Haggard

What's haggard? An adjective meaning badly dressed, exhausted, and emotionally distressed.  It's synonym is another fine word--gaunt.

And the word--improbably--comes from Old French, through German.  It meant a wild hawk, or raptor.  So how does that translate to an adjective meaning exhausted and depressed?  Your guess is as good as mine.....  

Snigger

"Stop sniggering!" my mother always directed.  So what did she mean?

To snigger is to laugh quietly and, most importantly, disrespectfully.  The word is also the a noun.

And where did it come from?  The dictionary suggests that it's an alteration of another word for the same thing--snicker.  And that word?  "Perhaps imitative"says the dictionary.  But to me, that sounds like a stretch....

Whack, out of

"Things are out of whack," said a friend.  I knew what he meant--the situation was disordered and messy.  And I knew what a whack was--it's a strong blow or strike.  But what a strange word--whack?  Where does it come from?  And why can something be out of whack but not IN whack?

The word can be traced to the 1700's, and comes into English from the Scottish.  That much I know.  But as to the rest--sorry, that's a mystery!

Spark

"The action sparked a massive protest," reads one account in today's news.  Well, what does that mean?

A spark is a tiny flame, the little bits of fire that a welder gives off.  But occasionally, a spark will create a fire--and that's when we say that something "sparked" either a fire, or more metaphorically, a situation.

Like so many of our words, "spark"comes from Middle English--and it's a very common word indeed!

Stumped

"I'm stumped," said a friend in the States, and that got me thinking.  A stump is the remains of something cut off--a tree stump remains when you cut the tree, a stump remains when you amputate an arm or leg.  But where does the term "I'm stumped" come from?

It means to be confused, not to know the answer.  But where does it come from?  Another mystery!  So we're all stumped!

Pander

A news story stated that a person in Wisconsin believes that Governor Walker "panders" to the rich and powerful.
Doesn't sound good--does it?

It's certainly not.  Originally, the word meant to act as a intermediary for a sexual encounter.  Now, the word is used to suggest that someone accedes to and pleases the worst tastes of others.  In short, the person is alleging that Walker will do anything to please the rich.

A strong word indeed!

Stench

The police removed protesters from a park in New York City, because it had a "stench" of urine.  So what does that mean?

A "stench" is a very strong and unpleasant smell.  Like so many of our strong, evocative words, the word "stench" comes from Middle English.  So anything that stinks is--a stench!

Snit

"He went off in a snit," said my friend, and I knew what he meant.  A snit is a fit of temper, an unreasonable anger that makes you look and behave like a child.  Children have tantrums, adults have snits--but they're basically the same.

And where did the word come from?  Another case of origin unknown.  Someone must have invented it, but no one knows.  And you know what?  I bet whoever invented the word is...

...in a snit about that!

Kindle

Most of us know what a Kindle is--it's an electronic book from Amazon, right?  But did you know that "kindle" is an actual word in English?  It means to ignite, to set on fire, and it comes from Middle English through Norse, from a verb meaning--of all things--to give birth.

It's an evocative word--meaning something more than just starting on fire.  It also means to set a spark, and then nurture the flame.  So it's often used metaphorically, as in the sentence "his words kindled a desire in me."

No wonder Amazon chose it for their ebook!

Glum

Investors are glum, reports Reuters.  OK.  Fine.  But what's glum?

 A very nice adjective, from Middle English, meaning depressed, dispirited, pessimistic.  Originally, the word meant "to become dark," and indeed that's it!  But if you don't want to use the word "glum," there are many more words to use--somber, down in the dumps, gloomy....  All good words, meaning a sad, unhappy state of mind.   

Spur

Today's news?  Apparently, a Newsweek article is "spurring" an investigation by the Justice Department.  So what's a spur?  Well, it's the spiked wheel on the boots of horseback riders, and it's used to incite the horse to greater action.

In botany, by extension, the spur is the little seed that attaches to an animal's fur--or your blue jeans.  All this makes sense.  But there's an expression--"spur of the moment."  And it means something done without premeditation or thought.  Why?  Because something "spurs" you to action, and you move quickly.  Just like the horse! 

Gaffe

What happened to Rick Perry last night, at the Republican debate in Michigan?  Well, according to the Huffington Post, he made a "gaffe."

And it's not a good thing.  A gaffe is a mistake, a big mistake, one that makes you look stupid.  It's the equivalent of eating pasta with your boss, and shooting a meatball onto his white shirt....

The word may derive from a word in Old French meaning a boat hook.  Alternatively, it may be from the British slang meaning to cheat or trick.  Origin unclear--says the dictionary.  But wherever it comes from, it's a bad thing.

Meander

The National Hurricane Center reports that Tropical Storm Sean is "meandering" south of Bermuda.  So what does "meander" mean?  Should the people of Bermuda be worried?  Is it a bad thing?

Yes and no.  "Meander" means to move in a turning, winding course.  It's the opposite of "direct."  And not just hurricanes but people can do it.  Every day, people meander through the mall, going here and there.

The word comes from a Greek name for a river that....well, meandered!

Grapple

"I've been grappling with the problem," said a friend, and I knew what she meant.  She was struggling with the problem, trying to understand and resolve it.

What I didn't know, until just now, when I looked it up, is that the word is also a noun.  It's a set of hooks attached to a rope.  When a ship in war want to seize another ship, they throw the grapple to the other ship, and then pull.  See the picture below.

Interesting, isn't it, how one word comes to mean something quite different from what it started as!

Bicker

A headline in Reuters today stated that "Greek Parties Bicker As Europe Demands Clarity."  Great--but what's "bicker?"

It's a kind of argument that's not based on reason, but on small, personal grievances.  To put it simply, it's the kind of argument young children have.  Therefore, the headline suggests that the Greek politicians are not acting as statesmen, but as kids.

It comes from Middle English, from a verb meaning "to attack."  Need I say more? 

Far-flung

The Huffington Post reports "The far-flung movement of protesters challenging the world's economic systems and distribution of wealth has gained momentum in recent weeks...." Great!  But what's far-flung?

Well, as you can guess by context, it means widespread or extensive.  And it's formed from the verb "to fling."  And what's that?  It means to throw, often with some violence.

But wait--there's more.  "Fling" is also a noun, and yes, it can also mean a toss or throw.  But as well, a fling can be an attempt (as in "give it a fling") and....

...a brief romantic relationship!

Slew

A special complexity of the English language is the sheer number of words it has!  Today, I read that the Greek Prime Minister is facing a large number of critics within his own party.  But did the article use the words "a large number?"  No!  Instead, it used the term "a slew of critics...."

By doing so, the writer implied something more than just a large number or amount--which is the definition of "slew."  The word hints at disorder and confusion, as well.  So good luck to the Prime Minister, and to us all if Greece defaults!

Skittish

What's "skittish?" It's an adjective meaning easily excitable.  We frequently use it about an animals--many horses are skittish--but we also use it to describe people.  Today, for example, one story reported that investors are skittish--selling and buying stocks nervously--over the debt crisis in Greece.

And where does the word come from?  Nobody knows for sure, though it may be from Old Norse.  So it's like a lot of words in English: we often don't know the origin of the words we use everyday!  But no matter where it comes from, it's a good word to know.....   

Wallop

Yesterday, on the 29th of October, the Northeast had a record snowfall.  Trees are fallen, half a million people are without power--it's a mess!

So you could say that a storm "struck."  Alternatively--and more colorfully--you could say that the storm "walloped" the area.   "Wallop" means to beat vigorously, and by extension, to defeat soundly.

And where does the word come from?  Middle English from the French--from a verb meaning, of all things, "to gallop."

Blunder

Blunder--what a great word!  But it's not such a great thing--a blunder is a very serious mistake, made out of carelessness or stupidity.  It's a major "oooops...."

The word comes into Middle English from either the Old Norse or Swedish verb meaning to have one's eyes closed.  Easy to see--no pun intended--how that creates a blunder! 

Unruly

Unruly describes a mental state of not wanting to be obedient, and therefore being difficult to control.

It's a word that--no surprise here--is often used about children.  But it can also be used about a group, especially when that group becomes a mob.

Another curious feature of this word is that while there is the negative--unruly--there is no positive form--ruly.  In that sense, it's like yesterday's word--unkempt--which also exists only in the negative.

And yes, as you might expect, the word comes from Middle English, and is related to the verb meaning to rule.

Unkempt

"Lindsay Lohan appeared in public," said a student, "and her hair was a mess!  She hadn't combed it in weeks!  What do you call that in English?"

Easy--unkempt.  But it's not just hair--anything that is a mess, that is uncared for, can be called unkempt.

This word's history?  Like so many other words, it the past participle of an Old English verb meaning--guess what--to comb! 

Distraught

Distraught--what's distraught?  It's to be deeply agitated about a problem--so agitated that it occupies all your attention, and forces you to become almost mad.

And the word has an interesting history.  It's the past participle of a Middle English verb for "distract."  So when you are deeply distracted by a problem, what do you become?

Simple!  Distraught!

(By the way, here's a link to the story that gave me today's word--read "Bernie Maddoff and his wife were so distraught, they attempted suicide...." below.)

http://azstarnet.com/news/national/madoff-s-wife-we-were-distraught-tried-suicide/article_b5ea510e-0d36-5ce2-922f-0393b873f881.html

Stilted

Before we talk about stilted, let's talk about stilts--the long poles that attach to the legs of clowns in the circus, in order to make them look 12 feet tall.  (See the picture below....)  Well, when you walk on stilts, is your movement easy and smooth?

Nope--and therefore the word "stilted"--which means jerky or non-smooth.  In addition, anything that is too formal is considered "stilted."

Another great word....

Wrenching

You may know what a wrench is--it's a tool used to unscrew something, or to separate two things that are tightly attached.  But did you know that there's a related word--wrenching?  It means an experience that is extremely painful emotionally.  So we often speak of a "wrenching" divorce or farewell.  It's a very strong word, for very painful situations....

Wordmonger

What's a wordmonger?  It's an author or a speaker who uses the language carelessly or for mere profit.  The word monger also exists, and means a trader or peddler.  You can thus speak of a fishmonger or an ironmonger.  And also a warmonger!  And then, of course, the scandal monger...  All good words, in common use....