churlish

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The Word of the Day for April 12 is:

churlish   \CHUR-lish\   adjective 
     1 : of, resembling, or characteristic of a churl : vulgar  
    *2 : marked by a lack of civility or graciousness : surly  
     3 : difficult to work with or deal with : intractable

Example sentence:
     She was obviously very upset over losing the match, but that's no excuse 
for her churlish behavior toward her opponent.

Did you know?
     It is easy to understand how "churlish" has come to mean "vulgar," 
"surly," and "intractable" if you know your English history. In Anglo-Saxon 
England a churl, or ceorl, was a freeman of the lowest rank who owned and 
cultivated a small farm. He had certain rights and had the upward mobility to 
rise to the rank of thane. After the Norman Conquest, however, many churls 
became serfs, and the word "churl" eventually came to be used as a pejorative 
for a rude, ill-bred person. 

*Indicates the sense illustrated in the example sentence.





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