Author Archives: Richard

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”

Pronounced: uh-GRATE, verb Note: I keep seeing “aggregate” when I see this word, and so I guessed the wrong meaning Yesterday’s word The word hypaethral means having a roofless central space open to the sky Background The ancient Roman architect and engineer Vitruvius used the Latin word hypaethrus to describe temples in which the cellaContinue reading “aggrate”

Pronounced: hi-PEA-thruhl, adj Yesterday’s word The word antigodlin means out of line; lopsided; out of whack diagonal Background The origin is uncertain; it supposedly is used in the American south; as far as I know, I’ve never heard anyone use this word. It is thought to come from anti- (against) plus goggling/goggle (to look obliquely).Continue reading “hypaethral”

Pronounced: an-tih-GOD-lin, adj Note: I’ve never heard this word, but it originates it the American south, so maybe some of you will know it. Yesterday’s word The word orgulous means “proud; haughty” Background The word comes from Anglo-French orguillus. First used This word originally came over in the 1200s, and was used by Shakespeare (inContinue reading “antigodlin”

Pronounced: OR-gyuh-luhs, adj Note: Another handy to know; you can call someone this and they won’t know if it’s an insult or not Yesterday’s word The word tourbillion means “a whirlwind or whirlpool” Background This word is fairly well traveled; it came from French tourbillion (whirlwind), but this came from Latin (and you may haveContinue reading “orgulous”

Pronounced: toor-BILL-yuhn, noun Note: It’s not going on a lot of tours… Yesterday’s word The word temporize means: to act to suit the time or occasion : yield to current or dominant opinion to draw out discussions or negotiations so as to gain time Background I was familiar with the second definition (what we termContinue reading “tourbillion”