Hornswoggle is a slang word of some considerable mystery, at least where its etymology is concerned. The word appears to have originated in the southern United States in the early 19th century. The

Feb 16, 2025 · “Late on Saturday, as members of Congress scrambled to strike a deal for legislation that would raise the nation’s debt ceiling, they agreed to a total non sequitur in the text they would …

Mar 6, 2024 · Ad hominem literally means “to the person” in New Latin (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period). In centuries past, the term was used in the phrase “argument ad hominem” (or …

May 10, 2025 · Uncanny describes that which unsettles us, such as disquieting observations, or mysterious situations and circumstances. Strip the word of its prefix, though, and you're left with …

Aug 29, 2023 · The ancient Greeks exhaustively classified the elements of rhetoric, or effective speech and writing, and gave the name oxymoron—literally 'pointed foolishness'—to the deliberate …

Jan 18, 2024 · An axiom is a principle widely accepted for its intrinsic merit, or one regarded as self-evidently true. A statement that is axiomatic, therefore, is one against which few people would argue.

Jun 10, 2017 · Ascetic comes from askētikos, a Greek adjective meaning 'laborious.' Ultimately, it comes from the Greek verb askein, which means 'to exercise' or 'to work.' There aren't many other English …

Mar 21, 2024 · Scurrilous (and its much rarer relation scurrile comes from the Middle French word scurrile, which comes ultimately from the Latin noun scurra, meaning “buffoon” or “jester.” Fittingly, …

Apr 16, 2024 · Alien, alienable, inalienable—it's easy enough to see the Latin word alius, meaning 'other,' at the root of these three words. Alien joined our language in the 14th century, and one of its …

Oct 21, 2024 · What It Means Intransigent is a formal word that describes a person who refuses to compromise or abandon an often extreme position or attitude. It can also describe a thing, such as a …