Today's word is "fastuous": “being overbearing, pretentious and/or arrogant with regards to decisions and self-image”. A "fastuous" person makes decisions based upon personal needs or desires. A "fastuous" person thinks they know best and seeks to undermine or bully anyone who thinks differently.

Today's word is "ruthful" which is the opposite of "ruthless" and means “having pity” or “compassion or remorse”. The noun would be "ruth", as in "Today there was much 'ruth' shown for the obviously ridiculous, yet perfectly legal, decision of the Court of Appeals." Try to be more "ruthful" today.

Today’s word is: "mattoid": “a person displaying erratic, eccentric, or somewhat paranoid behaviour". C. Lombroso, in "Man of Genius", writes: "This variety forms the link between madmen of genius, the sane, and the insane properly so called. These are what I call semi-insane persons or 'mattoids'."

Today's word is "jentacular", which means "of, or relating to breakfast, especially when eaten very early in the day". So, to any and all of you who wake around 430am and break your fast by 6am or so, I hope your "jentacular" repast is as pleasing as mine.

Today's word is "monkey's wedding". The etymology is up for conjecture, but the phrase may have entered South African English via Zulu "umshado we zinkawu" (wedding for monkeys). In English it means either "alternating or simultaneous sunshine and rain" or "state of disorder or disarray".

Today the word is “aeolist”: “a person who claims to speak with divine inspiration” or “a pompous person, pretending to have inspiration or spiritual insight.” Swift, in “The Tale of the Tub” writes: “The Learned Æolists, maintain the Original Cause of all Things to be Wind.”

Today the word is “remuant”: “restless” or “changeable” or “fickle”. In “Littell's Living Age” (1864), it is written: “He is incalculable, too, as well as rémuant. He is forever breaking out in a fresh place.”

Today the word is "ferhoodle" which means "to confuse" or "to mix-up" or "to befuddle". It comes from the Pennsylvania Dutch word "verhuddle", which means "to tangle". Originally it goes back to the German word "verhudein", which means "to bungle" or "to botch".

Today the word is “parvitude”...or “parvity”. “Parvitude” is defined as: “an extremely small or minute thing” or “the quality or state of being little” or “littleness” or “minuteness” or “smallness”. It comes from the Latin word “parvus” (meaning “little”).

Today's word: "rigmarole" is “a rambling and disconnected account” or “an unending story or yarn”. It is said to be a corruption of "rag man role". It goes back to the early 18th century. If you've ever spent any time in my company you have more than a passing acquaintance with "rigmarole".

Today's word is "esurient", which means “hungry” or “greedy”. From Latin "esurire" (to be hungry). Ultimately from the Indo-European root "ed" (to eat, to bite). One might say "the esurient personalities which are drawn to celebrity at all costs diminishes both the audience and the artist".

Today's word is "rede", from the Old English "raed" meaning "counsel" or "advice". The "redder" is one who tries to separate parties fighting or who settles, or "redes", a quarrel. King Ethelred II "the Redeless" or "the Unready" ("unredey") meaning he was without, or destitute of, counsel.

Today's word is "soodle", a word for which I can find only the definition "to go unwillingly". One might "soodle" out in foul weather; or find oneself facing The Forlorn Hope, and "soodle" on; or one might cling to a position or situation made untenable wherein the only option is to "soodle" off.

Today's word comes from Germany: "gemutlichkeit" (that's guh-myoot-lish-KYT, -likh-, -MOOT-). The German word "gemütlichkeit" comes from "gemütlich" (comfortable, cozy). It dates from the late 1800s and means "warm friendliness; comfortableness; coziness". I wish you all "gemutlichkeit" today.

Today the phrase is "all Sir Garnet" which means "everything is as it should be". This began as an army (British) phrase of the 1880s arising from Sir Garnet Wolseley's skillfully organised operations in Egypt.

Today the phrase is "all Sir Garnet" which means "everything is as it should be". This began as an army (British) phrase of the 1880s arising from Sir Garnet Wolseley's skillfully organised operations in Egypt.

Today “animal sound” words: To "curkle": cry like a quail. To "winx": bray like a donkey. To "desticate": squeak like a rat. To "chirr": trill like a grasshopper. A cock, when it crows: gi'-me-trousers. A nightingale's cry: jug. The cicada can be heard "cigling".

Today's word is "tiffin": “a form of confection made up of crumbed digestive biscuits, sugar, syrup, raisins and cocoa powder, and a layer of melted chocolate” or a "fridge-cake" or “a light meal, usually lunch”. The word may be used to indicate a "small treat of little substance or worth".

Today's word is "hypnagogia". This is the transitional state from wakefulness to sleep. The transition from sleep to wakefulness is a "hypnopompic" state. Phenomena during this phase include lucid dreaming, hallucinations, out of body experiences and sleep paralysis.

Today's word is “blousy" or "blowsy" or "blowzy" and are all pronounced "BLOU-zee". An adjective with two meanings: 1. Having a coarsely ruddy complexion. 2. Disheveled, or unkempt. It has it's origins in the English dialect "blowze" (wench); and dates from around the 1770s.

Today's word is "kakistocracy", which is a government made up of the morally bankrupt or bone-headedly ignorant... in other words, a "kakistocracy" is a government formed of the worst possible people.

Today's word is "optant". Meaning either 1. A person who, when the territory of which he or she is a citizen changes its sovereignty, has the choice between retaining the former citizenship and accepting the new one. or 2. A person who opts for, into, or out of something.

The word is "otiose". This means "useless", or "idle", or "unnecessary". It should not be confused with "adipose", which means "fat".

Today's word is "sanctimonia clarus" (charity clause). It refers to the sort of "catch" used by individuals/organisations offering charity to needy people but only on condition. An example of would be a soup kitchen which offers free soup to the homeless, but only if they listen to a bible reading.

Today's word is "amandation", which is "the act of dismissing or sending away"... So, one might look upon a contest, say, an election, as a chance to perform an "amandation". Afterwards, however, there may be, depending on personal alliances, a feeling of "amarulence" ( bitterness; spite).

Today's word is "graith", which is an old Scottish word pronounced "greth". The "graith" of a job is the equipment, tools or the gear needed to accomplish the task at hand. It comes from Old Norse and it originally meant "to be ready; prepared". Who has the "graith" to run the Country is up to you.

Today the word is “mammothrept”, meaning: “a spoiled child” or “a person of immature judgement”. In Patrick O'Brian's book “Master and Commander”, the author writes: “...and having seen the parents I am impatient to see this youth...will he be a wretched mammothrept?”

Today's word is "Heath Robinson" (or "Robinsonian"). This phrase is commonly applied to complicated, ingenious, and fantastic contraptions of machinery, etc. The reference comes from the work of W. Heath Robinson, 1872-1944). His distinctive designs and drawing, though absurd, are worth looking up.

Today's word is "custos morum", defined as a "guardian of morals" or a "censor". Typified by uninformed unstudied prudishness, self-righteousness, and judgemental decisions, the "custos morum" is quick to burn books, diminish arts, and silence authors, all in an attempt to protect us from ourselves.

Today’s word is “prosopography”: “the description of the form or personal appearance of an individual/an instance of this.” The historian Ronald Syme focused on the study of societal groups (like knights or bishops) about whom one knows little individually but much is gleaned when taken together.

Today's word is "moon-struck" which dates from the "Sailor's Word-book" written in 1867 by Admiral William Smyth. Today the word means "stunned" or "surprised" (in a wondrous or magical way), but at the time of Admiral Smyth it meant "an influence imputed by the moon, by which fish spoiled".

Today's word is "gregarian", which means: “of the common sort” or “ordinary”. It is related to "gregarius" (“belonging to the herd”). The practice of “collecting in flocks or companies” is referred to as "gregarianism". A soldier with the rank of Private is referred to as a "gregarian".

Today's word is "cothish". To be "cothish", one would be “sickly or ailing” in some way. An animal is said to be "cothy" if it is “meek and/or delicate”. “Cothe" (to faint), in the 1800s, meant “morose”. It was said the springs in New Forest would "cothe" sheep (meaning "disease their livers").

Today's word is "marmoreal". Meaning: "resembling marble or a marble statue” (in smoothness, whiteness, hardness, coldness). One might say: "During the Question Period, the Minister's only reaction to any contrary information was to sit frozen and staring in 'marmoreal' stillness."

Today's word is "pluvious". Etymology: Anglo-Norman "pluvious" and Middle French/French "pluvieux". Definition: "of, relating to, or characterized by rain” or “full of, or bearing rain or moisture” or “rainy."

Today's word is "sublunary". In Thomas Dyche's New General English Dictionary (1740), he define's this word as "Anything under the orb of the Moon." In Sir James Murray's New English Dictionary (1914), he defines this word as "Belonging to this world; mundane; temporal; ephemeral."

Today's word is "kleptocracy": “governance by the corrupt in which rulers use their positions for personal gain”. One might say: "This "kleptocracy", broke faith with the community they serve, ignoring their own governance policies to seek a solution whereby they, not their charge, are protected."

The word for today is "chubb". To "chubb" is to "lock". To "unchubb", obviously, is to "unlock". This word comes from the very well known English locksmith Charles Chubb (1772-1846). For any among us who have had access to a "chubb" card this name/word now makes some sense.

Today's word is "nabble" which is to "gnaw". This word is slightly stronger than "nibble" in reference. As in "mice nibble and rats "nabble". Likewise, we might, betimes, prefer a "nabble" to a nibble, given the situation at hand.

Today's word is "poppling". Generally this word means "rippling” or “rolling” or “boiling”or “roiling". “The 'poppling' brook" means "the choppy brook". However, it has come to mean a sort of confusion... or cacophony... of a mind, a group, a situation. So, an out of control “town hall” meeting?

Today's word is "orrery": “a mechanical model, usually clockwork, devised to represent the motions of the earth and moon (and sometimes also the planets) around the sun”. From the name of Charles Boyle, fourth Earl of Orrery (1676–1731), for whom the machine, invented by George Graham, was made.

Today, the phrase "according to Cocker". This phrase means "sure to be right" or "if everything is right". During the reign of James I of England, Edward Cocker was renowned for his work in Arithmetic. During his lifetime, and for years after, Mr Cocker was regarded as the standard of accuracy.

Percontation: “a question/inquiry requiring more than a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ answer”. S. R. Maitland, in Dark Ages, writes: "Between a percontation and interrogation, the ancients made this distinction—that the former admitted a variety of answers, while the latter must be replied to by ‘yes’ or ‘no’."

Today's word is "refulgent": “Shining brilliantly”. From Latin "refulgere" (to radiate light, to reflect). Ultimately from the Indo-European root "bhel" (to shine or burn). There are those who stand "refulgent" in our lives, and give us a sense of purpose, strength and pride.

Today's word is "superchery" (or supercherie). French: “supercherie” and Italian: “soperchieria”... it means in English, as in French and Italian since the early 1700s: “foul play”, “deceit”, “an injury or wrong, an affront”, “fraud”(or instance of fraud) or “the act of cheating”.

Today's word is "autopathy". It is originally from Hellenistic Greek word "αὐτοπάθεια" (meaning “one's own experience”). “Autopathy" is defined as "excessive feeling for oneself; or an instance of this”. In 1647, H. More wrote "Base fear proceeds from weak 'Autopathy' ".

Today's word is "proditorious". “Proditorious” is defined as: "treasonable” or “traitorous” or “perfidious" or “to disclose or make known” or "to reveal something hidden or secret” or “apt to make unexpected revelations”.

Today's word is "randirooze", which is a great noise or uproar, an exclaimation of a crowd or mob, a riotous outburst - as in a courtroom reaction to a statement or evidence which in some way might be found to be incendiary. A "randirooze" occures with every goal, touchdown, or knockout.

The word today is "tmesis", which is “the separation, by inserting an additional word or words, of a phrase or word to give strong emphasis”. For example: "Fan-friggin'-tastic" or "Adolph-bloody-Hitler" or ...well, you get the idea...

Today's word is "feaze”: “to vex”, “to worry”, “to agitate”. “In a feaze" is “in a state of excitement”. In The Taming of the Shrew, Sly says: "I'll pheeze you...". It derives from the Anglo-Saxon "fyson", which is “the rapid and noisey movement of water” (from which we get the word "fizz").