gadfly \GAD-fly\ (noun) - 1 : One who persistently annoys. 2 : Any of the various types of flies that bite livestock.

"Despite his stern image, Frederic loved gossip and bawdy, silly jokes and became close friends with noted gadfly Angela DeMauier."

From gad (a goad for cattle), from Middle English, from Old Norse gaddr.

magisterial \maj-uh-STEER-ee-uhl\ (adjective) - 1 : Having the characteristics of a master or teacher; authoritative. 2 : Domineering or overbearing. 3 : Of or relating to a magistrate.

"Everyone agreed that Jason's magisterial qualities ensured that he would not long be toiling in the company's mail room."

From Late Latin magisterialis (...Read more

gordian \GOR-dee-uhn\ (adjective) - Highly intricate; extremely difficult to solve.

"All agreed that coming up with a solution to the gordian problem of where to locate the company's new branch office was certain to take everyone's full attention for quite some time."

In Greek mythology, King Gordius of Phrygia tied a knot that defied all ...Read more

laconic \luh-KON-ik\ (adjective) - Sparing with words, concise, terse.

"Lana's laconic way of speaking was completely at odds with her wordy, rambling prose style."

From Latin Laconicus, from Greek Lakonikos, from Lakon, Laconian, a resident of Laconia, an ancient country in southern Greece (Capital: Sparta). From the the reputation of the ...Read more

simonize \SY-muh-nyz\ (verb tr.) - To shine or polish to a high sheen, especially with wax.

"Far beyond merely polishing it up, Susan simonized her personal profile for the online dating site until it gleamed like a freshly minted Krugerrand."

After Simoniz, a trademark.

quean \kween\ (noun) - A bold, impudent, or ill-behaved woman, even a hussy or a strumpet.

"Jean is a keen dean at school but a mean quean on the neighborhood scene."

Today's word originated as Old English cwene [kwene] when "queen" was "cwen" [kweyn]. Both are akin to Dutch kween "barren cow" and Swedish kvinna "woman." All these words ...Read more

tergiversate \tehr-GI-vehr-seyt\ (verb) - Abandon a cause or reverse one's position on something.

"When President Bush the Elder said 'Read my lips: no new taxes,' he later tergiversated on the issue."

Latin tergiversatus, past participle of tergiversor "to turn one's back" hence "to decline or refuse" from tergum "back" + ...Read more

sinecure \SY-nih-kyur; SIN-ih-\ (noun) - An office or position that requires or involves little or no responsibility, work, or active service.

"With layoffs looming due to an alleged decrease in attendance, Ronald was puzzled as to why none of the sinecures who peppered the top of the company's rank structure in the role of 'vice-presidents' ...Read more

indelible \in-DEL-uh-buhl\ (adjective) - 1 : That cannot be removed, erased, or washed away. 2 : Making marks that cannot easily be removed or erased. 3 : Incapable of being forgotten; memorable.

"Wanting an indelible representation of their eternal love for each other, Jim had a tattoo of Jane's name placed on his arm."

Indelible is from ...Read more

nisi \NY-sy, NEE-see\ (adjective) - Not yet final, taking effect at a later date unless invalidated by a certain cause.

"Albert was interested to read that his ex-wife's latest divorce was granted decree nisi as of the previous Friday."

From Latin nisi (unless, if not), from ne- (not) + si (if). The word usually appears in forms such as "...Read more

flout \FLOWT\ (transitive verb) - To treat with contempt and disregard; to show contempt for.

(intransitive verb) - To mock, to scoff.

(noun) - Mockery, scoffing.

"Franklin and Sheba were completely mystified by Frida's determination to flout as many social conventions as she could."

Flout comes from Middle English flouten, "to play the ...Read more

superfluous \soo-PER-floo-us\ (adjective) - More than is wanted or is sufficient; rendered unnecessary by superabundance; unnecessary; useless; excessive. (adverb) superfluously, (noun) superfluousness

"You must consider that what is necessary always occurs, and what is superfluous usually, but what is almost necessary, at least in my case, ...Read more

posit \POZ-it\ (transitive verb) - 1 : To assume as real or conceded. 2 : To propose as an explanation; to suggest. 3 : To dispose or set firmly or fixedly.

"It was difficult to posit a solution to the problem or even, indeed, to determine exactly what the problem was."

Posit is from Latin positus, past participle of ponere, "to put, to place,...Read more

uxorious \uk-SOR-ee-us; ug-ZOR-\ (adjective) - Excessively fond of or submissive to a wife.

"Of looks, words, consideration, habitual deference, and eager attention, I was quite as uxorious as I should have been of the warm kiss, or the yielding, fond embrace." -- W. Gilmore Simms, 'Confession, Or, the Blind Heart'

Uxorious is from Latin ...Read more

mooncalf \MOON-kaf\ (noun) - 1 : A daydreamer or absent-minded person. 2 : A fool or simpleton. 3 : A congenitally deformed person.

"Jefferson, who has become a justly popular leading actor over the past few seasons, is both monster and mooncalf."

From the earlier belief that a misshapen birth was a result of effects of the moon.

albatross \AL-buh-tros\ (noun) plural albatross or albatrosses - 1 : Any of several large, web-footed birds constituting the family Diomedeidae, chiefly of the oceans of the Southern Hemisphere, and having a hooked beak and long, narrow wings. 2 : A constant, worrisome burden. An obstacle to success.

"Getting the albatross that is Jacobs off of...Read more

preponderate \prih-PON-duh-rayt\ (intransitive verb) - 1 : To exceed in weight. 2 : To incline or descend, as the scale of a balance; to be weighed down. 3 : To exceed in influence, power, importance, number, amount, etc.

"Amour is the one human activity of any importance in which laughter and pleasure preponderate, if ever so slightly, over ...Read more

numen \NOO-muhn, NYOO-\ noun, plural numina \-muh-nuh\ - Divine power, deity, or spirit presiding in a place. Also creative energy.

"David was fond of meditating while watching insipid 70's sitcoms, feeling that they facilitated his symbolic transformation of unconscious material into spirit or numen."

From Latin numen (nod, divine power).

sennight \SEN-yt\ (noun) - A week.

"And with a kiss and a brush of the back of his hand on her cheek Jacob said goodbye to the fair Martha for yet another sennight."

From Middle English, from Old English seofon nihta, from seofon (seven) + nihta, plural of niht (night).

In ancient Rome, no one cared how many Teslas, McMansions or Rolexes you owned. Nope; wealth was measured in cattle, cattle, cattle!

(The bovine bourgeoisie was so status conscious that some Romans put bumper stickers on their inferior breeds of cattle reading, "My other cow is a Holstein.")

Thus, it's probably not surprising that the Latin ...Read more