Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: uh-ma-TOR-kyuh-list, noun Notes: I could get parts of this word Yesterday’s word The phrase corn salad is a herb of the valerian family that is widely cultivated for its leaves used in salads. Background The word came into being as a weed in grain fields — it is the salad green found growing amountContinue reading “amatorculist”

Pronounced: korn-SA-luhd, noun Notes: Not a salad made of corn Yesterday’s word The word peristeronic means “relating to pigeons” Background The word comes from ancient Greek peristera (dove, pigeon). First usage The word was first used in the mid-1800s

Pronounced: puh-ris-tuh-RON-ick, adj Notes: I had no idea of this word’s meaning Yesterday’s word The word acerbate means “irritate, exasperate” Background This word came from Latin acerbus (harsh or bitter). This word, which sounds similar to ‘exaserbate’ (to make worse), is sometimes used in place of it, but this meaning hasn’t made it into theContinue reading “peristeronic”

Pronounced: A-suhr-bate (the ‘A’ is a short a, as in ‘bat’), verb Notes: This may mean what you think Yesterday’s word The word quingentenary means a 500th anniversary. Another spelling is quincentenary. Background The word comes from Latin quingenti (five hundred), which is a combination of quinque (five) plus centum (hundred). First used The wordContinue reading “acerbate”

Pronounced: kwin-jen-TEN-uh-ree, noun Notes: a handy word to know Yesterday’s word The word garderobe means a wardrobe or its contents a private room : bedroom privy, toilet Background The word comes from the French word garder (guard), and originally meant a room or closet in which clothing was stored. Its use was extended to meanContinue reading “quingentenary”

Pronounced: GAR-drobe, noun Note: Not a robe to be worn in a garden Yesterday’s word The word fabulist means a writer of teller of fables a liar Background The word comes from French fabuliste, which came from Latin fabula (talk, tale, legend) First usage The word showed up in the late 1500s.

Pronounced: FA-byoo-list, noun Note: For some reason, I keep associating this word with ‘magician’ (but that’s not correct). Yesterday’s word The word fleer means “a word of look of derision or mockery” Background The word is Scandinavian in origin; it is kin to the Norwegian word flire (to giggle). It showed up in Middle EnglishContinue reading “fabulist”

Pronounced: flihr, noun Notes: I thought this was flee-uhr, one who flees, but… nope Yesterday’s word The word morbidezza means “an extreme softness, smoothness, or delicacy, especially in words of art, sculpture, music, etc. Background The word comes (as you may think) from Italian morbidezza (softness, smoothness), which comes from morbido (soft, smooth). It cameContinue reading “fleer”

Pronounced: more-bih-DET-suh, noun Note: I tried to parse this word to guess the meaning, and was wrong Yesterday’s word The word skirl is related to bagpipes; it means to emit the high shrill tone of the chanter; also, to give forth music to play [music, if you’ll forgive the word] on the bagpipe Background NotContinue reading “morbidezza”

Pronounced: skuhrl (alternatively, skuhr-uhl), verb Note: Some people (I’m thinking Caroline Buck or Cindy Haw) might know this word, but it was new to me Yesterday’s word The word aggrate means “to please or gratify” Background The word comes from Italian aggradare (to please), which itself came from Latin aggratare, having a root of gratusContinue reading “skirl”