Category Archives: word

Pronounced: GLICK-shalt-toong, noun Notes: Not a word I know; it seems a bit limited for general use Yesterday’s word The word Cockaigne is “an imaginary land of great luxury and ease” First usage Our word came into English in the mid- to late 1200s Background / Comments Our word came from the Middle French phraseContinue reading “gleichschaltung”

Pronounced: kah-CANE, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word before Yesterday’s word The word ambagious means “roundabout; circuitous” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments Our word is a nice one to use in place of “roundabout” – it came from the Middle English word ambages (equivocation), whichContinue reading “Cockaigne”

Pronounced: am-BAY-juhs, adj Notes: It looks like ambiguous misspelled Yesterday’s word The word scaramouch (can also be spelled scaramouche) is a cowardly buffoon rascal; scamp First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments People with a background in or knowledge of theater or pantomime may know our word — orContinue reading “ambagious”

Pronounced: SCAR-uh-moosh, noun Notes: Although the word looks familiar, I didn’t know the meaning Yesterday’s word The word wonted means “usual; accustomed” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / Comments I don’t think that our word is very well known; personally, I’m more familiar with the phrase “as wasContinue reading “scaramouch”

Pronounced: WAHN-tid Notes: Not a misspelling of “wanted” Yesterday’s word The word interdigitate means “to become interlocked like the fingers of folded hands” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments I thought our word meant to lace the fingers; it means other things that are look like it (asContinue reading “wonted”

Pronounced: in-tuhr-DIH-juh-tate, verb Notes: The word doesn’t mean what I thought it might mean Yesterday’s word The word frustraneous means “useless; unprofitable” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments A fun word to drop into conversations. Our word came from the Latin word frustra (in vain).

Pronounced: fruhs-TRAY-nee-uhs, adj Notes: A nice word to be able to use Yesterday’s word The word futurity means time to come; future the quality or state of being future future events or prospects First usage Our word came into English around 1600 Background / Comments Our word would appear to be coined by Shakespeare inContinue reading “frustraneous”

Pronounced: fyoo-TUR-eh-tee, noun Notes: Although you may be able to guess the definition, I didn’t know that this word existed Yesterday’s word The word refection is refreshment with food or drink a light meal The reingesting of fecal pellets, as practiced by rabbits First usage Our word came into English in the late 1300s BackgroundContinue reading “futurity”

Pronounced: rih-FECK-shun, noun Notes: This is not a misspelling of “reflection”, but a different word entirely Yesterday’s word The word totem is an animal or plant serving as the emblem of a family or clan a revered emblem or symbol; a person or thing that represents an idea First usage Our word came into EnglishContinue reading “refection”

Pronounced: TOE-tum, noun Notes: I thought I knew the meaning of this word, but I didn’t Yesterday’s word The word tegular means “relating to, resembling, or arranged like tiles” First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1800s Background / Comments Our word came from the Latin word tegula (tile), which came from tegereContinue reading “totem”