Tag: 1890 – 1899

Word of the Day: REBARBATIVE

ETYMOLOGY
from French rebarbatif (repellent, disagreeable),
from rebarber (to oppose, to stand up to; referring to two men squaring up face to face, beard to beard, aggressively) + -atif

EXAMPLE
“…It is not very clear why Sir Robert Coke (for that is his name) bestows so much trouble and time on this very rebarbative lady; it certainly is not for her undisguised admiration of him, as his own fascinations as well as his position enable him to command as much admiration as he cares for, and, besides, he seems to find it embarrassing; and it is not for the sake of her personal beauty, for she has none…”

From: The Saturday Review of Politics, Literature, Science and Art
Volume 74, November 12, 1892
‘Mrs Bligh’

PRONUNCIATION
ruh-BAR-buh-tiv

Word of the Day: HUMDUDGEON

ETYMOLOGY
from hum (a piece of humbug, an imposition, a hoax) + dudgeon (a feeling of anger, resentment, offense)

EXAMPLE (for n. 1)
“…”Hout tout, man – I would never be making a hum-dudgeon about a scart on the pow – but we’ll be in Scotland in five minutes now, and ye maun gang up to Charlies-hope wi’ me, that’s a clear case…”

From: Guy Mannering
By Walter Scott, 1815

Word of the Day: WHIZZER

ETYMOLOGY
from whizz (to move swiftly or with such a sound) + -er

EXAMPLE
“…The washerwoman finds her occupation almost gone through the introduction of machinery. The larger part of the city of Troy is devoted to the manufacture of engines, whizzers, starchers, and other machines of the steam laundry. The most interesting machine is the whizzer, which dries clothes in 1,000 revolutions a minute…”

From: The Pall Mall Budget, July 1887
Volume 35

Word of the Day: YESTERN

ETYMOLOGY
? partly a) (in English editions of Scots texts) a variant or alteration of yestreen (adv. during the evening of yesterday), after yester (adv. yesterday); and partly
b) a variant or alteration of yester (adv.), yester (n.), and yester (adj.), respectively

EXAMPLE
“…Now wat ye wha I met yestern,
Coming down the street, my jo?
My mistress in her tartan screen,
For bony, braw and sweet, my Jo…”

From: Allan Ramsay in Aviary, 1745
‘Edinburgh Kate’

Word of the Day: CHATTERMAG

ETYMOLOGY
from chatter + mag (a chatterbox)

EXAMPLE
“…Now then, stop that; we don’t want no such dal’d nonsense; we come here to work. Now then, you women, divide into twos, and begin at both ends, or we shan’t get any work done for your chattermagging…”

From: Stubble Farm;
Or, Three Generations of English Farmers
By Hubert A. Simmons, Vol. II, 1880
Chapter I. P. 14

Word of the Day: BLUTHERBUNG

ETYMOLOGY
of unknown origin

EXAMPLE
“…In a neighbouring parish, a preacher in one of the chapels gave out his text in great form, “Behold the bridegroom cometh.” Just then, in walked a newly-married couple, in all the glory of their wedding attire. They were of course, beheld of all beholders, the whole thing so upset the orator, that quoth he “Well mi brethren I’m clean blutherbunged!” and sat down…”

From: Lincolnshire Notes and Queries,
Volume 2, 1891
The Parish Church of St. Mary, Whaplode
By W. E. Foster, 1889