Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: key-VEEV, noun Notes: I do know this word, but not the origin or the correct pronunciation Yesterday’s word The word ingurgitate means “to swallow greedily or in large amounts” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I did not know that this word exists, but it is surelyContinue reading “qui vive”

Pronounced: in-GUR-jih-tate, verb Notes: Interesting word, but it’s new to me Yesterday’s word The word eisteddfod is “a (usually Welsh) competitive festival of the arts especially in poetry and singing” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments As the spelling (especially the double-‘d’) indicates, this is a WelshContinue reading “ingurgitate”

Pronounced: aye-STETH-vahd, noun Notes: The spelling and punctuation give a clue to where the word comes from Yesterday’s word The word emollient, as an adjective, means “soothing or softening”. As a noun, it means “something that soothes or softens” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I didn’t expectContinue reading “eisteddfod”

Pronounced: ih-MOLL-yuhnt, adj/noun Notes: This word doesn’t mean what I thought it meant Yesterday’s word The word lagniappe is “a small gift given to a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; in a broad sense, something given or obtained gratuitously”. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s BackgroundContinue reading “emollient”

Pronounced: LAN-yap, noun Notes: I’ve read this word, but did not know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word probity means “integrity and honest” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments I was uncertain of whether or not to use our word; I now know the meaning, but when IContinue reading “lagniappe”

Pronounced: PRO-bih-tee, noun Notes: I wasn’t sure about this using this word, but I decided to do so Yesterday’s word The word multifarious means “having or occurring in great variety; diverse” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments Our word is not related at all to “nefarious”, asContinue reading “probity”

Pronounced: mull-tuh-FERR-ee-us, adj Notes: This word reminds me of “nefarious”, but the meaning isn’t the same Yesterday’s word The word anodyne, as an adjective, means As a noun, it means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments As I said, I have a recollection that I have read thisContinue reading “multifarious”

Pronounced: AN-uh-dine, adj/noun Notes: I did not know the definition, but I think I have run across it in some reading Yesterday’s word The word calumet is “a highly ornamented ceremonial pipe of the American Indians” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments The more well-known term forContinue reading “anodyne”

Pronounced: KAL-yuh-met, noun Notes: There is a well-known alternative to this word Yesterday’s word The word brabble means “to argue over petty matters” First usage Our word came into English in the very early 1500s Background / Comments This word would be a good one to use; it comes from the Middle Dutch word brabbelenContinue reading “calumet”

Pronounced: BRAB-uhl, verb Notes: I don’t know this word either Yesterday’s word The word fauve means First usage Our word came into English in the 1910s Background / Comments Our word is related to painting and painters, about which I have a pretty limited knowledge. There is a movement called “Fauvism”, which started in theContinue reading “brabble”