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.
QUAGMIRE
mire, quagmire, quag, morass, slack
(noun) a soft wet area of low-lying land that sinks underfoot
Source: WordNet® 3.1
Etymology
Noun
quagmire (plural quagmires)
A swampy, soggy area of ground.
Synonyms: marsh, marshland, mire, quag
(figuratively) A perilous, mixed up and troubled situation; a hopeless tangle; a predicament.
Verb
quagmire (third-person singular simple present quagmires, present participle quagmiring, simple past and past participle quagmired)
(transitive) To embroil (a person, etc.) in complexity or difficulty.
Source: Wiktionary
Quag"mire`, n. Etym: [Quake + mire.]
Definition: Soft, wet, miry land, which shakes or yields under the feet. "A spot surrounded by quagmires, which rendered it difficult of access." Palfrey.
Syn.
– Morass; marsh; bog; swamp; fen; slough.
Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition
Recent Word Finds
Word of the Day
16 April 2025
RACY
(adjective) marked by richness and fullness of flavor; “a rich ruby port”; “full-bodied wines”; “a robust claret”; “the robust flavor of fresh-brewed coffee”
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