Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: dyou-vurh-SIV-uh-lunht, adj Notes: An unknown word; interesting one Yesterday’s word The word inspissate means “to make or become thick or thicker” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments So, our word is a synonym of the verb “thicken”. I find it interesting is that (as far asContinue reading “diversivolent”

Pronounced: in-SPIH-sate, verb Notes: You may know the word (I didn’t), and it has an interesting history Yesterday’s word The word glossophobia is “the fear of public speaking” First usage Our word came into English in the 1960s Background / Comments Although I was able to parse this word correctly, it did not help meContinue reading “inspissate”

Pronounced: glas-uh-FOE-bee-uh, noun Notes: Clearly a fear of something, but what? Yesterday’s word The word impolitic means “not politic; unwise” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, our word is just in- (not) combined with politic (shrewd; sagacious; tactful). The word politic came fromContinue reading “glossophobia”

Pronounced: im-PAH-luh-tik, adj Notes: I knew enough about word to realize that this word is made up of “in-” (not) — mutated to “im-” before the ‘p’ — and “politic”; thus, “not politic”, but that didn’t really help me, and I didn’t know what “politic” means. Yesterday’s phrase The phrase Shrewsbury clock means “something preciseContinue reading “impolitic”

Pronounced: SHROOZ-ber-ee (alt-1: SHROOZ-bree-ee; alt-2: SHROOZ-buh-ree; alt-3: SHROZ-ber-ee; alt-4: SHROZ-bree-ee; alt-5: SHROZ-buh-ree) klok, noun Notes: A lot of different ways to pronounced this phrase! Yesterday’s word The word cahoot means “partnership; league” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I had no idea that there our word existed:Continue reading “Shrewsbury clock”

Pronounced: kuh-HOOT, noun Notes: It is more common to see this word in plural Yesterday’s word The word gallionic means “indifferent; uncaring” First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments Our word is named after Gallio, who crops up in the Bible – regarding him, it is written in ActsContinue reading “cahoot”

Pronounced: gal-ee-ON-ik, adj Notes: Another word that is new to me Yesterday’s word The word boniface is “the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments In Latin, boniface means “doer of good”. Our word came from the name of an innkeeper inContinue reading “Gallionic”

Pronounced: BAH-nuh-fuhs, noun Notes: I’m a bit surprised that I haven’t run across this word before Yesterday’s word The word meech means First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments The third meaning seems a little familiar, but as I noted, I don’t recall running across our word before.Continue reading “boniface”

Pronounced: meech, verb Notes: I have no recollection of running across this word Yesterday’s word The word chauffeur is (as I’m sure you know) “a person employed to drive a motor vehicle” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments I had assumed that our word just the FrenchContinue reading “meech”

Pronounced: SHOW-fuhr, noun Notes: Yes, we all know the definition, but I’m including this for the interesting background Yesterday’s word The word steganography is “the art of practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s (but see the comments)Continue reading “chauffeur”