Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: will-uh-the-WISP, noun Notes: Do you know both the literal and figurative meanings? Yesterday’s word The word sansculotte (alternately spelled sans-culotte) is “a radical or revolutionary” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments You probably knew this word if you have studied much about the French Revolution. OurContinue reading “will-o’-the-wisp”

Pronounced: sanz-kyoo-LOT, noun Notes: I pretty much knew this word, but I don’t know how commonly known it is Yesterday’s word The word camarilla is “a group of unofficial – often secret and scheming – advisors; cabal” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from theContinue reading “sansculotte”

Pronounced: ka-muh-RIH-luh, noun Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word redshirt means, as a noun, “a college student who practices with the team, but does not take part in official games”. As a verb, it means to extend eligibility by a year by making an athlete practice, but not participate, in officialContinue reading “camarilla”

Pronounced: nope, not giving such obvious pronunciation, noun/verb Notes: I enjoy watching football, and I’ve heard this term, but didn’t know precisely what it meant (and it has a definition of which I was unware) Yesterday’s word The word orphic means of or relating to Orpheus or the rites and doctrines ascribed to him (capitalizedContinue reading “redshirt”

Pronounced: OR-fik, adj Notes: You may know one of the meanings Yesterday’s word The word rort means a fraudulent scheme or practice a wild party First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments Our word is another back-formation from rorty (boisterous; lively; jolly) – rorty is around 60 years olderContinue reading “orphic”

Pronounced: rort, noun Notes: A word I didn’t know at all Yesterday’s word The word gust means “keen delight” First usage Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s Background / Comments I knew the word “gust” that refers to wind, but even though that word and our word are spelledContinue reading “rort”

Pronounced: GUHST, noun Notes: This word is NOT the meaning of a strong wind. Do you know it? Yesterday’s word The word swashbuckle means “to swagger, bluster, behave recklessly, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word is another back-formation. Well over 300 years earlier thanContinue reading “gust”

Pronounced: SWASH-buhkl, verb Notes: You probably know (or can guess) the meaning; however, the background is interesting Yesterday’s phrase The phrase dragon’s teeth means seeds of strife wedge-shaped concrete antitank barriers laid in multiple rows First usage Our phrase came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our phrase comes from the legendContinue reading “swashbuckle”

Pronounced: (probably not needed) DRA-guns-teeth, noun Notes: I didn’t know the meaning, but the background was somewhat familiar to me Yesterday’s word The word onymous means “bearing the author’s name; named” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Our word is what’s called a “back-formation”; I presume mostContinue reading “dragon’s teeth”

Pronounced: AHN-uh-muhs, adj Notes: I was quite interested to read about the origin of this word that is unknown to me Yesterday’s word The word schlemiel is “an unlucky bungler; chump” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Yiddish word shlemil. It isContinue reading “onymous”