Today’s word of the day is nontroversy, an event or occurrence that is seen as controversial by some people but not by others. It’s primarily colloquial or slang (thus the abundant uses in social messaging) and is used mainly by those who believe something that is being called a scandal or an outrage is really a non-issue. It’s formed from non- plus (c)ontroversy
Today’s word of the day is vigesimal. It means twentieth, occurring in intervals of 20, or based on or relating to 20. It’s often used to describe base-20 numbering systems.
Today’s word of the day is stane, Scots for stone in all its senses.
Today’s word of the day is nimrod. Most Americans today know it only as an insult meaning “jerk” or “loser,” but it has also historically meant “skillful hunter.” That meaning comes from Nimrod, explained in the Bible as a mighty hunter, king of Shinar, grandson of Ham, a great-grandson of Noah. The newer, less-kind meaning probably comes from the phrase “poor little Nimrod,” used by the cartoon character Bugs Bunny to mock the hapless hunter Elmer Fudd. The reference passed by a lot of cartoon-viewers and they interpreted it as an insult they’d never heard before.
Today’s word of the day is cahot, a rare word of French origin, referring to a bank or ridge of snow which has been heaped up across a road by passing sleighs, leaving a corresponding depression behind; hence, a surface-undulation or ridge-like inequality which, with the corresponding depression, is known in the United States as a thank-you-ma’am. Cahot is pronounced /kuh-HOE/ or /kuh-HOO/. John Barlett has more about cahot and thank-you-ma’am in his 1877 Dictionary of Americanisms.
Today’s list of the day is called “all animals are created equal.” It features animals matched with homophones: soul sole, bore boar, aunt ant, and so forth.
Today’s word of the day is mast, the nuts of forest trees accumulated on the ground, used especially as food for swine.
Today’s list of the day is “magic tricks,” such as the “mismade girl” and the “cabinet escape.”
Today’s word of the day is raglan, an adjective describing a sleeve that extends in one piece to the neckline of a garment, with slanted seams from the armhole to the neck. See the picture below. The word comes from Fitzroy James Henry Somerset (1788-1855), First Baron Raglan and a British field marshal, who wore coats with similar sleeves. He was, by coincidence, at one time the commanding officer of the man for whom cardigan is named.
Today’s list of the day is “nick-nacks,” a collection of two-word compounds or reduplications that are fun to say, such as pow-wow, teeny-weeny, boo-hoo, and flim-flam.
