picaresque

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The Word of the Day for September 7 is:

picaresque   \pik-uh-RESK\   adjective
      : of or relating to rogues or rascals; also : of, relating to, 
suggesting, or being a type of fiction dealing with the episodic adventures of 
a usually roguish protagonist

Example sentence: 
      Kirk's first novel was a picaresque tale of a young orphan boy coping 
with life in the big city.

Did you know?
      "Picaresque" derives from Spanish "picaresco," which means "of or 
relating to a picaro." What is a picaro? This word, which also derives from 
Spanish, means "rogue" or "bohemian." "Picaro" describes a type of character 
that has long been a popular subject for fictional narrative. Typically, the 
picaresque novel centers around a wandering individual of low standing who 
happens into a series of adventures among people of various higher classes, 
often relying on his wits and a little dishonesty to get by. The first known 
novel in this style is _Lazarillo de Tormes_ (ca. 1554), an irreverent work 
about a poor boy who works for a series of masters of dubious character. The 
novel has been attributed to Diego Hurtado de Mendoza, but his authorship is 
disputable. 





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