Word of the Day
phub
verb
to ignore a person or one's surroundings when in a social situation by busying oneself with a phone or other mobile device.
Why Dictionary.com chose phub
More about phub
- Phub was first recorded in 2010–15.
- Phub was a result of a linguistic experiment by a group of lexicographers, authors, and poets to coin a word to describe the behavior, and is a combination of the words phone and snub.
- Phone is a shortening of telephone, which combines the Greek forms Greek têle-, “far,” and – phōnḗ, “voice.”
- Snub, first recorded in the 14th century, comes from the Old Norse word snubba, “to scold, reprimand.”
EXAMPLES OF PHUB
- The couple’s romantic dinner was marred by their constant need to phub each other, diverting their attention to their phones rather than enjoying each other’s company.
- As the speaker passionately delivered his presentation, he noticed several audience members phubbing him, their focus shifted to their screens rather than paying attention.
curmudgeon
noun
a bad-tempered, difficult, cantankerous person.
Why Focus Features chose curmudgeon
A perfect example of a curmudgeon is prep school teacher Mr. Hunham, played by Paul Giamatti in Alexander Payne's new film The Holdovers. Will Mr. Hunham’s curmudgeonly comportment doom or redeem him in the end? Find out in this “irresistibly entertaining” film—get your tickets now at TheHoldoversFilm.com!
More about curmudgeon
- Curmudgeon was first recorded around 1570–80 and has an unexplained origin.
- A curmudgeon is someone who revels in having a negative outlook, insistently saying things like “adversity builds character.”
- A curmudgeon may have a tender heart, but they hide it behind a crusty exterior.
EXAMPLES OF CURMUDGEON
- Everyone knew Mr. Hunham as a true curmudgeon, the kind of teacher who would start a new lesson right before the holiday break.
- His students called him a curmudgeon behind his back, and he called them troglodytes, philistines, vulgarians, and Visigoths—to their faces.
retrospection
noun
the action, process, or faculty of looking back on things past.
Why Dictionary.com chose retrospection
More about retrospection
- Retrospection was first recorded in 1625–35.
- Retrospection was formed from the suffix –ion, denoting action or condition, and the word retrospect, “contemplation of the past.”
- Retrospect was probably formed from the prefix retro-, meaning “backward,” and the word (pro)spect from the Latin word prōspectus, “outlook, view.”
- The last piece of the puzzle, spect-, comes from the Latin word specere, meaning “to look.”
EXAMPLES OF RETROSPECTION
- The elderly man smiled as he leafed through his photo album, indulging in moments of retrospection, reliving his youth and reflecting on a life well-lived.
- After a year of travel, she looked out the plane window in retrospection, reminiscing about the places she had visited and the memories she had made.