Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: TUB-thuhm-puhr, noun Notes: I thought I knew the origin of this word, but I was incorrect Yesterday’s word The word ordonnance is “the systematic arrangement of parts in art, literature, architecture, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word came from French, being changed from theContinue reading “tub-thumper”

Pronounced: OR-dn-uhns (alt: or-duh-NAHNS), noun Notes: This word could be confused with two other similarly spelled words Yesterday’s word The word florescence is “a state or period of flourishing” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments I confused our word with “fluorescence”, which refers to light that substancesContinue reading “ordonnance”

Pronounced: flaw-REH-s(uh)nts, (alt-1: floh-REH-s[uh]nts; alt-2: fluh-REH-s[uh]nts), noun Notes: I had totally confused this word with another one Yesterday’s word The word cliticize means “to attach or become attached” First usage Our word came into English in the 1970s Background / Comments Our word is a verb that was created from the noun clitic, which cameContinue reading “florescence”

Pronounced: CLIT-uh-size, verb Notes: This is NOT “criticize” misspelled Yesterday’s word The word eupeptic means of, relating to, or having good digestion cheerful, optimistic First usage Our word came into English around 1700 (maybe slightly earlier) Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I recognized the eu- part of this word, but not the secondContinue reading “cliticize”

Pronounced: you-PEP-tick, adj Notes: I recognize one part of the word, but it doesn’t help me to the meaning Yesterday’s word The word fomites are “inanimate objects, such as surfaces, that can transmit germs from one person to another” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments As noted,Continue reading “eupeptic”

Pronounced: FOAM-uh-teez (alt: FOH-mites) Notes: Our word is a plural noun, but the singular form is NOT fomite Yesterday’s word The word chatelaine is the wife of a castellan [governor of a castle] the mistress of a chateau, household, or large establishment a clasp or hook for a watch, purse, or bunch of keys FirstContinue reading “fomites”

Pronounced: SHA-tuh-land, noun Notes: I have heard this word and had a vague idea of the meaning, but there was a meaning I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word zoonosis is “any disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans” First usage Our word came into English in the late mid-1800s Background / CommentsContinue reading “chatelaine”

Pronounced: zoh-AHN-uh-sis (alt: zoh-uh-NOH-sis) Notes: I’ve probably heard this word; I just don’t remember hearing it Yesterday’s word The word syllepsis means “the use of a word in the same grammatical relation to two different adjacent words in the context with one literal and the other metaphorical in sense” First usage Our word came intoContinue reading “zoonosis”

Pronounced: suh-LEP-suhs Notes: I have posted a similar word before Yesterday’s word The word topsy is “something growing without intention or direction” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Quite a coincidence: I’m sure I’ve never run across our word, but the day after I wrote the entryContinue reading “syllepsis”

Pronounced: TOP-see Notes: I’ve never run across this word (but see tomorrow’s comments), but if you are sufficiently well-read, you may know it Yesterday’s word The word veridical means truthful; veracious not illusory; genuine First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I saw the “ver”Continue reading “topsy”