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...
Couthy is a Scots adjective meaning sociable, agreeable, or friendly, with older senses including snug, plain, and homely. Like couth, the little-used opposite of uncouth, couthy is still around, if a bit old-fashioned. This is part of a complete...
