degringolade

[prettygoodword]

degringolade (dey-gran-gaw-LAD, dey-grang-guh-LAHD) - n., a rapid decline or deterioration.


Of a circumstance, condition, or strength -- but apparently not health? I'm unclear on that. I'm not very familiar with this word, by which I mean I had the vague idea that it was some sort of article of 19th century women's clothing, which is way, way off. In my very weak defense, this is uncommon in American English, being used more in British English. It's from French, of course, adopted in the early 1880s, and it is still sometimes spelled dégringolade -- from dégringoler, to tumble down, but that physical sense is absent in English.

---L.

Comments

[minoanmiss]

I thought it was an effect of gringoes being around.. ;)

[mount_oregano]

I thought it was the action of removing the gringos or their influence from something.

[prettygoodword]

Those are both as good a guess as mine. That is, not at all.

[minoanmiss]

That sounds much more accurate than my supposition. :D

[jesse_the_k]

Delightful as a username for me :,)

[prettygoodword]

You have a point. That IS an excellent username.