Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: BIH-nih-kuhl, noun Notes: I thought this was something on a ship, but that wasn’t entirely correct Yesterday’s word As most probably know, a cubit is an ancient unit of length based on the length of the forearm to the tip of the middle finger. Background / Comments The word comes from a Latin sourceContinue reading “binnacle”

Pronounced: KYOO-buht, noun Notes: Anyone with some familiarity with the Bible probably knows this word, but this is one that I found the background interesting. Yesterday’s word The word titfer is rhyming slang for “hat” Background / Comments As in the case with rhyming slang, there is a fairly well-know expression (tit for tat); hatContinue reading “cubit”

Pronounced: TIT-fur, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word… it’s another case of rhyming slang (and, unlike the last post, this one is guessable) Yesterday’s Phrase A parting shot, as you probably know, is “a threat, insult, sarcastic retort, or the like uttered upon leaving”. Background / Notes As I noted yesterday,Continue reading “titfer”

Pronounced: Really? (just as it looks) Notes: I assume that you know this phrase; I know it also, but I did not know the origin, which was interesting enough that I included this word. Interestingly enough, the background of this word reveals the background of another word (kind of a 2-for-1) Yesterday’s Word The wordContinue reading “parting shot”

Pronounced: ih-VEN-chuh-wate, verb Notes: Another word that I didn’t recognize, but should have figured out Yesterday’s word The word oscar means “cash”. Background / Comments As noted yesterday, this is rhyming slang named for Oscar Ashe, who was an Australian actor, directory, and writer. I had never heard of Oscar Ashe, so I couldn’t “unwind”Continue reading “eventuate”

Pronounced: OS-kuhr, noun Notes: More rhyming slang… I didn’t know this one; do you, reader? Yesterday’s word The word preterit means “past tense” Background / Comments This form of the word is the original form; it can also be spelled preterite. The word comes from Latin praeter (beyond, past, by). I think that back whenContinue reading “oscar”

Pronounced: PREH-tuh-ruht, noun Notes: I should have known this word Yesterday’s word The word roister-doister, as a noun, means “a swaggering buffoon or reveler”. The adjective form is similar – “engaged in swaggering buffoonery”. Background / Comments This word comes from Ralph Roister Doister, the main character in a play written by Nicolas Udall inContinue reading “preterit”

Pronounced: ROY-stir doy-stir, noun/adj Notes: I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word deflagrate means “to burn rapidly with intense heat and sparks being given off; to cause to burn in such a manner” Background / Comments This word has Latin roots; the main word comes from flagrare (to burn) with the prefix de-,Continue reading “roister-doister”

Pronounced: DEF-luh-grate, verb Notes: I thought this might be putting out a fire (I was wrong) Yesterday’s word The word scaramouch means “a boastful coward, buffoon, or rascal” Background / Comments This is another word from the Italian commedia dell’arte (Italian comic theater popular in the 1500s to 1700s). The character is Scaramouche – heContinue reading “deflagrate”

Pronounced: SCAR-uh-moosh, SCAR-uh-mooch, SKER-uh-moosh, SKER-uh-mooch, noun Notes: Also spelled “scaramouche” Yesterday’s word The word antipode means the parts of the earth diametrically opposite the exact opposite or contrary Background / Comments The word is Greek; anti- (opposite) and the root pod (foot). The place from which I got this word claims that this word wasContinue reading “scaramouch”