Category Archives: word

Pronounced: KER-uhn, noun Notes: This is a word I both knew and didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word brummagem means “not genuine; spurious; cheaply showy; tawdry” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments Our word is an alteration of the UK city “Birmingham”. When the word first appeared,Continue reading “charon”

Pronounced: BRUH-mih-jem, adj Notes: This word seemed familiar – but I haven’t used it in this blog. I may have used it for the year I did this on Facebook, or perhaps at work (but maybe I’m just not remembering correctly) Yesterday’s word The word dragoman is “an interpreter or guide” First usage Our wordContinue reading “brummagen”

Pronounced: DRAG-uh-man, noun Notes: This word stirs a faint memory; I think I’ve run across it, but I don’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word pungle means “to make a payment of contribution of money (usually used with “up”) First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our wordContinue reading “dragoman”

Pronounced: PUNG-gull, verb Notes: This word is supposed to be more common in the western part of the United States Yesterday’s word The word hendiadys is “a figure of speech in which two words joined by a conjunction are used to convey a single idea instead of using a word and it’s modifier” (examples inContinue reading “pungle”

Pronounced: hen-DIE-uh-diss, noun Notes: This word has nothing to do with chickens Yesterday’s word The word vanward means “located in the vanguard; advanced” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments I have heard of “vanguard,” which arrived long before our word (the late 1400s). I didn’t realize thatContinue reading “hendiadys”

Pronounced: VAN-word, adj Notes: You might know the meaning; I didn’t Yesterday’s word The word epanalepsis is “a figure of speech in which a word or phrase is repeated after intervening text” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments There is a Bible phrase that I believe fitsContinue reading “vanward”

Pronounced: ep-uh-nuh-LEP-sis, noun Notes: I didn’t know the meaning, but I have run across this Yesterday’s word The word mawkish means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Gross… our word’s background opens up a can of… maggots! Our word came from the Middle English word mawke (maggot), whichContinue reading “epanalepsis”

Pronounced: MAW-kish, adj Notes: I (pretty much) knew one of the definitions Yesterday’s word The word synecdoche is “a figure of speech in which a part stands for the whole (or vice verse). First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s Background / Comments I am pretty sure that I have usedContinue reading “mawkish”

Pronounced: sih-NEK-duh-kee, noun Notes: This word seemed familiar to me – see tomorrow’s comments Yesterday’s word The word banausic means “relating to or concerned with earning a living (used pejoratively); utilitarian; practical” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word goes back to Greek society – the consideredContinue reading “synecdoche”

Pronounced: buh-NAW-sik, adj Notes: Interesting word I didn’t know Yesterday’s word The word zeugma is “the use of a word to refer to two or more words, especially in different senses” (example in the comments) First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments In the sentence “We have beenContinue reading “banausic”