Category Archives: word

Pronounced: MAM-uh-thrept, noun Notes: This sounds like word Rex Stout uses in the Nero Wolfe novels, but if it is, I have no recollection of reading it. Yesterday’s word The word matutinal means “of, or occurring in, the morning, or of the early day”. First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s BackgroundContinue reading “mammothrept”

Pronounced: muh-TOOT-en-el (alt: muh-TYOOT-en-el), adj Notes: I don’t think I’ve heard this word Yesterday’s word The word mimsy means “prim; feeble; affected” First usage This word was created in the mid-1800s Background / Comments This word was coined by Lewis Carroll in a poem he published in his periodical Mischmasch. An expanded version of thisContinue reading “matutinal”

Pronounced: MIM-zee, adj Notes: I guess I’ve seen this word, but I don’t remember it Yesterday’s word The word telluric means “coming out of, or proceeding from, the soil or earth” First usage The word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word tellūr, which is theContinue reading “mimsy”

Pronounced: teh-LOOR-ick, adj Notes: This is another word that I didn’t know, but after seeing the origin, it made sense Yesterday’s phrase The phrase scare quote refers to “the quotation marks around a word or phrase to indicate said phrase is incorrect, nonstandard, or ironic”. First usage This word came into English in the 1950sContinue reading “telluric”

Pronounced: (just like it sounds), noun Notes: I didn’t know this phrase, but it is common Yesterday’s word The word eudemonic means “pertaining to or conducive to happiness; related to theories of happiness” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments The word comes from the Greek word eudaimonikós, whichContinue reading “scare quote”

Pronunciation: you-dih-MON-ick, adj Notes: When I attempted to parse this word, I saw eu- (good) parsed with “demonic”, so this didn’t make any sense Yesterday’s word The word endogenous means “originating from within” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Greek word endo- (inside;Continue reading “eudemonic”

Pronounced: en-DOJ-uh-nuhs, adj Notes: As is usual here, this is another word I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word valediction means “the formal act of announcing one’s departure, one’s leave-taking, or bidding farewell” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background Well, the word looks like valedictorian, which we call theContinue reading “endogenous”

Pronounced: val-ih-DIK-shun, noun Notes: I didn’t know the meaning of this word; it reminded me of a word I do know Yesterday’s word The word stenophagous means “feeding on a limited variety of food” First usage The word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments I am not sure how “limited” the foodContinue reading “valediction”

Pronounced: stuh-NOFF-uh-gus, adj Notes: Another really nifty, useful word Yesterday’s word The word besot means to inspire with admiration to the point of foolishness to make dull or stupid (as by drunkenness) First usage This word can be traced back to the mid-1500s Background / Comments I was so sure I was right on thisContinue reading “stenophagous”

Pronounced: bih-SAHT, verb Notes: I know the general meaning (you probably do, too), but I was a little off because I attempted to parse the word… and I was wrong Yesterday’s word The word irenic means “tending to promote peace and reconciliation” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / CommentsContinue reading “besot”