Word Wednesday

Time for another edition of Word Wednesday.

This week I thought I'd actually get my act together and actually prepare this eve of Word Wednesday so as to actually get it out on time.

I know I've been a bit naughty about getting things out on time. I need a spanking.

OK then back to the word!!!

I've always liked the word POSH. Not it's not a Spice Girls things. Although I must admit as an Anglophile, I love their accents.

It's a versatile word as the below uses and definitions will show.

adjective


elegant or stylishly luxurious:
a posh Munich hotel chiefly British typical of or belonging to the upper class of society:
she had a posh accent

adverb

British
in an upper-class way:
trying to talk posh

noun

British
the quality or state of being elegant, stylish, or upper-class:
we finally bought a color TV, which seemed the height of posh

 Derivatives:
poshly
adverb

poshness
noun

This is perhaps my favourite part: the origin.

There is no evidence to support this, but it is widely reputed to have originated as an acronym for the phrase Port Out, Starboard Home. This was in reference to ships that would sail between England and India. More specifically in regards to accommodations. The preferred staterooms going to India were the ones on the port side of the ship and on the return the starboard side. The reason was that if you switched staterooms like that, you would be able to see land on your entire voyage, hence port out, starboard home, or more simply: POSH.

As someone that works in the cruise industry I love words that have (or supposedly have) a nautical theme behind them.

Enjoy this weeks word!!

Word Wednesday

So I kind of thought that it would be fun (and even a little educational) to start something new.

Word Wednesday.

No I'm not talking about "word" as in the newly adapted street slang of the word or even the Micro-Shaft document program.

I'm talking of course about language.

So I thought it would be fun to introduce everyone to a new word every week. After all it's kind of fun to learn something new and we should all strive to expand our vocabulary. The English language is literally the most difficult language to master (or so I had read once) because the same word can have so many different uses which makes it take on a different meaning.

So without any further waiting I present to you the first Word Wednesday's word:

Effluvium:
[ih-floo-vee-uhm]
–noun, plural -vi·a  
[-vee-uh]
, -vi·ums.
a slight or invisible exhalation or vapor, especially one that is disagreeable or noxious.

Origin:
1640–50; < Latin, equivalent to ef- ef- + fluv-, base of fluere to flow ( see effluent) + -ium -ium

ef·flu·vi·al, adjective
 
I must give credit where it's due.
 
First of all to dictionary.com  for the definition of course.
 
I also need to give thanks to author O.M. Grey for posting this word last week on her twitter feed and asking followers to use it in a sentence.
 
I have to admit that I thought it was fun. I know........word nerd alert.
 
Shut it now!!!
 
Believe it or not I'm quite a stickler for spelling, punctuation and proper word usage. Weird since I was not a stand out English student all through school.
 
So have fun, learn a word a week and use it in casual conversation.