Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: aye-loor-uh-FOE-bee-uh (alternative: ay-loor-uh-FOE-bee-uh), noun Notes: A fear of something, but I could not figure out the word Yesterday’s word The word chautauqua is “any of various traveling lectures and performances that flourished in the United States in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. First usage Came into usage in the mid-1800s Background /Continue reading “ailurophobia”

Pronounced: shuh-TAW-kwe, noun Notes: I think only US history buffs may get this one Yesterday’s word The word sitomania means “an abnormal craving for food” First usage The word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments This is another word from Greek: sito- (grain, food) plus -mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze). BecauseContinue reading “chautauqua”

Pronounced: sy-tuh-MAY-nee-uh, noun Notes: A word I didn’t know, but I is something we could use Yesterday’s word The word lickerish means “greedy; desirous” or “lecherous” First usage This word showed up in the mid-1600s Background / Comments This word came into English twice; the background is the Anglo-French word lecher (to lick; to liveContinue reading “sitomania”

Pronounced: LIH-krish (alt LIK-kuh-rish), adj Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word monophobia means (as you may have figured out) “fear of being alone” First usage The word came into being in the late 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from two pretty well-known Greek words: mono- (one) and -phobia (fear). ThisContinue reading “lickerish”

Pronounced: mon-uh-FOE-bee-uh, noun Notes: I almost didn’t use this one; I think it’s guessable Yesterday’s word The word quantal means “of, relating to, or having only two experimental alternatives (such as dead or alive, all or none)”. It can also refer to something that relates to a quantum. First usage This word is relatively recent,Continue reading “monophobia”

Pronounced: KWAHN-tuhl, adj (the “uh” is barely pronounced) Notes: Interesting word Yesterday’s word The word segue means (as a verb) “to make a smooth transition from once section or topic to another, in conversation, music, film, etc. As a noun, it refers to such a transition. First usage This word came into English in theContinue reading “quantal”

Pronounced: SEG-way (alternatively, SAY-gway), verb/noun Notes: This is a word I know in pronunciation (you probably do, too), but I wasn’t aware of the correct spelling Yesterday’s word The word sprachgefühl means “an intuitive sense of what is linguistically appropriate” First usage This word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments AsContinue reading “segue”

Pronounced: SPRACK-guh-fuel, noun Notes: This is a great word to know Yesterday’s word The word sophrosyne means “soundness of mind, as expressed in moderation, self-control, and prudence First usage This word goes back to the late 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from the Greek word sophrosyne which comes from sophon (of sound mind,Continue reading “sprachgefühl”

Pronounced: suh-FROZE-uh-nee, noun Notes: Strange pronunciation for a word I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word palliate means to cover by excuses and apologies to moderate the intensity of First usage This word traces back to the 1400s Background / Comments We go back to Roman times for this word. The Romans had a cloakContinue reading “sophrosyne”

Pronounced: PAH-lee-ate, verb Notes: I’ve run across this word in reading Yesterday’s phrase The phrase black dog means “depression” First usage This word showed up (with this meaning) in the mid-1600s Background / Notes As you might expect, this word was originally used for a canine of dark complexion. People started using the expression forContinue reading “palliate”