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Jun 14, 2026 This week’s theme There’s a Word for It This week’s words tresayle pauciloquy recumbentibus anadem chorizont How popular are they? Relative usage over time AWADmail archives Index Next week’s theme Unusual synonyms Wordsmith Games 🧩 Jigsaw Riddle Stars and Stripes 🌍 Langitude Trace dungaree home AWADmail Issue 1250 A Compendium of Feedback on the Words in A.Word.A.Day and Other Tidbits about Words and Language From: Joseph Brown (jrb1953 yahoo.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--tresayle I think in an episode of Star Trek: Enterprise, T’Pol used the Vulcan expression, something like, “my foremother’s foremother”. 😄 Joseph Brown, Edgewater, Florida From: Bruce Delahorne (bdelahorne yahoo.com) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--tresayle In today’s comments, you ask why waste a tiny bit of electricity by plugging a phone charging cord into the wall first and then your phone? But nothing is wasted by doing that, as no electricity flows until the circuit is completed when the cord is plugged into the phone. Regardless of which end is plugged in first, the quantity of electricity flowing from the wall outlet is the same. Bruce Delahorne, Evanston, Illinois You’re right for a plain cord: no current flows until there’s a load. But a phone charger is not merely a copper wire. It’s a tiny substation sitting in that wall adapter. The instant it’s plugged into the wall, its internal circuitry begins sipping vampire power, even if you have not connected your phone to the cable. The amount saved by my phone-first ritual is, of course, absurdly small. That’s why I can recommend it only to engineers, poets, and people who believe that every electron counts. -Anu Garg From: Margaret Mitchell (mitma100 gmail.com) Subject: Tresayle Great to have a word for a great-great-grandfather. I am already a great-grandmother, and in the next year or two will become a great-great-grandmother. Is there a word for me too? Margaret Mitchell, Kamloops, Canada Congratulations on your upcoming promotion! Because these terms come from Anglo-French law, they have feminine counterparts. The feminine counterpart is tresaele (also found as tresaile, tresaiele, and tresaille). English has borrowed the masculine form, but not the feminine one. But that shouldn’t stop you from using it. English has a large vocabulary, but when it comes to kinship terms, it’s hit or miss. If you’re open to borrowing from other languages, there are a lot more options. Here is a selection: Modern French has trisaïeule for a great-great-grandmother. (It can also say arrière-arrière-grand-mère.) Hindi distinguishes between the mother’s and father’s sides: great-great-grandmother lakarnani (maternal) great-great-grandmother lakardadi (paternal) great-great-grandfather lakarnana (maternal) great-great-grandfather lakardada (paternal) Italian has two! great-great-grandmother trisnonna or trisavola great-great-grandfather trisnonno or trisavolo Spanish great-great-grandmother tatarabuela great-great-grandfather tatarabuelo And for great-great-grandchildren, other languages come to the rescue again. Some possibilities: German great-great-granddaughter Ururenkelin great-great-grandson Ururenkel Greek great-great-granddaughter triseggoni great-great-grandson triseggonos Spanish great-great-granddaughter tataranieta great-great-grandson tataranieto I should mention that most of these terms have a nice pattern to them. For example, in German, you stack the prefix ur-, and keep going as long as you want. May your vocabulary be as rich as your family tree! -Anu Garg From: George Bangs (ghbangs aol.com) Subject: Tresayle or Tresaiel Since I am named for my tresayle, who was with Allan Pinkerton’s detective agency during the US Civil War, I will use tresayle instead of great-great-grandfather to see if anyone understands. This will be fun. George Henry Bangs (in case anyone wants to look up my ancestor), Norfolk, Virginia From: Nan Alderson (nan441 comcast.net) Subject: Word optimization Your note this morning about optimizing words reminds me of a friend who, when providing a web address, always started with triple-W instead of W-W-W. Five syllables instead of nine. I adopted the habit and still think of him whenever I share a URL. Nan Alderson, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania From: Leon Golub (lgolub cfa.harvard.edu) Subject: Telegrams I remember many years ago seeing a photo of a telegram from a French quantum physicist named Albert Messiah. He was supposed to speak at a conference in Tel Aviv, but missed his flight. The telegram read: “Have been delayed but will arrive shortly. -Messiah” Leon Golub, Concord, Massachusetts From: Dave Jones (DaveJones39 hotmail.com) Subject: Pauciloquy On pauciloquy... Sven died. Ole sent an obit to the paper, which charged by the word: “Sven died.” They told her it had to be at least five words. She sent back: “Sven died. Boat for sale.” Dave Jones, St. Paul, Minnesota From: Richard S. Russell (RichardSRussell tds.net) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--pauciloquy My favorite illustration of this word was when a reporter had been assigned to cover a speedboat race in Florida, which was won by Arthur “Gar” Wood. He duly filed his story but neglected to include mention of Wood’s age, prompting his editor in New York to cable him, “How old Gar Wood?” To which the reporter replied, “Old Gar Wood fine. How you?” Richard S. Russell, Madison, Wisconsin From: Mike Cottrell (mike_cottrell btopenworld.com) Subject: Pauciloquy British forces under Charles Napier conquered Sindh in 1843, during East India Company rule. He then sent a one-word telegram to London: “Peccavi”, meaning “I have sinned/Sindh” (from Latin peccare, to sin). Ultimate pauciloquy! Mike Cottrell, Shropshire, UK It’s a great story, but like many of the above telegram ones, it’s a joke. It was coined by a sixteen-year-old, Catherine Winkworth, who sent it to Punch. But the best jokes have a kernel of truth. Napier had conquered Sindh without clear authorization, and his campaign was ruthless. “I have sinned/Sindh” carried a sting as well as a pun. -Anu Garg From: Lawrence Crumb (lcrumb uoregon.edu) Subject: Re: A.Word.A.Day--pauciloquy Another case of pauciloquy is the story, perhaps apocryphal, of the English clergyman whose niece was working in India. When he received an invitation to her wedding there, he decided to send a telegram, using just a scriptural citation which she could look up and get the full message. He chose 1 John 4:18 (“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear”). The telegram arrived as John 4:18 (“For thou hast had five husbands; and he whom thou now hast is not thy husband”). Lawrence Crumb, Eugene, Oregon Email of the Week -- Brought to you by Oneupmanship From: Robert Darling (rpdarlingdds gmail.com) Subject: The Dreaded Telegram Your note with the word “pauciloquy” about the terse telegram (pdf) your family received brought to mind a telegram which I share every Memorial Day. My great-uncle SSgt Robert Bresnehan’s B-24 bomber went missing July 24, 1942, over the then Belgian Congo. My grandparents received news of his death nearly three months later. Two short sentences revealing both tremendous pain and the ultimate sacrifice. The telegram was sent by my great-aunt Garnetta (Robert Bresnehan’s sister). Based on this letter (pdf) from the War Department, it appeared that she got a notice of death telegram from the Army, which I have never seen. The letter from the War Department is so matter-of-fact. The only personal effect that was returned to my great-aunt was a bent metal dog tag. Dr. Robert P. Darling, Sheboygan, Wisconsin From: CC Bassin (ccbassin gmail.com) Subject: Recumbentibus This word sparked a coincidence today as it collided with another new word for me, kayfabe. Combined with the news, I was struck by how both can describe our modern-day caveman-wrestling-style political leadership emanating from the White House. C. Carmen Bassin, Montana From: Jeff S (sconyers.jeff gmail.com) Subject: Recumbentibus Another word with a similar meaning is sockdolager, a decisive blow, which in boxing I guess would mean a knockout blow. One of the major rapids in the Grand Canyon is Sockdolager Rapid, where a friend of ours got knocked out of her boat and navigated it in the water. Yikes. Jeff Sconyers, Portland, Oregon From: Ken Hines (kshrink gmail.com) Subject: concubine Some other words from Latin cumbere (to lie down): Decubitus refers to lying down; a decubitus ulcer is a pressure sore, or bedsore, caused by prolonged pressure; concubitus is a euphemism for intercourse, sort of lying with a companion, in a biblical manner, perhaps with a concubine. Ken Hines, Saint Joseph, Missouri From: Alex McCrae (ajmccrae277 gmail.com) Subject: anadem and recumbentibus The kotinos, an anadem of olive leaves, was the supreme prize at the ancient Olympic Games. This circular crown symbolized athletic prowess, honor, glory, and the favor of the gods. The wreath’s leaves came from a wild olive tree that grew in a sacred grove at Olympia, not far from the Temple of Zeus. Honoring the tradition, olive wreaths (as well as medals) were awarded in the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. Here, a winning Olympian receives the sacred crown. Admittedly, I used some artistic license in depicting an Athenian woman bestowing the honor. The original Olympic Games were almost exclusively a male enterprise. Except for charioteers, the athletes competed nude. Forget winning a race by a nose. In his pugilistic prime, “Iron Mike” Tyson was arguably the most fearsome and winningest heavyweight boxer on the planet. His most infamous bout was against Evander Holyfield in 1997, where, in the heat of the slugfest, he bit off a chunk of Holyfield’s ear. Alex McCrae, Van Nuys, California Anagrams This week’s theme: There’s a word for it Tresayle Pauciloquy Recumbentibus Anadem Chorizont = Ancestor Tidy speech (hush!) Immobilized A queen’s crown Astute, they make trouble for a writer -Dharam Khalsa, Burlington, North Carolina (dharamkk2 gmail.com) = Seek father 4 lines up Curt cry I.e. stone-hard blow Use zoom-time head wreath Nasty mob critique = Wise 3rd paternal ancestor Hey, I’m brusque Hmm... we KO, anesthetize Circlet Yes, I doubt author of ... -Shyamal Mukherji, Mumbai, India (mukherjis hotmail.com) -Julian Lofts, Auckland, New Zealand (jalofts xtra.co.nz) Make your own anagrams and animations. Limericks tresayle In Dublin they say my tresayle Sat all day in a pub drinking ale. But departing from Cork On a ship to New York, “I’ll find work there,” he said; “I shan’t fail.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) pauciloquy He’s a man of few words, so they say -- One who never would blather all day. Pauciloquy’s why He’s my kind of guy -- He will get to the point right away! -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) A man of few words was old Lyle. His brevity made people smile. He said that pauciloquy Results in tranquility. I’ve not heard from Lyle in a while. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) While I grant you that Shakespeare wrote skillfully, He never was known for pauciloquy. His plays run for hours; The audience cowers When Hamlet begins a soliloquy. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) recumbentibus With a big recumbentibus -- POW! His opponent he knocked out -- oh, wow! The fellow went down, Thus losing his crown, And that challenger’s champion now. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Kakistocracy’s what Donald’s meant to us, Yet he’s dodged every last recumbentibus. But now there’s Iran, And like Ollie told Stan, “What a fine mess this is!” (added emphasis.) -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) anadem With an anadem worn on her head (Which is how many hippies are wed), She walked down the aisle In flowery style, And “I do!” she then happily said. -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) The Olympics in Greece days of old, Gave no medals of silver or gold. When events were all done, Then the athletes who won, Got an olive branch anadem, I’m told. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) At the cabinet meeting, ‘twas bad of them To crown the old fool with an anadem. They broke down and cried When King Donald replied, “Guys, this thing is just leaves - you should add a gem.” -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) chorizont The chorizont always would say That Shakespeare did NOT write that play! “What that glove-maker’s son Has supposedly done -- I am sure there was simply no way!” -Marion Wolf, Bergenfield, New Jersey (marionewolf yahoo.com) Of all the nerve! Can you believe? He says that I planned to deceive! That chorizont guy! Of all the nerve -- I? I’m virtuous, like Adam’s Eve! -Bindy Bitterman, Chicago, Illinois (bindy eurekaevanston.com) Said the teacher, “This paper’s AI!” Which the student was quick to deny. “You’ll just get a D, For you can’t hoodwink me.” The chorizont caught his great lie. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) Did the Bard write his plays? I’m no chorizont; I think penning his own was much more his wont. One should never doubt Will; For his fam’ly he’d kill! When he pulled an all-nighter, ‘twas for his aunt. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Puns When the waiter tripped, his tresayle-d clear across the dining room. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) She bought some small dogwoods at the landscaper’s tresayle. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “We don’t understand barking. Try saying your speech in sign language as a pauciloquy,” the Bard suggested to the dog actor. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) Her father would go on and on about how rough things were when he was a boy. She called it his pauciloquy. -Joan Perrin, Port Jefferson Station, New York (perrinjoan aol.com) “While you lie recumbentibus tables and clean hotel rooms!” the immigrant berated the Proud Boy. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “You can’t vote for Harris! She’s Black, Asian, female, anadem!” the MAGA canvasser implored the voter. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) “I’ll get to it. That chorizont-op of my list,” the lazy husband promised his wife from the couch. -Steve Benko, New York, New York (stevebenko1 gmail.com) A THOUGHT FOR TODAY: The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone. -Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist and novelist (14 Jun 1811-1896)

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