proffer (verb)

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  impetus (noun)

  September 9, 2019 · 1 min read

  Impetus (IM-puh-tus) is a driving force; the incentive or stimulus to make something happen or happen more quickly. As used by Max Carver: “Empathy is the starting point for creating a community and taking…

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  churlish (adjective)

  October 23, 2019 · 1 min read

  Churlish (CHURL-ish) means rude, vulgar, surly. As used by Christopher Morley: “Happiness is surely the best teacher of good manners: only the unhappy are churlish in deportment.”

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  A word I just recently came upon for the first time: comminatory

  February 21, 2022 · 1 min read

  * A word I just recently came upon for the first time: comminatory Comminatory means threatening, punitive, or vengeful. Example from The Arrow of Gold by Joseph Conrad: “I suspected something comminatory in…

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  Sui Generis: The Latin Term For Unique

  October 25, 2022 · 1 min read

  Sui generis (soo-wee-JEN-uh-ris) – from the Latin for “of its own kind” – is a fancy way of saying “unique.” As I used it in my review of Kleo, above: “Yes, Killing Eve was an inspiration. So was Kill Bill…

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  supersede vs. supercede (verb)

  February 17, 2020 · 1 min read

  To supersede (soo-per-SEED) is to take the place of a person or thing previously in authority or use. Supercede is a misspelling… and has been a common mistake for centuries. As I used it today: “[Direct…

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