Carolina Institute for Faith & Culture

Paul Schleifer According to the Oxford English Dictionary, ablution means the act of washing oneself. The OED further says that the English word has multiple origins, including Middle French ablucion, […]

Paul Schleifer According to the Oxford English Dictionary, choky is an English slang word for a prison. It also means a customs-house, or a toll station, or a station for […]

Paul Schleifer Decorum, according to dictionary.com, means 1. dignified propriety of behavior, speech, dress, etc.; or 2. the quality or state of being decorous, or exhibiting such dignified propriety; orderliness; […]

Paul Schleifer According to etymonline.com, the word rotund comes into English around 1705 from the “Latin rotundus “rolling, round, circular, spherical, like a wheel,” from rota “wheel” (see rotary). Earlier […]

Paul Schleifer According to etymonline.com, progeny comes into English in the 14th century from Latin through French, but in a pretty unadulterated way. The 13th century French is progenie, and […]

Paul Schleifer Jocularity is a noun derived (using a derivational suffix) from the adjective jocular. Jocular, in turn, means “given to, characterized by, intended for, or suited to joking or […]

Paul Schleifer Pied is an adjective meaning “having patches of two or more colors, as various birds and other animals.” According to etymonline.com, the adjective enters the language in the […]

Paul Schleifer The dictionary.com definition of calico is “a plain-woven cotton cloth printed with a figured pattern, usually on one side.” That’s in America. In Britain, it is a plain […]

Paul Schleifer Credulous means “willing to believe or trust too readily, especially without proper or adequate evidence,” gullible or trusting or easily tricked or fooled. Also, “disposed to believe.” According […]

Paul Schleifer Word of the Day: Captious According to Dictionary.com, definitions for captious include 1. apt to notice and make much of trivial faults or defects; faultfinding; difficult to please. […]

Paul Schleifer February 27 2018 Word of the Day: Voluble We’re on a run of words that have to do with talking. Voluble means “chatty, gabby, mouthy, talkative, characterized by […]

Paul Schleifer February 26 2018 Word of the Day: Garrulous Garrulous means “excessively talkative in a rambling, roundabout manner, especially about trivial matters,” according to dictionary.com. Synonyms include prating, babbling, […]