Mellifluous

Pronunciation:
\me-ˈli-flə-wəs, mə-\

Definition:
1: having a smooth rich flow
2: filled with something (as honey) that sweetens

Etymology:
Middle English mellyfluous, from Late Latin mellifluus, from Latin mell-, mel honey + fluere to flow; akin to Gothic milith honey, Greek melit-, meli


First Known Use: 15th century

My husband heard this word yesterday on NPR while listening to a story about a man's speech. Before I looked up the word, I thought it may be a negative term, but it is quite complimentary. Another very descriptive word for you to add to your vocabulary!

Insular

Pronunciation:
\ˈin(t)-su-lər, -syu-, ˈin-shə-lər\
 
Definition:
1a : of, relating to, or constituting an island b : dwelling or situated on an island

2: characteristic of an isolated people; especially : being, having, or reflecting a narrow provincial viewpoint
3: of or relating to an island of cells or tissue

Etymology:
Late Latin insularis, from Latin insula island

First Known Use: 1611

The 2011 National Book Award winners were announced. The awards are long considered to be insular, and this year was no exception. In this case, I would prefer this definition: ; standing alone; isolated. While I don't think some mainstream books deserve an award, it would be nice for more popular authors and titles to be considered. It seems that they can't win unless they lack an audience.

Coffer

Pronunciation:
\ˈko-fər, ˈkä-\

Definition:
1: chest; especially : strongbox

2: treasury, funds —usually used in plural
3: a recessed panel in a vault, ceiling, or soffit

Etymology:
Middle English coffre, from Anglo-French, ultimately from Latin cophinus basket, from Greek kophinos

First Known Use: 13th century

I heard this word this morning during our sermon. The preacher was talking about Catholics being able to purchase forgiveness of sins, or the security of a loved one's release from purgatory (the purchase of these is called indulgences). Preacher explained that as soon as the coins hit the bottom of the coffer, the loved one would be released into paradise. It's a word not widely used now, and I liked it!

Disentangle

Pronunciation:
/disenˈtaNGgəl/

Definition:
1.Free (something or someone) from an entanglement; extricate
2.Remove knots or tangles from (wool, rope, or hair).

Etymology:
None found

First known use: 1550

I ran across disentangle in a book I was reading and wondered why the author would use this word, as opposed to untangle.

To get to the bottom of it, you would have to go back to the root of the words: tangle. Entangled is almost always used when one thing becomes entwined with another, not when one thing becomes entwined or interwoven in itself, as with hair.

Does that straighten it out for you?

Stultify

Pronunciation:
\ˈstəl-tə-fī\

Definition:
1: archaic : to allege or prove to be of unsound mind and hence not responsible

2: to cause to appear or be stupid, foolish, or absurdly illogical
3a : to impair, invalidate, or make ineffective : negate b : to have a dulling or inhibiting effect on

Etymology:
Late Latin stultificare to make foolish, from Latin stultus foolish; akin to Latin stolidus stolid

First Known Use: 1737

The government has been stultified by bureaucracy.

Charlatan

Pronunciation:
\ˈshär-lə-tən\

Definition:
1: quack
2: one making usually showy pretenses to knowledge or ability

Etymology:
Italian ciarlatano, alteration of cerretano, literally, inhabitant of Cerreto, from Cerreto, Italy

First Known Use: 1618

I love this word! The very idea that someone would practice trickery for monetary gain...wait...isn't that what politicians do? HA!
 
Famous charlatans:

• John R. Brinkley, the "goat-gland doctor" who implanted goat glands as a means of curing male impotence, helped pioneer both American and Mexican radio broadcasting, and twice ran unsuccessfully for governor of Kansas.
• Albert Abrams, the advocate of radionics and other similar electrical quackery who was active in the early twentieth century.
• Italian Alessandro Cagliostro (real name Giuseppe Balsamo) who claimed to be a count.
• The mystical Count of St. Germain.
• Charles Ponzi, for whom the "Ponzi scheme" is named, a scam that relies on a "pyramid" of "investors" who contribute money to a fraudulent programme.
• Bernard Madoff, an American stockbroker who ran the worlds largest Ponzi scheme, defrauding investors out of $18 billion.

Don't be a charlatan!

Aficionado

Pronunciation:
\ə-fi-sh(ē-)ə-ˈnä-(ˌ)dō, -fē-, -sē-ə-\

Definition:
1: A person who likes, knows about, and appreciates a usually fervently pursued interest or activity\
2: A person who is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic about an activity, subject, or pastime.

Etymology:
Spanish, from past participle of aficionar to inspire affection, from afición affection, from Latin affection-, affectio
First Known Use: 1802

My dad bought a bow tie this past weekend. Now he had to learn how to tie it. I remember a few weeks back, Strat, Jack and I were trying to watch videos on YouTube to learn how to tie a necktie. Jack finally just went upstairs, but Strat and I took it personally that it was not easy for us to master immediately and we tried and tried and tired to tie those stupid neckties. Finally, we stopped, furious, yelling and in terribly, caustic moods. It makes me laugh today.
 
Mother reported that Dad, too, went to YouTube to try to learn to tie a bow tie, with the same results that Strat and I experienced: anger and frustration resulting in a very cleansing yelling at the computer screen.
 
Here is a video of NFL linebacker Dhani Jones, a self-proclained aficionado of bow ties, showing how to tie one. There are even publications for aficionados: Doggie Aficionado, Cigar Aficionado, Toad Aficionado, Shoe Aficionado and Guitar Aficionado. There is a band, teliquia brand and book club that all bear the name.
 
This is a word to add to your vocab!