Skip to content
word of the day

The word for today is…

officious (adj) – Meddlesome; intrusive in an offensive manner.

Source : The Free Dictionary

Etymology : Don’t mistake officious for a rare synonym of official. Both words stem from the Latin noun officium (meaning “service” or “office”), but they have very different meanings. When the suffix -osus (“full of”) was added to officium, Latin officiosus came into being, meaning “eager to serve, help, or perform a duty.” When this adjective was borrowed into English as officious in the 15th century it described dutiful people and their actions. That use shifted a bit semantically to describe those eager to help or serve. By the late 16th century, however, officious was beginning to develop a negative sense describing a person who offers unwanted help. This pejorative sense has driven out the original “dutiful” and “eager to help” senses to become the predominant meaning of the word in modern English. Officious can also mean “of an informal or unauthorized nature,” but that sense is not common.

Latest

Night Cap

Night Cap

If you have a great Youtube, Rumble or Vimeo video to share send it to videos@goodoil.news If you're loving this trusty, straight-up news on Kiwi politics and beyond, why not become a paid member, eh? Unlock exclusive yarns, podcasts, vids, and in-depth analysis—your

Members Public
Wednesday Weapons

Wednesday Weapons

If you have a great Youtube, Rumble or Vimeo video to share send it to videos@goodoil.news If you're loving this trusty, straight-up news on Kiwi politics and beyond, why not become a paid member, eh? Unlock exclusive yarns, podcasts, vids, and in-depth analysis—your

Members Public
Michael Laws Analyses The Latest RNZ Opinion Poll

Michael Laws Analyses The Latest RNZ Opinion Poll

If you have a great Youtube, Rumble or Vimeo video to share send it to videos@goodoil.news If you're loving this trusty, straight-up news on Kiwi politics and beyond, why not become a paid member, eh? Unlock exclusive yarns, podcasts, vids, and in-depth analysis—your

Members Public