Skip to content

The word for today is…

addlepated (adjective):

1: being mixed up : confused
2: eccentric

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : Addlepated combines the words addle and pate. While the meaning of the somewhat rare noun pate (“head”) is straightforward, cracking open the adjective addle is where things get interesting. In Old English, the noun adela referred to filth, or to a filthy or foul-smelling place. In Middle English, adela came to be used as an adjective in the term adel eye, meaning “putrid egg.” For its first few centuries of adjectival use, and with various spellings, addle was used strictly for eggs, but in the 16th century it gained a figurative sense that, when applied disparagingly to people’s heads or brains, suggested the diminished or rotten condition of an addle (or addled) egg. Today, addle is often found in combination with words referring to one’s noggin, addlebrained, and addle-headed, and most common of all, addlepated.

If you enjoyed this Good Oil word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children.

Latest

Farmer Confidence Best in a Decade

Farmer Confidence Best in a Decade

Farmers’ highest priorities for government action include strengthening the economy, improving the business environment and reducing regulatory burdens. Langford said the government had made a strong start in cutting red tape for farmers but still had work to do.

Members Public
In Honour of the Bibas Family

In Honour of the Bibas Family

Here in NZ today, where summer’s easygoing pace continues on a million miles away from this unfolding tragedy, I’ve felt like screaming into the void, being so far away yet connected to this dark, horrible news.  

Members Public