Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: KLER-ih-hyoo, noun Notes: I have not heard of our word Yesterday’s word The word plutarchy means rule by the wealthy a wealthy ruling class First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I thought our word was related to Pluto, from Roman mythology, but that is wrong. I’ve neverContinue reading “clerihew”

Pronounced: PLOO-tar-kee, noun Notes: You may know this word; it was somewhat familiar to me, but I was incorrect as to the origin Yesterday’s phrase The phrase tu quoque is “a retort charging an adversary with being or doing what he criticizes in others” First usage Our phrase came into English in the early 1600sContinue reading “plutarchy”

Pronounced: TOO-KWOH-kwee, noun Notes: I didn’t know this phrase, but many of us have experienced what it means Yesterday’s word The word dispositive means “relating to or bringing about the settlement of a case” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1400s Background / Comments I thought that our word might meanContinue reading “tu quoque”

Pronounced: dis-POZ-ih-tihv, adj Notes: This word didn’t mean what I thought it meant Yesterday’s word The word prepend means (also see the Comments below) to reflect on carefully; ponder to be attentive First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s Background / Comments There is a word spelled the same way, butContinue reading “dispositive”

Pronounced: purr-PEND, verb Notes: This word looks familiar; I think it is parts that look familiar Yesterday’s word The word formicate means to crawl like ants to swarm with ants First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word formicare (to crawl like ants),Continue reading “perpend”

Pronounced: FOR-mih-kate, verb Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of the word, but after I saw the definition, it was obvious Yesterday’s word The word luftmensch is “an impractical contemplative person having no definite business or income” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (meaning 1900-1910) Background / Comments If you thoughtContinue reading “formicate”

Pronounced: LUFT-men(t)sh, noun Notes: The word looks slightly familiar, but I cannot recall where I may have read it (and I don’t know the meaning) Yesterday’s word The word assonance is “the use of words with the same or similar vowel sounds but with different end consonants”. An example of assonance is the “o” soundsContinue reading “luftmensch”

Pronounced: AS-uh-nuhns, noun Notes: I have run across this word, but I didn’t know the meaning of it Yesterday’s word The word borborgymus is “intestinal rumbling caused by moving gas” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments A more common expression used instead of our word is “stomachContinue reading “assonance”

Pronounced: bawr-buh-RIG-muss, noun Notes: Really? There’s a word for that? Yesterday’s word The word hortatory means “strongly urging” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted, I’ve run across our word. I’ve read or heard the phrases “hortatory preaching” and “hortatory exhortation” (the latter being anContinue reading “borborygmus”

Pronounced: HORE-tuh-tore-ee, adj Notes: I pretty much knew this word, but I don’t think it is generally known Yesterday’s word The word bandersnatch is “a wildly grotesque or bizarre individual” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments As I noted, I recognized the word as coming from the poemContinue reading “hortatory”