by Dwane | Dec 6, 2022 | Education, English, Vocabulary
Ballyhoo: to advertise noisily; to publicize using extreme, loud methods The marketers ballyhooed the movie, but it flopped on opening day. Ballyhoo shows up in English in the early 1900s. It was originally a circus word. A ballyhoo was a sideshow used to lure...
by Dwane | Dec 5, 2022 | Education, English, Vocabulary
A student recently posted this question in the forums: In Chapter four of Lingua Latina, a new word is “baculum”, meaning “stick”. In the world of logic, there is a fallacy, called Ad Baculum. I am assuming that these are related. Does it mean, “to the stick”? Here is...
by Dwane | Dec 3, 2022 | Education, English, Vocabulary
Kibitzer: someone who offers unwanted advice; someone who offers unsolicited opinions Kibitzer is a Yiddish word. Originally, a kibitzer described someone looking over your shoulder during a card game, offering unwelcome advice. These days, a kibitzer is an...
by Dwane | Dec 1, 2022 | Education, English, Vocabulary
If you are throwing things out of your window today, consider first shouting “Gardyloo!” Gardyloo is a warning shout. Back in the old days, when pots were emptied into the streets, the one pouring whatever they were pouring into the streets would warn...
by Dwane | Nov 16, 2022 | English, Vocabulary
Frenetic: Frenzied, frantic, feverishly excited; excessively agitated After missing his deadline, the author wrote at a frenetic pace in order to have something to show his publisher. Greek phrenetic, “frenzy, disease of the mind, inflammation of the brain.”...
by Dwane | Nov 12, 2022 | English, Vocabulary
Equable: Even and steady; serene; does not vary; not easily irritated Example: His equable manner made all those around him instantly comfortable. I like this from Vocabulary.com: An equable person isn’t moody. You wouldn’t expect him or her to fly into a...
