New Game: What's the Word?

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What's the Word: BOSWELL

pronunciation: [BAHZ-well]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: English, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A person who accompanies another and records their life.

 

Example:

"The CEO wanted to hire a Boswell to become her assistant in writing a memoir."

"I’m a social-media Boswell; I follow my favorite rock band and record everything on Instagram."

 

About Boswell

The eponym refers directly to biographer James Boswell, best known for his 1791 book “The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D,” considered by many to be the template for the modern biography.

 

Did You Know?

James Boswell, after whom “Boswell” is coined, was a Scot who moved to London in the 1760s. Boswell was a close friend of Samuel Johnson, author of the first Dictionary of English. In preparing his biography, Boswell was a constant companion to Johnson for many years, diligently writing down Johnson’s wisdom and witticisms in private and public conversations. Johnson described Boswell by saying “One would think the man had been hired to spy on me.”

 

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What's the Word: TRADE-LAST

pronunciation: [TRAYD-last]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: American English, 19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A compliment from a third person that is relayed to the person complimented in exchange for a similarly relayed compliment.

 

Example:

"Tom told me Sarah loved my haircut, so, as a trade-last, I told him Carnie said he was handsome."

"I don’t need a trade-last, I’m just telling you Jan said you were brilliant."

 

About Trade-Last

The expression “trade-last” emerged in the late 19th century as a shortening of the phrase “will you trade your last compliment?” which was later shortened to “will you trade your last?”

 

Did You Know?

“Trade-last” is an old but charming expression that describes giving compliments in a somewhat convoluted fashion. For example, John tells Ringo that Paul thinks Ringo is a great drummer. In exchange, Ringo reveals to John that George is a fan of his latest lyrics. It’s similar to “paying it forward,” but rather than leaving something of value for the next person to enjoy, a speaker requesting a “trade-last” is doing so in hopes the person they’re talking to has another compliment to trade.

 

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What's the Word: PAROL

pronunciation: [pə-ROL]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Old French, 15th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Given or expressed orally.

2. (of a document) Agreed orally, or in writing but not under seal.

 

Example:

"The witness gave her evidence parol, and a stenographer took notes."

"We had used Charlie the roofer before, so we hired him parol, or without a written agreement."

 

About Parol

“Parol” is borrowed from the Old French “parole,” meaning spoken words. (In modern French, the plural “paroles” refers to song lyrics.) Both are based on the Latin “parabola,” which is the basis for the English term “parable,” an allegorical tale.

 

Did You Know?

In English, “parole” means the release of a prisoner temporarily, or on promise of good behavior. These arrangements are now recorded in writing, but the Old French root “parole” literally means “word.” Dropping the “e,” “parol” is used in the legal context to distinguish information delivered orally rather than in sealed, official writing.

 

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What's the Word: SCION

pronunciation: [SY-ən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old French, 13th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A young shoot or twig of a plant, especially one cut for grafting or rooting.

2. A descendant of a notable family.

 

Example:

"The Bradford pear had several scions on the lower branches."

"Michael was considered the most successful scion of the family."

 

About Scion

This word is from Middle English by way of the Old French “Sion” or “cion,” meaning "descendant; shoot, twig; offspring."

 

Did You Know?

In 2003, Toyota debuted the Scion, a brand of stylish yet inexpensive sport compact vehicles intended to appeal to millennial buyers. The name was intended to refer to both the brand’s cars and their owners. Toyota discontinued the Scion brand in 2016, and the cars were either discontinued or rebranded as Toyotas.

 

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What's the Word: CONSPECTUS

pronunciation: [kən-SPEK-təs]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Latin, 1830s

 

Meaning: 

1. A summary or overview of a subject.

 

Example:

"Professor Wells posted the course conspectus online."

"The paper was a good conspectus of the impact of social media on larger society."

 

About Conspectus

This word stems from the Latin “conspectus,” meaning a "a looking at, sight, view; range or power of vision." It is the noun use of the past participle of “conspicere,” meaning "to look at," which originates from “specere,” meaning "to look at."

 

Did You Know?

“Conspectus” sounds like another word that’s more common in modern English: “prospectus.” They also share a Latin root, “specere,” which means “to look at.” But while “conspectus” means an overview of a particular subject, a “prospectus” is “a printed document that advertises or describes a school, commercial enterprise, forthcoming book, etc., in order to attract or inform clients, members, buyers, or investors.”

 

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What's the Word: TELIC

pronunciation: [TEL-ik]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Greek, mid-19th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Of an action or attitude) directed or tending to a definite end.

2. [Linguistics] (of a verb, conjunction, or clause) expressing goal, result, or purpose.

 

Example:

"The task force had a concrete, telic goal."

"The support group did not have a telic purpose; it was meant to provide comfort."

 

About Telic

This word comes from Biblical philology. It stems from the Greek “telikos,” meaning "final," originally from “telos,” meaning "end, goal, result."

 

Did You Know?

British psychologist Michael Apter’s studies led him to the conclusion that human motivation falls into two primary states: “telic” and “paratelic.” In the telic mode, a person is mostly motivated by a specific goal, like earning a paycheck for completed work. This is also called extrinsic motivation. In the paratelic state, a person is motivated by the activity itself, which is also known as intrinsic motivation.

 

Edited May 13, 2022 by DarkRavie

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What's the Word: LIEF

pronunciation: [leef]

 

Part of speech: adverb

Origin: Old English, 13th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Archaic) As happily; as gladly.

 

Example:

"She would lief go wherever he asked her to."

"Bradley did not lief join her family at their weekly supper."

 

About Lief

This word stems from the Old English “lēof,” meaning “dear, pleasant.” It has Germanic origins, related to the words “leave” and “love.”

 

Did You Know?

At first glance, “lief” can be easily confused for “Leif,” a male name of Scandinavian origin that means “heir.” They’re also homophones — words that are pronounced the same but have different meanings. The two most famous bearers of the name are Leif Eriksson, a Norse explorer who is commonly thought to have been the first European to have set foot on continental North America, long before Christopher Columbus; and Leif Garrett, a child actor-turned-pop teen idol sensation in the 1970s.

 

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What's the Word: PINNATE

pronunciation: [PIN-eyt]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, early 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Botany — of a compound leaf) having leaflets arranged on either side of the stem, typically in pairs opposite each other.

2. (Zoology — especially of an invertebrate animal) having branches, tentacles, etc., on each side of an axis, like the vanes of a feather.

 

Example:

"The tree had delicate, pinnate leaves."

"Feathers have a pinnate, symmetrical structure."

 

About Pinnate

This word comes from the Latin “pinnatus,” meaning “feathered.” This stems from “pinna,” meaning “feather, wing.”

 

Did You Know?

Pinnate leaves can be separated into two categories: imparipinnate and paripinnate. Imparipinnate, or odd-pinnate, means the leaflets are arranged on both sides with an odd terminal leaflet up top. Paripinnate, or even-pinnate, lacks the terminal leaf.

 

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What's the Word: IMPRESARIO

pronunciation: [im-prə-SAR-ee-oh]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Italian, 18th century

 

Meaning: 

1. A person who organizes and often finances concerts, plays, or operas.

2. The manager of a musical, theatrical, or operatic company.

 

Example:

"My grandfather was a vaudeville impresario who produced and emceed touring variety shows."

"The impresario heard Sharon’s voice and invited her to tour with his opera as a chorus singer."

 

About Impresario

In Italian, “impresario” means one who undertakes a task, such as running a business. The term is related to “impresa,” meaning “undertaking.” By the 18th century, “impresario” in English primarily referred to undertaking theater and stage productions.

 

Did You Know?

Impresarios aren’t an antiquated idea. Consider Andrew Lloyd Webber, the modern theater impresario and composer of “Cats” and “Phantom of the Opera,” and pop music impresario Scott “Scooter” Braun. The manager has helped discover and promote superstars including Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, and Ariana Grande.

 

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What's the Word: SACHEM

pronunciation: [SAY-chəm]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Narragansett, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (among some North American Indigenous peoples) a chief.

2. (North American informal) A boss or leader.

 

Example:

"John came from a prominent Narragansett family descended from a beloved sachem."

"The restaurant owner acted like the sachem of the dining room as she instructed staff and decided on seating arrangements."

 

About Sachem

“Sachem” is drawn from the Narragansett language, an Algonquian tongue loosely connected to numerous other Indigenous languages in eastern-central North America. For Narragansett people, a sachem was a kind of political leader highly esteemed in a local region.

 

Did You Know?

Though “sachem” is an Indigenous term, it entered the American English vocabulary largely through New York City’s influential Tammany Society. That group, which operated from 1786 to 1967, was central to organizing the Democratic party in New York. It was overseen by a group of 12 upper leaders called “sachems.”

 

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What's the Word: HIPPOCRENE

pronunciation: [HIP-ə-kreen]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, early 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Used to refer to poetic or literary inspiration.

 

Example:

"Charles wrote poetry in the morning, using the early light as his hippocrene."

"Full of hippocrene, Vanmala sat down to write what she hoped was a masterpiece."

 

About Hippocrene

The term came directly into English from the Greek “Hippokrēnē,” referring to the legend of Pegasus’ hoof opening a fountain spring on Mount Helicon, which was sacred to Greek Muses. Because “hippos” means “horse” and “krēnē” means “fountain,” the literal translation of “Hippokrēnē” is “fountain of the horse.”

 

Did You Know?

“Hippocrene” refers to a particular fountain that was sacred to the Greek Muses, so most uses of the adjective treat it as a sort of poetic inspiration that can be drunk like water from a spring. Accordingly, to have “drunk hippocrene” means to have been filled with creative inspiration.

 

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What's the Word: EMBLEMATIZE

pronunciation: [em-BLEM-ə-tiyz]

 

Part of speech: verb

Origin: Greek, 17th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Serve as a symbolic representation of (a quality or concept)

 

Example:

"The spectacle of the Super Bowl emblematizes the intensity of America’s love of football."

"Singer Lizzo emblematizes a new generation of women who love their bodies in all sizes."

 

About Emblematize

“Emblematize” was coined as a verb after the word “emblematist,” a 17th-century term for a person who drew or painted emblems.

 

Did You Know?

“Emblem” itself comes from the Latin “emblema,” referring to an inlaid work or a raised ornament used to represent a grander idea than could be shown pictorially. For example, the national flag of France is an emblem that could represent the country and its people in a variety of contexts. Likewise, religious emblems represent complex beliefs, traditions, and histories. To “emblematize” means to stand for something in the way an emblem stands for an abstract idea.

 

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What's the Word: FARTLEK

pronunciation: [FART-lek]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Swedish, 1940s

 

Meaning: 

1. A system of training for distance runners in which the terrain and pace are continually varied to eliminate boredom and enhance psychological aspects of conditioning.

 

Example:

"As the marathon approached, Angie switched to fartlek training to prepare herself for the extended distance."

"Eric does long fartlek runs on Sundays to keep his training routine varied."

 

About Fartlek

The term “fartlek” is a loanword from Swedish, in which “fart” means “speed” and “lek” means “play.” Thus, “fartlek” translates to “speedplay,” emphasizing the practice’s frequent changes in running speeds and tempos.

 

Did You Know?

Fartlek training has become the standard for distance runners hoping to improve their paces before running marathons and ultramarathons. Switching between varying speeds and terrains (including steep uphill and downhill stretches, as well as slow grades) helps runners prepare for a variety of challenges they may face on race day.

 

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What's the Word: ESTIVAL

pronunciation: [ES-tə-vəl]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Late Middle English, 14th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Technical) Belonging to or appearing in summer.

 

Example:

"These are strictly estival flowers."

"Sara and Jim embarked on a whirlwind, estival romance."

 

About Estival

This word stems from late Middle English via the Latin “aestivalis,” from “aestivus,” from “aestus,” meaning “boiling (of the sea), tide, heat.”

 

Did You Know?

“Estival” might make readers think of another summertime word: “festival.” Despite this seasonal similarity, they come from different roots. While “estival” stems from “aestus,” meaning “heat,” “festival” is rooted in “festivus,” a Latin term that means "festive" or "merry." While music festivals have become a staple of the estival months, they can occur at any time of the year.

 

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What's the Word: YARBOROUGH

pronunciation: [YAR-bə-rə]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: British, early 20th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (In bridge or whist) a hand with no card above a nine.

 

Example:

"Jake wanted to get a yarborough in his weekly card game."

"The novice asked the card shark what a yarborough was."

 

About Yarborough

Charles Anderson Worsley, an English nobleman and second Earl of Yarborough, is said to have bet 1000 to one against the dealing of such a hand.

 

Did You Know?

Around 1900, Lord Yarborough gave his name to a hand of cards dealt in bridge that contains no ace and no card higher than a nine. The probability of getting a Yarborough is 347,373,600 out of 635,013,559,600 — or 1/1828. The earl offered £1,000 to anyone who achieved a "yarborough," on the condition they paid him £1 each time they didn’t get one.

 

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What's the Word: DESULTORY

pronunciation: [DEH-səl-tor-ee]

 

Part of speech: adjective

Origin: Latin, late 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. Lacking a plan, purpose, or enthusiasm; (of conversation or speech) going constantly from one subject to another in a halfhearted way; unfocused.

2. Occurring randomly or occasionally.

 

Example:

"The constables made a desultory attempt to keep them away from the barn."

"The man continued talking. She answered him desultorily."

 

About Desultory

This word stems from the Latin “desultorius,” meaning “superficial” (literally “relating to a vaulter”). That comes from “desultor,” meaning “vaulter,” from the verb “desilire.”

 

Did You Know?

“Desultory” stems from the Latin adjective “desultorius.” In ancient times, this term was used to refer to a “desultor,” a circus performer whose primary trick was to leap from one horse to another and another without stopping.

 

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What's the Word: EXONYM

pronunciation: [EK-soh-nim]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Greek, 1950s

 

Meaning: 

1. A name for a place or group of people that is only used outside that place or group.

 

Example:

"China is an exonym used by English speakers."

"Ho Chi Minh City is a prime example of an exonym."

 

About Exonym

Australian geographer Marcel Aurousseau first used this word in his 1957 book, “The Rendering of Geographical Names.” It stems from the Greek “exō,” meaning “outside” and “-onym,” a Greek noun-forming suffix.

 

Did You Know?

The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names defines an exonym as a "name used in a specific language for a geographical feature situated outside the area where that language is spoken, and differing in its form from the name used in an official or well-established language of that area where the geographical feature is located." It defines its opposite, “endonym” as a "name of a geographical feature in an official or well-established language occurring in that area where the feature is located." For instance, “Germany” is the English-language exonym for “Deutschland,” whereas “Roma” is the endonym Italians call their capital city instead of “Rome.”

 

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What's the Word: MANCHET

pronunciation: [MAN-chət]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Late Middle English, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (Historical) A loaf of the finest kind of wheaten bread.

 

Example:

"Marianne used a recipe from an old English cookbook to make the manchet loaf."

"This bakery is the only one in town that specializes in manchet."

 

About Manchet

This word stems from Middle English, possibly from the obsolete “maine,” meaning “flour of the finest quality,” plus the obsolete “cheat,” a kind of wheaten bread.

 

Did You Know?

In the third season of “The Great British Bake Off,” Sussex native Cathryn Dresser made Lady Arundel's manchets and served them with an inner layer of jam and cream. While the basic manchet recipe calls for flour, salt, yeast, and hot water, the Lady Arundel version specifically calls for wheat grown and ground in Sussex, England. It is considered a higher-quality take on the recipe because it includes eggs, milk, and butter, giving the bread a richer flavor and texture.

 

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What's the Word: BUSKIN

pronunciation: [BUS-kən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old French, 16th century

 

Meaning: 

1. (mainly historical) A calf-high or knee-high boot of cloth or leather.

2. A thick-soled laced boot worn by an ancient Athenian tragic actor to gain height.

 

Example:

"Martha dressed in period costume down to her feet, on which she wore leather buskins."

"Wearing buskins onstage is generally seen as a nod to classical Greek tragedy."

 

About Buskin

Though the etymology of “buskin” is debated, the term bears strong resemblance to the 15th and 16th century words “brouzequin” (French), “borsegui” (Catalan), and “borzacchino” (Italian), all of which describe boots of some kind. However, others believe “buskin” is actually a variation on “buckskin,” which describes a kind of leather out of which buskins might have been made. “Buckskin” itself dates back to the 15th century or earlier.

 

Did You Know?

Buskins are so closely associated with Greek tragedy—which includes such famous works as Sophocles’s “Oedipus Rex”—that “buskins” was a term used between the 16th and 19th centuries as a reference to theatrical tragedies. The expression “to put on the buskins” meant “to act in a tragedy,” or to behave in a tragic manner.

 

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What's the Word: DRAGOMAN

pronunciation: [DRAG-ə-mən]

 

Part of speech: noun

Origin: Old Arabic

 

Meaning: 

1. An interpreter or guide, especially in countries speaking Arabic, Turkish, or Persian.

 

Example:

"They were met at the railway station by a dragoman who helped them find a place to stay."

"The dragoman at the embassy spoke English with a British accent."

 

About Dragoman

“Dragoman” entered English through French, where the term appeared as a modification of the Old Arabic “targumān,” meaning “interpreter.”

 

Did You Know?

“Dragoman” originally referred to a guide or interpreter who translated Middle Eastern languages and cultures for Europeans. Over time, however, the term grew more formal and became strongly associated with the government of the Ottoman empire. For nearly 200 years, the Ottoman government was represented by the Dragoman of the Sublime Porte, who acted as both an interpreter and an assistant foreign minister. With the collapse of the Ottoman Empire at the end of World War I, the tradition of the official dragoman disappeared and the term fell out of use.