Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: fan-fer-uh-NADE, noun Notes: I wasn’t quite sure of the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word bokeh is “the blurred effect in a photograph (typically as a soft out-of-focus background) that results in a pleasing effect and helps to draw attention to the subject of the photograph. First usage Our word came intoContinue reading “fanfaronade”

Pronounced: BOH-kay (alt: BOH-kuh), noun Notes: I didn’t know that there was a word for this thing that most of us have seen Yesterday’s word The word panache means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I knew the second definition; however, the first definition is the original meaning.Continue reading “bokeh”

Pronounced: puh-NASH, noun Notes: I knew one of the meanings, but not the other one Yesterday’s word The word manducate means “to chew or eat” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I know the word “masticate” means “to chew”, but I had never heard of or word.Continue reading “panache”

Pronounced: MAN-joo-kate, verb Notes: It looked to me like it was related to “matriculate” or “educate”, but it is not Yesterday’s word The word amphibology is “a sentence or phrase that can be interpreted in more than one way” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments Example 1 (thisContinue reading “manducate”

Pronounced: am-fuh-BAH-luh-jee (alt: amp-fuh-BAH-luh-jee), noun Notes: I didn’t know the word, but I’ve heard and used amphibologies Yesterday’s word The word polyphiloprogenitive means “extremely prolific” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s (in a poem by T. S. Eliot) Background / Comments Our word came from a combination of three Latin words:Continue reading “amphibology”

Pronounced: pol-ee-fi-luh-pro-JEN-uh-tiv, adj Notes: My mind boggled at the word length, but you may be able to work out the meaning Yesterday’s word The word sibyl means First usage Our word came into English in the middle to late 1200s Background / Comments Many ancient cultures have various women through whom the gods spoke. IfContinue reading “polyphiloprogenitive”

Pronounced: SIH-bull, noun Notes: Sounds like a woman’s name, but I didn’t know the meanings Yesterday’s word The word scrutate means “to investigate” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As much as I enjoy mystery/detective stories, I’m surprised that I have not run across our word. ItContinue reading “sibyl”

Pronounced: SCREW-tate, verb Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word mare is “any of several mostly flat dark areas of considerable extent on the surface of the moon or Mars” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments The idea that the dark areas of the moonContinue reading “scrutate”

Pronounced: MAHR-ay, noun Notes: When I saw the word, I thought that of course I knew it was an adult, female horse, but then I saw the pronunciation, and I didn’t know that this word means Yesterday’s word The word palmer is First usage Our word came into English around 1300 Background / Comments IContinue reading “mare”

Pronounced: PAH-murr, noun Notes: You may be able to guess one of the meanings Yesterday’s word The word numen is “a spiritual force or influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word made an interesting journey; itContinue reading “palmer”