Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: KA-luhm-nee, noun Notes: This is a word I kind of knew, but not precisely Yesterday’s word The word recreant, as an adjective, means As a noun, it means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments I thought that our word was somehow a shortening of “recreation” (maybe aContinue reading “calumny”

Pronounced: REK-ree-uhnt, adj/noun Notes: Another word that my guess was way off Yesterday’s word The word mythomania is “an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying or exaggering” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909) Background / Comments I thought our word was someone very interested in myths. I don’t feel tooContinue reading “recreant”

Pronounced: mih-thuh-MAY-nee-uh, noun Notes: Not quite what I thought Yesterday’s word The word verbigerate means “to obsessively repeat meaningless words and phrases” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is a great word. There are people who don’t seem to be able to help verbigerating; I haveContinue reading “mythomania”

Pronounced: vuhr-BIJ-uh-rate, verb Notes: A great word to know Yesterday’s word The word twee means “affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909) Background / Comments When I saw the word, I thought that “twee” was a shortening of “tween” that can refer toContinue reading “verbigerate”

Pronounced: twee, adj Notes: Again, not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word votive means “relating to a vow, wish, desire, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin noun votum (vow), which came from the verb vovere (to vow). As aContinue reading “twee”

Pronounced: VOH-tihv, adj Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word conundrum means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments According to my reference data, our word has been spelled “conimbrum”, “quonundrum”, “conucrum”, and “quadundrum.” I knew the first definition only. The origin of our word isContinue reading “votive”

Pronounced: kuh-NUN-drum, noun Notes: I know one definition for sure, but the others I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word toxophily is “the practice of, love of, or addiction to, archery” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from Greek; it is a combination ofContinue reading “conundrum”

Pronounced: tok-SAH-fuh-lee, noun Notes: Some people may know this word; I didn’t, but recognized part of the word Yesterday’s word The word nidus is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word nidus (nest). Related words are “nidification” (the process of building aContinue reading “toxophily”

Pronounced: NIGH-duhs, noun Notes: I couldn’t think of the meaning, but when I saw it, it rang a bell in my memory Yesterday’s word The word griselda is “a meek and patient woman” First usage Our word came into English in the 1300s Background / Comments When I see our word, it reminds me ofContinue reading “nidus”

Pronounced: grih-ZEL-duh, noun Notes: I know a character named this in a book, but it didn’t help with the definition Yesterday’s word The word yegg means “safecracker; robber” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I enjoy mystery stories – especially older ones – so I’m surprised thatContinue reading “griselda”