Skip to content

The word for today is…

nabob (noun) -

1: a provincial governor of the Mogul empire in India
2: a person of great wealth or prominence

Source : Merriam-Webster

Etymology : In India's Mogul Empire, founded in the 16th century, provincial governors carried the Urdu title of nawāb. In 1612, Captain Robert Coverte published a report of his "discovery" of "the Great Mogoll, a prince not till now knowne to our English nation." The Captain informed the English-speaking world that "An earle is called a Nawbob," thereby introducing the English version of the word. Nabob, as it thereafter came to be spelled, gained its extended sense of "a prominent person" in the 18th century, when it was applied sarcastically to British officials of the East India Company returning home after amassing great wealth in Asia. The word was perhaps most famously used by US Vice President Spiro Agnew, in a 1970 speech written by William Safire, when he referred to critical members of the news media as "nattering nabobs of negativism."

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

Latest

A Journey of Broken Promises

A Journey of Broken Promises

Do we want a country governed by economic theories, political slogans and ideological loyalty? Or do we want one governed by practical experience, financial competence, compassion and a genuine understanding of the people who live here?

Members Public
The Good Oil Word of the Day

The Good Oil Word of the Day

The word for today is… pact (noun) - : an agreement or covenant between two or more parties, especially : an international treaty Source : Merriam-Webster Etymology : Pact has "peace" at its root because a pact often ends a period of unfriendly relations. The word is generally used in the field

Members Public