Category Archives: word

Pronounced: ka-KAH-gruh-fee, noun Notes: I should have known the meaning of this word Yesterday’s word The word quacksalver means “a quack; one pretending to have skills or knowledge – especially in medicine” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1500s Background / Comments I was familiar with the word “quack”; what IContinue reading “cacography”

Pronounced: QUACK-sal-vuhr, noun Notes: An interesting word Yesterday’s word The word quotidian means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1300s Background / Comments What a great word to swap out for “daily”! Our word comes form the Latin word quotīdiānus / cottīdiānus (daily), which comes from the adverb cottīdiē (every day). TheContinue reading “quacksalver”

Pronounced: kwoh-TIH-dee-uhn, adj Notes: A good word to know and use Yesterday’s word The word jaculate means “to emit or hurl” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1600s Background / Comments Our word comes from the Latin word jaculare (to dart), which comes from jaculum (dart; javelin), which comes from jacereContinue reading “quotidian”

Pronounced: JACK-yuh-late, verb Notes: Another new word for me Yesterday’s word The word benedict is “a newly married man who has long been a bachelor” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word traces back to Shakespeare; specifically, the play Much Ado About Nothing: Benedick and BeatriceContinue reading “jaculate”

Pronounced: BEH-nuh-dikt, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word existed Yesterday’s word The word gramarye is “occult learning; magic” First usage Our word is old; coming into English in the early 1300s Background / Comments I don’t do much reading in that area, so the word was unknown to me. It comes from the OldContinue reading “benedict”

Pronounced: GRAM-uh-ree, noun Notes: Some people may know this; it has a pretty specific meaning Yesterday’s word The word flack means “to provide publicity: engage in press-agentry” First usage Our word didn’t come into English until the 1960s Background / Comments After seeing the definition, I recalled hearing or reading the phrase “to flack forContinue reading “gramarye”

Pronounced: FLAK, verb Notes: I know the noun, but do you know the verb? Yesterday’s word The word bibulous means First usage Our word came into English in the late 1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I was close to the definition because the word made me think of the Spanish word “beber” (toContinue reading “flack”

Pronounced: BIB-yuh-luhs, adj Notes: I was close to the definition Yesterday’s word The word quidnunc is “a person who seeks to know all the latest news or gossip; busybody” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1700s Background / Comments While the word “busybody” is very descriptive, our word is a goodContinue reading “bibulous”

Pronounced: KWID-nunk, noun Notes: I didn’t know this word, but I like it a lot Yesterday’s word The word fastuous means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1600s Background / Comments As I noted, I know the word fatuous”, but that’s not related. A word that is related to our word isContinue reading “quidnunc”

Pronounced: FAS-choo-us, adj Notes: I know a similar word (fatuous), but not this one Yesterday’s word The word benison means “blessing; benediction” First usage Our word is old; it came into English in the early 1300s Background / Comments Our word shares the same background as “benediction”: it comes form the Latin word benedicere (toContinue reading “fastuous”