POH-ten-tayt
(noun) A powerful ruler or monarch.
The potentate ruled the region for decades with unquestioned authority.
Fun Fact
The term “potentate” has a royal ring to it, but it can also be used ironically. You might hear it in reference to a micromanaging boss or a puffed-up HOA president.
GLUHT
(noun/verb) An excessively abundant supply of something; or to supply or fill to excess.
The market glut of avocados caused prices to plummet, leaving farmers with unsold crops.
Middle English: from Old French “gloutir” meaning “to swallow,” derived from Latin “gluttire” meaning “to gulp down.”
Fun Fact
A glut isn’t always about food—though the word’s swallowing origins suggest it. Economic gluts happen when supply dramatically exceeds demand, flooding markets and crashing prices. The 1980s oil glut saw prices collapse from oversupply. Tech companies experience gluts too—remember when warehouses overflowed with unsold fidget spinners? While abundance sounds positive, a glut reveals the delicate balance between plenty and excess. Too much of anything, even something valuable, can become worthless when there’s simply too much to go around.