Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: grahn gee-NYOL, noun/adj Notes: This is new to me (the word Grand is pronounced nasally) Yesterday’s word The lamia is a female demon; vampire First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1300s Background / Comments Our word came from Greek mythology; Lamia was a queen of Libya – oneContinue reading “Grand Guignol”

Pronounced: LAY-me-uh, noun Notes: I didn’t know there was a word for this Yesterday’s word The word misericord means compassion, pity, or mercy something to provide support to a standing person a place where rules are relaxed a dagger used to deliver the death stroke to a seriously wounded person First usage Our word cameContinue reading “lamia”

Pronounced: mih-ZER-ih-kord (alt: muh-ZER-ih-kord), noun Notes: I saw “miser” and thought our word was related to a miser (boy, was I wrong!) Yesterday’s word The word anchorite means “a person who lives in seclusion usually for religious reasons” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / Comments Our word cameContinue reading “misericord”

Pronounced: ANG-kuh-rite, noun Notes: another new word for me Yesterday’s phrase The phrase mouse potato is “someone who lives a sedentary life, spending much of his free time playing computer games, surfing the net, streaming videos, etc” First usage Our phrase came into English in the 1990s Background / Comments Our phrase came from “couchContinue reading “anchorite”

Pronounced: MAUS-puh-tay-toe Notes: I have not heard this phrase, but I should have guessed the meaning Yesterday’s word The word erumpent means “bursting forth” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments When our word first came into English, it had scientific meaning related to fungi – “tending to burstContinue reading “mouse potato”

Pronounced: ih-RUHM-punt, adj Notes: A brand new word to me Yesterday’s word The word plight, as a noun, means an unfortunate situation a pledge a fold, wrinkle, braid, etc (also spelled plait or pleat) As a verb, it means to become engaged to marry to promise to fold, wrinkle, braid, etc First usage Our wordContinue reading “erumpent”

Pronounced: playet (rhymes with “flight”), noun/verb Notes: I know some of the meanings; some are new to me Yesterday’s word The word récauffé means rehash a warmed-over dish of food First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments When our word first entered English, it meant, in a figurativeContinue reading “plight”

Pronounced: ray-shoh-FAY, noun Notes: Another great alternative to a common word Yesterday’s word The word quotennial means “yearly” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments A nice alternative to drop into conversation instead of “annual”. Our word came from the Latin words quot (how many) and annus (year).

Pronounced: kwo-TEN-ee-uhl, adj Notes: Another neat word for a commonly used term Yesterday’s word The word belie means to give a false impression of; to present an appearance not in agreement with to show to be false or wrong; to run counter to – contradict disguise First usage Our word came into English in theContinue reading “quotennial”

Pronounced: bih-LIE, verb Notes: I knew some, but not all, definitions Yesterday’s word The word sleeveless means unprofitable; futile; unreasonable; irrelevant without sleeves First usage Our word came into English in the mid-900s Background / Comments Obviously, I knew the second definition, but how did the first definition come about? Back in medieval times, aContinue reading “belie”