Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: LUST-house, noun Notes: This is a tricky (or trick) word — it doesn’t mean what you might think it does Yesterday’s word The word darg is a day’s work a quota of work First usage This word came into usage in the late 1300s or early 1400s Background / Comments I don’t mind soContinue reading “lust-house”

Pronounced: darg, noun Notes: I’ve never run across this word, but it is considered “informal” Yesterday’s word The word adoral means “located toward the side or end where the mouth is located” (it usually used with animals which don’t have clear upper and lower sides) First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800sContinue reading “darg”

Pronounced: ad-OR-uhl, adj Notes: I was thinking of something adorable, but that’s not it Yesterday’s word The word pasquinade is “a satire or lampoon posted in a public place or space” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I usually see pasquinades at work, usually posted on the outsideContinue reading “adoral”

Pronounced: pass-kwuh-NADE, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I’ve seen several of them at work Yesterday’s word The word excursus means a detailed discussion about a particular point, especially when added an an appendix a digression First usage This word came into usage in the early 1800s Background / Comments I think we’veContinue reading “pasquinade”

Pronounced: ik-SKUHR-suhs (alt: ek-SKUHR-suhs), noun Notes: A useful word to add to one’s vocabulary Yesterday’s word The word theurgy is “the working of a divine or supernatural agency in human life” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word struck a chord of memory; I was thinking ofContinue reading “excursus”

Pronounced: THEE-uh-jee, noun Notes: I had this word confused with another one Yesterday’s word The word sadiron is “a heavy flatiron pointed at both ends and having a detachable handle” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments This is a word whose etymology is more interesting to me thanContinue reading “theurgy”

Pronounced: SAD-eye-urn, noun Notes: It both is and isn’t what you may think Yesterday’s word The word genethliac means “of, or related to, birthdays and the position of the stars at the time of one’s birth” First usage This word goes back to the late 1500s. Background / Comments This word is one of thoseContinue reading “sadiron”

Pronounced: juh-NETH-lee-ack, adj Notes: I didn’t know this word, and probably won’t use it Yesterday’s word The word runnel is “a small stream or channel” First usage This word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Old English word rinnan (to run). We have had two wordsContinue reading “genethliac”

Pronounced: RUN-l, noun Notes: This entry is not entirely a coincidence; that’s all I’m going to say until tomorrow Yesterday’s word The word riffle has a lot of meanings; as a verb, the primary meaning is a method of shuffling cards (dividing the deck in half, and flicking the adjacent corners together). However, as aContinue reading “runnel”

Pronounced: RIH-full, noun Notes: I ran across this word in reading Yesterday’s word The word skeuomorph means “a design on an object that has been copied as an imitation of an older design” First usage This word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Greek word skeûosContinue reading “riffle”