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Why Dictionary.com chose quiddity
More about quiddity
- Quiddity is from the Latin word, quidditās, meaning “essence” or “whatness.”
- Quintessence or quintessential refer to the perfect embodiment of something and also derive from the same Latin root, quid, meaning “what.”
- Quiddity was first recorded in 1350–1400.
EXAMPLES OF QUIDDITY
- Understanding the quiddity of the problem is key to finding a solution.
- She knew that the quiddity of her subject would come out in the final painting.
zhuzh
verb
to make something more lively and interesting, stylish, or appealing, as by a small change or addition.
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Why Dictionary.com chose zhuzh
More about zhuzh
- Zhuzh first appeared in the mid-1960s in gay communities in the U.K. in the sense meaning “to improve the look of one’s clothing or outfit.”
- The current sense of zhuzh (also spelled zhoosh) was first recorded in 1975–80.
- Zhuzh possibly comes from a Polari word meaning “to fix or tidy” or the Romani word zhouzhou, meaning “clean, neat.”
- It’s more likely that zhuzh is imitative of someone rushing around.
EXAMPLES OF ZHUZH
- She decided to zhuzh up her outfit with a colorful scarf and some bold jewelry.
- With just a few new throw pillows and some rearranging of furniture, they zhuzhed up the living room.
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Why Dictionary.com chose skullduggery
More about skullduggery
- Skullduggery can also refer to an instance of dishonest behavior.
- Skullduggery is an Americanism dating back to 1865–70.
- It’s a variant of sculduddery, a Scots word meaning “obscenity.”
EXAMPLES OF SKULLDUGGERY
- The politician was caught engaging in skullduggery to gain an unfair advantage over her opponent in the election.
- The company’s CEO was fired after it was discovered he had been involved in skullduggery to cover up the company’s financial losses.
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