Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: BAN-duh-snatch, noun Notes: The word was familiar to me (and may be to you), but not the definition Yesterday’s word The word magnifico is “a person of high rank or position” First usage Our word appeared in English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments As I noted, our word looks related to “magnificent”… andContinue reading “bandersnatch”

Pronounced: mag-NIF-ih-koh, noun Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word apparatchik is “a blindly devoted official, follower, or member of an organization (such as a corporation or political party)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, if you thinkContinue reading “magnifico”

Pronounced: ah-puh-RAH(T)-chik, noun Notes: If you think this looks Russian, then… come back tomorrow and read about it Yesterday’s word The word mossback is “a very old-fashioned person or one holding extremely conservative views” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments You have heard the saying “a rolling stoneContinue reading “apparatchik”

Pronounced: MOSS-back, noun Notes: I was pretty close to the meaning – you may know the word Yesterday’s word The word flaneur is “an idle man-about-town” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought that I had read a book in which our word was used as theContinue reading “mossback”

Pronounced: flah-NUHR, noun Notes: This word looks familiar, but I don’t recognize it Yesterday’s word The word puce, as a noun, is “a dark red or brown purple color”. As an adjective, it means “of this color” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Like most people, IContinue reading “flaneur”

Pronounced: pyoos, noun/adj Notes: I know that I’ve heard this word, but I could not properly define it Yesterday’s word The word philoprogenitive means tending to produce offspring; prolific of, relating to, or characterized by love of offspring First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes fromContinue reading “puce”

Pronounced: fih-luh-pro-JEH-nuh-tihv, adj Notes: Quite a word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word canaille means “the common people; the masses; riffraff” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I am pretty sure that I have run across our word somewhere, but I cannot recall itContinue reading “philoprogenitive”

Pronounced: kuh-NAIL (alt: kuh-NAH-yuh), noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I think I’ve seen some related word in some reading Yesterday’s word The word sequacious means “intellectually servile” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is rather insulting; it is akin to saying that someoneContinue reading “canaille”

Pronounced: sih-KWAY-shuhs, adj Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word presentiment is “the sense that something is going to happen (especially something bad)” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I was pretty close to the meaning, just by breaking the word into pre-Continue reading “sequacious”

Pronounced: prih-ZEN-tuh-ment, noun Notes: Interesting word; I was close to the meaning Yesterday’s word The word bijou (plural bijoux or bijous) is a small, dainty (usually ornamental) piece of delicate workmanship; jewel something delicate, elegant, or highly prized First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments I had theContinue reading “presentiment”