Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: koze-REE, noun Notes: I may have run across this word in reading; it seems faintly familiar Yesterday’s word The word aa is “lava having a rough surface” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Hawaiian word aa (to burn). And, yes, there isContinue reading “causerie”

Pronounced: AH-ah, noun Notes: This is a word you either know or don’t know Yesterday’s phrase The phrase golden handcuffs are “special benefits offered to an employee an an inducement to continue service” First usage Our phrase came into English in the 1970s Background / Comments I have heard of a “golden parachute”, which refersContinue reading “aa”

Pronounced: As it sounds: GOHL-den HAN(D)-cuffs, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word; have you? Yesterday’s word The word heimisch means “homely; unpretentious” First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s Background / Comments Our word came from the Yiddish word heymish (domestic), which came from the Old High German word heimContinue reading “golden handcuffs”

Pronounced: HAY-mish (alt: HI-mish), adj Notes: Also spelled heimish or haimish Yesterday’s word The word lamster is “a fugitive; especially one from the law” First usage Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1910) Background / Comments I should have figured out our word, as I’m familiar with the phrase “on the lam” forContinue reading “heimisch”

Pronounced: LAM(P)-stir, noun Notes: This is not a special kind of hamster… Yesterday’s word The word acerbate means “to irritate; to aggravate” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments There are three similar words in English: acerbate (our word), exacerbate, and exasperate. Do you know the difference? Our wordContinue reading “lamster”

Pronounced: AS-uhr-bate, verb Notes: You may know this word Yesterday’s word The word bootless does NOT mean “not wearing a boot”, but “useless; unprofitable” (but see the comments below) First usage Our word came into English before 1000 Background / Comments Okay, our word has been used to mean “not wearing boots”, but our meaningContinue reading “acerbate”

Pronounced: It’s obvious — “BOOT” and “less”, adj Notes: Not what I guessed Yesterday’s word The word shicker, as a noun, means “a drunkard; alcoholic liquor”. As an adjective, it means “drunk”, and as a verb, it means “to drink; to get drunk”. First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s BackgroundContinue reading “bootless”

Pronounced: SHICK-uhr, noun/adj/verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve heard this word Yesterday’s word The word lucubration is “laborious or intensive study” (it can also mean, especially when used in plural, the product of such study). First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments When I glanced at our word,Continue reading “shicker”

Pronounced: loo-kyuh-BRAY-shun, noun Notes: Not at all what I thought (especially at a quick glance) Yesterday’s word The word tummler is First usage Our word came into English in the 1930s Background / Comments The second definition of our word would indicate that a synonym is “rabble-rouser”. Our word came from the Yiddish word tumlerContinue reading “lucubration”

Pronounced: TOOM-luhr, noun Notes: A new word to me, and not pronounced how I thought (I though “tuhm-luhr”) Yesterday’s word The word obnubilate means “to make cloudy or obscure” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word tends to be found in political circles (hmmm… I wonderContinue reading “tummler”