Author Archives: Richard

Pronunciation: kwah-kwah-VUR-sal, adj Notes: I didn’t have any idea of this word’s meaning Yesterday’s word The word crural means “of or relating to the thigh or leg; specifically, femoral. Background This word usually shows up in a medical context; a “crural artery” or “crural nerve”. It comes from Latin cruralis, which is a combination ofContinue reading “quaquaversal”

Pronounced: KRUR-uhl, adj Notes: When I look at this word, I see “rural”, but that’s a false clue Yesterday’s word The word whigmaleerie means a whim a fanciful contrivance Background Not a lot of background; it is known to be a Scots term, but that’s about it. First usage The word was first used inContinue reading “crural”

Pronounced: hwig-muh-LIR-ee, noun Notes: Also written whigmaleery. This word also looks like something made up. Yesterday’s word The word dovecote has the following meanings (as I noted yesterday, I knew of the first one, but the second was new to me) a small compartmented raised house of box for domestic pigeons a settled or harmoniousContinue reading “whigmaleerie”

Pronounced: DUHV-coat, noun Notes: This word has one definition that is pretty well known, but I was surprised to see a second definition. Yesterday’s word The word metagrobolize means “to puzzle or to mystify” Background This word comes from Middle French matagraboliser. First usage This word was first used in the mid-1600s.

Pronounced: meh-tuh-GRAHB-uh-lize, verb Notes: This sounds like a made-up word (but it isn’t) Yesterday’s word The word transmogrify means “to change of alter greatly and often with grotesque or humorous effect. As I noted yesterday, Calvin of Calvin and Hobbes created a ‘transmogrifier’ – it was a cardboard box on which he put wrote whatContinue reading “metagrobolize”

Pronounced: trans-MAH-gruh-fie, verb Notes: I first ran across this word in Calvin and Hobbes, but my understanding from the context was a bit off. Yesterday’s phrase The phrase stormy petrel occurs in the Sherlock Holmes story The Naval Treaty – at least, the one I remember: Sherlock Holmes says to Watson “You are the stormyContinue reading “transmogrify”

Pronounced: STOR-mee PEH-truhl, noun Notes: I ran across this phrase in Sherlock Holmes. I knew the meaning from the context, but reading the definition gave me a surprise — there was a second meaning of which I was unaware. Do you know this phrase? Yesterday’s word The word pluvial means of or relating to rainContinue reading “stormy petrel”

Pronounced: PLOO-vee-uhl, adj Notes: I have a recollection of having run across this word in reading a long time ago, but I just couldn’t quite remember the definition. Yesterday’s word The word abnegation means “self-denial”. Background It comes from Latin abnegation, made up of ab- (away or off) and negare (to deny). First usage TheContinue reading “pluvial”

Pronounced: ab-nih-GAY-shun Notes: I should have known this word; I’ve read it, but my understanding was off a bit. Yesterday’s word The word rowel means to goad with or as if with a pointed disk at the end of a spur vex, trouble Background If you’ve seen a Western movie, you’ve seen a rowel; theContinue reading “abnegation”

Pronounced: rawl (or raw-uhl), verb Notes: I didn’t know this word at all, and my guesses were way off Yesterday’s word The word amatorculist means “a pretend or insignificant lover”. Background The word comes from Latin amatorculus (a little lover), which is a diminutive of amator (lover). First usage The word was first used inContinue reading “rowel”