Word of the Day

Mayhap is an old-fashioned way to say "perhaps" or "maybe." Formed from the phrase "it may happen," the word gives uncertainty a slightly playful, storybook quality. A plain "maybe" gets the job done, but mayhap adds a bit of flair.

Versicolor can describe something that's actually multicolored or just appears to change color depending on the light or angle. It's a good word for lustrous surfaces where one hue seems to give way to another as your viewpoint changes. Opals, soap bubbles, and beetle shells can all be versicolor, depending on how you look at them.

A robustious person or event is full of energy and hard to ignore. Imagine a rowdy celebration where the crowd keeps getting louder as the evening goes on. A robustious character certainly doesn't sit around waiting to be noticed.

A nettlesome issue is irritating enough to bother you, but it's usually not a truly serious problem. The word is related to the stinging nettle, a plant whose leaves cause an unpleasant and sometimes lingering prickling sensation when touched. A squeaky cabinet hinge can become surprisingly nettlesome once it starts getting under your skin.

A trice is an instant or a moment. The word appears most naturally in the phrase "in a trice," meaning that something happens almost at once. Parents know that if you turn your back, the last cookie may disappear in a trice.