WAY-lay
The journalist was waylaid by a crowd of eager fans before he could enter the conference.
Fun Fact
“Waylay” comes from an old term meaning “to lie in wait,” often referring to highway robbers. While it once had a dangerous connotation, today it’s used more playfully—think of a coworker waylaying you with last-minute questions before you leave for the weekend.
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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