Well, we’ve come to the end of our exploration into old English insults. We’ve met some interesting words along the way and the final two are just as interesting. Our first word is Yaldson. This is a 15th century word meaning “the son of a prostitute.” I’m sure that was insulting and painful in the 15th century. Our next word is Zoilist. It refers to someone who is overly critical and a judgmental nitpicker. The word comes from Zoilus who was a Greek grammarian that became known as one of the most vitriolic critics of Homer, author of “The Iliad” and “The Odyssey.”
We have many holidays to celebrate today. For our token food holiday, we have National Blueberry Popover Day. Popovers are airy rolls that puff up when baked and are often filled with creams, custards, and fruits, especially blueberries. It’s also National Pack Your Lunch Day which I consider a food holiday. If you enjoy Super Mario and Nintendo games, today is National Mario Day. The most important holidays to celebrate today are National Women and Girls HIV/AIDS Awareness Day and, every second Wednesday of March, National Registered Dietitian Nutritionist Day. I’m not sure if dietitians and nutritionists would approve of blueberry popovers for lunch.
James Pack 