uncouth

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The Word of the Day for December 4 is:

uncouth   \un-KOOTH\   adjective 
     1 : strange or clumsy in shape or appearance : outlandish  
     2 : lacking in polish and grace : rugged  
    *3 : awkward and uncultivated in appearance, manner, or 
behavior : rude

Example sentence: 
     Jill liked Chad because he was rebellious and 
unconventional, but in her parents' minds he was rude and 
uncouth.

Did you know? 
     "Uncouth" comes from the Old English "uncuth," which joins 
the prefix "un-" with "cuth," meaning "familiar, known." How did 
a word that meant "unfamiliar" come to 
mean "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude"? Some examples from 
literature illustrate that the transition happened quite 
naturally. In _Captain Singleton_, Daniel Defoe refers to "a 
strange noise more uncouth than any they had ever heard." In 
William Shakespeare's _As You Like It_, Orlando tells Adam, "If 
this uncouth forest yield anything savage, I will either be food 
for it or bring it for food to thee." In Washington Irving's 
_The Legend of Sleepy Hollow_, Ichabod Crane fears "to look over 
his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping 
close behind him!" So, that which is unfamiliar is often 
perceived as strange, wild, or unpleasant. Meanings such 
as "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude" naturally follow. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.