Word of the Day: SUPERSTITIATE

ETYMOLOGY
from superstiti- + -ate 

EXAMPLE
“…Wherefore I will say to such, as one wiser than Solomon said to the Jews, when they superstitiated the gift, in counting it more honourable than the altar, ‘Ye fools, and blind, for whether is greater, the gift, or the altar that sanctifieth the gift?…”

From: The Saints’ Privilege and Profit
Or, The Throne of Grace
By John Bunyan, a1688

Word of the Day: SKIMMINGTON

ETYMOLOGY
possibly from skimming + -ton as in simpleton, with the object of simulating a personal name

EXAMPLE
“…And then, if they meere with such dull Lubbers as these Drones are; they may may with lesse blame borrow a point of the Law, and enjoy their longing. Yet when they haue it, let them vse poore Skimmington as gently as they may especially in publike, to hide his shame…”

From: The Feminine Monarchie,
Or the Historie of Bees
By Charles Butler, 1623

Word of the Day: SALSIPOTENT

ETYMOLOGY
from Latin salsipotentem, a false reading for salipotentem,
from salum (salt water) + potentem (having great authority or influence)

EXAMPLE
“…whearunto he made hiz fish to swim the swifter, and hy then declared: how the supream salsipotent Monarch Neptune, the great God of the swelling Seaz, Prins of profunditees, and Soouerain Segnior of all Lakez, freshwaterz, Riuerz, Créekes, and Goolphs…”

From: A Letter whearin part of the Entertainment vntoo the Queenz Maiesty at Killingwoorth Castl in Warwik Sheer
By William Patten, a1578

Word of the Day: SURQUIDANT

ETYMOLOGY
from Old French surcuidant (present participle of surcuidier
from popular Latin supercōgitāre ,
from super- (super- prefix) + cōgitāre (to think, to cogitate)

EXAMPLE
“…and yet they were but febly enformed in maister Porphiris problemes, and haue waded but weakly in his thre maner of clerkly workes, analeticall, topicall, and logycall: howbeit they were puffed so full of vaynglorious pompe and surcudant elacyon, that popholy and peuysshe presumpcion proyoked them to publysshe and to preche to people imprudet perilously…”

From: Honorificatissimo: Replycacion agaynst Yong Scolers
By John Skelton, 1528

Word of the Day: SHICKSTER

ETYMOLOGY
from shiksa (in Jewish speech, a gentile girl) 

EXAMPLE
“…The Parson is on the highfly in a fantail banger and a milky mill tog. He got the cant of togs from a shickster whose husband’s in a bone-box. He’ll gammon the swells. He touched one for an alderman the first ten minutes…”

From: The Sydney Slang Dictionary, 1880

Word of the Day: SALADING

ETYMOLOGY
from salad + -ing

EXAMPLE
“…Sow also (if you please) for early Colly-flowers.
Sow Chervil, Lettuce, Radish, and other (more delicate) Sal­letings; if you will raise in the Hot-bed.
In over wet, or hard weather, cleanse, mend, sharpen and prepare Garden-tools
…”

From: Kalendarium Hortense:
Or, The Gard’ners Almanac
– John Evelyn, 1666

Word of the Day: SLIP-SKIN

ETYMOLOGY
from slip + skin

EXAMPLE
“…A pretty slip-skin conveyance to sift Masse into no Masse, and Popish into not Popish; yet saving this passing fine sophistical boulting hatch, so long as she symbolises in form, and pranks herself in the weeds of Popish Mass…”

From: Animadversions upon the Remonstrants Defence against Smectymnuus
by John Milton, 1641