Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: uh-FEK-shuhs, adj Notes: You might be able to guess the meaning of this one… and do you see anything interesting in our word? Yesterday’s word The word cacography means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I should have been able to guess the meaning of ourContinue reading “affectious”

Pronounced: ka-KAH-gruh-fee, noun Notes: I should have known the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word quacksalver means “a quack; one pretending to have skills or knowledge – especially in medicine” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I was familiar with the word “quack”; what IContinue reading “cacography”

Pronounced: QUACK-sal-vuhr, noun Notes: An interesting word Yesterday’s word The word quotidian means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments What a great word to swap out for “daily”! Our word comes form the Latin word quotīdiānus / cottīdiānus (daily), which comes from the adverb cottīdiē (every day). TheContinue reading “quacksalver”

Pronounced: kwoh-TIH-dee-uhn, adj Notes: A good word to know and use Yesterday’s word The word jaculate means “to emit or hurl” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word jaculare (to dart), which comes from jaculum (dart; javelin), which comes from jacereContinue reading “quotidian”

Pronounced: JACK-yuh-late, verb Notes: Another new word for me Yesterday’s word The word benedict is “a newly married man who has long been a bachelor” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word traces back to Shakespeare; specifically, the play Much Ado About Nothing: Benedick and BeatriceContinue reading “jaculate”

Pronounced: BEH-nuh-dikt, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word gramarye is “occult learning; magic” First usage Our word is old; coming into English in the early 1300s Background / Comments I don’t do much reading in that area, so the word was unknown to me. It comes from the OldContinue reading “benedict”

Pronounced: GRAM-uh-ree, noun Notes: Some people may know this; it has a pretty specific meaning Yesterday’s word The word flack means “to provide publicity: engage in press-agentry” First usage Our word didn’t come into English until the 1960s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I recalled hearing or reading the phrase “to flack forContinue reading “gramarye”

Pronounced: FLAK, verb Notes: I know the noun, but do you know the verb? Yesterday’s word The word bibulous means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I was close to the definition because the word made me think of the Spanish word “beber” (toContinue reading “flack”

Pronounced: BIB-yuh-luhs, adj Notes: I was close to the definition Yesterday’s word The word quidnunc is “a person who seeks to know all the latest news or gossip; busybody” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments While the word “busybody” is very descriptive, our word is a goodContinue reading “bibulous”

Pronounced: KWID-nunk, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I like it a lot Yesterday’s word The word fastuous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I know the word fatuous”, but that’s not related. A word that is related to our word isContinue reading “quidnunc”