Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: skrooch, verb Notes: I didn’t know that this was a real word Yesterday’s word The word deracinate means uproot to remove or separate from a native environment or culture (especially to remove the racial or ethnic characteristics or influences from) First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / CommentsContinue reading “scrooch”

Pronounced: dee-RA-suh-nate, verb Notes: An interesting word Yesterday’s word The word altricial means “born in an undeveloped and helpless condition and requiring parental care and feeding for some time” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word altrix (foster mother; wet nurse), whichContinue reading “deracinate”

Pronounced: al-TRISH-uhl, adj Notes: Another word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word berceuse is a musical composition usually in 6/8 time that resembles a lullaby a lullaby First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the French word bercer (to rock), whichContinue reading “altricial”

Pronounced: ber-SOOZ, noun Notes: Another potentially useful word that I’ve not run across Yesterday’s word The word philargyry is “the love of money; greed” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments There is a fairly well-known phrase from the Bible: For the love of money is the rootContinue reading “berceuse”

Pronounced: fill-ARJ-uh-ree, noun Notes: A good word that I’ve not heard of Yesterday’s word The word tantara is “the blare of a trumpet or horn” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I like this word because I have a friend that plays the trumpet… so it’s nice toContinue reading “philargyry”

Pronounced: tan-TER-uh, noun Notes: I should try to use this word Yesterday’s word The word juberous means “doubtful; undecided; hestitating” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word is merely an altered form of dubious.

Pronounced: JOOB-ur-us, adj Notes: Not a word I’ve run across Yesterday’s word The word slimsy means “flimsy; frail” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments We don’t really know why some words stick around and others don’t. Our word, a blending of slim and flimsy, reached peak popularity inContinue reading “juberous”

Pronounced: SLIM-zee, adj Notes: I didn’t know this was a word; perhaps you can guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word luteous means of an orange-yellow o greenish-yellow color muddy First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Frankly, I don’t know if I’d use this word much; I’d probablyContinue reading “slimsy”

Pronounced: LOO-tee-us, adj Notes: Not a word I knew (and probably not one I can imagine using) Yesterday’s word The word ultima is “the last syllable of a word” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments I noted yesterday that our word took me back to college; in oneContinue reading “luteous”

Pronounced: UHL-tuh-muh, noun Notes: I should have know this word; it took me back to a college class Yesterday’s word The word leptodactylous means “having slender fingers or toes” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I could use this word to describe people I know with slender fingers.Continue reading “ultima”