diversivolent

Pronounced: dyou-vurh-SIV-uh-lunht, adj

Notes: An unknown word; interesting one

Yesterday’s word

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

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

So, our word is a synonym of the verb “thicken”. I find it interesting is that (as far as I can recall), this is the first word with a Lithuanian background. Our word is related to the Lithuanian word spisti (to form a swarm); it traces back to the Latin word spissus (slow; dense), which came from the Greek word spidnos (compact). Our word originally was used in the literal sense, but over time, a metaphorical meaning was added as well.

inspissate

Pronounced: in-SPIH-sate, verb

Notes: You may know the word (I didn’t), and it has an interesting history

Yesterday’s word

The word glossophobia is “the fear of public speaking”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1960s

Background / Comments

Although I was able to parse this word correctly, it did not help me with the meaning. Our word came from the Greek word glosso (tongue; language) and phobia (fear). My guess had, therefore, been that it was a fear of foreign languages.

glossophobia

Pronounced: glas-uh-FOE-bee-uh, noun

Notes: Clearly a fear of something, but what?

Yesterday’s word

The word impolitic means “not politic; unwise”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

As I noted yesterday, our word is just in- (not) combined with politic (shrewd; sagacious; tactful). The word politic came from Middle French, which came from the Latin word politicus, which came from a Greek word that is based on polites (citizen). Our word is generally used to refer to a politically unwise action or policy on the part of public figures.

impolitic

Pronounced: im-PAH-luh-tik, adj

Notes: I knew enough about word to realize that this word is made up of “in-” (not) — mutated to “im-” before the ‘p’ — and “politic”; thus, “not politic”, but that didn’t really help me, and I didn’t know what “politic” means.

Yesterday’s phrase

The phrase Shrewsbury clock means “something precise or exact”

First usage

Our phrase came into English in the late 1500s

Background / Comments

Shrewsbury is a town in the west UK. Our phrase may have come about because of Shakespeare: in Henry IV, Part 1, one character claimed that he and another had “fought a long hour by Shrewsbury clock”. In those days, people did not have personal timekeepers, so town clocks were essential to keep the time. Our phrase is sometimes used with a bit of exaggeration or irony.

Shrewsbury clock

Pronounced: SHROOZ-ber-ee (alt-1: SHROOZ-bree-ee; alt-2: SHROOZ-buh-ree; alt-3: SHROZ-ber-ee; alt-4: SHROZ-bree-ee; alt-5: SHROZ-buh-ree) klok, noun

Notes: A lot of different ways to pronounced this phrase!

Yesterday’s word

The word cahoot means “partnership; league”

First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1800s

Background / Comments

I had no idea that there our word existed: I have only run across the word in plural; something like “in cahoots with”. It turns out that the plural form is (by far) the most common usage. There is another phrase (not very often used): to “go cahoots” which means to enter into partnership with. Our word is thought to have come from the French word cahute (cabin; hut), which gives the idea of two or more people hidden away working together in secret. The French word is thought to have been formed from the words cabane (cabin) and hutte (hut).

cahoot

Pronounced: kuh-HOOT, noun

Notes: It is more common to see this word in plural

Yesterday’s word

The word gallionic means “indifferent; uncaring”

First usage

Our word came into English in the 1920s

Background / Comments

Our word is named after Gallio, who crops up in the Bible – regarding him, it is written in Acts chapter 18: And when Gallio was the deputy of Achaia, the Jews made insurrection with one accord against Paul, and brought him to the judgment seat, saying, This fellow persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law. And when Paul was now about to open his mouth, Gallio said unto the Jews, If it were a matter of wrong or wicked lewdness, O ye Jews, reason would that I should bear with you: But if [since] it be a question of words and names, and of your law, look ye to it; for I will be no judge of such matters. And he drave them from the judgment seat. Then all the Greeks took Sosthenes, the chief ruler of the synagogue, and beat him before the judgment seat. And Gallio cared for none of those things. (Note: I added the word in square brackets). Thus, his name came to refer to his actions of being uncaring.

Gallionic

Pronounced: gal-ee-ON-ik, adj

Notes: Another word that is new to me

Yesterday’s word

The word boniface is “the proprietor of a hotel, nightclub, or restaurant”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1700s

Background / Comments

In Latin, boniface means “doer of good”. Our word came from the name of an innkeeper in the play The Beaux’ Strategem, written in 1707 by George Farquhar. Another character in this play (whose name has also passed into English usage) is the Lady Bountiful. Mr Farquhar never knew of the influence his play would have: he completed the play on his deathbed, and died on the night of its third performance.

boniface

Pronounced: BAH-nuh-fuhs, noun

Notes: I’m a bit surprised that I haven’t run across this word before

Yesterday’s word

The word meech means

  • to move in a furtive manner
  • to loiter
  • to whine
First usage

Our word came into English in the early 1600s

Background / Comments

The third meaning seems a little familiar, but as I noted, I don’t recall running across our word before. It is a variant of mitch (to steal; hide; shirk), which came from the Old French word muchier (to hide).

meech

Pronounced: meech, verb

Notes: I have no recollection of running across this word

Yesterday’s word

The word chauffeur is (as I’m sure you know) “a person employed to drive a motor vehicle”

First usage

Our word came into English in the late 1800s

Background / Comments

I had assumed that our word just the French word for “driver”, but such is not the case: originally, chauffeurs were people employed to stoke a steam engine and keep it running. Our word did indeed come from the French noun chauffeur (one what heats), which came from the verb chauffer (to heat). When automobiles were just coming on the scene, French speakers extended chauffeur to those who drove these “horseless carriages” — from there, the meaning eventually extended to mean someone hired to drive other people, and this is the sense that came into English.

chauffeur

Pronounced: SHOW-fuhr, noun

Notes: Yes, we all know the definition, but I’m including this for the interesting background

Yesterday’s word

The word steganography is “the art of practice of concealing a message, image, or file within another message, image, or file”

First usage

Our word came into English in the mid-1500s (but see the comments)

Background / Comments

Our word came from the Greek word steganos (covered). It pretty much fell out of use in the early 1800s, as it was considered an archaic synonym of “cryptography”. However, the word was revived in the 1980s for the digital age.