Yvonne
Issue was taken recently when a certain person came up with a couple of novel ideas for stemming the flood of coronavirus victims and literally hundreds of members took to the Twitter boards, so here’s what one of the UK’s most loved and respected lexicographer and etymologist had to say:-
“While Toilet Duck and Dettol are trending, here’s a reminder of the word ‘ultracrepidarian‘: one who consistently offers opinions and advice on subjects way beyond their understanding.”
ULTRACREPIDARIAN – An ultracrepidarian is a person who offers opinions beyond their own knowledge. It can also be used as an adjective describing such a person. This word is used in situations when someone is speaking as an authority on a subject that they have only limited knowledge of.
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Next up is another word featured in my recent reading…
“You think?” he said with a sigh. “Course, we will. But we did the same at the Davies apartment and came up bupkis. I can see why you’re thinking murder, though.”
BUPKIS – means absolutely nothing. It comes from the Yiddish bobkes, meaning nonsense or nothing, and it emerged in English during the early 20th century. It began as North American Jewish slang, but it’s now used more broadly, often for humorous effect.
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And rounding off this post, another word from my recent reading – and at this point I was still on the first page! I just assumed that this was the name of a place, however, when I came to check out a few of the other place names mentioned in the text, this word wasn’t amongst them.
…he was ordered by a Dutch officer to supervise the transport of inmates from the municipal jail in Jember and, arriving at Wonokromo station in Surabaya after a nine-hour journey, he dragged the corpses of suffocated prisoners from the goods train, he found the body of an Indo friend who had blown his brains out because his girl had slept with a Dutch soldier, and, amid the chaos of Bersiap, he killed young men with whom he had a score to settle. But for him the worst thing was when the neck of his guitar broke.
BERSIAP – Bersiap is the name given by the Dutch to a violent and chaotic phase of the Indonesian National Revolution following the end of World War II. The Indonesian word bersiap means ‘get ready’ or ‘be prepared’. The Bersiap period lasted from August 1945 to December 1946.
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Wondrous Words Wednesday … Is a weekly meme where we share new (to us) words that we have encountered in our reading. It is hosted by Kathy, over at ‘BermudaOnion’s Weblog’.
You can either stop by and leave a link to your own ‘mystery’ words of the week, or just browse the eclectic mix of words that others have discovered, there is always a great selection.
Don’t forget that Kathy and the rest of us, all love to read your comments as well, so that we can visit and share your words of the week!
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Apart from BUPKIS which I remember from my stint working in a residential home for aged Jews these are all new to me. I have to say ULTRACREPIDARIAN is proving difficult, it isn’t exactly rolling off my tongue 🙂
Hi Felicity,
Personally, I’m not sure that I like the sound of any of today’s words, but I guess that is because BUPKIS and BERSIAP aren’t English in origin.
ULTRACREPIDARIAN may be difficult to say, but when I tried breaking the word down into smaller chunks, it seemed to fit the occasion even more appropriately!! 🙂 I shall really have to try and fit this one into a general conversation, but I need to find the right person to be speaking to first!
Thanks for stopping by and continue to Take Care 🙂
All new words to me this time, Yvonne.
I love the first one! Ultracrepidarian. What a wonderful word with a great definition. Yes… you’d better be careful with whom you use it!
I have to admit that the lexicographer who coined the word, is very talented in her field and she couldn’t have made up a word which was any more appropriate! 🙂
Ultracrepidarian is a fantastic word! As you say, we really need it now.
be well… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
Hi Mae,
Ultracrepidarian is definitely my favourite word this week and just about every country has one in these troubled times, so it’s quite an easy one to drop into a sentence, although a bit of a tongue twister to say cleanly!
I hope that you are well and staying safe – It’s definitely crazy out there 🙂
Interesting words this week! I have heard of bupkis before. And yes, there are plenty of ultracrepidarians around lately especially!
Be well and enjoy your week ahead.
Hi Naida,
Yes! it does say that ‘bupkis’ is more widely used in North America, as I, nor any other English person I have spoken to over the last couple of weeks, have come across it before – and one of them was of Jewish origin! I actually don’t think it is a particularly nice sounding word to bandy around, but then again, I’m not really up on my Yiddish to know how harsh it really sounds when spoken!
Ultracrepidarian is definitely the favourite word this time, with more of them crawling out of the woodwork every day! 🙂
Nothing much changing around here next week. We have been out for a couple of walks, but have been avoiding contact with just about everybody, which can be stressful in itself! xx