Category Archives: word

Pronounced: sanz-kyoo-LOT, noun Notes: I pretty much knew this word, but I don’t know how commonly known it is Yesterday’s word The word camarilla is “a group of unofficial – often secret and scheming – advisors; cabal” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from theContinue reading “sansculotte”

Pronounced: ka-muh-RIH-luh, noun Notes: Not a word I know Yesterday’s word The word redshirt means, as a noun, “a college student who practices with the team, but does not take part in official games”. As a verb, it means to extend eligibility by a year by making an athlete practice, but not participate, in officialContinue reading “camarilla”

Pronounced: nope, not giving such obvious pronunciation, noun/verb Notes: I enjoy watching football, and I’ve heard this term, but didn’t know precisely what it meant (and it has a definition of which I was unware) Yesterday’s word The word orphic means of or relating to Orpheus or the rites and doctrines ascribed to him (capitalizedContinue reading “redshirt”

Pronounced: OR-fik, adj Notes: You may know one of the meanings Yesterday’s word The word rort means a fraudulent scheme or practice a wild party First usage Our word came into English in the 1920s Background / Comments Our word is another back-formation from rorty (boisterous; lively; jolly) – rorty is around 60 years olderContinue reading “orphic”

Pronounced: rort, noun Notes: A word I didn’t know at all Yesterday’s word The word gust means “keen delight” First usage Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s Background / Comments I knew the word “gust” that refers to wind, but even though that word and our word are spelledContinue reading “rort”

Pronounced: GUHST, noun Notes: This word is NOT the meaning of a strong wind. Do you know it? Yesterday’s word The word swashbuckle means “to swagger, bluster, behave recklessly, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word is another back-formation. Well over 300 years earlier thanContinue reading “gust”

Pronounced: SWASH-buhkl, verb Notes: You probably know (or can guess) the meaning; however, the background is interesting Yesterday’s phrase The phrase dragon’s teeth means seeds of strife wedge-shaped concrete antitank barriers laid in multiple rows First usage Our phrase came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our phrase comes from the legendContinue reading “swashbuckle”

Pronounced: (probably not needed) DRA-guns-teeth, noun Notes: I didn’t know the meaning, but the background was somewhat familiar to me Yesterday’s word The word onymous means “bearing the author’s name; named” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments Our word is what’s called a “back-formation”; I presume mostContinue reading “dragon’s teeth”

Pronounced: AHN-uh-muhs, adj Notes: I was quite interested to read about the origin of this word that is unknown to me Yesterday’s word The word schlemiel is “an unlucky bungler; chump” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Yiddish word shlemil. It isContinue reading “onymous”

Pronounced: shluh-MEEL, noun Notes: I’ve never read this word, but I’ve heard it Yesterday’s word The word tinhorn means, as a noun, “someone who pretends to have money, skill, influence, etc”. As an adjective, it means “inferior or insignificant, while pretending to be otherwise”. First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800sContinue reading “schlemiel”