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Why Dictionary.com chose hornswoggle
More about hornswoggle
- First recorded in 1815鈥�25.
- Of obscure origin. An 1829 periodical from The Virginia Literary Museum聽claimed the word came from Kentucky and defined it as “to embarrass irretrievably.”
EXAMPLES OF HORNSWOGGLE
- The startup tried to hornswoggle investors with a product that barely worked.
- By the time I realized I had been hornswoggled, the grifter was long gone with my cash.
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Why Dictionary.com chose dactylogram
More about dactylogram
- First recorded in 1910鈥�15.
- Combines dactylo-, meaning “finger or toe,” + -驳谤补尘虏, meaning “drawing or something written down.”
EXAMPLES OF DACTYLOGRAM
- The only evidence left behind was a lone dactylogram smudged across the shattered windowpane.
- He compared the dactylogram to dozens of archived prints, searching for a match.
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Why Dictionary.com chose fickle
More about fickle
- From Old English (450鈥�1150) ficol, meaning “deceitful.”
- Related to the obsolete verb fike, meaning “to deceive.”
EXAMPLES OF FICKLE
- The weather here is notoriously fickle, swinging from sunshine to storms in minutes.
- Her biggest worry wasn’t impressing the hiring manager; it was whether her fickle internet connection would hold up long enough to finish the interview.
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