Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: FAH-tick, adj Notes: Not what I thought, and not related to the word I thought it was Yesterday’s word The word poltroon is “an utter coward” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I keep thinking I first heard this word during an after-school cartoon (maybe Bugs Bunny?Continue reading “phatic”

Pronounced: pol-TROON Notes: I’ve heard this word, but wasn’t sure of the meaning Yesterday’s word The word trenchant means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1200s or the early 1300s Background / Comments I thought that our word meant “dedicated”; I think I confused our word with “trencherman”. Our word cameContinue reading “poltroon”

Pronounced: TREN-chuhnt, adj Notes: Not quite what I thought (but at least I pronounced it correctly) Yesterday’s word The word imprimis means “in the first place” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comment For some reason, I thought that our word had to do with books. It is aContinue reading “trenchant”

Pronounced: im-PRY-miss (alt: im-PREE-miss), adv Notes: This word wasn’t quite what I thought Yesterday’s word The word insouciance is “lighthearted unconcern; nonchalance” First usage Our word came into English around 1800 Background / Comments Our word came from French, where is it a combination of in- (negative) and soucier (to trouble or disturb). The wordContinue reading “imprimis”

Pronounced: in-SOO-see-uhns (alt: in-SOO-see-uhnts), noun Notes: I have certainly seen this word, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word seism means “earthquake” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments As I noted, once I saw the definition, I felt foolish because I immediately saw “seismologist”Continue reading “insouciance”

Pronounced: SIGH-zuhm, noun Notes: I didn’t have any idea of the definition, but after I saw it, I felt rather dumb Yesterday’s word The word glabrous means “smooth; especially having a surface without hairs or projections” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word has been used byContinue reading “seism”

Pronounced: GLAY-bruhs, adj Notes: This word is new to me Yesterday’s word The word duoliteral means “having two letters” First usage Our word came into English in the mid 1800s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I thought “of course!”. It is quite a long long to describe something with two letters. I keepContinue reading “glabrous”

Pronounced: do-uh-LIT-uhr-uhl, adj Notes: I keep thinking this should be a noun, not an adjective Yesterday’s word The word valetudinarian is “a person of a weak of sickly constitution; especially one whose chief concern is his ill health” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments Oddly enough, ourContinue reading “duoliteral”

Pronounced: vah-luh-too-duh-NER-ee-uhn, noun Notes: I’ve read this word, but was a bit off in my guess at at the meaning Yesterday’s word The word aerious means “of or like air; airy” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I should have known the proper definition; I think theContinue reading “valetudinarian”

Pronounced: AY-ree-us, adj Notes: Not a word I knew of, but you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word climacteric means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word came from the Greek word klimaktēr (critical point; literally ‘rung of a ladder’). ItContinue reading “aerious”