Category Archives: Wednesday Word

Stochastic Meandering

Posted on September 6, 2023 by Kathy

Learning a word’s history at the same time as its meaning helps reinforce our understanding of the word and remember it more effectively. If you know, for example, that volition comes from the Latin word volo, meaning “wish,” you’re likely … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Lessons in Etymology

Posted on July 26, 2023 by Kathy

Before I began reading my next book group book, a novel called Lessons in Chemistry, I glanced at author Bonnie Garmus’s bio inside the back cover, where I saw that her dog’s name is 99. I wondered if Garmus had … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Bad Air Quality

Posted on July 19, 2023 by Kathy

Malaria’s in the news, because we’ve seen cases in the US transmitted on our own soil, not carried in by a traveler–the cases totalling eight so far. Worldwide, it’s still a scourge, afflicting almost 250 million people every year, killing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

One More July?

Posted on July 12, 2023 by Kathy

We’re now well into the seventh month of the year, so it’s high time we examined the history of the name July. The Roman Senate named the month in 44 B.C.E. to honor the assassinated Roman general and dictator Julius … Continue reading →

Posted in Wednesday Word | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

A Linguistic Kerfuffle

Posted on July 5, 2023 by Kathy

My friend Jewel sent me a Washington Post article last week about Elon Musk and the term cisgender. In case you don’t know, cisgender refers to a person whose gender identity coincides with the sex with which the person was … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , | 9 Comments

J is for Jeans

Posted on June 28, 2023 by Kathy

At least that’s what A Grandmother’s ABC Book says. It’s on page 56. Super patriots may believe that blue jeans and their name began in America, but non vero (Italian for “not true”). Both the word and the pants began … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

This Is Jeopardy!

Posted on June 21, 2023 by Kathy

In a family Jeopardy game this evening to celebrate my son’s birthday, the Final Jeopardy category was “Science Language.” Here’s the Final Jeopardy answer: Coined by chemist Van Helmont, the word ‘gas’ comes from this Greek word meaning ‘unformed mass.’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

Sand-Loving Creatures

Posted on June 8, 2023 by Kathy

Psammophiles were in the news last week, thanks to Dev Shah, winner of the Scripps National Spelling Bee. The word is pronounced “sam- uh-file.” If you know your Greek roots, as Bee competitors usually do, the “-phile” part would be … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Juno’s Bustin’ Out

Posted on June 1, 2023 by Kathy

Wife of Jupiter and queen of the Roman gods, Juno gave her name to our brand-new month, Iunius Mensis, the Romans’ fourth month (with Martius as the first). Junio and Juin are two of her Romance language legacies. Juno is … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Everythingology

Posted on May 24, 2023 by Kathy

Another book, another vocabulary word. Therapist Lori Gottlieb in her excellent book Maybe You Should Talk to Someone: A Therapist, Her Therapist, and Our Lives Revealed defines ultracrepidarianism as “the habit of giving opinions and advice on matters outside of … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, Uncategorized, Wednesday Word | Tagged , , | 6 Comments