presenteeism

Pronounced: prez-uhn-TEE-iz-uhn, noun

Notes: Another word I should have known (using hindsight, after I saw the definition)

Yesterday’s word

The word bafflegab means “obscure, pompous, or incomprehensible language, such as bureaucratic jargon”

First usage

This word came into English in the 1950s

Background / Comments

I heard this word in the Doctor Who show – the classic series, during the time of the Fourth Doctor, played by Tom Baker; I cannot think of the name of the show, but I have a remembrance of Romana. I think therefore, that it is the show The Pirate Planet, written by Douglas Adams (the author of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy). This word has an American origin; coined by Milton A Smith, the assistant general counsel for the US Chamber of Commerce. It is thought that it comes from the Scots bauchle (to denounce) combined with gab (talk; possibly of imitative origin).

bafflegab

Pronounced: BAH-full-gab, noun

Notes: This is a word I pretty much know, but I think it is obscure enough to use here

Yesterday’s word

The word amative means “ready for, disposed to, or welcoming of love; amorous

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

You may have recognized the word “amour” in our word, or possibly the Spanish verb “amar”. Like these, our word came from the Medieval Latin word amātīvus or its equivalent amātus, the past participle of amāre (to love). So, this word came up the day after Valentine’s Day – I hope you had a good one!

amative

Pronounced: AM-uh-tihv, adj

Notes: I should have had this posted for Valentine’s Day

Yesterday’s word

The word muppet is “a stupid person; a fool”

First usage

This word came into being in the 1950s

Background / Comments

I’ve only heard muppet referring to Jim Henson’s puppets. The word was indeed coined by Jim Henson to describe his puppets. Presumably, the word spread to the more general meaning.

muppet

Pronounced: MUHP-it, noun

Notes: No, not the Sesame Street puppets (sorry about the very late post-RL)

Yesterday’s word

The word insouciant means “free of worry or anxiety; nonchalant”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

I keep thinking that this word is a synonym for “insolent” (probably just because the words start similarly). The base of this word is the French word souciant, which is the present participle of soucier (to worry). It is combined with the prefix in- (not). The French word came from the Latin word sollicītāre (to disturb). If I hadn’t been distracted by the similar word “insolent”, I should have been able to figure it out… I know about the Prussian ruler Frederick the Great – he built a castle as a retreat; a place to be free from worry or case, and he called it that: Sanssouci (sans souci – without care”) Palace. Knowing this, I should have been able to parse our word.

insouciant

Pronounced: in-SOO-see-uhnt, adj

Notes: Another word that I could have guessed if I spent a little longer with it. I’ve run across this word in reading, but could not define it properly

Yesterday’s word

The word proxemics is “the study of physical proximity between people”. For example, in Spanish cultures, people stand closer together when talking that Americans do… I think the Italians are even closer together when speaking. How close two people are affects how close they stand together. This kind of thing falls under our word.

First usage

Our word came into usage in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Our word was coined by Edward T Hall. It comes from (as you might think) the word proximity, which came from the French word proximité, which came from the Latin word proximitas, which comes from proximus (nearest), the superlative of prope (near).

proxemics

Pronounced: prok-SEE-mix, noun

Notes: I hadn’t heard of this word

Yesterday’s word

The word cryophilic means “preferring or thriving in the cold or at low temperatures”

First usage

This word came into English usage in the 1940s

Background / Comments

This is a word that I should have known, but I didn’t parse it properly. Our word is the combination of cryo- (cold, as in cryogenics) and -philic (liking; enjoying). Both of these comes from Greek – cryo comes from krýos, and -philic is the adjective form of -phile (lover of), as in “francophile”. The suffix -phile comes from the Greek word -philos (dear, beloved). It is said that there are people who like to sleep warm and others who like to sleep cool, and they are often married to each other.

cryophilic

Pronounced: cry-oh-FIL-ick, adj

Notes: I should have known the meaning; maybe you’ve worked it out?

Yesterday’s word

The word senesce means “to grow old or decay”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I was aware of a related word from my reading: senescence. It is the noun form of our word. Our word comes the the Latin word senescere (to grow old), which came from senex (old).

senesce

Pronounced: suh-NESS, verb

Notes: I didn’t guess the meaning, but afterwards, I realized I knew another form of the word

Yesterday’s word

The word nonce means “in the present or immediate occasion”; it is usually used in the phrase “for the nonce”

First usage

Our word goes back to the mid- to late 1100s

Background / Comments

Our word comes from an error (and I find this kind of thing interesting). Our word came from Middle English word nones, used in the phrase for the nones. However, this phrase is an error; it was originally for then ones (meaning “for the once” — in early English ‘then’ is a modified form of ‘the’), and then became improperly divided.

Rejected Word

The word piquant (adj) came up, but I knew the word from reading – I don’t remember the author or book, but I could define it well enough to not add it into the queue for words to use.

nonce

Pronounced: nahns, noun

Notes: Another word that is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word grimgribber means “jargon of a trade”

First usage

This word came into English in the early 1700s

Background / Comments

This word comes from the play Conscious Lovers by Richard Steele; it was an imaginary estate in the play. It must have made quite an impression, as the word came into usage shortly thereafter the play came out.

Rejected Word

I came across the word importunate (adj), but I know the noun version (importunity) from the Bible, so I knew this word. Did you?

grimgribber

Pronounced: GRIM-grih-buhr, noun

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

Yesterday’s word

The word alpenglow refers to “the reddish, pinkish glow seen on mountains before sunrise, or after sunset

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, many of us have not seen this word (in print), but may have seen it (in real life). The word comes from the German word Alpenglühen, a combination of Alpen (Alps) and glühen (to glow). Oddly enough, half of the German word was translation in the English.