GAIR-uh-lus
The garrulous host told story after story, barely letting anyone else speak.
Fun Fact
“Garrulous” comes from Latin garrire, meaning “to chatter.” While sometimes charming, garrulous speech can also wear people down—especially when it’s full of gossip, tangents, or repetition. It’s a favorite descriptor in novels to bring quirky or long-winded characters to life.
TAW-dree
(adjective) Showy but cheap and of poor quality; lacking good taste.
The room was filled with tawdry decorations that looked like they came from a discount bin.
Mid 17th century: contraction of St. Audrey’s lace, which referred to cheap lace sold at fairs in honor of St. Audrey. Over time, the lace was seen as gaudy and tasteless, and St. Audrey became tawdry.
Fun Fact
The transformation from St. Audrey to tawdry is a classic case of how language evolves through cultural snobbery. Once a respected religious figure, St. Audrey lent her name to lace accessories sold at fairs. But as styles changed, those accessories were considered garish or outdated, and the word became an insult. Today, tawdry is used to describe anything that’s cheaply flashy, overly glitzy, or just in bad taste—from outfits to gossip.