Category: Word Nerds
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: Volume? It’s one for the books, so we hear
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Volume The word volume, as measurement, is directly related to the word volume as in a book. The…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: You can’t stop at just one graffito
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Graffiti The word graffiti comes from the Italian word meaning “little scratch.” The modern term is used to…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: Which came first, woggle or boondoggle?
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Woggle Evidence has been found that humans have been tying knots as far back as 3,500 B.C. It…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: If you’re an aficionado, thank Hemingway
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Aficionado An aficionado is a person who is knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity or subject. It’s from…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: Vernus, pullulate, egerminate … where’s mud?
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Pullulate Spring is the favorite season of many, and has its own words devoted specifically to the season….
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: The equinox may have passed, but you can still balance an egg
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Equinox “Equinox” is from the Latin words meaning “equal night.” The equinox is the time of year when…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: Yep, ‘spring’ is exactly that
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Spring As any grade schooler can tell you, spring is named for the time of year when plants…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: In this frabjous utopia, it’s serendipity when made-up words catch on
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Yahoo “Yahoo” is not just a search engine or cry of victory, it is a crude or brutish…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: If you see daffodils, it must be spring
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Daffodil Daffodils, the familiar trumpet-shaped perennials are the birth flowers for March because they often bloom in early…
THE AMATEUR WORD NERD: Clothing often named for where it originated
By Barbara McAllister Word of the Day: Cambric Cambric is a finely woven white cotton or linen fabric first made in Cambrai, France. Cambric tea…