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Today's Words: Ripsnorter, Blinky and Iconoclast

 


Ripsnorter

(rip-snawr-ter) Noun

something or someone remarkably good or exciting

More about Ripsnorter

An Americanism dating back to 1830–40.

Formed from rip1 + snorter. 

Examples of Ripsnorter

She’s a ripsnorter of a performer, captivating the audience with her incredible talent and stage presence.

Their vacation was a ripsnorter, filled with adventure, stunning scenery, and unforgettable experiences.

Blinky

(bling-kee) Adjective

(of milk) sour

More about Blinky

The first adjectival use needs to be clarified. The verb blink in “to turn sour” has been attested since the 1600s.

Compare this with the British dialect of blink, “to bewitch, turn (milk, beer) sour by witchcraft” + -y1. 

Examples of Blinky

The milk had gone blinky overnight, giving off a sour smell and curdling in the container.

He grimaced when he tasted the blinky yoghurt, realizing it had spoiled even though it was still sealed.

Iconoclast

(ahy-kon-uh-klast) Noun

a person who attacks cherished beliefs, traditional institutions, etc.

More about Iconoclast

First used between 1590–1600.

From the Greek eikonoklástēs, equivalent to Greek – icono + -klastēs, “breaker,” equivalent to klas- (variant stem of klân,” to break”) + –tēs, agent noun suffix.

Examples of Iconoclast

As an iconoclast, she challenged long-standing traditions in the art world, pushing for new forms of expression.

The young scientist became an iconoclast by openly disputing theories that had been accepted for decades.

Inputs Courtesy: Dictionary.com

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