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April 12, 2018

Word of the Day: Newfangled

1 CQ

Word of the Day : April 12, 2018

newfangled \NOO-FANG-guld\ adjective

Definition

1 : attracted to novelty

2 : of the newest style or kind

Did You Know?

Newfangled is actually a pretty old word. It dates all the way back to the 15th century, and likely developed from the even older adjective newfangle, which probably derives from a combination of the Middle English newe, meaning new, and the Old English fangol, from a verb meaning "to take." In its earliest documented uses, newfangled described a person who was fond of new things, fashions, or ideas. Current usage indicates that newfangled is used—sometimes deprecatingly—to describe anything that is new, hip, hot, or happening, while other times it is used with irony for something—such as rock music—that might have been new at one time but is hardly new anymore.

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Aired April 12, 2018

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