Skip to content

The word for today is…

gossip (noun, verb):

noun

1a dialectal British : godparent

b: companion, crony

c: a person who habitually reveals personal or sensational facts about others

2a: rumor or report of an intimate nature

b: a chatty talk

c: the subject matter of gossip

verb

: to relate gossip

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : the Old English word sibb, meaning “relative” or “kinsman,” long ago combined with the word god (meaning, well, “god”) to form godsibb, which referred to a person who was spiritually related to another, specifically by being a baptismal sponsor. Today we call such a person a godparent. Over the centuries, godsibb changed both in form and in meaning. In Middle English, gossib came to be used for a close friend or chum as well as for a godparent. From there it was only a short step to gossip, a word for anyone—not just a friend, relative, or sponsor—known for spilling the tea. By the early 17th century, gossip had expanded into the verb use that is current use

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

Latest

Face of the Day

Face of the Day

Brian Denys McFarlane, 56, was sentenced in the Hamilton District Court on Thursday to nine years and four months’ imprisonment after being found guilty of nine historical sexual offending charges.

Members Public
The Good Oil Word of the Day

The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is… corrode (verb) - 1: to eat away by degrees as if by gnawing, especially : to wear away gradually usually by chemical action 2: to weaken or destroy gradually : undermine Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Corrode comes from the Latin verb corrōdere, meaning "to gnaw or chew

Members Public