Someone can be ruthless, but can that person be ruthful? Ruthful is indeed a word that derives from an old definition of ruth meaning “the quality of being compassionate.” But unpaired negatives, like ruthless, unkempt, uncouth, or disgruntled, are...
Have you ever been faced with a defugalty? This ironic misspelling and mispronunciation of difficulty popped up in a Dashiell Hammett novel, They Glass Key, in 1931. It’s often said with a tongue in the cheek, but, as in the case of the Hammett...
Who doesn’t love a couthy lad? Grant plugs this Scottish adjective for someone who’s sociable. This is part of a complete episode. Transcript of “Couthy” We’ve talked before, and I know you remember this, about couth being the opposite of uncouth...
