euchre

Pronounced: YOU-kuhr, verb/noun

Notes: I suspect many know the meaning of the noun, but I did not know the meaning of the verb

Yesterday’s word

The word oracular means “of, relating to, or suggesting an oracle”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1600s

Background / Comments

I confused our word with “ocular”, and thought it was related to the eyes. After reading the definition, “oracle” is pretty clear. Our word came to use from the Latin word oraculum, which came from the Latin verb orare (to speak). The concept of an oracle goes back to the ancient Greeks –the famous one being the oracle at Delphi. An oracle was supposed to provide an answer from the gods. The word “oracle” can refer to the answer itself, or to the shrine at which the question(s) was(were) asked, or to the person through whom the gods communicated. In modern times, an oracle is an authoritative pronouncement, or the person who makes it.

oracular

Pronounced: ah-RA-kyuh-uhr, adj

Notes: I confused this word with another one

Yesterday’s word

The word sciolism is “pretentious display of superficial knowledge”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

I have known several people who thought they knew something, but were wrong. However, I’ve only run across one person who exhibited our word: he had read some manuals and learned some terms, but he had no understanding of the system whatsoever. His use of terms impressed supervisors because it sounded good, but to those who created the system, what he said was clearly nonsense. Our word came from the Latin Latin word sciolus (smatterer), which is a diminutive of the Latin word scius (knowing), which came from the Latin verb scire (to know).

sciolism

Pronounced: SY-uh-liz-uhm, noun

Notes: I ran across this unknown word is two different reference areas, only days apart

Yesterday’s word

The word anodyne means

  • serving to alleviate pain
  • not like to offend or arouse tensions; innocuous
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

Although the word came into English as noted above, the second definition came about in the 1930s. Our word came from the Latin word anōdynus, which came from the Greek word anṓdynos (without pain).

anodyne

Pronounced: A-nuh-dine, noun (initial syllable is “a” as in map)

Notes: I could not remember the definition of this word, but I think I used to know it

Yesterday’s word

The word desuetude means “a state of disuse”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

Our word is kind of a long one for “a disused state”, but it’s fun to have various words to drop into conversation. Our word came from the Latin combination of de- (away) and suescere (to become accustomed).

desuetude

Pronounced: DES-wih-tood (alt: DES-wih-tyood), noun

Notes: My guess at the meaning was just… wrong

Yesterday’s word

The word squib is

  • a short humorous or satiric writing or speech
  • a short news item; especially one used as a filler
  • a small or broken firecracker
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1500s

Background / Comments

I think most of the reading in which I’ve run across this word has been English, and it usually seems to refer to the third definition above. I am not familiar with either of the first two definition. The origin in not really known; it is thought that “squib” imitates an explosive sound, as would short satirical works or firecrackers. It can also refer to things that aren’t quite worth the expense (money or time), such as news fillers or broken fireworks; a squib can be a firework that fizzes more than it goes bang. Finally, note that the British expression “damp squib” refer to something that fails to live up to expectations.

squib

Pronounced: skwib, noun

Notes: I knew one definition (the reference has three)

Yesterday’s word

The word acuity means “sharpness; keenness”

First usage

Our word came into English around 1400

Background / Comments

I have read the phrase “visual acuity” somewhere, and thought it meant “excellent”, so I was close. Our word came from French, which came from the Latin word acuere (to sharpen).

acuity

Pronounced: uh-KYOO-ih-tee, noun

Notes: I was close to the meaning

Yesterday’s word

The word distrait means “apprehensively divided or withdrawn in attention; distracted”

First usage

Our word came into English twice; first in the 1400s and again in the mid-1700s (see the comments below)

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Anglo-French word distrait, which came from the Latin adjective distractus. When our word first came into English, it had a meaning very much like “distraught” (deeply agitated or troubled). Apparently, it fell out of use because it came into English a second time — this time meaning “preoccupied; distracted”. Unlike other words from the French language, our word still clings to the French origin: the final ‘t’ is silent, and there is a feminine variant (distraite). These days, our word usually means “mentally remote”, but it can suggest agitation. Once I found this word, I keep running across it in reading, even in stories I’ve read before. I think I (incorrectly) assumed that it was an alternate spelling of “distraught”.

distrait

Pronounced: dih-STRAY, adj

Notes: I’ve been running into this word a lot lately; it’s a useful word to know, with an interesting history

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase secret of Polichinelle is “a supposed secret that’s widely known; an open secret”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the mid-1800s

Background / Comments

Our phrase came to us from the French phrase secret de Polichinelle. “Polichinelle” is a classic character in the Italian commedia dell’arte, which it is called “Pulcinella”. In English, this character is called “Punchinello” — sometimes shortened to “Punch”.

secret of Polichinelle

Pronounced: SEE-krit of po-LISH-ih-nel, noun

Notes: This phrase is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word superficies means

  • a surface of a body or a region of space
  • the external aspects or appearance of a thing
First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s

Background / Comments

I thought that this word referred to things sticking out of an object; something like spikes or knobs. Interestingly, although our word ends with s, it is both singular and plural. In addition, it comes from the same source as “surface”, although “surface” came to us via Middle French. In addition, our word is older than “surface”. Our word came straight from the Latin word superficies (surface). It is composed of super- (on top) and facies (face; aspect).

superficies

Pronounced: su-puhr-FIH-sheez, noun

Notes: I had a rough idea of the meaning

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase silk-stocking district is “a part of a city that is inhabited by the rich and powerful”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

I think I’ve run across this phrase in older writing; possibly in a Sherlock Holmes story; possibly in a Lord Peter Wimsey story. The concept is that only the wealthy could afford expensive silk hosiery.