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.
MALINGER
malinger, skulk
(verb) avoid responsibilities and duties, e.g., by pretending to be ill
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Verb
malinger (third-person singular simple present malingers, present participle malingering, simple past and past participle malingered)
(ambitransitive) To feign illness, injury, or incapacitation in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.
Hypernyms: goldbrick (dated), shirk
(ambitransitive) To self-inflict real injury or infection (to inflict self-harm) in order to avoid work, obligation, or perilous risk.
Anagrams
• Germinal, germinal, maligner
Source: Wiktionary
Ma*lin"ger, v. i. [imp. & p. p. MAlingered; p. pr. & vb. n. Malingering.]
Definition: To act the part of a malingerer; to feign illness or inability.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
1 June 2025
BACKFIRE
(verb) come back to the originator of an action with an undesired effect; “Your comments may backfire and cause you a lot of trouble”; “the political movie backlashed on the Democrats”
Coffee Trivia
