Category Archives: word

Pronounced: kwin-sen-TEN-uh-ree, noun/adj Notes: I probably should have figured this one out, but I didn’t, so it’s here Yesterday’s word The word roorback means “a defamatory falsehood published for political effect” Background / Comments Dirty politics are nothing new in the United States; incidents go back to the very early days of the republic. OurContinue reading “quincentenary”

Pronounced: RULL-back, noun Notes: I did not know this word, but some may Yesterday’s word The word palilogy is “a repetition of words, especially for emphasis” Background / Comments The word comes from Greek palin (again) and -logy (words). The first half of the word is the source of the word palindrome. First usage ThisContinue reading “roorback”

Pronounced: pul-LIL-uh-jee, noun Notes: I didn’t know the word, but I’ve heard quite a bit of what it means (as I suspect many have) Yesterday’s word The word microburst has a pretty specific meaning: “a violent short-lived localized downdraft that creates extreme wind shears at low altitudes” Background Credit for this word is usually givenContinue reading “palilogy”

Pronounced: MY-kroh-burst, noun Notes: This word is much more specific than I thought it was. Yesterday’s word The word eucatastrophe means, as you may have guessed, “a happy ending” – especially one in which, instead of an impending disaster, a sudden turn leads to a favorable resolution of the story. Background I figured that mostContinue reading “microburst”

Pronounced: you-kuh-TAS-truh-fee, noun Notes: I’m guessing that readers will be able to guess this meaning, but I found the origin interesting. Yesterday’s word The word pullulate means to germinate or sprout; to breed or produce freely to swarm or teem Background When I thought this might be related to chickens, you can see above thatContinue reading “eucatastrophe”

Pronounced: PUHL-yuh-late, verb Notes: I thought this had to do with chickens, and I was both right and wrong Yesterday’s word The word ochophobia means “a fear or dislike of crowds” Background Probably everyone knows that -phobia means “fear” — it comes from Greek, as does the ochlos part, which means “mob”. First usage ThisContinue reading “pullulate”

Pronounced: ahk-luh-FOE-bee-uh, noun Notes: My guess was fear of the number eight (that’s not right) Yesterday’s word The word sastruga means “a wavelike ridge of hard snow formed by the wind — usually used in the plural (sastrugi). Background This word came into English from German, but it is not of German origin. The wordContinue reading “ochlophobia”

Pronounced: SAS-truh-guh, noun Notes: This word is usually used in the plural (sastrugi), and is more-or-less timely for last month’s weather. Even though I grew up in northern Illinois, I did not know this word, and I’d be surprised if any native Texan knows it. Yesterday’s word The word ocellus means a small simple eyeContinue reading “sastruga”

Pronounced: oh-SELL-us, noun Notes: Yet another word I simply didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word gymkhana means “a meet featuring sporting contests or athletic skills such as competitive games on horseback or a timed contest for automobiles”. Background The word originates in India; it is considered to be an alteration of the Hindi gẽdkhāna, whichContinue reading “ocellus”

Pronounced: jim-KAH-nuh, noun Notes: I have run across this in a British television show, but I didn’t know the word Yesterday’s word The word trompe l’oeil means a style of painting in which objects are rendered in extremely realistic detail, giving an illusion of reality a painting, mural, etc made in this style Background TheContinue reading “gymkhana”