Words of M.D.

Words of M.D. As a scientist, especially a physician, I am proud to be at the forefront of scientific knowledge.

04/15/2026

Today's word is Hoopla
This term cropped up, in all likelihood,from French in 1870 as the cry of certain animals, namely horses and dogs. Subsequently, the Americans utilized it
as interjections and exclamations around 1877 when something sounded unbelievable and even as a substitute for bulls...t.
Generally, Hoopla has two primary connotations depending on whether it is associated with the American vernacular or the British one. Usually, the former entails certain excitement about an event or situation. Whereas the latter pertains to games mostly found in fairs or carnivals consisting in throwing a ring to encircle one of the prizes.
In terms of events, it encompasses lot of activities and noise excitement like the hoopla preceding the arrival of a pop star or during the final soccer game match. In any situation when people are too excited about something, one can plainly say the word Hoopla and similarly a fuss, a hype, or a plug. For example, your family may desire to make a hoopla about your birthday or your graduation party even though you remain very cautious about it.
In politics, around the Democratic or Republican conventions that precede the general election, hoopla becomes attached to businesses, and some individuals put out their merchandise; restaurants, transport buses, and taxis take advantage while the national spotlight shines. Similar things happen during the opening day hoopla of Congress that will be in session for the next two years.
In short, here in the United States, hoopla is not a game but it remains an excited and agitated activity. However, in certain circumstances, it can be used in a derogatory
manner as a fuss or an angry discussion.

04/01/2026

Today's word is Flabbergasted
This term was described for the first time in 1772 in an article magazine. However, the birth of this adjective has been controversial at best since it is said that it was possibly derived in 1823 from a dialect under the verb “ flabbergast,” meaning to flabby plus “aghast” which is a Scottish word that is related to fabrigast, ( to boast, to brag).
Generally, Flabbergasted stands as an adjective that denotes the” feeling of shock, surprise, or wonder.” In other words, when someone is shocked, they become astonished, amazed, speechless, and dumbfounded. Indeed, they feel astounded usually because they were not expecting an event or a situation such as gaining weight when stepping up to the scale, winning a prize while remaining seated, unable to claim it, or a burglar who surprisingly finds a guard dog waiting inside the home.
On the whole, Flabbegasted should be used when someone becomes surprised or startled for any reason, good or bad.

03/25/2026

Today's word is Incognito
This term derived in the mid 17th century from Latin “incognitus” and Italian “incognito, which means “unknown” judging by the prefix “ in”(not) plus “cognitus”(known). However, in the 1640s, as Italian, it espoused someone unknown in terms of travel, and in Latin, someone not investigated.
About significance, Incognito diverges whether it is used as an adjective, adverb, or noun.
As an adjective, it refers to a person in disguise with a false identity, namely individuals who go to Halloween parties are mostly incognito. But, there is the way they accomplished it, which represents the noun as they maintain their incognito. Finally, they remain unknown because they conceal their true identity by operating incognito that withstands as an adverb.
Nevertheless, some people choose to be somewhat incognito in real life which can be achieved by not going to a restaurant twice, by not using their MetroCard but buying tickets with cash only, by not using the app-sharing ride such as Uber or Lyft, or by adopting the concept “ walk, don't ride.”
Another way, some individuals can be incognito is in the electronic world through computers and Iphones. In order to be in incognito mode some people try to prevent their search and browsing history to be saved in the devices they use. But according to the experts that maneuver doesn't preclude them from being found by law-enfocement authorities or even hackers. Indeed, the incognito mode has the main disadvantage of leaving you IP address, your browsing habit, and your identity in the open for others to see.

03/18/2026

Today's word is Curmudgeon.
This term was echoed for the first time in the 1570s as “ mean man, miserly fellow.” It was reported that it has derived from the French expression “ coeur merchant,” meaning “evil heart,” and “ corn merchant,” entailing a seller who would withhold necessary foods. But those theories have been discarded to the point that this entity is considered of unknown origin.
On the whole, Curmudgeon’s connotations differ whether British or American English utilizes it. When someone is named curmudgeon in Britain it is usually a mean and bad-tempered person that you don't appreciate, whereas here in the the United States there is no hard feelings you are just dealing with an ill-mannered or cantankerous fellow.
Generally, Curmudgeon encompasses an older man who is easily annoyed and angered, such as a lonely neighbor that routinely walks the street and doesn't receive any visits from his children. Some studies have even shown that besides being males, they are over 70 because of physiological changes that occur with age. In addition, there exist personality transformations, a tendency to dislike which is related to attitude objects, a concept characterized by an attitude that is formed and that can change over time, namely various beliefs about a car, for instance.
In conclusion, a curmudgeon, a word without history and origin, is a grey-haired male neighbor who is fickle and stubborn and refuses to go along with the neighborhood activities, Halloween, and block parties.

03/11/2026

Today's word is Autarky. From the 1600s onward this term has been perceived as “ sufficient in oneself, independent.” It derives from Greek” autarkeia,” only as an hybrid of “ auto”(self) plus “ arkein”( to keep off, sufficient), which has been adequate, in a way, to be distinguished from “ autarchy,” the politically meaningful self-rule.
On the economic front, Autarky denotes a system that is “ independent and self-sufficient,” but with limited trade. In other words, a country that practices autarky has a national policy of economic independence even though import is very limited in trading on a personal level. However, collective autonomy is required since it is motivated by the public interest which is one of the survival tools.
Case in point, Cuba has a socialist economy based on a worked force mostly dedicated to state-owned enterprises without a stock market. Not to forget two other countries that have a policy of autarky: North Korea presently and N**i Germany in the 1930s. However, there exist no fully-autarkic nations, even those above-mentioned maintain some level of economic participation and limited trading around the world. As to agricultural management and food production, some other countries are self-sufficient, namely France, Canada, Australia, the U.S.A., Russia, Brazil, Thailand, etc.
Concerning illustrations, the practice of autarky, according to Adam Smith, a Scottish economist, is contrary to a liberal economic system that practices a free market and should specialize in certain goods that give an advantage in producing wealth. Therefore, autarky permits strong countries to grow stronger and developing ones to develop a political and economic system beneficial to their citizens. However, very few countries can accomplish it without engaging in international trade.

03/04/2026

The term Variant derived in the 14th century from French as an adjective “ variant” (varying) by way of the verb “varier”(vary). But, it was only in the mid 20th century that it has evolved into a noun that has become so popular because of its relation with the CoVID-19 virus. To make some light, after the contamination, the virus is transmitted from one individual to another; it develops mutations that provoke changes at the level of the genes to survive. As a result, those modifications can lead to a new strain of genetically distinct viruses from the main one.
Generally, variant stands for a “ form or version” of something different in some respect from the other identical forms. About virology, the Omicron variant, for example, is a variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus responsible for COVID-19. It has been detected for the first time, according to OMS, in South Africa. Subsequently, several mutations have demonstrated that this variant has been more contagious and resistant to some vaccines. Variants usually emerge, and also fade away; this is the nature of the beast. However, new variants will continue to surface. In contrast, CDC and other health organizations will continue to monitor all the variants of the virus that causes COVID-19 in the USA and worldwide.
Concerning illustrations, the Omicron variant has been involved in some changes at the receptor binding of the virus and is responsible for neutralizing antibodies from previous infections and some vaccines. On that remark, someone could advise you that taking covid precautions and getting vaccinated appear to be the only way out of that Pandemic. Moreover, according to the CDC, unvaccinated adults are 23 times more likely to be hospitalized with COVID-19 during the Omicron wave than those who were vaccinated and received boosters.

02/25/2026

Today’s word is Discombobulated. This term was echoed for the first time from the American English in 1834 under the significance of being upset or embarrassed. However, as an adjective originating from the verb “ discombobulate,” an attempt was made to coin it as a Latin expression simulating a type of mockery, without success.
Generally speaking, Discombobulated is a fancy utterance that entails “being confused and disconcerted.” Indeed, if someone is put in a state of disarray to the point that they feel like they have a perplexed mind, the result must be embarrassment or great despair. Nonetheless, it encompasses not only individuals in a state of confusion but a feeling of being upset or frustrated as well.
To illustrate, the dreadful event, in Israel on September 7, 2023, represents an embarrassment for their intelligence services which have been, in no other terms, discombobulated. As a result, the discombobulated victims were powerless, at the time, because they probably expected to have an unblemished security that never happened at the rave concert.
Still, this unknown-origin slang probably is a fanciful modification of letters from other pompous locutions that translate into an inability to remain calm and self-assured. Consequently, it can be invoked whenever one stands in the middle of difficult predicaments as bewildered, confounded, stymied, devastated, addled, etc.

02/18/2026

This eclectic term, Carnival, was echoed for the first time in the 1540s as a” time of merry-making before Lent.” It stands as an hybrid of Italian” carnevale, carnovale” and Latin” carnelevamen,” the word “Carne” meaning flesh and “łevare” put away. In the beginning, the Roman initiated the idea by celebrating Saturn, which has allowed the slaves to disguise as kings and men as women, but eventually, the Catholic Church introduced the event to its calendar.
Generally speaking, Carnival, in most of the world, is a moment of partying or jollification that occurs regularly every year before Lent. However, in the North American continent, it possesses a softer connotation. Indeed, it stands as a traveling amusement show where a conservative and familial atmosphere exists. Nevertheless, during Carnival, most people wear masks or any other suitable disguise just to quell their inhibition, a heritage from the slaves who were allowed to make fun of the kings. By the way, in the Christian tradition, it is permitted to eat fatty food and meat at the time of this event, before the Lent period that lasts about 40 days if I am not mistaken.
In terms of illustration, Carnival the greatest show on earth, lives in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, where about 70,000 people gathered on the Sambodromo stands just to get inebriated from joy and other means. Besides the magical festive atmosphere and the resultant economy, someone could warn you that during Carnival assaults, theft, and even murder can transpire; nobody can be guaranteed security during the carvinal even in the most stringent venue.

02/11/2026

Today's word is Heyday
This term survived in the late 16th century as an exclamation of joy and surprise in an archaic sense. However, from middle English til 1751, it has acquired the meaning of highest with the connotation of the “ stage of greatest vigor,” which is a period of outstanding achievement, strength, or influence.
Generally, Heyday denotes the period of someone’s most significant achievement or something’s enormous success. Indeed, one can reminisce about the heyday of their life or the heyday of one of their theatrical pieces. Similarly, Mike Tyson can look back at the heyday of his early rounds of knockouts.
Naturally, it is easy to remember the most successful and popular era of something such as the heyday of selling vinyl records, the heyday of the the vaudeville stars or the rat pack members including Frank Sinatra, Samy Davis, etc.
Everyone usually recalls their time of elation and triumph not only because of the pure physiologic effect of adrenaline and dopamine but merely their working memory which is essential to cite a distant heyday. In the modern sense, according to the conventional wisdom, heyday represents a stage or period where individuals who reach the zenith or acme of anything that excites their feelings of youth, prosperity, or enjoyment.

02/04/2026

Today’s word is Miasma. This term was heard for the first time in 1660s as an unpleasant and harmful odor emanating from the ground. It derives from Ancient Greek under “ pollution” and through the Italian medieval era as “malaria,” meaning lousy air. Nonetheless, the Greeks at the time considered it “ a contagious power” with a life of its own and the God of pollution.
Naturally, during the middle ages, it was thought that miasma was a disease based on humors, namely body secretions among them blood, bile and phlegm. But the theory has been debunked by Robert Koch, one of the Bacteriologists pioneers, by demonstrating that Anthrax was caused by Bacillus anthracis, a livestock microorganism that can be transmitted to human.
Generally speaking, Miasma entails an unpleasant and unhealthy odor coming from the ground polluting the atmosphere. In other words, some noxious exhalations from organic matters such as swamps or putrid materials, which could cause diseases. However, as a metaphor, it encompasses any bitter environment that spews noxious influences such as the ones adopted by terrorist attacks or other murders which can be called, without a doubt, miasma.
In short, with regard to disease transmission, the miasma theory was rejected by the end of 19th century when the evidence of microorganisms was widely accepted.Nowadays, let us concentrate on the miasma of despair that surrounds our communities and hoping that some light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak, could bring some enlightenment in the mind of our politicians.

01/28/2026

Today’s word is Knickerbocker. This term was echoed for the first time in the 1600s after the Dutch settlers had established in New York. It derived from the Ductch’s word “ knikker”(marble) and “bakker”(baker)meaning, which stood for a baker of marble. However, it is said to have originated from custom pants that rolled up just to below the knees at the time. However, it was popularized in the 1830s to describe all Dutch-descended New Yorkers, and more recently in the 1920s, most sportmen, including golfers, who were avid of freedom of movement.
Generally speaking, Knickerbocker entails a person from New York, which was alluded to by a writer, Washington Irving, in the book” History of New York” in 1809, when he mocked and poked at the Dutchmen because they colonized New York. Nonetheless, in British English, it denotes baggy-kneed breeches underwear which stood popular in the 20th century.
An important footnote, when New York was given a franchise by the Basketball Association of America in 1946, the then new onwer adopted the name Knickerbocker for the team, which still stands today as Knicks, for short.
Nowadays, questions have been asked,in terms of the demography, about Knickerbocker. The answer rests on the fact that some wealthy regions of New York City encompassing Fifth Avenue, Museum of Modern Art (MOMA), Central Park, and Rockefeller Center are still relatively sophisticated and are called Knickerbocker.

01/21/2026

Today’s word is Discombobulated. This term was echoed for the first time from the American English in 1834 under the significance of being upset or embarrassed. However, as an adjective originating from the verb “ discombobulate,” an attempt was made to coin it as a Latin expression simulating a type of mockery, without success.
Generally speaking, Discombobulated is a fancy utterance that entails “being confused and disconcerted.” Indeed, if someone is put in a state of disarray to the point that they feel like they have a perplexed mind, the result must be embarrassment or great despair. Nonetheless, it encompasses not only individuals in a state of confusion but a feeling of being upset or frustrated as well.
To illustrate, the dreadful event, in Israel on September/October 2023, represents an embarrassment for their intelligence services which have been, in no other terms, discombobulated. As a result, the discombobulated victims were powerless, at the time, because they probably expected to have an unblemished security that never happened at the rave concert.
Still, this unknown-origin slang probably is a fanciful modification of letters from other pompous locutions that translate into an inability to remain calm and self-assured. Consequently, it can be invoked whenever one stands in the middle of difficult predicaments as bewildered, confounded, stymied, devastated, addled, etc.

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