Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: LOOFT-mensh, noun Notes: Not a word I’m familiar with Yesterday’s phrase The phrase lord of misrule is “a master of Christmas revels in England especially in the 1400s and 1500s” First usage Our phrase came into English in the 1400s Background / Comments The tradition back in medieval England in the royal court, inContinue reading “luftmensch”

Pronounced: LORD of miss-RULE, noun Notes: Another phrase I think I’ve read, but I didn’t know the actual meaning Yesterday’s word The word dactyloscopy is “the analysis of fingerprints for identification of individuals” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (that is, 1900-1909) Background / Comments I normally hear and use theContinue reading “lord of misrule”

Pronounced: dak-tuh-LOS-kuh-pee, noun Notes: This is a fancy word for something else we knew Yesterday’s word The word élan means “vigorous spirit or enthusiasm” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I’ve run across this word in reading, but I could not recall theContinue reading “dactyloscopy”

Pronounced: ay-LAHN Notes: I’ve run across this word in reading, but I wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word xerophilous means “adapted to a very dry or desert environment” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I recognized part of the word —Continue reading “élan”

Pronounced: zee-ROF-uh-luhs, adj Notes: Well, I recognized one part of this word, but it still didn’t help with the definition Yesterday’s word The word tergiversation means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word tergiversari (to show reluctance), which is created from tergumContinue reading “xerophilous”

Pronounced: ter-jih-ver-SAY-shun, noun Notes: This is a word I could use, if I can remember to use it Yesterday’s word The word teleology means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments As I noted, I ran across an adjectival form of our word; a memory stirred — I thoughtContinue reading “tergiversation”

Pronounced: tell-ee-AHL-uh-jee, noun Notes: I didn’t recognize this word, but after I saw the definition, I’ve run across a form of it Yesterday’s word The word balneology is “the science of the therapeutic use of baths” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As noted yesterday, I knewContinue reading “teleology”

Pronounced: bal-nee-AH-luh-jee, noun Notes: With the “-ology” ending, it means the study or science of “something” Yesterday’s word The word fissiparous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Rather a fun word to use instead of “fragile”, isn’t it? Our word came from the Latin word fissi- (cleft)Continue reading “balneology”

Pronounced: fih-SIP-uh-russ, adj Notes: Interesting word that I didn’t know; I didn’t know the proper pronunciation Yesterday’s word The word hie means First usage Our word came into English sometime before around 900 Background / Comments After I read the definition, I seem to remember the line something like “I guess I better hie meContinue reading “fissiparous”

Pronounced: HI, verb Notes: I did recognized this word until after I read the definition Yesterday’s word The word lief, as an adverb, means “willingly; gladly; readily”. As as adjective, it means First usage Our word came into English in the late 800s Background / Comments Our word is one of the oldest words thatContinue reading “hie”