Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: ih-nuh-NIH-shun, noun Notes: I haven’t run across this word, and I’m a bit surprised that I haven’t Yesterday’s word The word astringent, as a noun, is “a substance that constricts body tissues”. As an adjective, it means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I was thinking thatContinue reading “inanition”

Pronounced: uh-STRIN-juhnt, adj/noun Notes: This doesn’t mean what I thought it did Yesterday’s word The word comix refers to comic books or comic strips (but see comments below). First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s Background / Comments Some people make a distinction between our word and “comics” by saying that ourContinue reading “astringent”

Pronounced: KAH-mix, noun Notes: Perhaps not what you might think Yesterday’s word The word junto is “a small (usually secret) group of people united for a common purpose” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word came from the Spanish/Portuguese word junta (committee; association), which came from theContinue reading “comix”

Pronounced: JUHN-too, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word in English Yesterday’s word The word arriviste means “one that is a new and uncertain arrival (in social position or artistic endeavor)” First usage Our word came into English in Background / Comments I assume that we can all remember joining a new group or startingContinue reading “junto”

Pronounced: a-rih-veest, noun Notes: We all probably have been one or know someone who has been one Yesterday’s word The word scop is “a poet or minstrel” First usage Our word came into English in the late 800s Background / Comments A very old word! I don’t think I’ve run across is anywhere before. ItContinue reading “arriviste”

Pronounced: shop (alt: skop), noun Notes: I would not have guessed the first pronunciation Yesterday’s word The word epistolary means First usage Our word came into English in the 1600s Background / Comments If you think that our word looks related to “epistle”, you are right – it was formed from that word. I haveContinue reading “scop”

Pronounced: ih-PISS-tuh-ler-ee, adj Notes: This word meant more than I thought it did Yesterday’s word The word ye, as a definite article, means “the”. As a pronoun, it means “you” First usage The definite article came into English before the 1100s; the pronoun came into English before the 1200s Background / Comments So much toContinue reading “epistolary”

Pronounced: thee (definite article), yee (pronoun) Notes: I didn’t know about the different pronunciations; should be a good discussion tomorrow Yesterday’s word The word weald is First usage Our word came into English before the mid-1100s Background / Comments When I first saw our word, I saw “weal”, which I knew from the expression “forContinue reading “ye”

Pronounced: WIELD, noun Notes: I was thrown off by this word Yesterday’s word The word nu, as an interjection, means “well” or “so. As a noun, it refers to the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet. First usage The interjection came into English in the late 1800s; the noun has been around since the earlyContinue reading “weald”

Pronounced: NEW (alt: nyoo), int/noun Notes: A short word I kind of knew, but not well Yesterday’s word The word causerie is First usage Our word first appeared in English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I thought that our word should have three syllables (caw-suh-ree), so seeing the correct pronunciation was a surpriseContinue reading “nu”