Category Archives: word

Pronounced: PAN-thee-ahn, noun Notes: I sort of knew this word, but not the complete set Yesterday’s word The word unco, as an adjective, means “unusual; remarkable; strange”. As an adverb, it means “remarkably; extremely”. As a noun, it can mean “stranger” or “news”. First usage Our word, surprisingly to me, came into English in theContinue reading “pantheon”

Pronounced: UNG-koh, adj/adv/noun Notes: Such an interesting word! I had a few surprises with this word Yesterday’s word The word unclubbable means “having or showing a disinclination for social activity; unsociable” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1700s Background / Comments It is thought that Samuel Johnson (he of the famousContinue reading “unco”

Pronounced: un-KLUH-buh-bull, adj Notes: I think I remember this word in my reading, but I would not define it well Yesterday’s word The word diel, as a noun, means “a period of 24 hours”. As an adjective, it means “lasting 24 hours or having a 24-hour period” First usage Our word came into English inContinue reading “unclubbable”

Pronounced: DY-uhl (alt: deel), noun/adj Notes: I’m surprised that I haven’t heard this word Yesterday’s word The word gadzookery is a British word, and means “the use of archaisms (as in a historical novel)” First usage Our word came into English in the 1950s Background / Comments I might be able to be accused ofContinue reading “diel”

Pronounced: gad-ZOO-kuh-ree, noun Notes: I’ve not run across this word Yesterday’s word The word yerk means, as a verb, “to rise, stir, strike, whip, pull, kick… and so on”. As a noun it means “a sudden movement, kick, jerk, stab, etc” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1400s Background / CommentsContinue reading “gadzookery”

Pronounced: yuhrk, verb/noun Notes: I don’t think I’ve run across this word Yesterday’s word The word hackle means First usage Our word came into English in the first half of the 1400s Background / Comments Like you, I was aware of the phrase “raise one’s hackles”, said of people. This usage is figurative; a personContinue reading “yerk”

Pronounced: HAH-kuhl, noun Notes: I knew one definition (you probably do, too), but one was not known to me Yesterday’s word The word bacchant means “a boisterous reveler” First usage Our word came into English in the very late 1600 Background / Comments Even though it was the third pronunciation, it is how I wouldContinue reading “hackle”

Pronounced: buh-KANT (alt-1: buh-KAHNT; alt-2: BAK-uhnt) Notes: I didn’t quite define this word properly, but I was a bit close Yesterday’s word The word picaresque means “of or relating to rogues, rascals, or roguish protagonists” First usage Our word came into English in the early 1800s Background / Comments Our word comes from the SpanishContinue reading “bacchant”

Pronounced: pih-kuh-RESK, adj Notes: A neat word, unknown to me Yesterday’s word The word autolycan means “characterized by thievery or trickery” First usage Our word came into English in the late 1800s Background / Comments The reason I said that I was surprised that I didn’t know our word was that while in school, IContinue reading “picaresque”

Pronounced: ah-TAHL-uh-kuhn, adj Notes: I’m a little surprised that this word was new to me Yesterday’s word The word misbegotten means First usage Our word came into English in the mid-1500s Background / Comments The only definition I knew was the third one; I have a faint memory of hearing it used in some old-timeContinue reading “autolycan”