word discovery: per diem

By Alan Eggleston, writer and editor

Today's word: per diem, often used in the sense of paid allowances or tax deductions.

Meaning: "by the day" or "for each day" (Merriam-Webster); adv, adj, or noun.

Etymology: Medieval Latin (1520) "by the day" (per = by the; dies = day) (Online Etymology Dictionary)

Used in a sentence: You will be paid $100 per diem for food and travel expenses.

I have seen this phrase used many times over the past 25 years, but never knew exactly what it meant. Today, I decided to research it a little. It didn't yield much, but what I found was telling.

Twitter: @AlanEggleston or @a_copywriter

Word discovery: susurrus

Citation: Quarterdeck A Kydd Sea Adventure by Julian Stockwin, Chapter 4, p. 104, third paragraph.

Usage: “…the ghost-like susurrus of wind in the lines from aloft…”

Meaning: a whispering or rustling sound (merriam-webster); also, a murmur (wiktionary)

Example: The susurrus of leaves swept along the ground by an autumn wind, whispering of the approach of an unforseen storm.

Comments: Say the word and you get a sense of its origins, the “sus” sound of a whispered utterance, a poetic device to hint at a sound.