indurate

Pronounced: IN-duh-ruht, adj

Notes: This word is vaguely familiar to me (but I could not properly define it)

Yesterday’s word

The word Bigfoot means, as a noun, “a prominent person in a commanding position – especially a journalist”. As a verb, it means

  • to dominate or to take control of a situation from someone
  • to behave in an authoritative, domineering manner
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word does come from the legendary creature called Bigfoot — also known as Sasquatch, which supposedly lives in the remote wilderness of the Pacific Northwest (in both the US and Canada).

Bigfoot

Pronounced: BIG-foot, noun/verb

Notes: Not the legendary creature

Yesterday’s word

The word catachresis means

  • use of the wrong word for the context
  • use of a forced and especially paradoxical figure of speech
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

A handy word to know for using the wrong word for the context. Grammarians enjoy employing this word. Our word came from Latin, which came from the Greek word karachrēsis (misuse).

catachresis

Pronounced: ka-tuh-KREE-suhs, noun

Notes: A neat word that could be used in some situations

Yesterday’s word

The word bunyip means, as a noun, “an impostor”. As an adjective, it means “counterfeit; phony”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word came from Australia; specifically, an Aboriginal legend: the bunyip was a large (mythical) creature who lived in swamps and riverbeds. It certainly has possibilities for usage, and it has the bonus of being fun to say. Although I’ve never heard the word, I understand that the most common expression is “bunyip aristocracy”.

bunyip

Pronounced: BUN-yip, noun/adj

Notes: Another word that is a complete stranger to me

Yesterday’s word

The word volplane means “to glide in or as if in an airplane”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909)

Background / Comments

Our word came from French; in the 1800s, they used the term vol plané (gliding flight) to refer to downward flight by birds — the other kind of flight was vol à voile (soaring flight). With the invention of the airplane, the gliding term came into being.

volplane

Pronounced: VOL-plane, verb

Notes: I didn’t quite know this word

Yesterday’s word

The word scamander means “to take a winding course”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

A useful word to drop in where appropriate – it is named after the Scamander river in Turkey, which was named after a river god in Greek mythology. The modern name of the river is Karamenderes.

scamander

Pronounced: skuh-MAN-durh, verb

Notes: A fun word to say, and a useful one to know!

Yesterday’s word

The word nudnik is “a person who is a bore; a nuisance; a pest”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1940s

Background / Comments

Or word came from Yiddish and is a combination of nud- which came from the Polish word nuda (boredom) and -nik (one connected with or characterized by being). I recognized -nik, but couldn’t define it that well. Like me, you’ve probably heard of “neatnik” and knew it was someone who was extremely neat.

nudnik

Pronounced: NUD-nik, noun

Notes: A useful word to know

Yesterday’s word

The word palouser is

  • a strong, dangerous wind
  • an improvised lantern
  • a country bumpkin
First usage

Our word came into English in the 1900s (1900-1909)

Background / Comments

Frustratingly, there is little information about how the three apparently unrelated definitions came about. It is known that our word comes from the Palouse region in northern Idaho and eastern Washington; there is a Palouse river in the area. Without any better information, I will guess that strong winds are common in the area and thus came about the first definition. When I saw that first definition, I wondered if all strong winds are dangerous (very possibly, I think). From other sources, the “improvised” lantern is a simple one, such as a candle in a tin can. Maybe such a thing was needed in the area? I can see the third definition growing out of extended the “simple” of “simple lantern” to a person. I also wonder if “palooka” is some kind of corruption of our word; I seem to remember hearing “palooka” in old Bugs Bunny cartoons.

palouser

Pronounced: puh-LOO-zuhr, noun

Notes: Interesting word

Yesterday’s word

The word poikilotherm is “an organism with a variable body temperature usually slightly higher than that of its environment”.

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

You may know the word “ectotherm” (it is vaguely familiar to me), which came about about 20 years after our word (in the early 1940s); I know the term “cold-blooded” better. My recognition of the two parts was only partly correct; our word actually came from the Greek words poikilos (spotted; varied) and therme (heat). So, I was right about “therm” and wrong about “kilo”. Just as “cold-blooded” has two other words, so does “warm-blooded” — the similar words are “endotherm” and “homeotherm”. Finally, there is also a “stenotherm”, which is a creature that can only survive within a narrow temperature range.

poikilotherm

Pronounced: poy-KEE-luh-thuhrm, noun

Notes: I didn’t know this word at all, but it is a fancy term for a word I do know. Looking at the word, “kilo” and “therm” look familiar, but that doesn’t help me to the meaning.

Yesterday’s word

The word Derwenter is “an ex-convict”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is not named after a person, but after place; the Derwent is a river in Tasmania; there used to be a convict settlement on its banks.

Derwenter

Pronounced: DUHR-wuhnt-uhr, noun

Notes: Not a word that I remember running across

Yesterday’s word

The word frieze means

  • the part of an entablature between the architrave and the cornice
  • a sculptured or richly ornamental band (as on a building or piece of furniture)
  • a band, line, or series suggesting a frieze
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Well… the first definition above didn’t help me at all; I had to look up “entablature”, “architrave”, and “cornice”. An entablature is usually composed of a bottom layer (architrave), a middle later (frieze), and a top layer (cornice). In addition to that, there is another noun frieze that is a heavy, napped woolen cloth that coats are made from. Thought it is spelled the same and pronounced the same, the words came from different sources. Our word came from the Latin word frisium (embroidered cloth), which descended from phrygyium and Phrygia, the latter being an ancient country whose people excelled in metalwork, wood carving, and embroidery.