Pronounced: kak-ih-STOCK-ruh-see (alt: kah-kih-STOCK-ruh-see), noun

Notes: This is a rare exception to my only posting words I don’t know; I was able to correctly guess the meaning of this word, but I think it is rare enough to post

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Yesterday’s word

The word clowder is “a group or cluster of cats”

First usage

Our word came into English around 1800 (very late 1700s or very early 1800s)

Background / Comments

Did you know this was the group word for cats? (I didn’t). A cat-oriented web site says that this word is used if the cats appears to know each other. A group of cats that don’t know one another is called a “glaring”, which seems somehow appropriate. A group of kittens is a “litter”, but also sometimes called a “kindle”. Our word has a purely English origin; it was a variant of the noun clodder (clotted mass), which came from the verb clodder (to clot; to coagulate), which came from Middle English clothered, a variant of clotered. There is also an obsolete word clotter (to huddle together).

Pronounced: KLOW-der, noun

Notes: All I can see is “chowder” misspelled.

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Yesterday’s word

The word coulrophobia is “the fear of clowns”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1980s

Background / Comments

I assume that our word came into English later because clowns were originally supposed to be funny; it was later that clowns began to be seen as creepy. I don’t know anyone that truly suffers from coulrophobia, but I have heard of people that don’t like clowns. The word comes from the Greek words kolobatheron (stilt) and -phobia (fear). I assume that clowns were frequently on stilts, or falling off of them (for comic effect), and this is why the Greek word for ‘stilt’ was used.

Pronounced: kool-ruh-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: You may know this phobia (especially if you have it)

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Yesterday’s word

The word kickshaw means

• a tidbit of delicacy, especially one served as an appetizer; hors d’oeuvre
• something showy but without value; a trinket; a trifle

First usage

Our word came back into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

At least with this word, one can see how the definition evolved (I’m assuming that the first definition above was the earlier definition). An hors d’oeuvre is usually showy and, while it may be tasty, it isn’t necessary to eating. Thus, the second definition came about as just something that is showy. Our word started as the French phrase quelque chose, pronounced ‘kell-kuh show-suh” and meaning ‘something’. When it was brought into English the ‘l’ was dropped – if you say it without the ‘l’, it sounds like kickshaws or kickshoes. English speaking people who were ignorant of the French origin thought that kickshaws was the plural form and created kickshaw as the singular.

Pronounced: KICK-shaw, noun

Notes: Interesting word; not sure how often I’d use it

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Yesterday’s word

The word boodler is “someone involved in bribery or corruption”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came to us from the Dutch word boedel (property). This is a neat word to know, but it is not clear how our word acquired its meaning from the source.

Pronounced: BOOD-ler, noun

Notes: This word seems vaguely familiar; I think I’ve run across it in reading, but I’ve no idea where

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Yesterday’s word

The word mythomane, as a noun, is “a person with a strong or irresistible habit for fantasizing, lying, or exaggerating”. As an adjective, it means “of, or pertaining to, characteristics of such a person” [a mythomane].

First usage

Our word is a relatively recent one; coming into English in the 1950s

Background / Comments

Most people probably probably don’t know this word, so it may fun to use it on those that deserve it — I think we all know someone who fits the definition of our word. It is thought that our word came from the psychiatric term mythomania (lying or exaggerating to an abnormal degree). That word is composed of myth (an invented story; an imaginary thing) plus mania (excessive enthusiasm or craze).

Pronounced: MITH-uh-main, noun/adj

Notes: A useful word to know

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Yesterday’s word

The word ambisinistrous means “clumsy with both hands”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

If you split this word into ‘ambi’ and ‘sinistrous’, and then saw “sinister” in ‘sinistrous’, and then remembered that ‘sinister’ originally meant ‘left’, and then thought of the word ‘ambidextrous’, and then finally thought of the phrase “two left feet” (meaning to be clumsy with feet; especially in reference to dancing), you would would have reasoned your way to the meaning. Our word does come from the Latin words ambi- (both) and sinister (left). It was modeled after ‘ambidextrous’ (literally, two right hands). It seems a little unfair to left-handed people that people with two right hands are skillful, and and people with two left hands are clumsy. However, 75%-90% of people are right-handed, and are therefore clumsy when trying to do things with their left hand. Oddly enough, there is a another word, also from Latin with the same meaning: ‘ambilevous’.

Pronounced: am-bih-SIN-uh-struss, adj

Notes: You might be able to correctly guess the meaning of this word

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Yesterday’s word

The word hypogeum means

• an underground burial chamber
• the underground part of a building, as in a vault

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1700s

Background / Comments

The second definition above is only used when discussing ancient architecture. Our word comes to us from the Latin word hypogēum, which came from the Greek word hypógeion (underground chamber), which comes from hypo- (under) and gê (earth) and -ion [the neuter adjectival suffix].

Pronounced: high-puh-JEE-uhm (alt: hip-uh-JEE-uhm), noun

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

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Yesterday’s word

The word degustation is “tasting samples of a variety of similar foods or drinks”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I saw in this word “gust”, which reminds me of the sense of taste (think “gustatory”)… but I also thought of “disgust”, so my guess was some food that was repellent to the taste. I was clearly wrong, but not quite as wrong as I thought: our word comes from the Latin word degustare (to taste), which is made up of de- (completely) and gustare (to taste). This latter word comes from a root word that also gave us “disgust”.

Pronounced: dee-guh-STAY-shuhn, noun

Notes: This word does not mean what I thought it might

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Yesterday’s word

The word crinose means “hairy”

First usage

I cannot find when this word showed up in English; I’ve tried several web sites, but no one has this information.

Background / Comments

I like having alternate words for common things; I hope I find some occasion to introduce our word into conversation. Our word comes from the Latin word crīnis (hair) with -ose (full of; abounding in).

Pronounced: CRY-nohs (alt: KRIN-ohs), adj

Notes: A great word to know

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Yesterday’s word

The word marmorean means “resembling marble or a marble statue, for example, in smoothness, whiteness, hardness, coldness, or aloofness”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from the Latin word marmor (marble)