Word of the Day: Part Deux

For those of you who don't know, my husband is in chiropractic school. This means that he is now learning an entirely new vocabulary, including but not limited to words like "Toggle" (an actual chiropractic technique) and the "C5 Smash" (also another technique, although I don't know how I feel about this particular one...). His newfound vocabulary also allows him to bust a move with sentences like "Dude, my traps and delts are killing me right now" (actual quote). These words, and a whole lot more like them, make me giggle inside when they are coming out of his mouth. He's just my husband, but he sounds like he knows all these cool things! Which, folks, he does. He rocks chiropractic school.

This week, however, I was introduced to a new word which truly takes the cake. It is the first word I have run into since I was, what, maybe 5, that I cannot pronounce right on the first try. And usually not on the second, either. But I am getting better. Let's see how you do. The word is...

wait for it...

Sphygmomanometer.

Yes, that is a six syllable word.

Sphygmomanometer.

Count and make sure there are six...

This word may not exactly fit into a normal sentance for most people, but I bet everyone has seen one.

www.merriam-webster.com defines it as:

an instrument for measuring blood pressure and especially arterial blood pressure

.
And, for the heck of it, here's the origin:

Greek sphygmos pulse (from sphyzein to throb) + International Scientific Vocabulary manometer
First Known Use: circa 1889

I want to know who used it first, and if he could say it right.

For real, though. If you get a chance this next week to pull out this little beauty, please comment with YOUR comment! Because I'm still trying to figure out how to say it...

Word of the Day!

I've decided that this blog needs a Word of the Day (or at least Word of the Week) feature. There are so many brilliant words out there that get neglected because people don't know what they mean or how to use them properly in a sentence.

Today's word is:

clandestine [klan-des-tin] (adjective): characterized by, done in, or executed with secrecy or concealment, especially for purposes of subversion or deception;private or surreptitious: 
Sample sentence: Their clandestine meetings went undiscovered for two years.
Synonyms: surreptitious, illegitimate, underground, fraudulent, concealed, stealthy, furtive


*Definition and synonyms unashamedly borrowed from dictionary.com. (I know what these words mean, folks, but I don't know how to explain 'em without the help of the good old dictionary.)


There you have it! Now you have a new word to add to your vocabulary.