A.Word.A.Day --crackjaw

A.Word.A.Day

About | Media | Search | Contact

Home

Today's Word

Archives

Dec 29, 2017

This week’s theme
No el

This week’s words
quartziferous
hypercathexis
bavardage
aciniform
crackjaw

Svínafellsjökull
Literally, Swine Mountain Glacier
(SVEE-nah-fells-yuhk-ud-hl)

Photo: Kevin Hale
Audio: Gunnlaugur Þór Briem

This week’s comments
AWADmail 809

Next week’s theme
Blend words

A.Word.A.Day

with Anu Garg

crackjaw

PRONUNCIATION:

(KRAK-jaw)

MEANING:

adjective: Hard to pronounce.
noun: A word or phrase that’s hard to pronounce.

ETYMOLOGY:

From crack, from Old English cracian (to resound) + jaw, from Old French joue (cheek). Earliest documented use: 1827.

USAGE:

“[Julia] exclaims ‘Ach, what a crackjaw language this German is!’”
Gayden Wren; A Most Ingenious Paradox: The Art of Gilbert and Sullivan; Oxford University Press; 2001.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY:

Here is my first principle of foreign policy: good government at home. -William Ewart Gladstone, British prime minister (29 Dec 1809-1898)

We need your help

Help us continue to spread the magic of words to readers everywhere

Donate

Subscriber Services
Awards | Stats | Links | Privacy Policy
Contribute | Advertise