WOTD: Vigorish

(Noun)

Pronunciation: [ 'vi-gê-rish] Listen

Definition: (Argot) Usurious interest paid to a money-lender or a book-maker's usual commission on an illegal bet.

[@more@]

Usage: "Vigorish" comes from an argot, a secretive criminal dialect (or sociolect) designed to conceal meaning from all but the initiated. "Vigorish" is a lexical orphan with no corresponding verb or adjective. It is often clipped to just "vig."

Suggested Usage: Today's is another word we suggest you don't use but thought you might find its story intriguing, nonetheless. You might try it as a hyperbole in very informal situations, "You would think the drop in Fed rates would reduce the vigorish the local banks exact for their mortgages." Anytime the return on investment strikes someone as exorbitant, today's word could fit: "Raking the leaves for my allowance is pure vigorish, dad! It will take me all week-end."

Etymology: This word comes from Russian vyigrish "winnings" from vy- "out (of)" + igrat' "play" via Yiddish slang. The prefix vy- in fact derives from same ultimate root (*uds) as English "out" and German "aus." The verb "igrat'" may derive from the same stem as a recent Word of the Day, "aegis," which you remember goes back to Greek aigis "goatskin" but also referred to storm winds, the shield of Zeus, in some contexts.

来自 “ ITPUB博客 ” ，链接：http://blog.itpub.net/10312298/viewspace-927973/，如需转载，请注明出处，否则将追究法律责任。

转载于:http://blog.itpub.net/10312298/viewspace-927973/