Word of the Day

Cheeseparing is an adjective that means careful or stingy with money.  During the 16th century, it was common for people to cut away the rind, or outer layer of cheese. This act of stinginess came to be called ‘cheeseparing.’ Today the term is used to describe any stingy act, cheese-related or not. Here’s an example: The cheeseparing that takes place at that restaurant is truly outrageous. Not only are they too cheap to give you napkins with your order,  but they also charge you extra for ice. 

Inconnu is a noun that refers to an unknown person or thing.  Coming directly from the French word for ‘unknown,’ our word of the day has been around since the early 19th century. Here’s an example of it in use: When traveling to inconnu locations, it’s best to use as much technology as possible. It’s easy to get lost when going to places unknown to you. 

Quandary is a noun that refers to a situation featuring a difficult choice.  It’s not clear where exactly our word of the day came from, but it may have emerged from the Latin word quando (KWAN doe) which means ‘when.’ Quandary is a synonym for dilemma, but our word of the day is more likely to be used in formal settings. Here’s an example: The judge ruled that the defendant was not at fault when faced with a quandary. The choice may have been a tough one, but he did the right thing. 

Chthonic is an adjective that means concerning, belonging to or inhabiting the underworld.  Our word of the day comes from a term in Greek mythology to describe the underworld. By the late 19th century, chthonic had risen from the depths of Greek mythology to inhabit English. Here’s an example: My son loves reading about Greek myths, especially the really creepy ones about chthonic activity from down below. 

Chintzy is an adjective that means cheap or gaudy.  In the 17th century, an Indian fabric called Chintz became popular in Europe. It was inexpensive, but ornate. In time this fabric gained a reputation as gaudy and unfashionable. The word remains with us today, maintaining the same meaning. Here’s an example: The chintzy decorations at Mike’s house could get a little embarrassing at times. He may have had good taste, but he was too cheap to show it. 

Locus is a noun that refers to a particular position, point or place. Our word of the day comes directly from the Latin word that means ‘place’ or ‘location.’ By the early 18th century, locus had entered English with its current meaning. Here’s an example: The locus of power in our city government had always been the city council. If you want to get anything done here, that’s the place you simply have to be. 

Tumid is an adjective that means enlarged or swollen.  The Latin word tumere (to MARE ay) means ‘to swell.’ By the mid-16th century, its English counterpart, tumid, had emerged. Our word of the day can refer to many different kinds of states of enlargement. Here’s an example of tumid used in a more figurative sense: The critics found my novel poorly written and objected to my tumid use of language. Personally, I’m flummoxed and flabbergasted that someone can find my verbiage inundated with a bombastic surfeit of prolixity.

Choler is a noun that refers to anger or irascibility.  The Greek word Kholera (ko LEH rah) refers to a disease of a gastrointestinal disease. As the word entered Latin and later English, it took on a more benign form and came to refer to a person’s anger. Here’s an example: Fred’s choler can be difficult to deal with. You have to make sure you don’t say anything to set off his short fuse. 

Repast is a noun that refers to a meal.  The Latin word pascere (PA share ay) means ‘to feed.’ This is the origin of our word of the day which has been with us since the late Middle English period. Here’s an example: A slice of cheese may not have made much of a repast, but I suppose it’s better than going around hungry.

Inutile is an adjective that means useless or pointless.  The Latin word utilis (oo TEE lis) means ‘useful.’ We see the offspring of it in words like ‘utilize’ and ‘utility.’ Our word of the day adds the prefix I-N to it and we get a word that means ‘not useful.’ Here’s an example: After six weeks of working as a coder, I began to feel pretty useless. I might have been more helpful if I actually knew how to write code.