Qua is the shortest Words for Nerds word yet. If you know Latin or are adept at Scrabble, you may know the meaning of this word. If you’re stumped, take a guess …
A. A short, double edged spear
B. In the character or capacity of
C. Approximately, as in an estimate
D. Exceedingly humble or shy
E. Mysterious
By way […]

Canard sounds like the perfect name for a basset hound … or maybe not. What do you think? Would Fido lick your face or take a bite out of your ankle if you started calling him Canard? What does canard mean?
A. A large vat of vegetable oil.
B. To sing merrily.
C. A false, misleading report or […]

If someone called you frowzy, what would you do? Knowing what frowzy means will help you frame the appropriate response. So what do you think frowzy means?
A. Slovenly or ill-smelling.
B. Absent minded.
C. Mean spirited, covetous.
D. Lighthearted and friendly.
E. Focused or single-minded.
Believe it or not, the correct definition of fowzy is … slovenly or ill-smelling, and […]

Jejune is one of those words I always think I know when I hear it, but never quite get it exactly. So what does jejune mean?
A. Happy; buoyant in spirit.
B. Childish, lacking significance, and uninteresting.
C. Fashionable, trendy.
D. Pertaining to or characteristic of the spring season.
The fact is, jejune means … childish, lacking significance, and uninteresting. […]

Some words sound funny. Some words look funny. Flivver is both. What in the world does it mean?
A. To shiver or shake.
B. A party girl of The Roaring Twenties.
C. Extremely thin, gaunt.
D. Something of poor quality or inferior grade.
E. To sway unsteadily, change one’s mind.
Believe it or not, the word flivver means … something […]

Aril is a bouncy little word, kind of friendly and inviting.
Would you name your son or daughter Aril? What do you think the word means?
A. The fleshy covering of a seed.
B. Up in the air, in doubt.
C. A tool used by a blacksmith to grip a horseshoe.
D. Strong or virile.
E. Adamant, unwilling to change.
Believe it […]

Soporific is a word that looks good, sounds good, and means … what exactly?
A. Super terrific.
B. Stupid, dull witted.
C. Tending to cause sleep.
D. Calm, serene.
E. Flammable or excitable.
F. Capable of absorbing liquid.
Here are a few things that strike me as soporific.
1. Almost any movie longer than two hours.
2. Presidential debates.
3. Economics textbooks.
By now, even if […]