We love inviting all of our kith [ˈkɪθ] and kin to family cookouts on holidays.kith
noun [ˈkɪθ]
Kith is an old-fashioned term that refers to familiar friends, neighbors, or relatives. It is often used in the phrase “kith and kin,” which means “friends and relatives.”
the word endures with a meaning very close to that “neighbors and acquaintances” one. Today kith appears almost exclusively in the phrase kith and kin, meaning “friends and relatives.” English Mar 20, 2023, 8:15 AM cowpoke
The absence of hemlock pollen from one stretch of the fossil record is a notable lacuna [ləˈkunə] that suggests the tree may have once suffered from some type of blight that nearly wiped out the species.lacuna
noun [[ləˈkunə]]
Lacuna is a formal word that refers to a gap or blank space in something—in other words, a missing part. When used with respect to biology, lacuna also refers to a small cavity, pit, or discontinuity in an anatomical structure.
Lacuna, lake and lagoon all come ultimately from lacus, the Latin word for “lake.” Latin speakers modified lacus into lacuna to form a word meaning “pit,” “gap,” or “pool.” English Mar 18, 2023, 9:57 AM cowpoke
The crowd proudly shouted “Erin go bragh” in celebration of their Irish heritage.Erin go bragh
phrase
Erin go bragh is an Irish phrase that means “Ireland forever.”
The original Irish phrase was Erin go brách (or go bráth), which translates literally as “Ireland till doomsday.” It’s an expression of loyalty and devotion that first appeared in English during the late 18th-century Irish rebellion against the British. English Mar 17, 2023, 11:04 AM cowpoke
The columnist’s heterodox [ˈhɛtɚɹəˌdɑks] opinions on everything from dietary trends to the tax code made her a frequent lightning rod for criticism by the newspaper’s more old-fashioned readership.heterodox
adj [ˈhɛtɚɹəˌdɑks]
A synonym of both unorthodox and unconventional, heterodox describes something, such an idea or belief, that is contrary to or different from an acknowledged standard, a traditional form, or an established religion. Heterodox can also describe a person or group that holds unorthodox opinions or doctrines.
Both orthodox and heterodox developed from the same Greek doxa, meaning “opinion.” Heterodox combines doxa with heter-, a combining form meaning “other” English Mar 16, 2023, 8:30 AM cowpoke
Only once the novel's protagonist reaches her nadir [ˈneɪˌdɪr] does she arouse the reader's empathy, and we root for her to climb back to respectability.nadir
noun [ˈneɪˌdɪr]
Nadir refers to the lowest or worst point of something. When used in astronomy, nadir describes the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer.
From Arabic. The source of nadir is naḍhīr, meaning "opposite"—the opposite, that is, of the zenith, the highest point of the celestial sphere which is positioned vertically above the observer. (The word zenith itself is a modification of another Arab... English Mar 15, 2023, 7:37 AM cowpoke
Under normal circumstances, most of us can’t drop what we’re doing with zero notice, buy a last-minute airplane ticket, and just show up to gallivant [ˈɡæləˌvænt] across the country with someone we’re attracted to, without telling anyone where we are.gallivant
verb [ˈɡæləˌvænt]
Gallivant means “to go or travel to many different places for pleasure.”
borrowed from the French word galant, to verb gallant to describe the process a suitor used to win a lady’s heart, and “gallanting” became synonymous with “courting.” It’s this verb gallant that is the likely source of gallivant, which originally meant “to act as a gallant”. Today, however, gallivant is more likely to describe pleasurable wandering than romancing. English Mar 14, 2023, 7:44 AM cowpoke
Some consider (however ironically) french fries to be the apotheosis [əˌpɑθiˈoʊsəs] of U.S. cuisine.apotheosis
noun [əˌpɑθiˈoʊsəs]
What It Means
Apotheosis means "the perfect form or example of something" or "the highest or best part of something." It can also mean "elevation to divine status; deification."
Among the ancient Greeks, it was sometimes thought fitting to grant someone "god" status. Hence the word apothéōsis, from the verb apotheóō or apotheoûn, meaning "to deify." (All are rooted in Greek theós, meaning "god,") English Mar 13, 2023, 7:48 AM cowpoke
As an unrestricted free agent, [Azurá] Stevens can negotiate with any team when free agency begins in mid-January. She isn’t ready to divulge [dəˈvʌldʒ] what her expectations are for her future in the [WNBA] league, but she did say she will be testing the waters.divulge
verb [dəˈvʌldʒ]
To divulge something, especially secret or private information, is to make it known.
Latin vulgare, “to make known,” which traces ultimately back to the Latin noun vulgus, meaning “common people” or “mob.” While nowadays divulge can presumably involve blabbing to the rabble, the word usually implies a more careful and considered approach to sharing sensitive information. English Mar 12, 2023, 9:23 AM cowpoke
In the Oscar-nominated film ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once,’ a Chinese-American couple (played by Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan) with a failing laundromat face a tax audit, meeting a scrupulous [ˈskɹupjələs] agent (played by Jamie Lee Curtis) at an IRS office to review stacks of business receipts.scrupulous
adj [ˈskɹupjələs]
Scrupulous means “very careful about doing something correctly.” It can also mean “careful about doing what is honest and morally right.”
Scrupulous and its close relative scruple (“a feeling that prevents you from doing something that you think is wrong”) both come from the Latin noun scrupulus, “a small sharp stone,” the diminutive of scrupus, “a sharp stone.”
Scrupus has a metaphorical meaning too: “a source of anxiety or uneasiness.” English Mar 11, 2023, 9:32 AM cowpoke
Francesca, one of her former students, works tirelessly as Lydia’s factotum [fækˈtoʊtəm], amanuensis, and personal assistant, in the expectation of becoming her assistant conductor in Berlin.factotum
noun [fækˈtoʊtəm]
A factotum is a person who has many diverse activities or responsibilities, and especially one whose work involves a wide variety of tasks.
"Do everything!" That's a tall order, but it is exactly what a factotum is expected to do. It's also a literal translation of the Latin phrase fac tōtum: the phrase is usually glossed as "do all!" with the punctuation expressing the force behind the command. English Mar 10, 2023, 8:52 AM cowpoke
Scam artists often have an uncanny ability to ingratiate [ɪnˈɡɹeɪʃiˌeɪt] themselves with their victims using subtle flattery that only seems obvious in retrospect.ingratiate
verb [ɪnˈɡɹeɪʃiˌeɪt]
Ingratiate means “to gain favor or acceptance by deliberate effort.” It is usually used with with, and is often (though not always) used disapprovingly.
When you ingratiate yourself, you put yourself in someone’s good graces in order to gain their approval or favor. While the word ingratiate does not necessarily imply that your behavior is obsequious or otherwise improper, the word may be used disapprovingly by those who distrust your motives. Latin orgin. English Mar 9, 2023, 10:19 AM cowpoke
Though five years apart in age, the two siblings are often in cahoots [kəˈhuts] when it comes to making mischief.cahoots
plural [kəˈhuts]
Cahoots is an informal word that is usually used in the phrase “in cahoots” to describe a partnership or alliance for making or implementing secret plans.
Cahoots is used almost exclusively in the phrase “in cahoots,” which means “in an alliance or partnership.” In most contexts, cahoots describes the conspiring activity of people up to no good.
The word’s origins are obscure, but it may come from the French word cahute, meaning “cabin” or “hut,” English Mar 8, 2023, 7:55 AM cowpoke
Empowering Black and Indigenous-owned businesses, creating pathways for Black and Indigenous homeownership, and funding scholarships for Black and Indigenous scholars are all laudable [ˈlɔdəbəl] aims.laudable
adj [ˈlɔdəbəl]
Laudable means "worthy of praise," and is a synonym of commendable.
ultimately from Latin laud- or laus, meaning "praise," English Mar 7, 2023, 9:48 AM cowpoke
The language of the play moves between the vernacular and the elevated, informed by the repartee [ˌɹɛpɚˈti] of TV sitcoms as well as by the poetry of William Blake.repartee
noun [ˌɹɛpɚˈti]
Repartee can refer to either “a conversation in which clever statements and replies are made quickly” or a single “quick and witty reply.” It can also refer to one’s cleverness and wit in conversation, as in “an aunt widely known for her repartee at family gatherings.”
Comes from the French repartie, of the same meaning. Repartie itself is formed from the French verb repartir, meaning “to retort.” English Mar 5, 2023, 9:09 AM cowpoke
Being physically proximate [ˈpɹɑksəmət] to such an iconic work of art was surprisingly moving.proximate
adj [ˈpɹɑksəmət]
Proximate is a formal word that is usually used to describe something that comes or happens immediately before or after something in a way that shows a very close and direct relationship. It can also mean "very near" or "happening soon."
ultimately from the Latin adjective prope, meaning "near," a source too of approach, reproach, and propinquity. Other close relations of proximate are easier to spot: they include proximity, approx... English Mar 4, 2023, 9:08 AM cowpoke
With a tunnel of light haloing her from the outside, Brittney Parks is dressed like a ‘90s vixen in baggy jeans and an understated crop top, hair down past her waist, with perfect accessories that accentuate [ækˈsɛntʃəˌweɪt] her shine.accentuate
verb [ækˈsɛntʃəˌweɪt]
Accentuate means “to make something more noticeable.”
When you accentuate something you put an “accent,” or emphasis, on it.
from Latin accentus, meaning “accent” (which itself comes in part from cantus, meaning “song”), and since the early 18th century English Mar 3, 2023, 8:56 AM cowpoke
There was a bit of a contretemps [ˈkɑntɹəˌtɑn] over the seating arrangements during wedding planning.contretemps
noun [ˈkɑntɹəˌtɑn]
The word contretemps refers to an inconvenient or embarrassing occurrence or situation. It can also refer to a dispute or argument.
keeping with the word’s French roots, contre- (meaning "counter") and temps (meaning "time"). (The word’s English pronunciation is also in keeping with those roots: \KAHN-truh-tahn\.) By the late 1700s, contretemps had proved itself useful outside of either activity by referring to any embarrassing or inconve... English Mar 2, 2023, 7:52 AM cowpoke
[Argentinian soccer player Lionel] Messi is larger than life in Rosario, where a 226-foot fresco [ˈfɹɛskoʊ], the largest of many murals of the city’s favorite son, was painted on the side of a downtown apartment building.fresco
noun [ˈfɹɛskoʊ]
Fresco refers to the art of painting on freshly spread moist lime plaster using water-based pigments. It is also the word for a painting executed in this style.
If the word fresco brings to mind images of eating an alfresco meal—that is, a meal eaten outside “in the fresh air”—your gut is on the right track: fresco is Italian for “fresh,” and the culinary usage is relatively common in English. | But what puts the “fresh” in the English fresco is not so appetizing. English Mar 1, 2023, 8:18 AM cowpoke
With a government as stultified [ˈstʌltəˌfaɪ] by bureaucracy as that one, even the simplest records request can take weeks.stultify
verb [ˈstʌltəˌfaɪ]
Stultify means “to cause someone or something to become dull or ineffective.”
A word since mid-1700, it was a serious legal term English Feb 28, 2023, 7:49 AM cowpoke
The old king whose rolling head got everything going wasn’t much of a monarch, just the type of ersatz [ˈɛrˌsɑts] ruler who crops up between the decline of one great kingdom and the rise of another.ersatz
adj [ˈɛrˌsɑts]
Ersatz describes a usually artificial and inferior substitute or imitation.
Evidence of ersatz in English dates to the middle of the 19th century, but the word didn’t come into prominence until World War I. Borrowed from German, where Ersatz is a noun meaning "substitute," the word was frequently applied as an adjective to modify terms like coffee (made from acorns) and flour (made from potatoes)—ersatz products necessitated by the privations of war. English Feb 27, 2023, 8:19 AM cowpoke
