Pugnacious

Famed movie critic Roger Ebert has a new memoir coming out. In honor of him and his contribution (as in being the first film critic to win the Pulitzer Prize), we have our word for today: pugnacious.

\pəg-ˈnā-shəs\
Definition:
having a quarrelsome or combative nature
 
Etymology:
Latin pugnac-, pugnax, from pugnare to fight
 
Why is pugnacious associated with Ebert, you wonder? Ebert co-hosted a television show with Gene Siskel for over 20 years. I loved to watch the show, waiting for the final thumbs-up or thumbs-down from each of them. They disagreed a lot, which made their relationship seem pugnacious.
 
Specifically, I remember a review in 1994 of The Lion King, where Siskel loved the song Hakuna Matata, stating that he often sang it aloud. Ebert challenged him on it, saying that he had never heard him sing it and he was glad because he didn't like the song. Siskel shot it right back to him, stating that he didn't sing it in his hearing in deference to him.
 
Click here for a reel of outtakes from recording promos. You can clearly see that they were extremely pugnacious.