Oy vey! Wednesday already! Good think we’ve prepared with Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world.

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s word:

ver·klempt [fer-klempt] -adjective emotional; choked up or overcome with emotions

Verklempt is a Yiddish word, sometimes written as ferklempt. Developed in the 10^th century from a dialect of High German, Yiddish was the principal language of Ashkenazi Jews. Overtime, the language divided into Western Yiddish and Eastern Yiddish, distinguished by regional and phonetic differences.

It’s October! The air is becoming crisp, the leaves are changing colors, boots and sweaters are being pulled out from storage… and flu season is  right around the corner. Cover your mouth and keep your hands clean for today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

Today’s definition from TermWiki.com:

ae·gro·tat [ee-groh-tat] -noun unclassified degree given to a student who has fulfilled all graduation requirements, but due to illness, was kept from attending the final examinations

Identified as a British English word in the dictionaries, aegrotat is the only surviving English word derived from the Latin verb aegrotare, which means “to fall ill.” It was first used around the 1860s. The Latin equivalent, aegrotat, is the third person singular of aegrotatare, so it is literally translated into English as “(s)he is sick.”

Put your game face on for today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

Today’s definition from TermWiki.com:

lon·ga·nim·i·ty [long-guh-nim-i-tee] -noun patient endurance of hardships, injuries, or offense; calmness in the face of adversary

Longanimity originated in the early to mid-1400s, derived from the Late Latin longanimis, which means patient. The Latin longus, means long, and animus, means soul.

With roots in Catholicism, longanimity serves as one of the twelve fruits of the Holy Spirit. According to Catholic belief, these “fruits” are virtues that can only be performed by an individual with the help of the Holy Spirit. Along with longanimity, the other virtues include: charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, mildness, faith, modesty, continence, and chastity.

Pucker those lips and get ready for something tart with today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

Today’s definition from TermWiki.com:

ver·juice [vur-joos] -noun, adjective acidic liquor made from unripe fruits; sourness, in temper or expression

Verjuice comes from the Middle French word vertjus, with vert meaning green and jus meaning juice. The prefix vert refers to the unripe status of the fruit rather than the color. The culinary definition of the word dates back to medieval times, when verjuice was used for cooking and medicinal purposes. According to food historian Jean Louis Flandrin, verjuice was found in approximately 42% of all French cuisine recipes in the early 15^th century, a seemingly key ingredient for any French kitchen during that time.

Don’t forget to take the trash out with today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s wacky word:

gar·bol·o·gy [gahr-bol-uh] -noun the study of the trash discarded by a person or society to learn what it reveals about social or cultural patterns

Garbology is said to have its roots in the University of Arizona, beginning as a class project for two students in 1973. Soon after, Professor William Rathje established the first field of study focused on garbology. Rathje believes the study of garbage is a major source of information about human nature and society.

If you have ever been curious about what uses the belly button might have, get ready for today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

The definition of today’s wacky word from TermWiki.com:

om·pha·lo·skep·sis [om-fuh-loh-skep-sis] -noun contemplation of one’s navel as an aid to meditation

From combining the Greek omphalos, which means “navel” and –skepsis, which means “to reflect, look view,” research suggests that omphaloskepsis is a relatively new word, originating in the 1920s. Similarly, the term omphalomancy holds the same Greek root and is used to define “the art of foretelling the future by reading the navel.” In modern speech, we might hear the term navel gazing thrown around, which assumes the definition “excessive introspection, self-absorption, or concentration on a single issue.”

Today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world, is a lesson in health, hygiene and…bad air?

Before we get started, here is the definition from TermWiki.com:

mi·as·ma [mahy-az-muh] -noun Noxious vapors from decomposing organic matter polluting the atmosphere; foreboding, unwholesome or oppressive atmosphere

This word originated in the 1660s, from the Greek miasma, which means a stain or pollution; the word miainein, which is its verb form, means to pollute or to stain.

In the old days, it was believed that diseases were “caused by bad air from decomposing organic matter, as in a swamp.” Malaria, as an example, actually is derived from the Italian mala aria, meaning bad air. This concept is known as the miasma theory, originating during the Middle Ages and carrying on as the most prevalent theory that explained the spread of diseases through the next couple of centuries.

Today’s Wacky Word Wednesday post is anything but a boondoggle… scout’s honor!

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s wacky word:

boon·dog·gle [boon-daw-uhl] -noun product of simple manual skill; work of little or no value done merely to keep or look busy

Boondoggle is said to have been coined by an American scoutmaster, R.H. Link, in 1935. Founded in 1910, the Boy Scouts of America is one of the United States’ leading youth development organizations; the goal of the organization is to prepare youth for the “ethical and moral choices” they may need to make in their lifetime by fostering a set of values in them through the Scout Oath and Scout Law. Some research proposes that boondoggle is derived from the word woggle, which is used to describe a “neckerchief fastener,” specifically that of a Boy Scouts.

Draw your swords and get ready for today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world!

Here is the definition of today’s wacky word courtesy of TermWiki.com:

foi·ble [foy-buhl] -noun a flaw or defect in character; a weakness; the weakest part of a sword’s blade, located near the point

This word began appearing in the 1640s to mean the “weak point of a sword blade,” the portion closest to the tip of the sword. Foible comes from the French word faible, meaning “weak,” the Old French feble meaning “feeble” and the Latin flebilis, which also means feeble.

In addition to the two definitions stated above, foible can also be used to define a quirk, idiosyncrasy, or unusual habit, a flawed characteristic in personality. The definition of foible was extended to incorporate this meaning in the 1670s.

Today’s Wacky Word Wednesday, a weekly celebration of the wackiest and most interesting words from around the world, is going to blow you over with its divine message!

From TermWiki.com, the definition of today’s wacky word:

af·fla·tus [uh-fley-tuhs] -noun - inspiration or mental force that comes from within; divine communication of knowledge

Afflatus comes from the Latin afflatus, which means “a breathing upon” or afflare, which means to breathe or blow on. This word first came into use in the 1660s, when people who were privy to “miraculous communication of supernatural knowledge” were known to have afflatus. The original spelling of this was was adflatus, with ad- meaning “to” and flatus meaning “blowing or breathing.” Similarly, the word inspiration is derived from the Latin inspirare, which also means “to breathe” or “the inhalation of air into the lungs.”