scarlet pimpernel

Pronounced: SKAR-luht PIM-per-nuhl, noun

Notes: I have read the book, The Scarlet Pimpernel, by Baroness Orczy, and I have seen the 1982 film (with Anthony Andrews & Jane Seymour) as well as the 1934 film (with Leslie Howard & Merle Oberon), but I had no idea that this was a word, which is why it is included here. I suspect nearly everyone can guess the definition.

Yesterday’s word

The word mugwump means “an independent, especially in politics”.

Background/Notes

The word is humorously explained as someone who sites on a fence with his mug (face) on one side, and his wump (rump) on the other. In truth, the word comes from the Massachusett word mugquomp (leader, great man). Massachusett is a language in the Algonquian language family. The word was used in 1884 to describe a Republican who refused to support their candidate, James Blaine, who had a reputation for corruption. These mugwumps supported Grover Cleveland, making him President of the United States.

First usage

The word showed up in the mid-1800s.

mugwump

Pronounced: MUG-wump, noun

Notes: I’ve run across this word, but couldn’t define it properly

Yesterday’s word

The word pinder refers to a peanut.

Background/Notes

This word, according to the dictionary I looked it up in, says that it is primarily used in South Carolina. The word itself comes from the Bantu language in Africa; the peanut itself is native to South America (not the United States), and was first taken to Africa, where it acquired this name (among others). It was then brought to North America. Other words for peanut are “groundnut”, “earthnut”, and “goober” (or as I heard it in grade school, “goober pea”). Like pinder, “goober” comes from the Bantu language.

First usage

This word showed up in the late 1690s

Rejected word

The word dyspepsia was a borderline case: I was pretty close to the meaning, although there is a sense of the word that I wasn’t aware of, but I still decided not to use it.

pinder

Pronounced: PIN-der, noun

Notes: This is a word I’ve never heard (that I know of); I ran across it while reading the definition of another word

Yesterday’s word

The word hebetude means “lethargy, dullness”.

Background

This word comes from Late Latin hebetudo (dullness, bluntness). This derives from the Latin root hebes (dull).

First usage

The word first showed up in the early 1600s

Rejected word

I knew the meaning of inane, so it didn’t make the cut

hebetude

Pronounced: HEH-buh-tude, noun

Notes: I wondered if it was related to ‘herbivore’ (nope!)

Yesterday’s word

The word ilka simply means “each; every” (Still not sure why this would be preferred over “each”)

Background

It comes from ilk (each), which is from Old English ylc + the indefinite article a

First usage

This word showed up in the early 1200s

ilka

Pronounced: ILL-kuh, adj

Notes: A handy word to know, but I’m not sure what advantage this has over the other words that could be chosen

Yesterday’s word

The word inspissate means “to make or become thick or thicker”

Background

This is a somewhat rare verb… it is derived from the Latin spissus (slow, dense), and related to the Greek word spidnos (compact) and the Lithuanian word spisti (to from a swarm).

First usage

This word appeared in English in the 1600s (Francis Bacon used it in 1626).

yclept

Pronounced: ih-KLEPT

Notes: I ran across this word in one of my sources and didn’t know it… I remembered it because of the unusual spelling. A few months later, I ran across this word in my reading.

Yesterday’s word

The word eclogue is “a poem in which shepherds converse”

Background

The word comes from Latin ecloga, which came from Greek eklogḗ (selection). The Idylls of the Greek poet Theocritus was the first eclogue, but the word was first used by the Roman poet Virgil in his ten Eclogues. The eclogue was popular in the Renaissance up through the 1600s; however, the poets of the Romantic period didn’t care for the eclogue and it fell out of favor. In modern times, eclogue still means a pastor poem, but the conversations may be of people other than shepherds — and often, there is heavy irony involved

First usage

The word showed up in the mid-1400s

Rejected word

chimera: I happen to know the definition, but I’m not sure when I first ran across this word. What I didn’t know was the pronunciation: I thought it was “SHIH-muh-ruh”, but it is actually “kigh-MIR-uh”.

eclogue

Pronounced: EHK-log, noun

Notes: Really? There is a word for this?

Yesterday’s word

I assume most, if not all, readers know jinx means “to bring bad luck upon”, but I was unaware that it also meant “to cast a spell on”.

Background

The origin is not known for sure… it is thought it may come from jynx wryneck, a bird that was used in witchcraft.

First usage

Surprisingly, pretty modern – the early 1900s.

jinx

Pronounced: jinks, verb

Notes: OK, we know the usual meaning, but this word also has a meaning of which I was unaware.

Yesterday’s word

The word alopecia means “baldness; specifically, the loss of hair, wool or feathers”

Background

Oddly enough, the root word from which the word comes is the Greek word alōpēx (fox)! The word actually came into English from Latin alopecia, which itself came from the Greek word alōpekia (mange on foxes).

First usage

The word showed up in the late 1300s

alopecia

Pronounced: a-luh-PEA-shuh, or a-luh-PEA-shee-uh, noun

Notes: This word doesn’t conform to my usual rules for selection: I only happen to know this word because of a British radio comedy show from the 1960s, so I don’t know how well know it is.

Yesterday’s word

The word appurtenance means “an accessory or other item associated with a particular activity or style of living”. It is usually found in the plural, as in the appurtenances of luxurious travel. It comes from

Background

The word comes into Middle English from the Old French word apertunance, which itself came from the Late Latin word appertinere (belonging to). If you see the word pertain here, you’re right; it comes from the same Late Latin root.

First usage

The word appeared in the late 1300s