The Words of the Week - Aug. 1
Dictionary lookups from weather, politics, and advertising
‘Eugenics’
Lookups for eugenics were high this week. This was likely due to controversy over an ad campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney, but the word appeared prominently in other contexts as well.
Sydney Sweeney has come under fire for her appearance in a controversial new ad campaign with denim brand American Eagle. The Euphoria star fronts the label’s fall denim collection under the tagline: “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans.” The pun has drawn widespread backlash on social media and reignited conversations about racism, eugenics, and the historical exploitation of women in advertising.
—Lydia Patrick, Newsweek, 28 July 2025
In the 19th century, as scientists were intent on classifying the natural world into taxonomic categories, some of Edinburgh’s most celebrated intellectuals argued that different human races were so distinct that they ought to be considered separate species. The University of Edinburgh report on its legacy of links to slavery and colonialism notes that non-white populations were invariably depicted as inherently inferior, offering a convenient justification for colonialism. As this view became untenable, scientific racism shifted into the domain of eugenics in the 20th century. Francis Galton, the English statistician who coined the term, argued for social measures aimed at “improving the stock”.
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We define eugenics as “the practice or advocacy of controlled selective breeding of human populations (as by sterilization) to improve the populations’ genetic composition.” The word comes from the Greek eugenēs, meaning “wellborn.”
‘Derecho’
Derecho saw higher than usual lookups early in the week as severe weather was forecast in parts of the United States.
Severe Storms, and a Possible Derecho, Threaten the Northern Plains
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Derecho refers to a large, fast-moving complex of thunderstorms with powerful straight-line winds that cause widespread destruction. The word was borrowed directly from Spanish, in which derecho also means “straight” (derecho is contrasted with tornado, taken to mean “turned”); the word’s ultimate source is Latin directus, which also means “straight.” Derecho was first used in English to refer to a storm in the late 19th century.
‘Persona non grata’
Persona non grata appeared prominently in multiple news stories this week, and became a top lookup.
Trump, who socialized with Epstein in the 1990s and early 2000s, also offered new insight into why their relationship ended. The president said he cut ties after Epstein attempted to recruit staff who worked for Trump. “He hired help. And I said, ‘Don't ever do that again.’ He stole people that work for me,” Trump said. “He did it again. And I threw him out of the place persona non grata.”
—The Netherlands has declared Israel’s finance and national security ministers persona non grata for inciting violence and urging ethnic cleansing in Gaza.
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We define persona non grata as “a person who is unacceptable or unwelcome.” Persona non grata comes from New Latin (Latin as used since the end of the medieval period) and translates to “unacceptable person.” Its first known use in English appeared in the late 19th century.
‘Endangerment’
Lookups for endangerment were high this week after the announcement that the Environmental Protection Agency plans to revoke what is known as the “endangerment finding.”
Lee Zeldin, the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, said on Tuesday the Trump administration would revoke the scientific determination that underpins the government’s legal authority to combat climate change. Speaking on a conservative podcast called “Ruthless,” Mr. Zeldin said the E.P.A. planned to rescind the 2009 declaration, known as the “endangerment finding,” which concluded that planet-warming greenhouse gases pose a threat to public health. … Without the endangerment finding, the E.P.A. would be left with no authority under the Clean Air Act to regulate the greenhouse gas emissions that are accumulating in the atmosphere from the burning of fossil fuels, leading to rising seas, fiercer storms, more deadly heat waves and other extreme weather events.
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Endangerment refers to the act of placing someone or something in danger or the state of being placed in danger.
‘Hypergamy’
Hypergamy was in the news this week, which it seldom is, leading to increased lookups for the word.
And tucked into that litany of accusations … is the assertion that the couple met on the dating website now known as Seeking.com, which describes itself as “a space for love and luxury to meet,” through a mutual commitment to hypergamy, something it mentions and promotes repeatedly on its website. Hyperga-what? Hypergamy is broadly defined by dictionaries as marrying or becoming involved with someone who has more financial resources or social status than you. “Marrying up” was an old, somewhat polite way of putting it; there are less polite ways, as well.
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We define hypergamy as “marriage into an equal or higher caste or social group.” The word combines the prefix hyper-, meaning “above, beyond” with the noun combining form -gamy, meaning “marriage.”
Word Worth Knowing: ‘Absquatulate’
Impressive in spelling and meaning, absquatulate looks like a serious word but it’s not. Earliest evidence puts its genesis sometime around 1830, when it seems to have been assembled by slapping the prefix ab- (meaning “from” or “departing from”) and the ending -ulate (found in speculate and modulate) onto the indisputably undignified word squat. We suggest you use it boldly as a synonym for decamp or abscond.
... the sun is shining, and I’ve got weeds that need cutting. The hummingbirds have absquatulated so winter is on the way. Have a good day and be nice to each other.
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