desultory

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The Word of the Day for February 12 is: 

desultory   \DEH-sul-tor-ee\   adjective
    *1 : marked by lack of definite plan, regularity, or purpose
     2 : not connected with the main subject
     3 : disappointing in progress, performance, or quality

Example sentence:
     "His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has 
amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish 
his professors." (Arthur Conan Doyle, "A Study in Scarlet")

Did you know?
     The Latin adjective "desultorius," the parent 
of  "desultory," was used by the ancients to refer to a circus 
performer (called a "desultor") whose trick was to leap from 
horse to horse without stopping. It makes sense, therefore, 
that someone or something "desultory" jumps from one thing to 
another. ("Desultor" and "desultorius" are derived from the 
Latin verb "salire," which means "to leap.") A desultory 
conversation leaps from one topic to another, and doesn't have 
a distinct point or direction. A desultory student skips from 
one subject to another without applying serious effort to any 
one. A desultory comment is a digressive one that jumps away 
from the topic at hand. And a desultory performance is one 
resulting from an implied lack of steady, focused effort. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.