officious \uh-FISH-uhs\ (adjective) - Marked by excessive eagerness in offering services or advice where they are neither requested nor needed; meddlesome.

"You are too officious
In her behalf that scorns your ...Read More

congeries \KON-juh-reez\ (noun) - A collection; an aggregation.

"But if the congeries of past events, if congeries it was, could be separated from its usual partnership with sentiment, it cannot have been too much to ...Read More

The Word Guy Blooper Patrol has plucked the ripest, juiciest mistakes from newspapers and magazines. Can you find the lemons?

1. "Palettes of new furniture were hoisted off trucks." Colorful items, no doubt. 2. "...the ...Read More

F. Scott Fitzgerald's "The Great Gatsby," published 100 years ago this month, endures as a cherished novel in many of our hearts. As I note in my new book, "Gatsby's Secrets," the novel derives much of its power and ...Read More

Q: Are there any other words besides "facetious" that contain all the vowels in alphabetical order? -- Mary Lundquist, Bristol, Connecticut

A: You (alpha)bet!

As Richard Lederer notes in his rollicking book "The Word ...Read More