Punditocracy is a noun that refers to an elite or influential group of political commentators.

The word pundit comes from the Hindi word pandit (PON dit) which means ‘scholar.’ After being imported into the English language, the word has taken on a less formal meaning. A pundit may refer to an expert or simply someone who plays one on TV. The punditocracy refers to the collective wisdom of these pundits.

When the punditocracy predicted I would lose the election by a landslide, I was distraught. When asked what I would do if elected, I said, ‘demand a recount.’

Wiredraw is a verb that means to stretch or draw out forcibly.

Our word of the day originally came about as a reference to a process done to steel. It later came to refer to drawing something out excessively.

My old philosophy professor could wiredraw an idea out forever. He could often take a half-hour lesson and stretch it into six weeks of classes.

Manque is an adjective that means having failed at what one might have been.

Coming directly from the French word for ‘to lack,’ our word of the day is used to indicate an unfulfilled potential. Keep in mind, by the way, that when used, Manque is placed after the word it modifies — not before. Here’s an example:

My daughter can be downright militant when it comes to reporting people who don’t recycle as they should. By the time she graduated from college and got into the fashion industry, I had come to think of her as a police officer manque.

Hew is a verb that means to conform or adhere to.

Derived from the Latin word cudere (coo DARE ay) which means ‘to beat,’ our word of the day was originally used to mean ‘chop’ or ‘cut.’ By the 18th century, the phrase ‘hew the line’ had gained popularity. It referred to cutting a line along a log until it became squared. With this phrase, hew took on a new meaning. Today it is more commonly used to means ‘conform or adhere to.’

With Debra’s help, I was able to hew to the standards of the job. She taught me exactly how to conform to the rules that were expected of me.

Diglossic is an adjective that means tending to speak in different dialects in different settings.

The Greek prefix D-I means ‘two,’ while glossa (GLOW sah) means ‘language.’ But diglossic doesn’t strictly mean bilingual or ‘having two languages.’ Instead it means ‘having two versions of the same language.’ More specifically, it refers to having a tendency to use one version of a language in some contexts and another in different contexts.

Growing up with parents who spoke a ‘low’ version of Arabic at home while having a boss who spoke ‘high’ Arabic meant that Mahmoud had to become diglossic in his approach to language.

Asseverate is a verb that means to declare earnestly or solemnly.

Asseverare (ah SAY ver are ay) is a Latin word that means ‘assert’ or ‘declare.’ Our word of the day could be thought of simply as a synonym of ‘stated’ or ‘said,’ but asseverate is a more formal term than that. It is often used in legal or governmental contexts. For example:

The government officials will hold a press conference this afternoon. They are expected to asseverate a sincere effort to find those responsible for the bribery. About two years ago, they made the very same solemn declaration.

Volte-face is a noun that refers to a reversal of opinion or position.

Our word of the day comes directly from the French words ‘turn of face.’

The Governor’s volte-face on the issue was shocking to his long-term supporters. They’d never before seen him reverse field on a position he seemed to hold so firmly.

Perfidious is an adjective that means deceitful and untrustworthy.

Our word of the day is derived from the Latin word perfidia (pair FEE dee uh) meaning ‘treachery.’ By the late 16th century, the word had found its way into the English language as ‘perfidy.’ Perfidious is the adjective version of it.

There is no room for perfidious behavior on this team. If we don’t have trust in our teammates, there is no way we can come together and win!

Delphic is an adjective that means obscure or ambiguous.

The Delphi in Greece was the site of a temple of Apollo. An oracle, or fortune teller, resided there. Her prophecies were often ambiguous and difficult to interpret. Today when we use the term Delphic to describe someone or something we’re not suggesting they have prophetic powers, but rather, that they are unclear or muddy.

Working with Tammy has been great, but I often wish she would be more direct and clear in her instructions. Last week’s orders were downright Delphic. We weren’t sure if she wanted us to deliver eight bottles of root beer or drink them.

Vestige is a noun that refers to a remaining trace of something that has disappeared.

Our word of the day comes from the Latin word vestigum (ves TEE gum) which means ‘footprint’ or ‘trace.’ The word can be used in a wide range of contexts in science, biology and history to refer to elements of the past that remain although they are no longer needed. But vestige can also be used in more casual contexts.

For example: I don’t understand why Erica always checks the price tags of everything I buy and bring home. It may be a vestige of her early life of growing up poor and having to worry about spending too much money.