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...
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...
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...