nabob

Pronounced: NAY-bob, noun

Notes: You may know this word; I was close, but the origin is interesting

Yesterday’s word

The word Chadband is “an oily, hypocritical person”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our word is another one that came from a book by Charles Dickens: Bleak House (1853). The character of Rev Mr Chadband was a greedy preacher in that book. That character must have impressed people, as his name quickly became a word for people who reminded them of the person. Sadly, I don’t think Dickens is read much anymore, and so many may not know the character, and are thus strangers to our word.

Chadband

Pronounced: CHAD-band, noun

Notes: You may know this word if you are well read; it was new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word toothsome means

  • agreeable; attractive
  • attractive to the opposite sex
  • of palatable flavor and pleasing texture; delicious
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

If you think (as I did) that our word can mean “toothy”, you (and I) are right; it is starting to be used in this way, but per my reference material, that sense is not sufficiently well-established to qualify for a dictionary entry. One of the meanings of tooth is “a fondness or taste for something specified”, and the suffix -some (characterized by). The original meaning was one of general attractiveness, but it wasn’t long until the meaning of “delicious” came about. I how have a synonym for “delicious”.

toothsome

Pronounced: TOOTH-sum, adj

Notes: I thought this word meant something like having or showing a lot of teeth

Yesterday’s word

The word perforce means “out of necessity”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1300s

Background / Comments

I thought that our word meant “by force”, which is is reasonable because it came from the Old French phrase par force (by force), which came from par (by) and force, which came from the Latin word per (by) and fortis (strong).

perforce

Pronounced: purr-FORCE, adv

Notes: This didn’t mean what I thought it meant…

Yesterday’s word

The word dundrearies is “long, flowing sideburns”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our was named after Lord Dundreary, a character in the play Our American Cousin by Tom Taylor. Lord Dundreary had long, busy sideburns. You may remember that this was the play Abraham Lincoln was watching when he was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth. Our word can also be called “dundreary whiskers”. In England, these kind of sideburns are called “Piccadilly weepers”.

dundrearies

Pronounced: done-DRIR-eez, noun

Notes: This word has an interesting tie-in with a US President

Yesterday’s word

The word totes means “totally; absolutely; definitely”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 2000s (2000-2009)!

Background / Comments

I think our word is the first one from the 21st century. It is merely a shortening of “totally”, which came from total, which came from the Latin word totus (whole; entire).

totes

Pronounced: tohts, adv

Notes: This may be newest word I’ve featured to date (and it’s not a brand name)

Yesterday’s word

The word salvo means

  • a simultaneous discharge of two or more guns or bombs
  • a sudden burst
  • a spirited attack
First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

The first meaning was the original meaning, and it referred to a salvo used as a salute (somewhat amusing as “salute” itself traces back to the same word). The definition then broadened to include simultaneous gunfire, as it war. Over time, the meaning has shifted to the other definitions – one is more likely to find the word used in a figurative sense. Our word came from Italian and French, which came from the Latin adjective salvus (healthy). Another form of the word [salve], meaning “hail!” was used as a greeting by ancient Romans. Although the Latin word meant healthy, the English word “salve” does not come from this word – in spite of the similar appearance to our word.

salvo

Pronounced: SAL-voh, noun

Notes: I thought this was a synonym for “gunfire”, but that’s not correct

Yesterday’s word

The word ambivert is “one having the characteristics of both an extrovert and an introvert”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

At first glance, our word seems to have contradictory definitions; after all, an “extrovert” and an “introvert” are opposite characteristics. However, our word came refer to difference in situations — one can be an extrovert with family or good friends, and be very shy and introverted around strangers. The word can also describe someone who falls someone in between and thus has some characteristics of both. Our comes from the Latin words ambi- (both) and -vert [from introvert/extrovert], which came from vertere (to turn).

ambivert

Pronounced: AM-bih-vuhrt, noun

Notes: This is another word that I didn’t know the meaning of, but after reading it, it made sense

Yesterday’s word

The word zaftig means “having a full rounded figure; pleasantly plump”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1930s

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Yiddish word zaftik (juicy; succulent), which came from zaft (juice; sap).

zaftig

Pronounced: ZAFF-tig, adj

Notes: Not a word I know about

Yesterday’s word

The word superbious means “proud; insolent”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1500s

Background / Comments

It is nice to have another word for “proud” in my vocabulary. Our word came from the Latin word superbiosus (proud; insolent), which came from superbia (pride), which came from superbus (superb; proud).

superbious

Pronounced: su-PUHR-bee-us, adj

Notes: A new word for me – and a useful one!

Yesterday’s word

The word bioturbation is “the restructuring of sedimentary deposits (such as at the bottom of a lake or seabed) by moving organisms (such as worms or burrowing clams)”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Our word is a combination of bio- (living) and turbation (a disturbance). Although our word is relatively recent, the root word turbation” goes back to the 1400s to 1600s, when it was used as a synonym for “perturbation” (a word I like) and “disturbance”.