These are the words you could find on this page:
Aegis, Agitprop, Altricial, Argot, Badinage, Bellwether, Burnish, Calamity, Calumniate, Chary, Comet, Davy Jones, Derring-do, Dillydally, Eschew, Feint, Fiat, Galore, Galvanize, Gambit, Gargoyle, Happenstance, Hiatus, Highfalutin, Hoi polloi, Ignominious, Internecine, Juggernaut, Junket, Karaoke, Kettle of fish, Madeleine, Make hay, McCoy, Mesa, Muckraker, Oscillate, Overweening, Pandemonium, Pendulum, Philistine, Pithy, Polka dot, Ponzi scheme, Primordial, Promulgate, Queue, Raconteur, Schism, Shanghai, Silly, Succor, Tableau, Tchotchke, Transmogrify, Trivia, Universe, Vaudeville, Vernissage, Zeitgeist

Aegis
To act under the aegis of someone is to act with their protection, support, or guardianship. Aegis can also be working with the sponsorship of or under the auspices of someone or something. Example: "He was acting under the aegis of the Prime Minister."
The original aegis is found in Greek mythology. Zeus, and later Athena, bore the aegis (sometimes a shield or a breastplate made from the skin of a divine goat). It was associated with giving protection and possessed supernatural powers.
Aegis, which is also occasionally spelled egis, entered English at the turn of the 18th century from the Latin. The Latin was derived from the Greek aigis (a type of shield made from goatskin) which used the Greek word aig (goat).
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Agitprop
A political message, particularly one that is declared in drama, literature, music or other of the arts, is agitprop. The creator may intend the agitprop to educate and inform, but the audience may feel an attempt is being made to indoctrinate them. As a result, this word typically has a negative connotation.
The word agitprop is Russian, an abbreviation of the conjunction of agitatsiya (agitation) and propaganda. These strategies for revolution were first twinned by Marxist Georgy Plekhanov. His ideas were later elaborated upon by Lenin in the 1902 pamphlet "What is to be Done?" These ideas prompted Communist leadership in the early 1920s to form an Agitation and Propaganda Section of the Central Committee. The shorthand term for this department was the agitprop bureau. Even today, every unit of a Communist party will have an agitprop section.
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Altricial [adj. all-TRISH-ul]
Creatures that are altricial are helpless, naked, and blind when they are first born. The word is often applied to birds, but it has recently been applied in a new way, to describe a certain kind of robot.
The word is derived from Latin altrix, the feminine form of altor (nourisher), from alere (to nourish), because altricial birds must be directly nourished by their parents before they can take care of themselves.
The opposite of altricial is precocial [prih-KO-shul], from the Latin praecox (premature; not fully ripened or cooked), the same root as precocious (maturing early). Precocial birds are covered with down when they are born, and can run about immediately and feed themselves.
The Latin alere has contributed to several other modern words about nourishing and growing:
alible: nourishing
aliment: nourishing substance; food
alimony: payment (nourishment) to support an ex-spouse
alumnus: a past graduate (one who has "grown out")
adult: one who has grown up
adolescent: one who is similar to (but not quite) a grownup
coalesce: to grow together
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Argot
A vocabulary particular to a specific profession or social group is its argot. Argot is often devised for private communication and is not easily understood by other people. This word is especially common in the context of the special lingo of criminals. Example: "The police officer fit in well when undercover because he had a good handle on the gang's argot."
Argot stole its way into English in the mid-1800s. It is likely a variation on the French verb argoter (to quarrel), which is derived from Latin.
Near synonyms include: jargon, vernacular, dialect, slang, and lingo.
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Badinage
Badinage is light, teasing banter. This noun refers to playful remarks or conversations that are not serious. Example: "The badinage between celebrities and late night talk show hosts is one of the main reasons viewers tune in."
Badinage is also a verb describing the act of bantering playfully or teasing someone in a lighthearted way.
This word first appeared sometime in the mid-17th century. Badinage is a variation on the French verb badiner (to joke, trifle), which evolved from the Latin batare.
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Bellwether [n. BEL-weth-ur]
If you are a leader or trendsetter, then you could be called a bellwether: "Her fashion designs, just a touch ahead, make her the bellwether of the industry."
Although the original meaning included a bell, it had nothing to do with the weather. In Anglo-Saxon times of England, the bellewether of a herd of sheep was the bell-wearing, castrated ram (wether), whom the rest of the flock would follow.
A bell is a hollow metal instrument designed to generate a musical tone when struck. The word is from Old English, possibly related to the verb form, bellan (to bellow or emit a long baying sound, said of an animal).
Wether comes down unchanged from Old English, probably from the Germanic wethruz (yearling animal), whose ancient root wet- also gave us other words related to age and animals. These include veteran, inveterate, veterinary, and veal.
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Burnish
The action of making something lustrous, especially by rubbing it to give it a shine or polish, is to burnish it. Near synonyms of the verb include: polish, gloss, and buff.
Burnish can also be used as a noun referring to something that has a smooth or glossy appearance. Near synonyms include: luster, shine, and sheen. Example: "He was attracted by the burnish of her golden skin."
This word is derived from the Middle English burnischen, a variant on the Middle French bruniss, a stem of brunir (to polish, make brown), from Old French brun (bright, brown).
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Calamity
Calamity is meant to describe a serious misfortune, the kind of loss or grave event that causes people deep distress or misery. Near synonyms include catastrophe and disaster. Example: "The family was ruined by a series of calamities; first fire, then flood, damaged their homestead."
This disastrous noun is traced back to the 15th century. It is derived from the Middle English calamytey which was a variant on the Middle French. Both have their roots in the Latin calamitas which is perhaps akin to the Latin clades (destruction).
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Calumniate
Making false statements about a person, intending to hurt their reputation, is to calumniate. Example: "He calumniated his opponent for the political candidacy by spreading false rumors."
Let us hope the number of near synonyms - malign, slander, vilify, defame, blacken, libel, smirch, smear, and sully - do not indicate how often people falsely accuse one another.
Traced back to the mid-1500s, calumniate entered the English language a century after the noun calumny (false accusation). Both are derived from the Latin calumnia which is thought to have originated in the verb calvi (to devise tricks, deceive).
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Chary
If you are chary then you are alertly cautious, aware of dangers and risks, or you are sparing and unwilling to grant or expend. Example: "Although my journey so far had been without incident, I was chary of crossing the flooded lowlands, where I might encounter large crocodiles." Example: "Mr. Jones is a good fellow, but I am chary of investing in his company."
Like many old words, chary has experienced several changes in meaning. The root was Old English cearig (sorrowful), from caeru (sorrow), source of Modern English care. But the word evolved. By the 16th century it was chary and the sense was cherished, beloved, dear.
From describing what is cherished, the meaning changed toward protecting it by being cautious and prudent. Caution then extended to being sparing and reluctant, the most recent of this word's many historical senses.
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Comet [n. KOM-it]
Comets are frozen ice-balls, tens of kilometers across, that swing through the inner solar system from the cold depths of space. While they are here they can put on a spectacular show, with huge tails of gas and dust fanning out across the sky.
Although in past centuries comets were thought to be powerful, mysterious harbingers of difficult times, they got their name from their resemblance to something human and ordinary: streaming hair.
The Greek kome means "hair of the head," and the Greeks called comets "aster kometes" (star with long hair). The first recorded use was by Aristotle. Later the phrase contracted to kometes. It passed through Latin as cometa, then through Old French into English.
There is also the coma [KOE-muh], which is the roughly spherical, fuzzy halo that surrounds the head of the comet. That word also comes from the Greek kome, but the other meaning of coma (deep sleep) comes down through a different lineage.
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Davy Jones
Sailors call the spirit of the sea Davy Jones. This personification of the bottom of the sea was often considered malicious, a sea devil.
The most common usage of this noun is in the expression Davy Jones' Locker. Someone who is thrown overboard or buried at the bottom of the ocean is said to have gone to Davy Jones' Locker.
While there are some who may have wished this fate on Davy Jones of the Monkees, there is no connection between the television star and sailor lore.
One suggestion is that there was a pirate named Davy Jones who made his many victims walk the plank. Another suggests that a barkeep named Davy Jones kept a drugged rum in his locker that he would serve to unsuspecting customers who would find themselves enlisted in a marine venture when they woke up.
The most likely explanation is that Davy is from St. David, a patron saint called upon by Welsh sailors, and that Jones was inspired by Jonah (the biblical figure swallowed by a whale).
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Derring-do
A brave act or reckless action done without consideration of the dangers involved is an example of derring-do. Example: "The youth's acts of derring-do impressed his friends but worried his family."
The word is somewhat dated today, conjuring up images of a swashbuckling hero performing courageous feats or daring exploits to save a helpless maiden. Near synonyms include daring, impertinence, and audacity.
In use since the 16th century, derring-do has roots in Middle English. It is a variation on the combination of durring (a present participle of durren the verb for "to dare") and don (to do).
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Dillydally
Distracted by a window display or unable to select what you want to order from a menu, you might be described as dillydallying. Example: "Stop dillydallying and make up your mind!"
Since the mid-18th century this alliterative word has meant wasting time by loitering or not being able to make a decision. Near synonyms include dawdle, hesitate, and delay.
Use of the word dillydally was prompted by the repetition of the word dally which comes from the Middle English dalyen. Still today dally means to waste time or act playfully. Dalliance (the act of dallying) shares the same heritage.
A similar reduplication is seen in shilly-shally which describes showing hesitation or indecisiveness. It is derived from a 16th century repetition of the question "Shall I? Shall I?"
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Eschew
To keep clear of something because you perceive it as wrong or distasteful is to eschew it. Near synonyms include shun, boycott, avoid, and abstain. Example: "As a vegetarian Ian eschews meat and avoids wearing leather."
English speakers have used this word since the 14th century. It is adapted from the Middle English which was a variation on the Germanic schiuhen (to frighten off).
Eschew is akin to skew and shy which are also thought to have derived from the Old Teutonic root skeuhw (to terrify).
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Feint
A misleading attack is a feint. Often used to describe a mock blow or attack in sports such as boxing or fencing, a feint is meant to confuse. Example: "The boxer made a feint to the left and then followed up with a stiff jab to the right."
Feint also refers to an assumed or false appearance, or a pretense. Near synonyms of this sense are fake, ruse, distraction, or diversion.
Feint is a cousin to the word faint. While a possible connection might be that people were fainting away after being caught off guard by a feint, that is not the commonly accepted explanation. Faint, feint, and its verb form feign (to make believe) all derive from the Old French verb feindre which meant to pretend.
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Fiat
A fiat is a decree or order made by a person or group of people with authority. Often it is an arbitrary pronouncement given by a formal power that would have every expectation its will would be obeyed. Example: "Alison's tendency to rule by fiat frustrated the employees who were forced to adapt to her whims."
Fiat is first seen in English in the early 1600s. It is taken directly from the Latin fiat for "let it be done." Fiat is a conjugation of the Latin verb fieri (to be done).
Near synonyms include: decree, edict, order, and command.
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Galore [adj. guh-LOR]
In English, adjectives usually come before the nouns they modify, but galore, which means "in great abundance," is an exception: "at the fair, there were stilt-walkers and jugglers galore." This construction is called "postpositive" placement of an adjective. Another example of this is the placement of "martial" in the expression "court martial."
Galore is from Irish Gaelic "go leor," a compound of the adverb particle and leor (enough), so it could be translated as "enoughly." Leor is from Old Irish loar, which was an alteration of roar (enough), from ro-wero (very true).
That old root, wero, came from an even more ancient root that gave us the truthful words veracious, verism, verity, verify, very, and veracity. From the same root, but by a different path, came warlock (male witch, sorcerer, wizard, or demon), from Old English waerloga (oath breaker), from waer (pledge) and loga (liar).
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Galvanize [vb. GAL-vuh-nize]
In everyday use, the verb galvanize describes the act of stimulating or exciting someone as if by an electrical shock. Near synonyms include: spur, arouse, and incite. Example: "The news of Janie's wedding galvanized the women in the office to plan an engagement party."
Galvanize also quite literally means to stimulate with an electrical current. It can also refer to coating pieces of iron or steel with zinc to protect them from the environment.
First appearing in English in 1802, galvanize is likely a variation on the French (galvanisme) or Italian (galvanismo). Both were inspired by Luigi Galvani, a physiologist who investigated the effects of electrostatic stimuli applied to the muscle fiber of frogs.
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Gambit
A clever move or maneuver, especially one made in the early part of a game, is a gambit. Example: "Her opening gambit earned her a quick lead in the match."
If this noun's strategy had been to increase its usage, its ploy has paid off over the years. We now also use gambit to describe a remark made to open a conversation.
Taken from the Italian gambetto which described the act of tripping someone, gambit was used in English in the 17th century primarily to describe a chess play. The noun still describes a chess opening in which a player sacrifices a pawn or other minor pieces to gain an attacking position.
Other words from chess that we still use today include stalemate (at a standstill) and checkmate (thwart completely).
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Gargoyle [n. GAR-goil]
Gargoyles are the fantastic, often grotesque figures perched on corners and down spouts of old buildings, especially in Europe. Their purpose, when not merely decorative, is to funnel rainwater away from the building, usually through a spout that emerges from the figure's mouth.
It's no coincidence that the word, when spoken, sounds like the liquid sounds made by gargoyles when they are spouting. The ultimate roots, the ancient garg- and gurg-, were onomatopoetic words: they sounded like the throat sounds they named.
From those roots came the Latin gurgulio (gullet) and gurges (whirlpool), and then Old French gargouille (throat, waterspout), which led to gargoyle. From the same roots, we also have gurgle, gargle, gullet, gully, gulp, gurgitation, and regurgitate.
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Happenstance
When the hero and heroine of a romantic movie have a chance meeting in a coffee shop or coincidentally end up sitting beside each other on a plane, the happy ending that is now guaranteed has been prompted by happenstance. An accidental event, especially one producing a good result, is an example of happenstance.
In the late 19th century people apparently decided it took too much time to say that something happened because of a chance circumstance. The resulting amalgamation of happen and circumstance was happenstance. The noun happenchance, which has a similar meaning, was introduced in the late 19th century as well.
Other near synonyms include coincidence, fortuity, chance event, and fluke.
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Hiatus
A hiatus is a short interruption during which nothing happens. Near synonyms include intermission, abeyance, cessation, respite, and reprieve. Example: "Whenever there was a hiatus in the proceedings, Edgar would run out to check his answering machine for messages."
This noun can also be a space where something is missing. Near synonyms include gap or vacancy.
Hiatus is a variation on the Latin word hiare (to gape) which is also the original root of the word yawn (to open wide). This noun has been off hiatus since the 16th century when it was first found in use in the English language.
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Highfalutin
A highfalutin person is someone who is pretentious or haughty. Example: "Pa said he didn't want some highfalutin professor coming in and telling him he talks funny."
Something that is highfalutin is absurdly pompous. This is often used in the context of a speech or writing that uses bombastic language.
First recorded in English in 1839, highfalutin was pretty commonly used by the 1850s. The origins of this American slang word are unclear. It is believed to be a conjunction of the adjective high and the words fluting, flying, or flown.
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Hoi polloi
If you find yourself lumped in with the hoi polloi it's likely not a compliment. The expression is most often used as a term of contempt describing the common people, the rabble. Example: "The rich ate caviar and drank champagne but it was bread and water for us hoi polloi."
Taken from Greek, hoi polloi entered the English language in the early 19th century. Hoi polloi literally translates to "the many." Near synonyms include the masses, the mob, the general public, and the commoners.
In contemporary usage you will often see the phrase "the hoi polloi." Since hoi already means "the" this is redundant, effectively saying "the the many." At least if someone tries to put you down by saying you're part of the hoi polloi you can come back with a recommendation that they stop repeating themselves.
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Ignominious
Ignominious describes someone who is despicable or deserving of contempt. It is also used when something humiliating happens causing disgrace or dishonor. Example: "The men suffered an ignominious defeat at the hands of the boy's team."
This word has been causing English speakers to blush in shame since the 15th century. The French word ignominieux, which was translated into Middle English, was based on the Latin ignominia (from ig- not and nomen- name).
Near synonyms of ignominious include inglorious, shameful, disgraceful, degrading, and embarrassing.
The words ignominy (n., dishonor), ignominiousness (n., level of disrepute), and ignominiously (adv., behaving disgracefully) each share this adjective's humiliating heritage.
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Internecine
An internecine battle is a deadly one. It is characterized by bloodshed on all sides involved. Example: "The internecine warfare threatens the existence of communities on both sides of the border."
Internecine can also be used to to describe conflict, particularly within a group.
Internecine has its roots in the Latin internecinare (to destroy, kill), a conjunction of inter- (all the way to) and necare (to kill), from nex, nec- (death).
This adjective first appeared in the 1600s and meant "deadly". However, Samuel Johnson accidentally introduced a new meaning when he created his dictionary in 1755. He thought that the prefix "inter-" meant "between," as it does in "international" and many other words. (In fact, "inter-" was simply an intensifier, meaning "all the way to".) He thus defined internecine as "endeavoring in mutual destruction." It wasn't until the 1800s that Noah Webster reintroduced the original "deadly or destructive" meaning. By then, Johnson's definition was in common use. Now both remain.
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Juggernaut
A massive, destructive force can be called a juggernaut. It usually refers to an overwhelming force, group, or organization that crushes whatever is in its path.
The noun juggernaut is a variation on the Hindi word Jagannath which literally meant lord of the world (jaggat for world and natha for lord). This idol is worshipped at Puri in Orissa, India. At an annual festival the Jagannath idol is taken from the temple and pulled through the crowds on a huge cart with 16 wheels. It is said that fanatics sometimes have thrown themselves under the wheels of the idol's wagon to sacrifice themselves to the god.
This story caught the fancy of the English and in the mid-19th century, they started to refer to any large object with powerful crushing capabilities as a juggernaut. The word is sometimes capitalized.
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Junket
A pleasure trip taken at public expense is often called a junket. Since this noun describes a journey or excursion, usually taken by a public official under the guise of official business, it is not something anyone wants to be accused of doing. Example: "The Mayor bristled at the suggestion that his trip to Taiwan was a junket, describing it instead as an economic development initiative."
While contemporary usage of this word is almost exclusively in the context of an excursion or outing, junket has a tasty past. Since the 15th century junket has described sweet desserts or other delicate foods. In the 16th century it was broadened to mean a banquet and from there it expanded to its current meaning of pleasure trip.
The Middle English jonket (a kind of food served in a rush basket) was derived from Italian guincata (a cream cheese made in a wicker or rush basket). The ultimate root is the Latin juncus for a rush.
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Karaoke
Some critics might define karaoke as shrill off-key singing that is torture for listeners, but that is just an unfortunate element of this amusement.
Karaoke is a form of public entertainment in which the music from songs is played while people sing the words, reading the words from a monitor. Sometimes television screens show scenes intended to create a suitable atmosphere for the song.
Karaoke started out as an amusement for business people in Japan in 1981. The word is taken from the Japanese kara (from karrapo for empty) and oke (from Okesutora which means orchestra).
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Kettle of fish
Picture a teakettle with fish stuffed in it. That would be a mess wouldn't it? If you're ever trying to remember the meaning of the noun kettle of fish, just visualize this.
Since the 18th century, the noun kettle of fish has described a bad state of affairs or an awkward or difficult situation. Near synonyms include mess, jumble, muddle, and snarl.
The origins of kettle of fish aren't far off from the mental picture from the first paragraph. The Scottish used to hold picnics during salmon season during which they would boil freshly caught fish in huge kettles or cauldrons. They would then eat this culinary treat with their fingers, despite the messiness.
The kettles the fish were boiling in were large metal pots with lids, rather than the teakettles we envision today. Kettle comes from the Middle English ketel which traces back to the Latin catillus for large bowl.
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Madeleine
The small, rich, shell-shaped cake that is called a madeleine has a tasty tale to tell. This French pastry that involves whipping flour, eggs, sugar, and lots of butter to incorporate air first came to broad fame in the 19th century. The origins of the name are uncertain, but it is often traced back to the French pastry cook Madeleine Paumier.
This is already a sweet history for the word, but madeleine was truly immortalized by French author Marcel Proust in his novel Swann's Way. In this 1913 work the taste of the cake was said to prompt a surge of nostalgia or memory. This inspired the second sense of the word madeleine as a noun for something that evokes a memory.
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Make hay
To turn an opportunity to your advantage is to make hay. It particularly refers to using the offered circumstances to gain an early benefit. Example: "The candidate knew her opponents would make hay of the scandal."
The origins of this expression are unclear although both words individually were in English use before the 12th century. Make entered Middle English via the Old English word macian (to prepare) which has its roots in the Greek magenai (to be kneaded). Hay is from the Middle English hey which is from the Old English hieg, akin to the Old High Germanic hewi.
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McCoy
The McCoy, or more often "the real McCoy," is the genuine article. It is the best or original example of something. Example: "Marketers always hope the customer will pick the real McCoy and not a no-name imitation of the brand."
This informal expression is traced back to the 19th century but there is much debate over which of three popular stories of its origin is the real McCoy.
One suggests that since the position as head of the MacKay clan in Scotland was often in dispute, clansmen would refer to the true chief as the Real MacKay. Another story has American boxer Kid McCoy calling himself "the real McCoy" to distinguish himself from imitators. A third option centers on Elijah McCoy, a Canadian-born African American inventor who designed an oil dispenser that inspired cheap knock-offs.
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Mesa
A mesa is a high, flat-topped natural elevation with steep edges. Found primarily in the American Southwest and Mexico, mesas are thought to have formed when a relatively hard top rock layer protected the layers beneath it from the erosion that wore away surrounding rock.
In use in English since the 18th century, mesa is actually a Spanish word taken from the Latin mensa for table. Mesas are often contrasted with buttes. A butte [n. byoot] is an isolated hill that also has a flat top and steep sides. The difference is that the butte is taller than it is wide.
In the early 19th century, the word butte was taken from French. It comes from the Middle French bute.
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Muckraker
Muckraker is a name that was applied to U.S. journalists who tried to expose abuses of power or instances of corruption in the early 20th century. Near synonyms include mudslinger and disparager.
The very first muckraker was a farmer with the unpleasant duty of raking dung. In 1684, a character in John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress was so intent on his muckraking that he did not look up to see a celestial crown held above him.
Theodore Roosevelt in 1906 made reference to this character when describing journalists of the day and their quest to dig up dirt on people. Roosevelt didn't mean to use muckraker kindly but the crusading reporters adopted it as a badge of their social concern and courageous exposition.
Muckraking as a movement lost support by 1912 but even today reporters who search out and publicly exposes the real or apparent misconduct of a prominent individual or business may refer to themselves as muckrakers.
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Oscillate [v. OS-uh-layt]
Something that oscillates swings back and forth or up and down, or vibrates with a steady, repeating cycle. "The great, black oil pump, with its oscillating head, reminded me of a huge grasshopper." The word can also be used more figuratively: to fluctuate, vacillate, or be indecisive.
The word goes back to the Latin os (mouth; face), which was also the source for English oral. The diminutive form, oscillum, was applied to small masks of the god Bacchus, which were hung in vineyards as charms. There they would swing back and forth in the breeze. Over time, the word came to refer to the to-and-fro motion of such masks, and the verb oscillare (to ride in a swing) was formed.
There are tiny electronic circuits called oscillators, creating signals that vibrate millions of times per second, inside the computer you are using to read this.
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Overweening
An overweening person displays arrogance and self-conceit. These vain, presumptuous, and self-promoting people think too highly of themselves. Example: "Pat's overweening nature frustrated his friends and family."
In use in English since the 14th century, overweening developed from the Middle English verb overwenen (to be arrogant).
Overweening is too audacious an adjective to have only one meaning. It is also used to describe something that is excessively intense. Near synonyms include immoderate and exaggerated.
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Pandemonium [n. pan-duh-MOE-nee-yum]
If everything is chaotic, noisy, and in a state of wild uproar, then you are experiencing pandemonium. "When the balcony collapsed, the whole theater erupted into pandemonium."
The word is from the Greek pan (all) and daimonion, from daimon (demon; lesser god). It literally means "demons everywhere." It was coined by John Milton in his epic poem, "Paradise Lost," where Pandaemonium was the name of the capital of Hell.
Demon was originally from the Greek word daimon (divinity), which goes back to an old root meaning divider or provider. To the Greeks, the Gods divided land from water and air, and provided all material substance.
That ancient root also led to other words:
deme: a stable population of interbreeding organisms of one species
demos: the common people; the populace
demotic: relating to the common people; ancient Egyptian writing
demagogue: a leader who gathers support through emotional appeals
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Pendulum
If an object is attached at the top to a solid support and swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity, then it's a pendulum. A pendulum swings with a characteristic frequency that depends on its length. Something that hangs like a pendulum can be described as pendulous [adj. PEN-juh-lus].
Both of these words come from the Latin pendere (to hang; to weigh), a Latin root that has contributed to a wide variety of English words, including these "hanging" words:
depend: to hang down; to be contingent on; to rely or place trust in
suspend: to hang allowing free movement; to temporarily halt
pendant: something suspended from something else
penchant: strong inclination to do something; predilection
pension: retirement wage; regular patronage payment
compendium: list or collection, from Latin com + pendere (weigh together)
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Philistine
A philistine is a person who is disdainful of intellectual or artistic pursuits.
A philistine can also be someone who is ignorant or uncultured. Near synonyms include: boor, churl, barbarian, and yahoo. xample: "After reading the negative review, the director raged that the paper had sent a philistine to see her play."
Philistine is often capitalized when used as an adjective. Near synonyms of this form include: ill-bred, vulgar, rough, rude, and boorish.
This word is always capitalized when referring to the natives or inhabitants of the ancient Philistia (a coastal region of southern Palestine).
Philistine came into English use in the 17th century as a way of describing groups considered the enemy. Later that same century in Germany, university students used philister to denote people who were not students and who were considered, as a result, uncultured.
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Pithy
Pithy, when used accurately, describes speech or writing that is short, direct, and memorable. Examples of pithy slogans are "Save the whales" and "Don't worry, be happy."
Pithy is something that consists or abounds in pith. While pith refers to the white substance under the peel of a citrus fruit, it also means force or energy.
Both pith and pithy are derived from the Old English pitha which is a variant on the German pith (pit). Pithy is traced back to the 1500s but pith was around before the 12th century.
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Polka dot [n. POKE-uh DOT]
Polka dots are round spots on fabric or painted surfaces, forming various patterns. Sometimes they are all the same size, sometimes they are different sizes. Usually they are quite colorful.
The phrase was first used in the nineteenth century, when a dance called the polka became popular in America. In those days, fads lasted a lot longer than they do today, so there was enough time for fashions to adopt the names of popular dances. There were polka hats, polka gauze, and polka dots, but only polka dots survived until today.
As for the dance, the polka is a lively couples dance that originated in Bohemia. The word is from the Czech polka (Polish woman), which is ultimately from Slavic polje (broad flat land, field). That word came from an ancient root that gave us a bunch of flat, broad words, including veldt, floor, plane, planet, and polynya (open area of water surrounded by sea ice).
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Ponzi scheme [n. PON-zee SKEEM]
"Fifty percent profit in forty-five days!" That was the claim of Charles Ponzi, an alleged financial wizard who, in the summer of 1920, ran an "investment company" in Boston, claiming to reap great profits by trading postal reply coupons.
As you may have already guessed, his investment scheme was a fraud. Ponzi was using investors' money to pay off earlier investors, and keeping some for himself. Before it was all over he had collected $9,500,000 from 10,000 investors.
Today, a Ponzi scheme is any investment swindle in which high profits are promised from imaginary sources, and early investors are paid off from money received from later investors. Before Ponzi, such a scheme was called a bubble.
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Primordial
Something existing in or persisting from the beginning of the universe is primordial. When you are describing a first thing to be created or developed you could also use the adjective primordial.
Primordial can also be used to describe something that is basic, fundamental, or primary. Example: "Kris was overcome with primordial feelings of fear when she realized she was lost and alone in the forest."
This adjective's primeval roots are in the Latin primordium (origin) which is a conjunction of primus (first) and ordiri (to begin).
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Promulgate
To make something known by announcing it in public is to promulgate. Near synonyms include: proclaim, exclaim, and declare. Example: "The town doctor would promulgate warnings about smoking whenever she had the opportunity."
To promulgate can also be to institute a law, to put it into action or force.
Spreading beliefs or ideas among a lot of people, explaining your ideas by advocating, preaching, expounding, or presenting them in public is also promulgating.
Promulgate is derived from the Latin promulgatus, the past participle of promulgare, a conjunction of pro- (forward) and mulgare (probably akin to mulgare which meant to milk, extract). This word has been in English use since the early 1500s.
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Queue
The most common usage of queue refers to a waiting line of persons or vehicles. Example: "Paul looked at the long queue and decided to go and rent a movie instead." The verb form refers to getting in line, to queue up for something.
Another contemporary sense of queue refers to a sequence of messages held in storage awaiting transmission on a computer.
The original meaning of the word queue, however, was a braid of hair worn hanging at the back of the head. The French word for tail, queue appeared in English in the 18th century. The original root was the Latin cauda.
Cauda was also the source of the Italian word coda which was adapted into English as a musical term. The tail end of a movement or composition is a coda.
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Raconteur
Someone who tells amusing or interesting stories is known as a raconteur. Near synonyms include storyteller and anecdotist. This noun is a compliment to the person it describes since a raconteur is known for relating stories well. Example: "Michael is always welcome at parties because he is such a witty raconteur."
Raconteur was taken from the French verb raconter (to relate) in the 1800s. It is a variation on the Old French re- and -aconter (to tell) or -acompter (to count up, to reckon). Acompter is the same French word that gave us the English word account (a record of finances) in the 14th century.
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Schism
A disagreement about ideas that causes a rift, especially among people of the same religious faith, is called a schism. Near synonyms include split, discord, and disharmony. Example: "The schism in the company could ruin its chances of winning the new client."
This divisive noun comes from the Middle English scisme, which in turn, is derived from the Middle French cism. These can be traced back to the Greek skhisma which derives from the work skhizein (to split).
Schism was first used in the 14th century to describe a breach of unity in the Roman church on account of rival claimants to the papal throne.
The noun schismatic describes someone who creates or participates in a schism. The verb to schismatize is to take part in the schism.
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Shanghai
To shanghai someone is to take them somewhere against their will. If you are deceived or forced to go somewhere, you could say that you have been shanghaied. Example: "Susan was shanghaied into attending the baby shower for her second cousin Bertha."
Use of the word to describe a kidnapping, abduction, or snatching can be traced back to the 1870s when the practice of coercing men into joining marine expeditions to the Orient was particularly prevalent. People would be drugged or intoxicated and later find themselves aboard a ship en route to the Chinese port of Shanghai or another far-flung Asian locale.
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Silly [adj. SIL-ee]
If you are silly, then you might show a lack of wisdom or good sense. A silly person can also be someone who is frivolous, irresponsibly lighthearted, or lacking seriousness. You can also be "knocked silly" (rendered semiconscious or dazed by a blow).
This word's meaning has been through a number of interesting changes. In Anglo-Saxon England, to be seely was to be blessed, to possess a kind of innocent saintliness. Seely people were looked on with a certain awe. The word's evolution took it through "pious," "innocent," "harmless," pitiable," and "feeble," leading up to today's multiple meanings.
The original root was prehistoric West Germanic saeliga (luck; happiness). That led to the current German selig (blissful; blessed) and our modern English word.
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Succor
Something or someone that eases a person's suffering is called succor. It can refer to relief, aid, assistance, help, ministrations or other kinds of comfort. Example: "Trapped in a landslide Pete hoped succor would soon be offered."
This helpful word has been used in English since at least the 13th century. English speakers adapted succor from an Old French version of the Latin succurrerre which was a compound verb for "run under." The Latin evolved to mean run for help and this is the meaning that has led to the succor that survives today.
Succor is also a transitive verb meaning the act of giving someone assistance in a time of distress.
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Tableau [n. ta-BLOW or TA-blow]
A tableau is a striking or artistic grouping of people or things in a picture or a dramatic scene.
A presentation of a scene by a group of people who pose appropriately and remain silent and motionless is also called a tableau. In this case it is an abbreviation of the French tableau vivant (living picture).
Tableau traces back to the Latin tabula (a board or plank, hence a slab for writing on) but it entered English via the French. It has been in use in English since the late 17th century.
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Tchotchke
Remember pleading with a parent for a quarter so you could get a prize out of the machine in the grocery store entrance? That trinket you were desperate to have could be called a tchotchke.
A tchotchke is a cheap, sometimes showy, trinket. It's a small item of no particular value. Near synonyms include knickknack, trifle, bauble, and gewgaw. Example: "The company was trying to earn customer loyalty by passing out tchotchkes with the logo emblazoned on them."
Tchotchke, which can also be spelled tchatchke or tsatske, is a variation on tshatshke, the Yiddish word for a trinket.
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Transmogrify
When something changes into a different shape, often with bizarre or grotesque results, it has been transmogrified. People can also transmogrify by greatly altering themselves for wild or humorous effect. Example: "Jon transmogrified into a wacky ghoul every year at the costume party."
Near synonyms include transform, metamorphose, transfigure, convert, and mutate. What words transmogrified into this verb are unknown but while the origin is unclear this word is traced back to 1656. More recent usage includes the cartoon character Calvin who would enter his cardboard box transmogrifier for entertainment in comic strips by Bill Watterson.
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Trivia [n. TRIV-ee-uh]
Trivia is a plural noun that can be used in singular or plural constructions. It refers to facts and details which are insignificant and unworthy of much notice: "Don't bother me with the trivia of your daily affairs."
The word derives ultimately from Latin trivium (the crossing place of three roads), from tri- (three of something) and via (road). From here, there are two main theories about the word's exact evolution.
One theory is that the word evolved directly from the sense of three roads meeting. The idea is that a crossroads is a dirty, public place. Something trivial is thus something public and banal, of no interest, appropriate to the street corner.
Another theory involves the traditional medieval division of liberal arts education into seven subjects. Of these, there were the difficult, interesting upper four (the quadrivium) and the more commonplace lower three (grammar, rhetoric and logic: the trivium, from which the modern word is said to have arisen).
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Universe
The universe is the whole body of things in the cosmos, including all the stars and planets. It is also used to mean the world of human experience here on earth.
Universe comes from the Latin universum which comprises unus (one) and versum (to turn). It means to turn into one, combine into a whole, and was introduced in English in the 16th century.
You will sometimes hear the universe that we know referred to as the Milky Way. That's because our own solar system is contained in the Milky Way Galaxy. This particular galaxy, one of many in the universe, gets its name from a circle of stars so crowded together that they appear like a band of white in the night sky. Not to be confused with the British way of describing a North American chocolate Mars bar, this Milky Way is 100,000 light years in diameter and 100,000 light years thick.
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Vaudeville [n. VOD-vil]
The stage entertainment called vaudeville may include a variety of short acts such as song-and-dance routines, comedy, juggling, animal acts, acrobatics, and tap dancing.
The word looks like it might be the name of a place, like Centerville or Amityville. There is a place name involved, but it's not a -ville.
In 15th century France, there was a minstrel named Oliver Basselin, who composed some popular, lively, light-hearted tunes. He named them "chansons du Vau de Vire" (songs from the valley of Vire), after the valley in Calvados, Normandy, where he was born. That was shortened to vaudevire, and eventually it migrated into English.
Originally the word applied primarily to popular songs. It began to be applied to variety shows in the early 19th century. Some say vaudeville is dead today, but a look at popular TV shows might convince you otherwise.
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Vernissage [n. ver-ni-SAZH]
On the day before an art gallery opens a new show, there may be a special private showing, or vernissage, for the artist and a few friends. The word comes from the days when artists wanted a chance to make final touchups to their work before showing it to the public.
In particular they wanted a chance to freshen the varnish on their paintings. Artists would come by the gallery on the day before the show was to open, and they would invite their friends along to keep them company.
Vernissage literally means "varnishing." It's from the French vernis (varnish). That's from Medieval Latin veronix (sandarac resin), which came from Late Greek verenike, an alteration of Berenike (Berenice), an ancient city in Cyrenaica, Libya, where varnishing was first practiced.
Today, pre-show varnishing is not needed, but the tradition of the private opening lives on.
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Zeitgeist
The meaning of this word never changes, but what it describes is subject to society's whims. Zeitgeist is the popular outlook - intellectually, morally, and culturally - in a particular period or generation.
Scholars maintain that each era has a unique spirit distinguishing it from other periods. The pervasive cultural climate is described as the Zeitgeist. It is most often reflected in the music, movies, literature, and philosophy of the time. Example: "The film's workaholic Wall Street broker went over well with audiences because he tapped into the Zeitgeist of the 1980s."
First introduced in the English language in the late 19th century, Zeitgeist is a loaner from German. Literally translated Zeitgeist means "spirit of the times" since zeit is time and geist is spirit. It is often capitalized.
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