Carolina Institute for Faith & Culture

Paul Schleifer A bushwhacker is a person who whacks his way through the bushes. Makes sense, right? The word is an Americanism. According to the OED, it first appears in […]

Paul Schleifer According to the OED, complementary means “combining in such a way as to enhance or emphasize the qualities of each other or another.” At www.dictionary.com, we find simply […]

Paul Schleifer According to the OED, sodality is a noun meaning “a confraternity or association, especially a Roman Catholic religious guild or brotherhood.” It appears in English in the early […]

Paul Schleifer If you were to ask my wife, she might tell you that gainsay is an apt word for me to write about because it means “1. to deny, […]

Paul Schleifer At www.dictionary.com, you’ll find the following definition for pejorative: “having a disparaging, derogatory, or belittling effect or force.” The example given, “the pejorative affix -ling in princeling,” is kind of fun. […]

Paul Schleifer When we inveigh against something, we protest against it strongly or rail against it or attack it vehemently using our words. According to the OED, this attack can […]

Paul Schleifer Tact means “skill and sensitivity in dealing with others or with difficult issues,” according to the OED. Furthermore, the OED says that it enters the language in the […]

Paul Schleifer Regal is an adjective that means “of or related to a king; royal,” according to www.dictionary.com. Through the process of generalizing, it comes to mean “splendid” or “stately.” […]

Paul Schleifer My first observation about the word canon is that it is not cannon “a mounted gun for firing heavy projectiles.” Canon means “an ecclesiastical rule or law enacted […]

Paul Schleifer April 16 2018 Word of the Day: Ken Ken means “one’s range of knowledge or understanding,” according to the OED.  In the Scottish dialect, it can also mean […]

Paul Schleifer Mete means to dispense or distribute or give someone according to a specific measurement. It is often used with the particle out. It comes from the Old English […]

Paul Schleifer According to www.dictionary.com, pithy means “brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression.” According to the OED, it means “full of concentrated meaning; conveying meaning forcibly through brevity of expression,” […]