Category Archives: word

Pronounced: YOU-kuhr, verb/noun Notes: I suspect many know the meaning of the noun, but I did not know the meaning of the verb Yesterday’s word The word oracular means “of, relating to, or suggesting an oracle” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments I confused our word with “ocular”,Continue reading “euchre”

Pronounced: ah-RA-kyuh-uhr, adj Notes: I confused this word with another one Yesterday’s word The word sciolism is “pretentious display of superficial knowledge” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I have known several people who thought they knew something, but were wrong. However, I’ve only run across oneContinue reading “oracular”

Pronounced: SY-uh-liz-uhm, noun Notes: I ran across this unknown word is two different reference areas, only days apart Yesterday’s word The word anodyne means serving to alleviate pain not like to offend or arouse tensions; innocuous First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments Although the word came into EnglishContinue reading “sciolism”

Pronounced: A-nuh-dine, noun (initial syllable is “a” as in map) Notes: I could not remember the definition of this word, but I think I used to know it Yesterday’s word The word desuetude means “a state of disuse” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word isContinue reading “anodyne”

Pronounced: DES-wih-tood (alt: DES-wih-tyood), noun Notes: My guess at the meaning was just… wrong Yesterday’s word The word squib is a short humorous or satiric writing or speech a short news item; especially one used as a filler a small or broken firecracker First usage Our word came into English in the early 1500s BackgroundContinue reading “desuetude”

Pronounced: skwib, noun Notes: I knew one definition (the reference has three) Yesterday’s word The word acuity means “sharpness; keenness” First usage Our word came into English around 1400 Background / Comments I have read the phrase “visual acuity” somewhere, and thought it meant “excellent”, so I was close. Our word came from French, whichContinue reading “squib”

Pronounced: uh-KYOO-ih-tee, noun Notes: I was close to the meaning Yesterday’s word The word distrait means “apprehensively divided or withdrawn in attention; distracted” First usage Our word came into English twice; first in the 1400s and again in the mid-1700s (see the comments below) Background / Comments Our word came from the Anglo-French word distrait,Continue reading “acuity”

Pronounced: dih-STRAY, adj Notes: I’ve been running into this word a lot lately; it’s a useful word to know, with an interesting history Yesterday’s phrase The phrase secret of Polichinelle is “a supposed secret that’s widely known; an open secret” First usage Our phrase came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our phraseContinue reading “distrait”

Pronounced: SEE-krit of po-LISH-ih-nel, noun Notes: This phrase is new to me Yesterday’s word The word superficies means a surface of a body or a region of space the external aspects or appearance of a thing First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments I thought that this word referredContinue reading “secret of Polichinelle”

Pronounced: su-puhr-FIH-sheez, noun Notes: I had a rough idea of the meaning Yesterday’s phrase The phrase silk-stocking district is “a part of a city that is inhabited by the rich and powerful” First usage Our phrase came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments I think I’ve run across this phrase in olderContinue reading “superficies”