Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: JIR-uhn-dole, noun Notes: Another new word for me Yesterday’s word The word saturnalia is “a time of unrestrained revelry” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I think I’ve run across this word somewhere, but I don’t remember where. Our word came fromContinue reading “girandole”

Pronounced: sat-uhr-NAY-lee-uh, noun Notes: I think I’ve seen our word somewhere Yesterday’s word The word eclogue refers to “a poem in which shepherds converse” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments As I noted, our word is a highly specific one. Our word traces way back to theContinue reading “saturnalia”

Pronounced: EK-log, noun Notes: A highly specific word, but I didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word fribble, as a verb, means “to act in a wasteful or frivolous manner” or “to fritter away”. As a noun, it means “a wasteful or frivolous person or thing” First usage Our word came into English in theContinue reading “eclogue”

Pronounced: FRIB-uhl, verb/noun Notes: Not a word I can remember running across Yesterday’s word The word tucket is “a fanfare on a trumpet” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word is rarely seen these days, as most people use “fanfare” instead. However, “fanfare” is a laterContinue reading “fribble”

Pronounced: TUH-kuht, noun Notes: A new word for me Yesterday’s word The word descry means to catch sight of to discover or detect First usage Our word came into English before 1400 Background / Comments Our word seems a little familiar to me, but I cannot recall anywhere I’ve run across it. Our word cameContinue reading “tucket”

Pronounced: dih-SCRY, verb Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word flyblown means not pure; tainted not bright and new; seedy trite; hackneyed infested with eggs or young larvae of a blowfly First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Apparently, in the 1600s, theContinue reading “descry”

Pronounced: FLY-blone, adj Notes: I think I’ve read this word somewhere, but I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word Lovelace is “a seducer; a licentious man” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background / Comments As I noted yesterday, I’ve run across our word as a name of someoneContinue reading “flyblown”

Pronounced: LOVE-lace, noun Notes: I didn’t know this was a word; I’ve just heard it as a name in fiction Yesterday’s word The word litany is a prayer consisting of a series of supplications and responses said alternately by the leader and the congregation a lengthy recitation First usage Our word came into English beforeContinue reading “Lovelace”

Pronounced: LIH-tuh-nee, noun Notes: I’ve heard this word in an expression, but I wasn’t sure what it meant Yesterday’s word The word chauvinism means “the belief in the superiority of one’s country, group, gender, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments When growing up, the phrase “male chauvinism”Continue reading “litany”

Pronounced: SHOW-vuh-niz-uhm, noun Notes: I was familiar with the word, but the background was interesting Yesterday’s word The word jocund means “marked by or suggestive of high spirits and lively mirthfulness” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments Our word came from the Middle English jocound, which came fromContinue reading “chauvinism”