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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

For example, “Heaven forfend that the Wi-Fi goes down for 10 minutes,” or “Heaven forfend we actually cook dinner on a Friday night instead of ordering takeout.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

while “defend” has a connotation of actions taken while under attack. The idiom “heaven forfend,” sometimes heard as “heaven forbid,” is often said in a joking manner about something that shouldn’t or wouldn’t happen.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Word Origin Middle English, 14th century Why this word? “Forfend” is closely related to the similar-looking word “defend.” Both come from the Middle English word “fenden,” meaning “to protect.” “Forfend” has a connotation of preventing attacks,

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

Example Sentences I always keep an extra charger in my backpack to forfend a dead phone battery while traveling I back up my files to both a cloud drive and my computer to forfend any tech disasters Wearing noise-canceling headphones is the best way Ive found to forfend my focus in a busy office

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 08/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Forfend (ˈ)fȯrˈfend Verb (Archaic) Forbid. To ward off; prevent. Protect, preserve.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

In German, someone capable and efficient is “tüchtig,” while in Iceland, “dygðugur” means “virtuous.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Why this word? While “doughty” appeared in Middle English, similar adjectives can be found in other European languages. The Danish “dygtig” means “virtuous and proficient,” “duktig” is “efficient and clever” in Swedish, and in Dutch, a formidable person is “duchtig.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

Example Sentences “The stories of knights tell tales of doughty and courageous adventures.” “His actions showed that he was doughty and loyal in the face of difficulty.” “Despite challenges this year, your doughty accomplishments earned you the scholarship. Word Origin Old English, 11th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 05/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Doughty ˈdoudē Adjective Brave and persistent.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

“Apotropaic” is an adjective that describes something intended to ward off evil, or more positively, to bring good luck. It comes from the Greek “apotrópaios,” meaning “averting evil, that should be averted, ill-omened.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Why this word? While it may be an uncommon word, you’re likely familiar with apotropaic practices such as knocking on wood, tossing salt over your shoulder, carrying a lucky coin, or wearing special socks for good luck.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

“Athletes are notoriously superstitious, often treating pregame routines like apotropaic rituals.” Word Origin Greek, late 19th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

Example Sentences “Knocking on wood right after saying something hopeful is a default apotropaic habit.” “My sister hung a small bundle of dried lavender above her apartment door as a sort of apotropaic shield against bad vibes.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 04/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Apotropaic ¦a-pə-trō-¦pā-ik Adjective Designed to avert evil.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

“Couthie” developed in Scotland to apply to people with a comfortable, kindly nature, or to situations that give off comfortable vibes.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Why this word? Couthie is a Scottish dialect term, used as an adjective meaning “pleasant” or “cozy.” It comes from the Middle English “couth,” meaning “familiar.” In modern English, “couth” is more commonly used to describe something sophisticated or polished — and “uncouth” is the exact opposite

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Word Origin Scottish, early 18th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

Example Sentences “The neighborhood coffee shop has such a couthie vibe that I can hang out there for hours.” “The host’s couthie charm instantly put all of the dinner guests at ease.” “After a long week, putting on oversized sweatpants and sitting by the fireplace felt wonderfully couthie.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 03/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Couthie ˈku̇-thē Adjective Pleasant, kindly. Comfortable, snug.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Amazon seem determined to lose customers? The Only notify I have is that it is |"out for delivery" No time slot at all That, plus what is beginning to look like a 2 day delivery, and you really begin to question the main value of Prime.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Why this word? Broken down into its components, “veridical” applies to the advice to “just tell the truth.” It originates from the Latin word “veridicus,” from “verus” (“true”) and “dicere” (“say”). Basically, this adjective applies to anything that tells the truth.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

Example Sentences “I can always count on my mother to give veridical advice.” “Even when I daydream, my thoughts remain quite veridical.” “After a vivid dream, you might wonder what was veridical and what was the product of your sleeping brain.” Word Origin Latin, mid-17th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 02/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Veridical vəˈridək(ə)l Adjective Truthful. Coinciding with reality.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Practice working with words, as well as familiarity with the language as a whole, allows a writer to intuit that a certain pause might require a comma, or that the order in a list might need to be rearranged.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Why this word? This word originated in German from a combination of the words “Sprache” (“speech, a language”) and “Gefühl” (“feeling”). Sprachgefühl is one way experienced wordsmiths instinctively know that something sounds off.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Word Origin German, early 20th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

Example Sentences “My flashcards couldn’t teach me the Sprachgefühl of the language, so I joined a conversation group.” “He had to study French for 10 years to begin to grasp its Sprachgefühl.” “I gained a better sense of the Sprachgefühl of the language after I lived in the country for a year.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 01/10/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Sprachgefühl ˈSHpräkɡəˌf(y)o͞ol Noun Intuitive feeling for the natural idiom of a language. The essential character of a language.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

and “katabasis,” meaning “descent” — usually meant a descent into hell or the underworld. However, when the word moved into English, it acquired a military usage; a katabasis is a retreat. The word can be used today in the military sense or to refer to any type of movement down or back.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Why this word? The 2025 fantasy novel “Katabasis” by R.F. Kuang appropriately follows two academic magicians as they journey into hell to retrieve their banished professor. In mythology, a katabasis — from the Greek “katabainein,” meaning “to go down,”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Word Origin Greek, early 20th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

Example Sentences “The novel traces his katabasis from corporate success to burnout.” “That rough semester felt like a personal katabasis I had to climb out of.” “After the scandal, the influencer’s career went through a public katabasis.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 30/09/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Katabasis kəˈtabəsə̇s Noun A going or marching down or back. Retreat; especially, a military retreat.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 29/09/2026

Time to think about things Burnham says he will end pensions triple lock from 2030 to help fund national care service BBC News - www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c6... Burnham giving first Labour conference speech as prime minister - watch live - BBC News

bbc.co.uk

Burnham giving first Labour conference speech as prime minister - watch live

Under the plan, the state pension will continue to rise each year by the higher of prices or 2.5% - but the annual earnings link will be dropped.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

“Menace,” meaning “one that represents a threat or danger,” shares the same root.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Why this word? Dark alleys, threatening glares, and ominous music — all could be described as minacious. This adjective, from the Latin “minax,” meaning “threatening,” describes anything with a threatening or menacing appearance or attitude.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Word Origin Latin, mid-17th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

Example Sentences The minacious dark clouds rolling over the beach convinced us to pack up the picnic before the rain hit My cat likes to give everyone a minacious glare until someone feeds him My sisters manager sent a minacious email about missed deadlines so she worked late & skipped dinner

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 27/09/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Minacious mə̇ˈnāshəs Adjective Of a menacing or threatening character.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

I have started it, Just. I'll do my Bestest!

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

so you might not use it in casual conversation, but you could describe tolling church bells as soniferous. The word could also be used in a joking context, calling out an obnoxious sound as overly loud.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Why this word? “Soniferous” — from the Latin “sonus,” meaning “sound,” and “-ferous,” a combining form that means “to produce” — is an elevated synonym for “noisy” or “loud.” It’s a more formal adjective,

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

Example Sentences “It’s too soniferous in the coffee shop to try to join the conference call.” “My roommate’s keyboard is so soniferous, I can hear it through my headphones. “The puppy becomes incredibly soniferous whenever he hears any sound from outside. Word Origin Latin, early 18th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐎𝐟 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐲 Soniferous səˈnif(ə)rəs Adjective Producing or conducting sound.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 26/09/2026

DWP is about to roll out a huge change to PIP decisions, before they've even checked if it's safe. Please sign before it's too late: the.organise.network/campaigns/ne...

the.organise.network

Don't let untrained staff decide our PIP claims

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

While we wouldn’t consider it very good form to swindle your friends, you might pull a prank on your pal — or, in other words, cully a cully.

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Why this word? “Cully” can be used as both a noun (“the tricked”) and a verb (“to trick”). The first usage in the mid-17th century was the noun, meaning “one easily tricked or imposed on,” but its modern usage is slang meaning “companion, mate.”

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

“I’m grabbing a quick coffee with my old cully from college to catch up on how her new job is going.” Word Origin Unknown, mid-17th century

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Laurie Williams @ldwilliams-uk.bsky.social · 25/09/2026

Example Sentences “My roommate tried to cully me into doing his dishes by promising free food, but I didn’t take the bait.” “He thought he scored a vintage designer jacket online, but he quickly realized he was just the seller’s latest cully.”

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