Author Archives: Richard

Pronounced: SIH-nee-ast, noun Notes: A word I should have have been able to figure out Yesterday’s word The word pinchbeck, as an adjective, means “counterfeit; spurious”. As a noun, it is “an alloy of zinc and copper, used as imitation gold in jewelry” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1700s Background /Continue reading “cineast”

Pronounced: PINCH-bek, adj/noun Notes: While I don’t know this word, it makes me think of The Music Man Yesterday’s word The word garniture means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments After I read the definitions (especially the second one), I thought that garniture may be to garnish asContinue reading “pinchbeck”

Pronounced: GAR-nih-chur, noun Notes: I don’t think I know the word, but after reading the definition, I had a good idea of the origin of the word Yesterday’s word The word vidimus means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1400s Background / Comments If you remember the famous saying attributed to JuliusContinue reading “garniture”

Pronounced: VAI-dih-muss, noun Notes: It looks Latin to me, but I don’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word Bonapartism means “a policy supporting dictatorial rule usually by a leader who has ostensibly received a popular mandate” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments You may have thoughtContinue reading “vidimus”

Pronounced: BO-nuh-par-tih-zuhm, noun Notes: Not quite what you might think Yesterday’s word The word quoz means “an odd person or thing” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments I know people who are odd, and even one who describes himself as odd, but I didn’t know that weContinue reading “Bonapartism”

Pronounced: kwaz, noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word Yesterday’s word The word pantheon means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s (but see the comments below) Background / Comments When our word first came into English, it referred to the famous Pantheon in Rome. Later on,Continue reading “quoz”

Pronounced: PAN-thee-ahn, noun Notes: I sort of knew this word, but not the complete set Yesterday’s word The word unco, as an adjective, means “unusual; remarkable; strange”. As an adverb, it means “remarkably; extremely”. As a noun, it can mean “stranger” or “news”. First usage Our word, surprisingly to me, came into English in theContinue reading “pantheon”

Pronounced: UNG-koh, adj/adv/noun Notes: Such an interesting word! I had a few surprises with this word Yesterday’s word The word unclubbable means “having or showing a disinclination for social activity; unsociable” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments It is thought that Samuel Johnson (he of the famousContinue reading “unco”

Pronounced: un-KLUH-buh-bull, adj Notes: I think I remember this word in my reading, but I would not define it well Yesterday’s word The word diel, as a noun, means “a period of 24 hours”. As an adjective, it means “lasting 24 hours or having a 24-hour period” First usage Our word came into English inContinue reading “unclubbable”

Pronounced: DY-uhl (alt: deel), noun/adj Notes: I’m surprised that I haven’t heard this word Yesterday’s word The word gadzookery is a British word, and means “the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1950s Background / Comments I might be able to be accused ofContinue reading “diel”