Wordwizard

For some months now I have been producing an audio word a day. While it's popularity is growing, I find that many people aren't equipped to get each episode by podcast or RSS. That's why I have begun an email notification list. People who don't know or care what podcasting or RSS are, can download a...

The ones I checked mostly say "to those in need" which would usually be understood to be the poor. The Concise Oxford English Dictionary and The Oxford Dictionary of English both define "charity" as an organization with this aim. But laws that define what a charity is for tax purposes have slightly ...

But we do use "rue" which is the opposite of "ruthless." The OED gives "goam" as the opposite of "gormless" and alas, agrees with you that "goam" is indeed obsolete, last cited 1877.
http://www.podictionary.com the audio word a day

"Bimbo" evolved from Italian "bambino" meaning "child" and the OED first citation in 1919 has a meaning of "tough guy." A second meaning appears in 1929 closer to the meanings 3 & 4 above, but my own understanding would put a bimbo as a "dumb blond" type; sort of a trophy date. I mentioned "bimbo" i...

I didn't look it up before I spat it out so I'm glad that I have no reason to blush (not that reason anyway).

Written in dialect, as were the poems of Robbie Burns in Scottish dialect this "dickshonary" is written in Lancashire dialect. An example: BERRYIN' (funeral). Aw've heeard id said as fact'ry fooak only geds three good sprees in a lifetime an' them's ayther at a kessenin', aweddin',or a berryin' an' ...

A few weeks ago, while producing one of my podictionary episodes I came across in the Oxford English Dictionary a citation in an obscure dialectical dictionary from 100 years ago. It is called "A Blegburn Dickshonary." A kind listener gave me a copy and since the copyright has reverted to the public...

how about unimpeachable - honest – artless (as in not scheming) – (there is another one that could go in here along the lines of "could be led astray", corruptible is too harsh) - dishonest - crooked/corrupt irrefutable - true - questionable - untrue - preposterous http://www.podictionary.com the au...

Chronology has a longer history, popping up before 1600 and originally referring to a study of and categorization of time. Timeline appeared first in 1890 according to the OED and was literally a line drawn by a pen. Strictly speaking chronology might have less of a transference to its current usage...

Hi All (I was away for the weekend) WRT certainty of Chronios, my impression was that it was some etymologyists' impression, by no means certain (but makes sense). WRT transcripts of podictionary.com; here's the thing. I have a book on word origins coming out next year, pocitionary.com is my humble ...

The OED tells me that "Phantasmagoria" appeared first in London in the "Gentleman's Magazine" in June of 1802 and was "a name invented for an exhibition of optical illusions..." for which the Greek roots run to the same roots for "phantom" and "agora" (meeting place). However, they go on to say that...

I posted a two minute audio "word of the day" on "crony" on October 4th. You can listen to it at
http://podictionary.libsyn.com/index.php?post_id=25019

I just wanted everyone to know that I have started an "almost daily" podcast (that's and internet audio broadcast) on words. Each episode is only a minute or two long. Please visit http://www.podictionary.com Thanks!