Do you have any idea what vexillology means? If you do, you are a championship caliber Word Nerd. I had to look it up. Which of these do you think is the correct definition?
A. The study of why people can be so gosh darn vexing.
B. The science of mixing drinks; bartending.
C. The study of flags.
D. […]

Hi there, thought I’d try to kill two birds with one stone by trying a new format for Words for Nerds and playing around with Survey Monkey at the same time. (Please let me know if the survey link doesn’t work - thanks.)
Today’s Word for Nerds is glower. Not too tough a word, but tricky.
The […]

Abattoir is a word you may have run across, especially if you fancy fiction or crave comics. What do you think abattoir means?
A. Fashionable, having refined taste
B. A chicken coop
C. A slaughterhouse
D. In a confused or delirious state
E. Excessively humid
Hint: the word comes from the French abattre, to beat down. The correct definition of abattoir, […]

Algid may have a soft “g”, but it does have a hard definition. What does algid mean?
A. Cold, chilly
B. Extremely high, elevated
C. Infected or overgrown with fungus
D. Smooth, graceful
E. Suffering from multiple allergies
As tempting as all these definitions are, only one is correct. The true meaning of algid is … cold, chilly. The word is […]

Over the last few years, Words for Nerds has been a regular feature in my blogs. To qualify as a Word for Nerds, it must meet three criteria –
1. The word must be in current usage, not an archaic term.
2. The word must be usable in general conversation, not a narrow, technical term.
3. The word […]