Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: LIHV-long, adj Notes: This is one of those words that you either know or don’t know Yesterday’s word The word brachiate means “to progress by swinging from hold to hold by the arms” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I am not sure if Tarzan, swinging fromContinue reading “livelong”

Pronounced: BRAY-key-ate, verb Notes: I didn’t know this word, but after seeing the definition, I can understand it Yesterday’s word The word bespoke means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments I didn’t know our word when I first saw it, but then I started watching a UK showContinue reading “brachiate”

Pronounced: bih-SPOKE, adj Notes: When I first ran across this word, I didn’t know it, but now I know it Yesterday’s word The word petard means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I know the word from the strategy game “Age of Empires II”; in that game,Continue reading “bespoke”

Pronounced: puh-TAR(d), noun Notes: I don’t think this word is well known; I happen to know it Yesterday’s word The word accidence means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments I thought that our word was related to an accident. Our word came from the Latin word accidentia, whichContinue reading “petard”

Pronounced: ACK-sih-dense, noun Notes: Not at all what I thought it was Yesterday’s word The word revanche means “revenge; especially a policy (usually political) designed to recover lost territory or status” First usage Our word appeared in English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I have never heard this word for revenge. It came fromContinue reading “accidence”

Pronounced: ruh-VAH(n)sh, noun Notes: A new word to me Yesterday’s word The word maunder means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I try to guess the meaning of a word when I see it. When I saw our word, I first thought it meant “to wander aroundContinue reading “revanche”

Pronounced: MON-duhr, verb Notes: I had an interesting experience when I saw this word Yesterday’s word The word anneal means First usage An old word; it came into usage in English before 1000 Background / Comments Our word has an interesting history; it was associated with the an early discovery — fire. It came fromContinue reading “maunder”

Pronounced: uh-NEEL, verb Notes: I confused this word with another word Yesterday’s word The word fardel is First usage Our word came into English around 1300 Background / Comments I don’t remember hearing our word, but if I can remember it, maybe I’ll use it to refer to a bundle. Our word came from theContinue reading “anneal”

Pronounced: FAR-dl, noun Notes: An interesting word to know – it’s new to me Yesterday’s word The word hummock is First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments As you can see, the definition has nothing to do with a hammock, so how is one “right” who thinks of “hammock”?Continue reading “fardel”

Pronounced: HUH-muck, noun Notes: If you think this is just a misspelled “hammock”, you are right and wrong Yesterday’s word The word sorb means First usage Our word came into English in the first decade of the 1900s Background / Comments If you think like me, when you saw the definition, you thought “what isContinue reading “hummock”