Word - 84

CONSIGLIERE \kohn-sil-YEH-reh\ noun

: counselor, adviser

Example sentence:
After years of being a consigliere to the CEOs of Silicon Valley's top giants, Norman has decided to break out and head his own high-tech enterprise.

Did you know?

If you're a fan of The Godfather series of movies, the character Tom Hagen may have already come to mind. Hagen, the Corleones' family lawyer, was famously dismissed by the Don's successor and son Michael Corleone because he was not a "wartime consigliere." The word "consigliere" comes from Italian and has been a part our language since 1615; it was originally used of someone who served on a council in Italy. Currently, it is most commonly used to designate advisers to the Mafia -- a use that first appeared in English in a document from a 1963 session of the U.S. Senate. It is also often used generally of a political or financial adviser, or any other trusted adviser for that matter.

Word - 83

BILIOUS \BILL-yus\ adjective

1 a : of or relating to bile
b : marked by or suffering from liver dysfunction and especially excessive secretion of bile

*2 : of or indicative of a peevish ill-natured disposition

3 : sickeningly unpleasant

Example sentence:
Molly's bilious demeanor made her ill-suited for a job in customer service, and she was let go from the position after two weeks.

Did you know?

"Bilious" is one of several words whose origins trace to the old belief that four bodily humors (black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood) control temperament. Just like "phlegmatic" ("of a slow and stolid phlegm-driven character"), "melancholy" ("experiencing dejection associated with black bile"), and the recent Word of the Day "sanguine" ("of a cheerful, blood-based disposition"), "bilious" suggests a personality associated with an excess of one of the humors -- in this case, yellow bile. "Bilious," which first appeared in English in the mid-1500s, derives from the Middle French "bilieux," which in turn traces to "bilis," Latin for "bile." In the past, "bile" was also called "choler," which gives us "choleric," a synonym of "bilious."

Word - 82

INTERLOPER \in-ter-LOH-per\ noun

: one that intrudes in a place or sphere of activity

Example sentence:
As he watched the startled doe and her fawn dart off into the woods, Nelson felt like an interloper in the forest world.

Did you know?

When English speakers combined "inter-" with "-loper" in the late 1500s, they already had a word "landloper" (now archaic) for "a person who runs about the land" (in other words, a vagrant). The "-loper" part of "interloper" is related to Middle Dutch and Old English words meaning "to run" and "to leap." An "interloper" is essentially one who jumps into the midst of things without an invitation to do so. In its earliest uses, "interloper" referred specifically to one who interfered in trade illegally -- that is, a trader who trespassed on the rights or charters of others. Sometimes "interloper" even referred to a ship employed in illegal trading. But the word quickly took on extended use, coming to refer not just to intrusion in trade but also in personal affairs or other matters.

Word - 81

FLACK \FLACK\ verb

: to provide publicity
: engage in press-agentry

Example sentence:
The billionaire's former mistress has been in the tabloids and on the talk-show circuit as of late, flacking for her juicy tell-all.

Did you know?

The word "flack" was first used as a noun meaning "publicity agent" during the late 1930s. According to one rumor, the word was coined in tribute to a well-known movie publicist of the time, Gene Flack. Another rumor holds that "flack" derives from a similar-sounding Yiddish word for someone who talks about someone else's affairs. The editors of Merriam-Webster dictionaries remain skeptical about these claims and have listed the etymology of "flack" as "unknown." We can say with confidence, however, that the verb form of the word appeared in Maclean's in 1963. You may also be familiar with another "flack" -- a noun meaning “criticism" or "opposition." This unrelated homograph stems from a misspelling of "flak," a German acronym and English word for antiaircraft guns.