Category Archives: word

Pronounced: IN-fruh-DIG, adj Notes: This is a phrase I’ve not run across before Yesterday’s word The word adonize means “to make more attractive; to spruce up” First usage This came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments I’ve heard of Adonis – a beautiful youth in Greek mythology, and I know that ‘adonis’Continue reading “infra dig”

Pronounced: AD-uh-nize, verb Notes: This is another word that made me feel foolish; I didn’t know it when I saw it, but when I read the background, I realized that I should have known it. Yesterday’s word The word illative means “of, relating to, or expressing an inference or conclusion” (the word “therefore” is anContinue reading “adonize”

Pronounced: ILL-uh-tihv (alt ih-LAY-tihv), adj Notes: I ran across this word in my reading, but didn’t know it Yesterday’s word The word bogart means to hog or take more than the fair share of something to bully, act touch, or to be belligerent First usage This word came into usage in the 1960s Background /Continue reading “illative”

Pronounced: BOH-gart, verb Notes: I didn’t know this was a word (thus its inclusion), but you may be able to guess the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pachydermatous means of or relating to the pachyderms thick; thickened callous; insensitive First usage This word came into usage in the early 1800s (maybe mid-1800s) Background / CommentsContinue reading “bogart”

Pronounced: pah-kih-DUHR-muh-tuhs, adj Notes: You may know one meaning, like I did, but there are other meanings, so I included it Yesterday’s word The word jackleg means, as an adjective “unskilled; unscrupulous; incompetent”. As a noun, it refers to an unskilled or unscrupulous worker First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s BackgroundContinue reading “pachydermatous”

Pronounced: JACK-leg, adj/noun Notes: I didn’t know this word Yesterday’s word The word compunctious means arising from remorse or regret feeling remorse or regret First usage The word came into being in the very late 1500s Background / Comments Shakespeare created this word for the play Macbeth. It was created from noun compunction, which cameContinue reading “jackleg”

Pronounced: kuhm-PUNG(k)-shus Notes: I knew of “compunction”, but not this word Yesterday’s word The word four-flusher means “a pretender, bluffer, or fraudster” First usage This word started to be used in the early 1900s Background / Comments The word comes from poker. A “flush” is five cards of the same suit. Someone who has fourContinue reading “compunctious”

Pronounced: FOUR-flush-uhr, noun Notes: I’ve run across this word in reading, but my meaning was bit off. In addition, I find the background to be interesting Yesterday’s word The word slumgullion is “a meat stew” First usage This word first showed up in the late-1800s, but see the background below Background / Comments The firstContinue reading “four-flusher”

Pronounced: SLUM-gull-yuhn, noun Notes: Yet again, a word I do not know Yesterday’s word The word wirepuller is “a person who manipulates or exerts control from behind the scenes” First usage This word showed up in the early 1800s Background / Comments I was thinking of some device that stretched (“pulled”) wires, but that’s notContinue reading “slumgullion”

Pronounced: WIRE-puller Notes: This wasn’t what I thought, but it makes sense Yesterday’s word The word bolide is “a large meteor : fireball; especially one that explodes” First usage This word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments A very bright meteor often trails sparks and looks like a missile. Our word wasContinue reading “wirepuller”