Word of the Day : April 7, 2019

sashay \sa-SHAY\ verb

Definition

1 : to make a chassé

2 a : walk, glide, go

b : to strut or move about in an ostentatious or conspicuous manner

c : to proceed or move in a diagonal or sideways manner

Did You Know?

Orthographically, there's no denying that chassé is French. It is from the French past participle of chasser, meaning "to chase," and it danced into English in the beginning of the 19th century. As the word gained popularity in America, people often had difficulty pronouncing and transcribing its French rhythms. It wasn't long before sashay had begun to appear in print in American sources. Authors such as Mark Twain, Zora Neale Hurston, and John Updike have all since put their names on the word's dance card and have enjoyed the liveliness and attitude sashay adds to descriptions of movement. They and many, many others have helped sashay slide away from its French dance origins to strut its stuff in descriptions of various walks and moves.

Aired April 7, 2019

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