A few new words

garish

• gar⋅ish
• crudely or tastelessly colorful, showy, or elaborate, as clothes or decoration.
• Origin: 1535–45; earlier gaurish, perh. equiv. to obs. gaure to stare (ME gauren)
• Synonyms:1. loud, tawdry.

nonplus

• non⋅plus
• to render utterly perplexed; puzzle completely
• ORIGIN from Latin non plus ‘not more’.
• Synonyms:1. perplex, confuse, confound, disconcert.

periphery

• pe⋅riph⋅er⋅y
• the edge or outskirts, as of a city or urban area.
• Origin: 1350–1400;peripherīa periphéreia circumference, lit., a bearing round, equiv. to peri- peri- + phér(ein) to bear 1 + -eia -y 3 ; r. ME periferie periferīa, var. sp. of LL peripherīa
• Synonyms:1. circumference, perimeter.

strumpet

• strum⋅pet
• a prostitute; harlot.
• Origin: c.1327, of uncertain origin. One theory connects it with L. stuprata, fem. pp. of stuprare "have illicit sexual relations with," or L.L. strupum "dishonor, violation." Others suggest M.Du. strompe "a stocking," or strompen "to stride, to stalk" (as a prostitute might a customer).

I attended the fun bowl for the scholars bowl at the junior high school this weekend, and a few other moms and I were talking. Each of these words, deliciously, came up in conversation. How very exciting!