Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: kligh-MAK-trik (alt: kligh-MAK-tuh-rik), noun Notes: I think this is another word I’ve not run across before, but it is a useful word Yesterday’s word The word placentious is “pleasing or inclined to please” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I think I was taught in grade schoolContinue reading “climacteric”

Pronounced: pla-SEN-shus Notes: Not what I thought Yesterday’s word The word divagate means “to wander or stray from a course or subject: diverge; digress” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I read the first part of the definition, I thought “Oh! It’s like diverge“… and thenContinue reading “placentious”

Pronounced: DIE-vuh-gate, verb Notes: A new word for me Yesterday’s word The word arterious means “of, or relating to, the arteries or a main road or channel” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I would have guessed that our word meant relating to the arteries in theContinue reading “divagate”

Pronounced: ARE-tihr-ee-uhs, adj Notes: You may know this word Yesterday’s word The word pippin means First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s Background / Comments I don’t know about you, but I’m more familiar with the second definition above, probably due to my reading of English authors. I knowContinue reading “arterious”

Pronounced: PIH-puhn, noun Notes: There are two meanings that don’t seem to be related – do you know either? Yesterday’s word The word abstentious means “self-retraining, especially in eating or drinking” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word looks like “abstinence”, so readers may have been ableContinue reading “pippin”

Pronounced: abs-TEN-shus, adj Notes: This word was a near thing (whether or not to use it) Yesterday’s word The word cachinnate is “to laugh loudly or immoderately” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin verb cachinnare (to laugh loudly); it is thoughtContinue reading “abstentious”

Pronounced: KAH-kuh-nate, verb Notes: Not at all what I thought. Yesterday’s word The word colophon is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I knew that our word was related to books, but I did not know the exact meaning. It came from the Latin word colophon, which cameContinue reading “cachinnate”

Pronounced: KOL-uh-fon (alt: KOL-uh-fun), noun Notes: I have read the word, but I didn’t know the definition Yesterday’s word The word redbrick means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments The first definition is kind of “duh!”; it’s what most people would think it meant. The second meaningContinue reading “colophon”

Pronounced: RED-brick (as is appears), adj Notes: This word has two definition; one is more obvious than the other Yesterday’s word The word recto is “the front of a leaf; the side that is to be read first” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments In an EnglishContinue reading “redbrick”

Pronounced: REK-toe, noun Notes: Not what I thought, and very common Yesterday’s word The word desideratum is “something desired as essential” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is a close cousin of “desire”. Our word came from the Latin word desiderare (to long for), which wasContinue reading “recto”