Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: per-uh-gruh-NAY-shun, noun Notes: Another word I think I’ve run across, but I didn’t quite know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word levee (are you ready?) means First usage The last definition above is the earliest, coming into English around 1700; the other meanings came into English in the early 1700s (see the Background below)Continue reading “peregrination”

Pronounced: LEV-ee Notes: I only knew one of the definitions, and one was surprising Yesterday’s word The word thimblerig means “to cheat by trickery” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I suspect most of us have heard of “the shell game” — in which a seed isContinue reading “levee”

Pronounced: THIM-bull-rig, verb Notes: I’ve run across this word somewhere, but wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word prorogue means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / Comments Our word came from the French word proroger (to adjourn), which came from the Latin word prorogare (to prolong;Continue reading “thimblerig”

Pronounced: pro-ROHG, verb Notes: Looks like being for a thief Yesterday’s phrase The phrase tabula rasa means First usage Our phrase came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments There is an ancient idea that babies are born with completely blank minds – that state has been known as tabula rasa, which came fromContinue reading “prorogue”

Pronounced: ta-byoo-luh-RAH-zuh, noun Notes: Not a phrase I recognize Yesterday’s word The word deportment is “the manner in which one conducts oneself in public” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments As I noted, which I first came across this word, I didn’t really know the definition, butContinue reading “tabula rasa”

Pronounced: dih-PORT-ment, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word when I first saw it, but I have learned it by now – I’m including it nevertheless Yesterday’s word The word debouch means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I think I have run across our word in describingContinue reading “deportment”

Pronounced: di-BOWCH, verb Notes: This word I have read, but could not well define Yesterday’s phrase The phrase a fortiori means “for an even stronger reason; even more so” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Our word came from Latin, where is literally means “from the stronger”.

Pronounced: ah-fort-tee-OR-ee (alt: ay-for-shee-OR-eye), adv Notes: Not a phrase I recognize Yesterday’s word The word erne means “eagle; especially a long-winged sea eagle witha short white wedge-shaped tail (Häliaetus albicilla)” First usage Our word came into English before 1000 Background / Comments Our word came from the Middle English word ern/arn, which came from theContinue reading “a fortiori”

Pronounced: urn, noun Notes: A nice simple word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word vouchsafe means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1300s Background / Comments I think I was lead astray by the first part of our word (“vouch”), so I thought that our word meant somethingContinue reading “erne”

Pronounced: vouch-SAFE, verb Notes: This word doesn’t mean what I thought it meant Yesterday’s word The word empyreal means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments When our word first came into English, it referred to things related to the “empyrean” – the highest heaven or outermost heavenlyContinue reading “vouchsafe”