Great words to know and use

 

 

Neoist:  One who favors or employs new ideas, styles, techniques, etc. From Greek neo- (new). Earliest documented use: 1916.


Insinuate comes from the Latin root sinuare, meaning "to bend or curve." It is a synonym of imply or suggest; however, insinuate usually conveys something unpleasant is said in a sly or underhanded way.

 

Livid has a colorful history. The Latin adjective lividus means "dull, grayish, or leaden blue." From this came the French livide, which English borrowed as livid. The word can describe flesh discolored by a bruise or an appearance deficient in color. Eventually, it came to be used for the complexion of a person pale with anger (i.e., "a person livid with rage"). From this meaning came two new senses: "reddish," as one is as likely to become red with anger as pale; the other was simply "angry" or "furious."

  

Scholars have long maintained that each era has a unique spirit, a nature or climate that sets it apart from all other epochs. In German, such a spirit is known as Zeitgeist, from the German words Zeit, meaning "time," and Geist, meaning "spirit" or "ghost."

 

Astute comes from the Latin noun astus, meaning "craft." The word implies being keenly observant and forming sound judgments based on knowledge and experience.