Hypochondria derives from the Greek preposition hypo, meaning “under,” as in the hypodermic that goes under the skin, and hypothermia, the condition of being insufficient heat. The -chondria in hypochondria comes from Greek chondros, meaning...
To be in a brown study means to be “deep in thought,” and often refers to gloomy or melancholy contemplation. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “A Brown Study” Hello, you have A Way with Words. Hi, this is Molly White. I’m from San...
We’ve talked before about needing a word for the disappointment you feel when your favorite restaurant closes for good. A listener suggests a pun on melancholy, meal-ancholy. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Mealancholy” We asked a...
The word plangent, which means “loud” and sometimes has a melancholy ring to it, is an apt descriptor for movie soundtracks. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Plangent” I wish I could remember the movie that was being discussed. But...