Scrooge or scrooge scrooge / skro͞oj   noun 1. one who is miserly, stingy or selfish Within one’s own family, money is not the measure of things, unless the person is an absolute Scrooge. Margaret Atwood, 1939 –   etymology From the made-up name of the tightfisted, hardhearted miser Ebenezer Scrooge in Charles Dickens’ novel “A Christmas Carol”, perhaps inspired by the British dialect... Read More

jolly jol-ly / jŏl-ē adjective 1.  merry; full of good spirits The main reason Santa is so jolly is because he knows where all the bad girls live. George Carlin, 1937 – 2008 2. exhibiting or causing a feeling of good cheer; festive Have a holly, jolly Christmas; And when you walk down the street Say Hello to friends you know and everyone you meet Lyrics from “A... Read More

tinsel tin-sel /  tĭn-səl   adjective 1.  decorated with or made from sparkly strips or threads Overhead, on the topmost branch, the waxen Christmas angel with tinsel wings hovered over this family gathering. From “A German Pompadour” by Marie Hay, 1873 – 1938   2. gaudy and cheap looking; showy but worthless Unsustainable growth churns out tinsel products that consumers have to be seduced into buying... Read More

thankfulness thank-ful-ness / thăngk-fəl-nəs noun 1. a feeling of gratitude and appreciation; gratefulness . . . a basic law: the more you practice the art of thankfulness, the more you have to be thankful for.  Norman Vincent Peale, 1898 – 1993 etymology A combination of the English verb thank, which is derived from the Anglo-Saxon verb thankian (thank) through the Middle English verb thankien of the same meaning, the English adjectival suffix -ful (full of),... Read More

gather gath-er / găth-ər   noun 1. the act of drawing or bringing together Curly knew the story of how in one drive he had made a gather of outlaws that had brought fame to him. From “Crooked Trails and Straight” by William MacLeod Raine, 1871 – 1954           2. something that has been brought together Since knits tend to get really tight and fitted across the bodice,... Read More

host host / hōst noun 1. one who entertains guests A merry host makes merry guests.  Dutch Proverb 2. one who is an emcee or moderator for a broadcast program I cannot sing, dance or act; what else would I be but a talk show host. David Letterman, 1947 – 3. one who runs an inn, hotel or similar facility The body is not a permanent dwelling, but... Read More

husbandry hus-band-ry / hŭz-bən-drē   noun 1. care and raising of plants and animals for food; farming Profits might also increase, because improvements might take place in agriculture, or in the implements of husbandry, which would augment the produce with the same cost of production. David Ricardo, 1772 – 1823   2. careful management of resources; conservation And so it appears that most and perhaps all of... Read More

defender de-fend-er / dĭ-fĕnd-ər noun 1. one who protects against an attack The nation which forgets its defenders will be itself forgotten. Calvin Coolidge, 1872 – 1933   2. one who defends or champions a cause; an advocate The Queen of England is Defender of the Faith but the President of the United States is Defender of the Constitution, which defends all faiths. Walter F. Mondale, 1928 –... Read More

unfamiliar un-fa-mil-iar / ŭn-fə-mĭl-yər adjective 1. not having knowledge or experience of I just needed to know how a Hollywood screenplay looked on the page, which was something I was totally unfamiliar with. Diablo Cody, 1978 – 2. not known or recognized The chief virtue that language can have is clearness, and nothing detracts from it so much as the use of unfamiliar words. Hippocrates, 460 – 370... Read More

decrepit de-crep-it / dĭ-krĕp-ĭt adjective 1. weak and worn out due to old age; feeble There is room in our ranks for the old and decrepit, as well as the young and vigorous. Gerrit Smith, 1797 – 1874 2. worn out or broken down due to long, hard use; falling apart; shabby An enterprising person is one who drives through an old decrepit part of town and sees a new housing... Read More