Askew is an adjective that means crooked or not straight.

Our word of the day comes from Middle English and simply meant slanted or not parallel. Askew can still be used in this sense today, but it can also be used figuratively to refer to something that is awry or wrong.

Our plan was to spend a fun weekend in the woods and savor the wildlife, but our plan went askew when we forgot to bring mosquito repellent.

Endemic is an adjective that means native to a particular area.

The Greek word endemios (en DEM ee os) means ‘native.’ As this word evolved into our word of the day, it maintained the same basic meaning. If something is endemic to an area, it is native there.

When I returned to Australia, I’d forgotten how many species were endemic to the country. It was great seeing all those native animals again.

Impart is a verb that means to communicate or make information known.

The Latin word impartire (im par TEAR ay) means ‘to divide’ or ‘disseminate.’ When we disseminate or impart information, we make it more known or available to people.

I’m glad my parents took the time to impart to me the wisdom of ancient philosophers. Too bad I didn’t take the time to listen to them.

Viscous is an adjective that means having a thick, sticky consistency.

The Latin word viscum (VEES coom) refers to birdlime, a sticky substance used on twigs to trap small birds. Something that is described as viscous may not have anything to do with birds or birdlime, but it has in common that sticky consistency.

As a bartender, I discovered, after trying to experiment with my own concoctions, that people prefer drinks that go down nice and smooth. Anything too viscous is not likely to gain many fans.

Gelid is an adjective that means icy or extremely cold.

The Latin word gelu (JAY loo) means ‘frost’ or ‘intense cold.’ The word can be used as a literal reference to something icy or very cold as in ‘The pond was gelid that evening,’ or it can be used metaphorically as in: I was hoping for a warm reception at the reunion, but when I got a gelid greeting from everyone, I had a feeling their memories of me weren’t very fond.

Contretemps is a noun that refers to a minor dispute or disagreement.

The Latin word tempus (TEM poos) means ‘time.’ Combined with the prefix C-O-N-T-R-E, which means  ‘counter’ or ‘against,’ we get a word that describes people engaged in disagreement or dispute.

With so many passionate people in the publishing industry, it’s not surprising that we would have the occasional contretemps in our office. Just the other day, a loud argument ensued over the proposed cover of a romance novel.

Ursine is an adjective that means related to or resembling a bear.

The Latin word Ursus (OOR soos) means ‘bear.’ The word has migrated to English to become our word of the day. Describing a person or thing as ursine, is suggesting they resemble a bear, either in appearance, behavior or both. For example:

Bearded and weighing close to three hundred pounds, Mr. Henry’s ursine looks could be pretty intimidating for a kid. It’s not often you step into a classroom and find someone who looks like they maul you.

Canard is a noun that refers to an unfounded rumor.

Our word of the day originated from canard (CAN are) the French word for ‘duck.’ The journey from ‘duck’ to ‘unfounded rumor’ is a complicated one that begins with a French phrase that refers to ‘half-selling a duck’ or ‘cheating.’ From there, the word came to mean something ‘unfounded.’

The more I travel, the more I find many old canards about certain countries to be untrue. The French, for example, are not rude as many unfounded beliefs suggest.

Soi-disant is an adjective that means self-described.

Our word of the day comes directly from the French words for ‘oneself’ and ‘saying.’ It’s usually used to refer to a title or description a person has given themselves. Example: Charlie is a soi-disant troublemaker. But most of the trouble from this self-described troublemaker involves stealing the occasional cookie from the kitchen when his mom isn’t looking.

ulgate is a verb that means to make an idea or belief known among people.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word promulgare (pro mull GAR ay) which means ‘to bring something out.’ When we bring out a belief or idea among others, we promulgate it. For example: Some of my favorite philosophers of the 19th century helped spread ideas of tolerance. It’s a lovely thing that people used their pulpit to promulgate acceptance.