our word goes back to the mid-1600s Background / Comments Yes, this word comes fromContinue reading “chambray”

Pronounced: bar-BAY-doz (alt-1: -dos; alt-2: -duhs), verb Notes: I know the noun (the island), but I did not know the verb. Also, I tend to use the first alternate pronunciation – ending the word with an ‘s’ sound, not a ‘z’ sound. Yesterday’s word The word anfractuous means “something with winding twists and turns; sinuous;Continue reading “Barbados”

Pronounced: an-FRACK-choo-uhs, adj Notes: Another new word to me, but useful Yesterday’s word The word birminghamize means “to render artificial” First usage This word began to be used in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Yes, it comes from the UK city of Birmingham… but why the meaning? In the 1600s, counterfeit coins were made there.Continue reading “anfractuous”

Pronounced: BURR-ming-ham-ize, verb Notes: I’ve not heard this word, but it’s not hard to guess where it comes from – the trick is figuring out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word dissilient means “something bursting apart or open” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I enjoy this background;Continue reading “birminghamize”

Pronounced: dih-SIL-ee-uhnt, adj Notes: A word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word longlist means “a preliminary list of candidates, such as people, places, things, etc for a prize, job, etc from which a shortlist is compiled. First usage This word came into usage in the 1970s Background / Comments This word grewContinue reading “dissilient”

Pronounced: c’mon – like it looks, noun Notes: I didn’t know this was a word, but it makes sense Yesterday’s word The word fleer means, as a noun, “a sneer or mocking look”. As a verb it means “to grin or laugh coarsely and mockingly” First usage This came into English the late 1300s BackgroundContinue reading “longlist”

Pronounced: fleer, noun/verb Notes: My guess was one who runs away (the person who is pursued), but that isn’t correct Yesterday’s word The word deterge means “to wash, wipe, or cleanse” First usage Our word goes back to the early 1600s Background / Comments You probably guessed the word if you added an ‘n’ andContinue reading “fleer”