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A.Word.A.Day--blatherskite

blatherskite (BLATH-uhr-skyt) noun

1. A person who babbles about inane matters.

2. Nonsense; foolish talk.

[From Old Norse blathra (to chatter) + Scots dialect skate (a contemptible person).]

What does today's word have in common with the following seemingly disparate words: bladder, flatus, blast, flavor, inflate, souffle, afflatus? They all are ultimately derived from the Indo-European root bhle- and involve the idea of blowing. -Anu

"You can play it solo, but that bouncing, blatherskite of a compere keeps nagging at you to get a partner." Mark Butler, Movie Trivia an Interesting Cameo, The Australian (Sydney), May 27,1997.

"We should perhaps clarify that we do not prefer lawmaking by politicians to lawmaking by judges because we have some unhealthy fondness for the blatherskites who every four years knock on your front door and want to put up a sign on the lawn." Ian Hunter, Judge-bashing is Here to Stay, National Post (Canada), Mar 30, 2000.

This week's theme: words to describe people.

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