Pronounced: CUT-purse, noun

Notes: If you watch shows set in the past, you may know this one

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Yesterday’s word

The word rapporteur means “a person who gives reports (as at a meeting of a learned society)

Background / Comments

To me, this word is just a fancy one for “secretary”. As you may expect, this word comes from French; specifically, from the Middle French word rapporter (to bring back, report, or refer). A more common descendant from this word is rapport.

First usage

This word entered the language in the early 1500s

Pronounced: ra-pour-TUHR, noun

Notes: This seems to be a fancy word for which we have a simpler one

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Yesterday’s word

The word scapegrace means “a scoundrel; a mischievous person”

Background / Comments

This word was coined to describe a person who had “escaped” the “grace” of God.

First usage

This word showed up in the early 1800s

Pronounced: SKAPE-grace, noun

Notes: You may be able to guess the meaning (if you don’t know it)

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Yesterday’s word

The word transpontine means “situated on the farther side of a bridge”. This word also has a British meaning “situated on the south side of the Thames”.

Background / Comments

The word comes from trans- (across) and Latin pons (bridge) — and the bridge was any London bridge that crossed the Thames. Originally, usage referred to the less respectable theaters on the south side of the Thames. The more respectable north side of the river was the cispontine, meaning “situated on the North side of the Thames”. As the usage of these words spread, the meaning became more generalized to the far side/near side meanings.

First usage

This word came into usage in the mid-1800s.

Pronounced: tran(t)s-PAHN-tine, adj

Notes: This is an interesting word (in addition to the regular meaning, there is a British meaning)

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Yesterday’s word

The word catchpenny means, as a noun, “something that’s designed to sell quickly”. As an adjective, it means “relating to something designed to sell quickly: cheap, flashy, or sensationalistic”

Background / Comments

I thought that this word referred to a miser or miserly. It is a shortening of the phrase “catch a penny”. It is another tosspot word.

First usage

This word began to be used in the mid-1700s

Pronounced: KATCH-pen-ee, adj/noun

Notes: I had the meaning of this word confused

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Yesterday’s word

The word brackish has a couple of meanings:

• somewhat salty
• Not appealing to the taste; repulsive

Background / Comments

I knew that brackish meant “somewhat salty”, but I was unaware of the “repulsive” definition. The word comes from the Dutch word brak (salty). This was the original meaning of the word; because salt water is undrinkable, the idea of distasteful arose over time.

First usage

This word showed up in the 1500s.

Pronounced: BRAH-kish, adj

Notes: I knew one meaning, and was unaware of the others, so I included it

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Yesterday’s word

The word jerkwater means “remote, unimportant, or small”

Background / Comments

Back in the days of steam locomotives, they needed frequent refills of water. The train would make water stops near streams and lakes and haul water up to the boiler. These trains were called jerkwaters from jerking water in buckets. The stops were often in remote, insignificant areas, and the word spread to describe towns around these areas — the phrase ‘jerkwater town’ is what I remember from western shows. However, the adjective can be applied to anything small, insignificant, backward, or inferior. Note that jerkwater is a tosspot word.

First usage

The word began to be used in the late 1800s

Pronounced: JERK-wah-tuhr, adj

Notes: I recognized this word from westerns, but my understanding of the definition was a bit off

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Yesterday’s word

The word smashmouth means “characterized by brute force without finesse”

Background / Comments

I’ve heard this word used to describe physical, hard-hitting football, and that was indeed how it started. It has since spread to other contact sports. It is sometimes used to describe politics (at least in the United States).

First usage

This word is relatively new; it showed up in the 1980s.

Pronounced: SMASH-mouth, adj

Notes: This is a borderline case… I was pretty close to the correct meaning – do you know it?

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Yesterday’s word

The word shunpike, as a noun, means “a side road taken to avoid a toll road”. As a verb, it means “to travel on a side road”.

Background / Comments

This word is a “tosspot” word; such words are a combination of a verb and a noun. To be a tosspot word, there are two conditions: first, the verb must be first, and second, the noun is the object of the verb. Thus, “pickpocket” is a tosspot word because a pickpocket picks pockets, whereas “repairman” is not (he doesn’t repair men). Today’s word is the combination of “shun” and “turnpike” (an expressway; especially one with a toll). Clever readers may note that turnpike is itself a tosspot word. The word shun comes from Old English scunian (to avoid or fear).

First usage

This word showed up in the mid-1800s.

Pronounced: SHUN-pike, noun/verb

Notes: I don’t remember running across this word, and couldn’t guess the meaning, but I felt kind of silly when I looked it up; the meaning is straightforward — and with that hint, maybe you’ll get it.

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Yesterday’s word

We know the word intestine as a noun (the lower part of the alimentary canal), but as an adjective, it means internal, and specifically, “of or relating to the internal affairs of a state or country”; a synonym for “civil”.

Background / Comments

The word comes from Latin intestinus (internal), which itself comes from intus (within). Thus, we can note that there is quite a difference between “intestinal rumblings” and “intestine rumblings” (heh).

First usage

The word came into English in the 1400s

Pronounced: in-TES-tuhn, adj

Notes: Yes, we know the noun meaning… but do you know what the adjective means? (I didn’t)

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Yesterday’s word

The word paragnosis means “knowledge that cannot be obtained by normal means”

Background / Comments

I knew both parts of this word, but I still didn’t have the meaning; the word comes from para- (beyond) and gnosis (knowledge). We have the words “paranormal” (beyond normal) and “agnostic” (not knowing). I’m not really sure what qualifies as paragnosis; it sounds like it means things that one knows without ever having been taught them.

First usage

A later word; it showed up in the 1930s