A.W.A.D. - Words That Put Down

The pejorative suffix -aster (meaning something that is inferior, small or shallow) gives us some delightful words when it comes to name-calling. A reviewer brands a poet a poetaster (an inferior poet) and the reviewee might return the favor by calling the former a criticaster (an incompetent critic).

In the same vein, we can have a philosophaster, an astrologaster, and a theologaster. Lest we get carried away here, let's remember that a grandmaster is not an inferior grandma.

This week we'll review five words you can use to put people down.

politicaster
PRONUNCIATION: (PUH-li-ti-kas-tuhr)
MEANING: noun: A petty politician.

ETYMOLOGY: From Italian politicastro, from Latin politicus (political), from Greek politikos, from polites (citizen), from polis (city) + Latin -aster (pejorative suffix).

quidnunc
PRONUNCIATION: (KWID-nungk)
MEANING: noun: A nosy or gossipy person.

ETYMOLOGY: From Latin quid nunc (what now), implying someone constantly asking "What's new?"

analphabet
PRONUNCIATION: (an-AL-fuh-bet)
MEANING: noun: An illiterate; one who doesn't know the alphabet or the basics of something.
ETYMOLOGY: From Greek analphabetos (not knowing the alphabet), from an- (not) + alphabetos (alphabet), from alpha + beta.

wifty
PRONUNCIATION: (WIF-tee)
MEANING: adjective: Eccentric, silly, scatterbrained.

ETYMOLOGY: Of unknown origin.

gormandizer
PRONUNCIATION: (GOR-man-dyz-er)
MEANING: noun: A greedy person.

ETYMOLOGY: From French gourmandise (gluttony). Both a gourmand and a gourmet enjoy good food, but a gourmand is one who eats to excess while a gourmet is considered a connoisseur of good food.

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