Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: scale, verb/noun Notes: A short word that I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word foison means rich harvest (archaic) physical energy or strength (used in Scotland) (plural) resources (obsolete) First usage The word has been around since the early 1300s Background / Comments It is very unlikely that anyone will have run across thisContinue reading “skail”

Pronounced: FOY-z(uh)n, noun Notes: It’s not a typo for poison. This word is oldish Yesterday’s word The word demit means to give up an office or a position; to dismiss to resign First usage This word came into usage in the mid-1500s Background / Comments The word comes from Old French demettre, which came fromContinue reading “foison”

Pronounced: dih-MITT, verb Notes: I know remit, but not demit Yesterday’s word The word rearguard means “of or relating to resistance especially to sweeping social forces” First usage This word showed up in the late 1800s Background / Comments There is a noun “rear guard” that goes back to the late 1400s. It refers toContinue reading “demit”

Pronounced: REAR-guard, adj Notes: I had an idea of the meaning; also, the background was interesting Yesterday’s word The word impend can mean to be about to happen; to loom to threaten or menace First usage The word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments This word comes from Latin perpendere (to weighContinue reading “rearguard”

Pronounced: ihm-PEND, verb Notes: There are two meanings to this verb; I knew one of them, but not the other Yesterday’s word The word abrogate means to abolish by authoritative action; annul to treat as nonexistent First usage This word showed up in the 1500s Background / Comments This word comes from the Latin rootsContinue reading “impend”

Pronounced: A-bruh-gate (the ‘A’ is a short a, as in “mat”), verb Notes: I confuse this word with “abdicate” Yesterday’s word The word obvert means “to turn so as to show a different side” First usage This word goes back to the late 1500s Background / Comments I should have had a good guess becauseContinue reading “abrogate”

Pronounced: ob-VUHRT, verb Notes: I wasn’t sure what this word meant, but I did know a related word that should have given me a clue Yesterday’s word The word depone means “to assert under oath : testify” First usage The word has been around since the 1500s. Background / Comments The word comes from LatinContinue reading “obvert”

Pronounced: dih-PONE, verb Notes: A nice, short, useful word… I’m glad to know it now. Yesterday’s word The word straiten means to put into difficulties to limit or restrict to make narrow First usage The word showed up in the mid-1500s Background / Comments The word came from Old French estreit, which came from LatinContinue reading “depone”

Pronounced: STRAYT-n, verb Notes: I’ve run across this word and thought it was merely an old-fashioned spelling of “straighten” – but it is not Yesterday’s word The word sciolism means “a superficial show of learning” First usage This word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments The word comes from Late LatinContinue reading “straiten”

Pronounced: SIGH-uh-lih-zuhm, noun Notes: I wish I had known this word; I could have used it a few times in the course of my career Yesterday’s word The word elutriate means “to purify or separate, especially by washing or straining” First usage This came into usage in the mid-1700s Background / Comments It comes fromContinue reading “sciolism”