Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: uh-GAST, adj Notes: You probably know this word, but I wanted to share its background Yesterday’s word The word concupiscence is “strong desire; lust” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word concupiscere (to desire ardently), which is made up of con-Continue reading “aghast”

Pronounced: kon-KYOO-pih-suhns, noun Notes: This word I am familiar with, but could not precisely define it – I don’t think it’s well known Yesterday’s word The word greenmail is “the practice of buying enough of a company’s stock to threaten a hostile takeover and then reselling it to the company at an above-market price” FirstContinue reading “concupiscence”

Pronounced: GREEN-male, noun Notes: Not a word I knew (again) Yesterday’s word The word disquisition is “a formal discussion on a subject; discourse; dissertation” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word looked a bit to me like “inquisition”, but it came from the Latin word disquiereContinue reading “greenmail”

Pronounced: dis-kwuh-ZISH-uhn, noun Notes: Not a word I knew Yesterday’s word The word inchoate means “being only partly in existence or operation; incipient – especially imperfectly formed or formulated; formless; incoherent” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I thought that our word ended in “ate”, not “uht” –Continue reading “disquisition”

Pronounced: in-KOH-uht, adj Notes: Not only did I not know the meaning, I wasn’t pronouncing it properly Yesterday’s word The word stridor means “a harsh, grating or creaking sound” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is often used for the harsh vibrating sound that occurs whenContinue reading “inchoate”

Pronounced: STRY-duhr, noun Notes: Another word I’ve never run across (but I do know another word that descends from the same source) Yesterday’s word The word inimical means being adverse often by reason of hostility or malevolence hostile or unfriendly First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our wordContinue reading “stridor”

Pronounced: ih-NIH-mih-kuhl, adj Notes: Looks like “unable to be imitated” (but it’s not) Yesterday’s word The word scansorial means “related to climbing” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin verb scandere (to climb)

Pronounced: SCAN-sor-ee-uhl, adj Notes: I’ve never run across this word Yesterday’s word The word lollapalooza (also lallapalooza, lalapalooza, or lollapaloosa) is “one that is extraordinarily impressive; an outstanding example” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments There is a music festival held annually in Chicago that’s called lollapalooza.Continue reading “scansorial”

Pronounced: lah-luh-puh-LOO-zuh, noun Notes: I’ve heard the word, but I did not know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word descamisado is “a very poor person” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Spanish word descamisado (shirtless), which is made up of des- (not)Continue reading “lollapalooza”

Pronounced: des-ka-me-SAH-doh, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve ever run across this world Yesterday’s word The word will-o’-the-wisp is a light that appears at night over marshy ground a misleading or elusive goal or hope First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I actually knew both meanings ofContinue reading “descamisado”