Word of the Week: ‘Balloonism’

Published March 18, 2022 3:00am ET



If anyone in your family has ever gotten into learning about your ancestors, tracing their history as far back as possible, and finding documents from the old country, chances are they say their hobby is “geneology.” As a spelling tip, the word is really “genealogy,” as in Friedrich Nietzsche’s book The Genealogy of Morals. (Second helpful spelling tip: To spell the German philosopher’s name, type out N-I-E, then just place your fingers on the keyboard and sneeze.)

Genealogy in this respect is similar to the word for a person who owns and operates an eatery. A guy who owns a restaurant. Do you have it in your head yet? Nope! It’s not “restauranteur,” the word is just “restaurateur.”

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