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General discussionEnglish Word of the Day(189 posts)(189 posts)
(189 posts)
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This is my favourite topic
Posted May 20, 2015
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Wishbone: Muggins (n): A stupid and/or unfortunate person. Often used about oneself when consequences of the actions of oneself or others hits one.

"And who is going to have to clean all this up later? Muggins here, that's who!"
Where did you encounter that word?
Posted May 20, 2015
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Wishbone: Muggins (n): A stupid and/or unfortunate person. Often used about oneself when consequences of the actions of oneself or others hits one.

"And who is going to have to clean all this up later? Muggins here, that's who!"
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justanoldgamer: Where did you encounter that word?
Don't quite remember. It popped into my mind yesterday. I've certainly heard it in some British movies and TV shows.
Posted May 20, 2015
My mother (from the North East of England) uses it, if that helps.

Bedraggled, adj. Soaked and untidy; the way you get after getting caught in a rainstorm without a coat.
Posted May 20, 2015
winklepicker

It was a style of shoe worn by Teddy Boys in the 1950s with a sharp and long pointed toe.
Posted May 20, 2015
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justanoldgamer: Where did you encounter that word?
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Wishbone: Don't quite remember. It popped into my mind yesterday. I've certainly heard it in some British movies and TV shows.
It's common British vernacular.
Posted May 20, 2015
Coddle, v. To cosset, indulge, spoil, pamper--except in cookery; coddled eggs are something different.

Mollycoddle, v. Like the above, but even more so and without the culinary bit.
Posted June 16, 2016
Woebegone (adj): Downcast, miserable, afflicted with grief.
Posted August 07, 2019
Passim (Adv): (of allusions or references in a published work) to be found at various places throughout the text.
Posted August 07, 2019
That's literally from Latin though, completely unchanged.
Posted August 07, 2019
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morolf: That's literally from Latin though, completely unchanged.
It's in the Oxford English dictionary. 'nuff said.
Posted August 07, 2019
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Hickory: It's in the Oxford English dictionary. 'nuff said.
Blitzkrieg is also in the OED.

I've got another interesting example for a loan word though, which also changed meaning somewhat:
juggernaut
Etymology: < Hindi Jagannāth < Sanskrit Jagannātha ‘lord of the world’, < jagat world + nātha lord, protector.
1. Hindu Mythology. A title of Kṛishṇa, the eighth avatar of Vishṇu
2. figurative. An institution, practice, or notion to which persons blindly devote themselves, or are ruthlessly sacrificed.
3. (Now with lower-case initial.) A large heavy vehicle; spec. a heavy lorry.
Posted August 07, 2019
taciturn [ tas-i-turn ] adjective
1) inclined to silence; reserved in speech; reluctant to join in conversation.
2) dour, stern, and silent in expression and manner.
Posted August 07, 2019
Sandbagger: someone who deliberately misleads you to get what they want
Posted August 07, 2019
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Hickory: It's in the Oxford English dictionary. 'nuff said.
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morolf: Blitzkrieg is also in the OED.

I've got another interesting example for a loan word though, which also changed meaning somewhat:
juggernaut
Etymology: < Hindi Jagannāth < Sanskrit Jagannātha ‘lord of the world’, < jagat world + nātha lord, protector.
1. Hindu Mythology. A title of Kṛishṇa, the eighth avatar of Vishṇu
2. figurative. An institution, practice, or notion to which persons blindly devote themselves, or are ruthlessly sacrificed.
3. (Now with lower-case initial.) A large heavy vehicle; spec. a heavy lorry.
That's the thing, English is a language full of words derived from other languages, both alive and dead.
Posted August 07, 2019
Supercaliflawjalisticexpialadoshus - a nonsense word.
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This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionEnglish Word of the Day(189 posts)(189 posts)
(189 posts)