PAR-suh-moh-nee
His parsimony was so extreme that he reused paper towels to save a few cents.
Fun Fact
While often used negatively, parsimony has a place in science too—Occam’s Razor is a principle of parsimony, suggesting the simplest explanation is usually best. In everyday life, though, it’s usually a warning against being so frugal it becomes unreasonable or absurd.
KAW-stik
(adjective) Sharply sarcastic or cutting in a way that is meant to wound; also, capable of burning or corroding organic tissue through chemical action
Her caustic remarks during the meeting left everyone uncomfortable and the presenter visibly shaken.
Caustic comes from the Latin causticus, derived from the Greek kaustikos — from kaiein, meaning “to burn.” It entered English in the late 14th century first in its literal chemical sense, describing substances that burn or corrode on contact, before its meaning extended to describe the burning quality of sharp, cutting speech.
Fun Fact
Some of history’s most celebrated wits were known for their caustic tongues. Oscar Wilde, Mark Twain, and Dorothy Parker built entire reputations on caustic humor — remarks so sharp they drew blood while making the room laugh. Parker famously quipped about a Yale prom that the girls were “all ravishing in their beauty” with a follow-up so cutting it became legendary. In chemistry, caustic soda (sodium hydroxide) is still one of the most widely used industrial compounds in the world — found in everything from soap-making to paper production — a reminder that the word’s literal burn is just as real as its rhetorical one.
Today's Word Diaphanous dy-AF-uh-nus Definition (adjective) Light, delicate, and translucent;...
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