Word Of The Week #133

[ajax]

Word Of The Week -- fusty
Definition: fus·ty (fŭs'tē)
adj.

1. Smelling of mildew or decay; musty.
2. Out of date; antique.
3. Stubbornly conservative or old-fashioned; fogyish.

Etymology: [Middle English, from Old French: fust, piece of wood, wine cask, from Latin fūstis, stick, club.]

Obscurity: 50% (I've seen this a few times, but am not really sure what it means.)

Usefulness: 30% (More common in print, but meaning is generally clear from context.)

Examples:
(def. 1) "Nobody had bothered to air out Sally's bedroom since her last visit, so it bore a distinctly fusty aroma that tickled her nose as she opened the door."
(def. 2) "My grandpa's 1932 Packard is a little fusty-looking, but it still runs pretty well and I get a lot of attention driving down the street."
(def. 3) "Jim's such a fusty character -- he insists on putting on a jacket and tie when we go out to eat, even if we're just going to Applebee's."

This long, grueling election season has brought home one essential, overriding truth: John McCain is fusty.

(It had to be said.)

--- Ajax.