Cantankerous - plus, 'Whole Milk', 'British English', and 16 More Retronyms

[Merriam-Webster] WORD OF THE DAY [January 15, 2017] cantankerous [Audio pronunciation] adjective | kan-TANK-uh-rus Definition : difficult or irritating to deal with Scroll down for more about cantankerous WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Winter Words Quiz] Winter has returned along with cold weather. Wrap yourself in a blanket and challenge yourself with our 13-question quiz about words relating to winter. [PLAY NOW] Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]] Plus: [SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW! [>]] Did You Know? It's irritating, but we're not absolutely sure where cantankerous comes from. Etymologists think it probably derived from the Middle English word contack (or contek), which meant "contention" or "strife." Their idea is that cantankerous may have started out as contackerous but was later modified as a result of association or confusion with [rancorous] (meaning "spiteful") and [cankerous] (which describes something that spreads corruption of the mind or spirit). Considering that a cantankerous person generally has the spite associated with contack and [rancor], and the noxious and sometimes painful effects of a [canker], that theory seems plausible. What we can say with conviction is that cantankerous has been used in English since at least the 1730s. Examples of CANTANKEROUS "[Kenneth] Lonergan's brow was furrowed, and he was speaking, as he often does, in a low, growling mumble.… Among his theatre and movie-industry peers, he is famous for being famously cantankerous." — Rebecca Mead, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2016 "Far from being cantankerous, she says [Roald] Dahl was endlessly ingenious in his desire to amuse, even when mortally ill, and only grumpy when finishing a book." — Elizabeth Gricehow, The Daily Telegraph (London), 12 Nov. 2016 Name That Synonym What synonym of cantankerous is an alteration of ordinary? [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]] WORDS AT PLAY 'Whole Milk', 'British English', and 16 More Retronyms Retronyms describe an original after a new version has shown up. [SEE THE FULL LIST [>]] MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]] [TRENDING NOW [>]] [WORDS AT PLAY [>]] FOLLOW US: [Facebook] [Twitter] [YouTube] [Instagram] [Pinterest] SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook] [Twitter][Twitter] [View this email in a web browser] You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day] [Manage your subscription settings] Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com]