Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: jire (alt: jigh-uhr), noun Notes: I’ve come across this word (but it is a little specialized) Yesterday’s word The word shirtsleeve means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments All of our definitions derive from the sleeves of one’s shirt. In warmer weather, shirtsleeves are often rolled up.Continue reading “gyre”

Pronounced: SHIRT-sleeve, adj Notes: I know the noun (what a shirtsleeve is), but not the meaning of the adjective Yesterday’s word The word colligate means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments Our word traces back to the Latin word colligare, which is made up of com- (with) andContinue reading “shirtsleeve”

Pronounced: KAH-luh-gate, verb Notes: I thought of “collegiate”, but this word is not that one Yesterday’s word The word supercargo is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I would not have thought that a supervisor of cargo would be what a supercargo is. The word is an alterationContinue reading “colligate”

Pronounced: soo-purr-CAR-go, noun Notes: I thought perhaps “important cargo”, but that’s not right Yesterday’s word The word fossick means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I don’t feel too bad about not knowing this word, since it is primarily used in Australia and NewContinue reading “supercargo”

Pronounced: FAH-sick, verb Notes: I don’t feel too bad about not knowing this word Yesterday’s phrase The phrase Jedburgh justice means “punishment before trial” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Apparently, our word is also known by the names “Jedwood justice” or “Jeddart justice”. The town ofContinue reading “fossick”

Pronounced: JED-buh-ruh juhs-tihs, noun Notes: I’ve not heard this phrase Yesterday’s word The word yeasty means First usage Our word came into English in the 1500s Background / Comments The first definition above seemed like the obvious one; the other ones were new to me. Even though our word is from the 1500s, the wordContinue reading “Jedburgh justice”

Pronounced: YEE-stee, adj Notes: There is an obvious definition, but there were meanings I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word Pactolian means “golden; lavish” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I really like having another word for “lavish”. Our word came from the river Pactolus in ancientContinue reading “yeasty”

Pronounced: pak-TOE-lee-uhn, adj Notes: I hope I remember this word; it’s useful — but it was new to me Yesterday’s word The word calumny is First usage Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s Background / Comments Somewhere, I have read the phrase “lies and calumnies”, and so I hadContinue reading “Pactolian”

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”