Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: vuh-RIH-duh-tee, noun Notes: This word had a surprise definition for me Yesterday’s word The word opprobrium means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I have run across this word somewhere (probably in reading) and had the impression of the first definition. But it is a word thatContinue reading “viridity”

Pronounced: uh-PRO-bree-um, noun Notes: I was pretty close on this one, but I don’t know how well-known it is Yesterday’s word The word rococo means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Another word with only one vowel. I knew that our word referred to some particular artistic style,Continue reading “opprobrium”

Pronounced: ruh-KOH-koh, adj Notes: I’ve heard this word, but couldn’t definite is accurately Yesterday’s word The word parastatal means, as a noun, “a company or agency owned wholly or partly by the government”. As an adjective, it refers to such an organization. First usage Our word came into English in the 1940s Background / CommentsContinue reading “rococo”

Pronounced: par-uh-STATE-l, noun/adj Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word emprise is “an adventurous, daring, or chivalric enterprise” First usage Our word came into English in the second half of the 1200s Background / Comments Our word came from the Anglo-French word emprendre (to undertake). Our word was used in TheContinue reading “parastatal”

Pronounced: em-PRIZE, noun Notes: An old word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word defervescence is “the abatement of a fever” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments When I saw our word, I thought of effervescence, and thought it might be related, but while theyContinue reading “emprise”

Pronounced: dee-fur-VESS-uhns, noun Notes: Not at all what I thought Yesterday’s word The word farceur means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Like me, you probably thought that our word had something to do with “farce” (and we were right), but I was unaware of the firstContinue reading “defervescence”

Pronounced: far-SUHR, noun Notes: You may be able to guess one of the definitions Yesterday’s phrase The phrase ex post means, as an adjective, “based on past events; actual, rather then predicted”. As an adverb, it means “retrospectively” First usage Our phrase came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments I don’t know ifContinue reading “farceur”

Pronounced: ex-POST, adj/adv Notes: I could not quite define this phrase correctly Yesterday’s word The word gruntle means “to put in a good humor” First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments You probably got the definition right if you thought of “disgruntle” (to make ill-humored). That word has beenContinue reading “ex post”

Pronounced: GRUHN-t(uh)l, verb Notes: You may know this word (or be able to guess it), but it is interesting Yesterday’s word The word bryology is “the branch of botany that deals with mosses, liverworts, and hornworts” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I had no idea that thereContinue reading “gruntle”

Pronounced: bry-OL-uh-jee, noun Notes: Clearly, a study of (something)… Yesterday’s word The word ponderous means First usage Our word came into English around 1400 Background / Comment I knew the first two definition; however, the third one I didn’t know. Our word came from the Middle French word ponderos [alt: pondereuse] (heavy), which came fromContinue reading “bryology”