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Eponyms

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galahad
baedeker
zephyr
janus-faced
ritz


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There’s a word for it

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A.Word.A.Day

PRONUNCIATION:

(rits)

MEANING:

noun:	Luxury, glamor, opulence, etc.
verb tr.:	1. To make a show of luxury or opulence.
	2. To behave haughtily toward someone; to snub.

ETYMOLOGY:

After César Ritz (1850-1918), a Swiss hotelier. Earliest documented use: 1900.

NOTES:

César Ritz was known for his opulent hotels and was called “the hotelier of kings and the king of hoteliers”. The word ritz is often used in the phrase “to put on the ritz” meaning to “make an ostentatious show”.

USAGE:

“In the film [Elysium], Earth’s rich live on a ritzed-out, ultra-technological satellite in orbit, and leave the poor to fight it out for resources back on the planet.”
Jacob Hersh; Countdown to the 3rd: A Hair-Raising Scandal; The Daily Evergreen (Pullman, Washington); Sep 10, 2020.

“I didn’t ask to see you. You sent for me. I don’t mind your ritzing.”
Raymond Chandler; The Big Sleep; Knopf; 1939.

See more usage examples of ritz in Vocabulary.com’s dictionary.

A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: