logrolling

Pronounced: LOG-roh-ling, noun

Notes: I know one of the two meanings

Yesterday’s word

The word diffluence is

  • the act of flowing off or away
  • the act or process of dissolving into a liquid; liquefaction; deliquescence
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I did not know the meaning of deliquescence (to become liquid by absorbing liquid from the air or to melt away)in the meaning our word above. Our word is the noun form of the adjective diffluent, which comes from the Latin word diffluent, which comes from dif- (a variant of dis- [apart, asunder, away]) and fluent (flowing).

diffluence

Pronounced: DIFF-loo-uhns, noun

Notes: You may had an idea of this word’s meaning (I didn’t)

Yesterday’s word

The word shermanesque means

  • unequivocal, especially in refusing to run for an office
  • brutally thorough, especially in defeating someone
First usage

Our word came into usage in the 1910s

Background / Comments

If you thought that our word traces back to the Union general William Tecumseh Sherman. After the American Civil War, he was being considered as a presidential candidate… he was utterly clear on the point: I will not accept if nominated and will not serve if elected. Thus, our first meaning above: any categorical statement, especially a denial, may be called Shermanesque. Reporters have been known to ask politicians if their announcement not to run for an office is Shermanesque to confirm that they really mean it. The second definition comes from Sherman’s campaigns in Chattanooga and Atlanta during which his army destroyed railroad tracks, bridges, trains, military, and government buildings. On the well-known “March to the Sea”, they destroyed much property on the way to Savannah.

shermanesque

Pronounced: shur-muh-NESK, adj

Notes: You may know the origin of the word, but do you know the meaning?

Yesterday’s word

The word galoot means “an awkward, eccentric, or foolish person”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

In my mind’s eye, I can hear Yosemite Sam using the phrase “ya ijit galoot!”… thus, I was aware that it was a disparaging term, but I didn’t actually know this meaning. The origin of this slang word is unknown.

galoot

Pronounced: guh-LOOT, noun

Notes: I’ve heard this word in Bugs Bunny (Yosemite Sam), but I didn’t quite know the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word fane means “a place of worship”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1300s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word fanum (temple).

fane

Pronounced: FAIN, noun

Notes: I don’t think I’ve every run across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word hallux is, in humans, “the big toe”, or, more technically, “the first of innermost digit of the foot of humans and primates”. In bird, it refers to “the comparable, usually backward-directed digit”.

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Late Latin word (h)allux from Latin hallus, associated with pollex (thumb).

hallux

Pronounced: HAL-ucks, noun

Notes: Some people may know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word symphysis means “a growing together”

First usage

Our word first came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I recognized the ‘sym-‘ (syn- or sun- in Greek) as meaning ‘together’, as in symphony (sounding together) or symbiosis (living together), but didn’t recognize the rest of the word. Our word came into English from Latin, and into Latin from the Greek word symphysis (growing together), which is composed of syn- (with; together) and phyein (to grow). This word is often found in anatomy to describe the fusion of two bones or cartilages.

symphysis

Pronounced: SIM-fih-sis, noun

Notes: I knew part of the word

Yesterday’s word

The word dalles means “the rapids of a river running between the walls of a canyon or gorge”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

The reason that our word is one that I didn’t know that I knew is because our word has an alternate spelling (and pronunciation) “dells”. I grew up in northern Illinois, and the Wisconsin Dells were well-known. Even before seeing the definition, that was the idea I had in mind for the meaning of “dells” (but I was thinking more of waterfalls than rapids). This word is primarily found in America (another Americanism). It came from Canadian French, where it is the plural of the French word dial, which came from the Normandy word dalles (sink).

dalles

Pronounced: dolls, noun

Notes: This is one of those words that I knew, but didn’t know that I knew

Yesterday’s word

The word politic means “tactful; shrewd”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1400s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Old French word politique (political), which came from the Latin word politicus (political), which came from the Greek word politikos, which came from polites (citizen), which came from polis (city).

politic

Pronounced: POLL-ih-tick, adj

Notes: I’ve run across this word and had a vague idea of the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word railbird is

  • any self-styled critic or expert in horse-racing
  • a fan who watches races or workouts from the railing along the track”
First usage

Our word came into English (well, American English) in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

The “rail” part of this word refers, not to railroads (as I thought), but to the rails along racetracks. It seems clear that the second definition appeared first. Such a person, after sufficient watching would consider himself an expert, and thus, the first definition above. When I looked this word up on the internet, it seems that the definition has undergone further changes, and can now refer to any self-styled critic or expert or kibitzer. The word is a combination of rail (mentioned previously) and bird (in the sense of “a frequent visitor, as used in ‘jailbird’ or ‘yardbird’). This word is mostly used or found in America (an “Americanism”).

railbird

Pronounced: RALE-bird, noun

Notes: It looked to me like it was someone fond of trains, but no

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase salad days means

  • a period of youthful innocence and inexperience
  • a period of great success: heyday
First usage

Our phrase came about in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our phrase would appear to have been invented by Shakespeare, and was used in the play Antony and Cleopatra, and there clearly meant the first definition. It is not clear how or when the second definition came about.