Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: pih-SHOHG, noun Notes: I have not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word chilblain is “an inflammatory swelling or sore caused by exposure (such as feed or hands) to cold” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments As you might expect, the first part of our wordContinue reading “pishogue”

Pronounced: CHILL-blane, noun Notes: I have run across our word, but didn’t know the definition Yesterday’s word The word picaro is “a rogue; an adventurer” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Spanish word picaro (rogue).

Pronounced: PEE-kuh-roh, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word snickersnee is “a large knife or sword” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our word used to be a phrase “snick or snee” (before it was compressed into our word). This phrase wasContinue reading “picaro”

Pronounced: SNIH-kuhr-snee, noun Notes: This word made me think of Lewis Carroll’s poem “Jabberwocky” Yesterday’s word The word pogonip is “a dense winter fog having ice particles” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Shoshone word payinappih (cloud).

Pronounced: POG-uh-nip, noun Notes: I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word festoon is a decorative chain or strip hanging between two points a carved, molded, or painted ornament representing a decorative chain First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I am familiar with the verb “festoon”Continue reading “pogonip”

Pronounced: feh-STOON, noun Notes: I know the verb, but I didn’t know the noun meaning Yesterday’s word The word zarf is “a sleeve or holder designed to hold a hot cup” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I didn’t know that there was aContinue reading “festoon”

Pronounced: zarf, noun Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this! Yesterday’s word The word esoteric means designed for or understood only by a select group or those with special knowledge limited to a small circle; private; confidential First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments IContinue reading “zarf”

Pronounced: eh-suh-TER-ik, adj Notes: I have used this word, but incorrectly, it appears. Do you know the meaning? Yesterday’s word The word coquelicot means, as an adjective, “of orangish-red or reddish-orange color”. As a noun, it refers to such a color. First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / CommentsContinue reading “esoteric”

Pronounced: KAHK-lee-koh (alt: KOHK-lee-koh), adj/noun Notes: I had no idea of the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word deterge means “to wash off; to cleanse” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments The far more common “detergent” is the noun form of our word. Our wordContinue reading “coquelicot”

Pronounced: dih-TERJ, verb Notes: I didn’t know this was a word, but you probably can guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word homeoteluton is “a repetition of the same or similar endings in a sequence of words” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came fromContinue reading “deterge”