in-KOH-it
The inchoate plan lacked specifics but hinted at an innovative new direction.
Fun Fact
“Inchoate” comes from the Latin inchoare, meaning “to begin.” It’s often used in legal contexts (like an inchoate crime) or in creative and scientific fields when an idea is still forming. Think of a sketch before it becomes a painting or a startup’s rough pitch before full launch.
jibe
(verb/noun) To make mocking or taunting remarks; a sneer or insult.
The critics gibed at his unconventional performance, but audiences loved it.
From Old French giber, meaning “to handle roughly” or “mock.”
Fun Fact
Though gibe is often confused with jibe (meaning “to agree”) or jive (as in slang talk or dancing), its roots are distinctly sharper. It’s the verbal equivalent of a smirk or side-eye—a remark meant to sting. In medieval times, gibes were part of courtly banter, a display of wit as much as cruelty. Today, the word survives in debates, comedy, and even politics, where a well-placed gibe can cut deeper than an argument.