Pronounced: soo-purr-CAR-go, noun

Notes: I thought perhaps “important cargo”, but that’s not right

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Yesterday’s word

The word fossick means

• to search for gold or gemstones typically by picking over abandoned workings
• to search about; rummage

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, I don’t feel too bad about not knowing this word, since it is primarily used in Australia and New Zealand. The first definition above is the oldest; the second one came about a few decades after the first one. The exact origin of our word is unclear, but it is thought to have come from the term “fussock” (to bustle about; to fidget).

Pronounced: FAH-sick, verb

Notes: I don’t feel too bad about not knowing this word

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Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase Jedburgh justice means “punishment before trial”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1600s

Background / Comments

Apparently, our word is also known by the names “Jedwood justice” or “Jeddart justice”. The town of Jedburgh is in Scotland, near Edinburgh. When King James I came to the English throne (he was King James VI in Scotland), there was a terrible problem with raiding along the England-Scotland border by “reivers” (mercenary soldiers that raided the borders for whatever they wanted – money, sheep, cattle, horses, or food. They would also abuse women and hold some people for ransom). King James was determined to eradicate the reivers, and many people were hung immediately. This practice gave rise to the saying “hang now, ask questions later” (which survives today as “shoot first; ask questions later”).

Pronounced: JED-buh-ruh juhs-tihs, noun

Notes: I’ve not heard this phrase

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Yesterday’s word

The word yeasty means

• of, relating to, or resembling yeast
• immature; unsettled
• marked by change
• full of vitality
• frivolous

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1500s

Background / Comments

The first definition above seemed like the obvious one; the other ones were new to me. Even though our word is from the 1500s, the word “yeast” has been around as long as the English language has been around; it was “gist” or “geist” in Old English and had become “yest” in Middle English. Our word first referred to people or things with a yellowish or frothy appearance (similar to the froth that forms on the top of fermented beverages). The other definitions are extended figurative senses of our word; specifically, the excitable, chemical nature of fermentation.

Pronounced: YEE-stee, adj

Notes: There is an obvious definition, but there were meanings I didn’t know

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Yesterday’s word

The word Pactolian means “golden; lavish”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

I really like having another word for “lavish”. Our word came from the river Pactolus in ancient Lydia. The river is now called Sart Çayi and is in the modern country of Turkey.

Pronounced: pak-TOE-lee-uhn, adj

Notes: I hope I remember this word; it’s useful — but it was new to me

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Yesterday’s word

The word calumny is

• a misrepresentation intended to harm another’s reputation
• the act of uttering false charges maliciously

First usage

Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s

Background / Comments

Somewhere, I have read the phrase “lies and calumnies”, and so I had the idea that it was lies told about a person. Thus, I was on the right track, but I didn’t quite have the correct definition. Our word came from the Middle French word calomnie, which came from the Latin word calumnia (false accusation; false claim; trickery), which came from the Latin verb calvi (to deceive).

Pronounced: KA-luhm-nee, noun

Notes: This is a word I kind of knew, but not precisely

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Yesterday’s word

The word recreant, as an adjective, means

• unfaithful to a cause, duty, person, belief, etc
• cowardly

As a noun, it means

• a disloyal person
• a coward

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1300s

Background / Comments

I thought that our word was somehow a shortening of “recreation” (maybe a person who participates in recreational activities), but that was far short of the mark. Our word came from the Old French word recreant, which is the present participle of recroire (to yield; to surrender allegiance), which came from the Latin word recredere (to yield or pledge), made up of re- (again) and credere (to believe).

Pronounced: REK-ree-uhnt, adj/noun

Notes: Another word that my guess was way off

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Yesterday’s word

The word mythomania is “an excessive or abnormal propensity for lying or exaggering”

First usage

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

Background / Comments

I thought our word was someone very interested in myths. I don’t feel too bad for being off, because that is what the root parts imply: our word came from the Greek word mythos (myth) and the Late Latin word mania (uncontrolled excitement or emotion – almost to the point of insanity). Before our word, there was a near relative – “mythomaniac” that referred to someone passionate about myths.

Pronounced: mih-thuh-MAY-nee-uh, noun

Notes: Not quite what I thought

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Yesterday’s word

The word verbigerate means “to obsessively repeat meaningless words and phrases”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

Our word is a great word. There are people who don’t seem to be able to help verbigerating; I have memories of managers that just spout phrases, and I knew a fellow from work who had memorized a few phrases and spouted them to impress others, but he really had no idea what he was talking about. I don’t know that our word applies to such cases because I don’t know how obsessive either of these instances are. Our word came from the Latin word verbigerare (to talk; to chat), which came from verbum (word) and gerere (to carry one).

Pronounced: vuhr-BIJ-uh-rate, verb

Notes: A great word to know

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Yesterday’s word

The word twee means “affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint”

First usage

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

Background / Comments

When I saw the word, I thought that “twee” was a shortening of “tween” that can refer to young people who are not teenagers, but no longer children (generally 8-12 years old). Our word came from baby talk — an alternation of “sweet”. It started off in the UK and originally was used as a term of affection. These days, it more often refers to things in the region of cloying. Other baby talk words that have entered our language are “dad”, “nanny”, and “buddy”.

Pronounced: twee, adj

Notes: Again, not what I thought

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Yesterday’s word

The word votive means “relating to a vow, wish, desire, etc”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Latin noun votum (vow), which came from the verb vovere (to vow). As a noun, our word can refer to the candle, from the more correct term “votive candle”, which is lit in hope of getting one’s desire. Tossing a coin into a wishing well is another example of a votive offering.