Some 16th-century Italian clergymen tried to ban coffee because they believed it to be “satanic.” However, Pope Clement VII loved coffee so much that he lifted the ban and had coffee baptized in 1600.
DISINGENUOUS
disingenuous, artful
(adjective) not straightforward or candid; giving a false appearance of frankness; “an ambitious, disingenuous, philistine, and hypocritical operator, who...exemplified...the most disagreeable traits of his time”- David Cannadine; “a disingenuous excuse”
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Adjective
disingenuous (comparative more disingenuous, superlative most disingenuous)
Not honourable; unworthy of honour
Not ingenuous; not frank or open
Synonym: uncandid
Assuming a pose of naïveté to make a point or for deception.
Usage notes
• Nouns to which "disingenuous" is often applied: attempt, argument, statement, conduct, people, excuse, question, assertion.
Source: Wiktionary
Dis`in*gen"u*ous, a.
1. Not noble; unbecoming true honor or dignity; mean; unworthy; as, disingenuous conduct or schemes.
2. Not ingenuous; wanting in noble candor or frankness; not frank or open; uncandid; unworthily or meanly artful. So disingenuous as not to confess them [faults]. Pope.
– Dis`in*gen"u*ous*ly, adv. T. Warton.
– Dis`in*gen"u*ous*ness, n. Macaulay.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
10 May 2025
BEATIFY
(verb) declare (a dead person) to be blessed; the first step of achieving sainthood; “On Sunday, the martyr will be beatified by the Vatican”
Coffee Trivia
