Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ZAFF-tig, adj Notes: Not a word I know about Yesterday’s word The word superbious means “proud; insolent” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s Background / Comments It is nice to have another word for “proud” in my vocabulary. Our word came from the Latin word superbiosus (proud; insolent), whichContinue reading “zaftig”

Pronounced: su-PUHR-bee-us, adj Notes: A new word for me – and a useful one! Yesterday’s word The word bioturbation is “the restructuring of sedimentary deposits (such as at the bottom of a lake or seabed) by moving organisms (such as worms or burrowing clams)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s BackgroundContinue reading “superbious”

Pronounced: by-oh-tuhr-BAY-shun, noun Notes: This is one of the words about which I had no inkling of the meaning, but when I saw it, I thought “of course!” (perhaps you will do better than me) Yesterday’s word The word handfast, as a noun, means “a contract or agreement, especially about a betrothal of marriage”. AsContinue reading “bioturbation”

Pronounced: HAND-fast, noun/verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this — you may be able to guess one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word wifty means “eccentrically silly or scatterbrained; ditzy” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s (but see Comments below) Background / Comments The reference material indicated thatContinue reading “handfast”

Pronounced: WHIFF-tea, adj Notes: Another word that I have not heard about Yesterday’s phrase The phrase dead hand means First usage Our phrase came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I knew the first definition from reading; it is used in the original Foundation trilogy by Isaac Asimov. I think I haveContinue reading “wifty”

Pronounced: (as it looks), noun Notes: Another word of which I knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word perseverate means First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments Our word looks like a form of persevere (and they do trace to the same source), but these days theContinue reading “dead hand”

Pronounced: puhr-SEH-vuh-rate, verb Notes: Another word I’ve not run across Yesterday’s word The word grinagog is “one who is always grinning” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Old English word grennian (to show the teeth in pain or anger) combined with (it isContinue reading “perseverate”

Pronounced: GRIN-uh-gog, noun Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning, but I’ve never run across this word Yesterday’s word The word apotheosis means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I was aware of the third definition; I’ve run across it somewhere or other using thatContinue reading “grinagog”

Pronounced: uh-pah-thee-OH-suhs, noun Notes: Interesting definitions Yesterday’s word The word pot-valor is “boldness or courage induced by the consumption of alcohol” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I have heard the alternate phrases “liquid courage” and “Dutch courage”, but our word was new to me. It isContinue reading “apotheosis”

Pronounced: POT-val-uhr, noun Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but after seeing it, it made sense Yesterday’s word The word ratiocination is First usage Our word came into English in the early to mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word seems to fit the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes. Edgar Allen Poe used ourContinue reading “pot-valor”