Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: myoo-TAH-tuhs-myoo-TAN-duhs, adv Notes: I don’t think I’ve seen this phrase before Yesterday’s word The word bildungsroman is “a novel concerned with the maturing of someone from childhood to adulthood” First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments Our word came from the German words Bildung (education; formation) and RomanContinue reading “mutatis mutandis”

Pronounced: BILL-doongz-roh-mahn (alt: BILL-doongks-roh-mahn), noun Notes: This word is also new to me Yesterday’s word The word Locofoco is a member of a radical group of New York Democrats organized in 1835 in opposition to the regular party organization a member of the US Democratic party First usage Our word came into English in theContinue reading “bildungsroman”

Pronounced: loh-kuh-FOH-koh, noun Notes: I have not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word captcha is “a test used to make sure that a human is using a system, not a computer program” (the test usually consists of asking the subject to read and enter distorted text). First usage Our word came into EnglishContinue reading “Locofoco”

Pronounced: KAP-chuh, noun Notes: You probably know the meaning, but the background was interesting to me Yesterday’s word The word jalousie is a blind with adjustable horizontal slats for admitting light and air while excluding sun and rain a window made of adjustable glass louvers that control ventilation First usage Our word came into EnglishContinue reading “captcha”

Pronounced: JAH-luh-see, noun Notes: This word looks like an alternate spelling of “jealousy”, but… Yesterday’s word The word prebuttal is “an argument in anticipation of a criticism; a preemptive rebuttal” First usage Our word came into English in the 1990s Background / Comments I was close; I knew that a “rebuttal” is a refutation ofContinue reading “jalousie”

Pronounced: prih-BUH-tl, noun Notes: I didn’t know that this was a word Yesterday’s word The word struthious means “of or relating to the ostriches or other ratite birds” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments The definition given above is the scientific sense of our word (by the way,Continue reading “prebuttal”

Pronounced: STROO-thee-us, adj Notes: Another new word to me Yesterday’s word The word quantum, as a noun means a quantity or amount a portion a large amount the smallest amount of something that can exist independently As an adjective, it means large relating to the quantum theory First usage Our word came into English inContinue reading “struthious”

Pronounced: KWAHN-tuhm, noun/adj Notes: I only know one meaning Yesterday’s word The word diablerie is black magic; sorcery a representation of sorcery in words or pictures mischievous conduct or manner First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments I saw the word “diabolos” (Spaning for “devil”) in our word, andContinue reading “quantum”

Pronounced: dee-AH-bluh-ree, noun Notes: You may be able to guess the definition Yesterday’s word The word ascesis (also spelled askesis) is “the practice of severe self-discipline or self-control” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I wonder if our word is related to a wordContinue reading “diablerie”

Pronounced: uh-SEES-is, noun Notes: Another new word to me Yesterday’s word The word pantheon means a temple dedicated to all the gods, or the gods of a people a group of illustrious persons First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s to early 1400s Background / Comments I noted yesterday that IContinue reading “ascesis”