One of the reasons I'm restricting these posts to words I find while reading is because that means that people are actually using them. There are plenty of obscure words out there I could dig up and post here, but if they're words no one is using or no one will understand if you do use them, then what's the point (unless of course you're a logophile*).
Zeitgeist - For instance, I don't recall when I first came across this word, but I looked it up, and I'm glad I did. It's German for "spirit of the times" and Merriam-Webster officially defines it as "the general beliefs, ideas, and spirit of a time and place." I've encountered this word a lot in reading about other authors, books, pieces of art and music. If you haven't encountered this word before, make sure to learn it. The more you read about other works, the more likely you will be to encounter it.
*And of course, the other word of the moment is "logophile". There is a story in Monday's Wall Street Journal about logophiles. So what does it mean? Quite simply, someone who loves words and language.
Until Next Time....
Logophilely Yours,
Michael
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