Vigesimal

If you know somebody with a 20th birthday coming up, you’re going to want to tuck this word away.

It’s vigesimal.

That’s V-I-G-E-S-I-M-A-L.

Vigesimal.

Oh, yeah.

That was the word of the day for the dictionary.com app recently.

Oh, was it?

Yeah, it was.

Oh.

That means related to 20.

Yeah, having to do with the number 20.

It goes back to Latin vigesimus, which is related to Spanish vente, meaning 20, and of course also in French.

Oh, yeah, that’s a wonderful word because it seems like it should be a part of the body.

Like it relates to the length of the short intestine or something.

Right? Doesn’t it feel biological?

It absolutely does.

Yes, he had a vigesimal whatever.

My vegesimal intestine or my vigesimal, like maybe it describes the twists and turns of the bumps on the brain or something.

The crevices of the cerebellum.

I have no idea.

It does.

It sounds very technical.

But I guess you could use it for, you know, if you’re talking about four score and seven years ago, that’s a vigesimal phrasing.

The vigesimal anniversary of an institution or a person.

Yeah, we got a little ways to go before the radio show gets to our vigesimal anniversary, but I’m looking forward to it.

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