Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: what-uh-BOUT-uhr-ee, noun Notes: This word makes me laugh… a bit. Most of us have experienced whataboutery Yesterday’s word The word Panglossian means “having extreme optimism, despite ongoing hardship, difficulty, or adversity” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought for sure I would know this, since IContinue reading “whataboutery”

Pronounced: pan-GLOSS-ee-uhn (alt: pan-GLAW-see-uhn) Notes: Not at all what I thought (more on this tomorrow) Yesterday’s phrase The phrase bush league, as a noun, is “a minor league of a professional sport”; most frequently used of baseball. As an adjective, it means “second-rate; unpolished; or amateurish” First usage Our phrase dates back to the earlyContinue reading “Panglossian”

Pronounced: bush leeg, noun/adj Notes: I almost didn’t include this, but decided to do so Yesterday’s word The word empyreal means “of, or relating to, the sky or heavens; celestial” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments I tend to use the first first of the four pronunciations.Continue reading “bush league”

Pronounced: em-PIR-ee-uhl (alt 1: em-PIE-ree-uhl; alt 2: em-puh-REE-uhl; alt 3: em-pie-REE-uhl) Note: Wow, I don’t think I’ve run across a word with four different pronunciations Yesterday’s phrase The phrase gung ho, as most people know, means “extremely eager and enthusiastic” First usage This phrase came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments It isContinue reading “empyreal”

Pronounced: gung hoe Notes: I assume nearly everyone know the meaning of this phrase; I’ve included it because I found the background interesting. Yesterday’s word The word oniomania means “the uncontrollable urge to but things” – we tend to use “shop-a-holic” to describe someone instead of this word. Ah, English, with the many ways toContinue reading “gung ho”

Pronounced: oh-nee-uh-MAY-nee-uh (alt: oh-nee-uh-MAIN-yuh), noun Notes: So, take your choice of five or six syllables; I would tend to use the first pronunciation (thus, six). We have another word for this that is more commonly used Yesterday’s word The word synoptic means relating to a summary or general view of something covering a wide areaContinue reading “oniomania”

Pronounced: suh-NOP-tik (alt: sih-NOP-tik) Notes: I know one of the meanings Yesterday’s word The word pandiculation means “the act of stretching and yawning upon waking” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I think nearly everyone has done this at least once; some may do it daily… and nowContinue reading “synoptic”

Pronounced: pan-dik-yuh-LAY-shun, noun Notes: I love words like this one; it describes something that (nearly) everyone does Yesterday’s word The word acarophobia has multiple meanings an fear (phobia) of small insects a delusion that one’s skin is infected with bugs a fear of itching First usage Odd; most times, a word from the 20th centuryContinue reading “pandiculation”

Pronounced: ak-uh-ruh-FOE-bee-uh, noun Notes: An interesting word Yesterday’s word The word bibliotaph means “one who hoards or hides away books” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments While I enjoy having books, I don’t think I qualify as a bibliotaph; I don’t think I “hoard” books or hideContinue reading “acarophobia”

Pronounced: BIB-lee-uh-taf (alt BIB-lee-uh-tahf), noun Notes: You may know this word; at least, part of the word Yesterday’s word The word exclosure means “a fenced area, especially in a wide open area, to keep unwanted animals out” First usage This word came into English around 1920 Background / Comments Our word is the other sideContinue reading “bibliotaph”