• chagrin • Pronunciation: shê-grin • Hear it at alphadictionary! Part of Speech: Noun, mass (no plural) Meaning: A sense of uneasiness, annoyance, or embarrassment caused by disappointment or frustration; mild mortification. Notes: I am chagrined to find that we have not already done todays Good Word. Despite its hazy origin (see Word History) it is too good to be left behind. It may be used as a verb meaning to bring on chagrin, as in He was chagrined by her coldness. This verb paves the way for an adjective made from its past participle: chagrined experiencing chagrin. In Play: This word probably occurs most frequently in the phrase (Much) to Xs chagrin: Much to Anne Chovis chagrin, her favorite dish had been replaced in the fall menu at the restaurant by something much blander. However, it may be used outside this phrase: With considerable chagrin the quarterback asked his teammates to help him take off the tight helmet. Word History: The editors of the Oxford English Dictionary think that chagrin came from shagreen leather with a rough surface. The French word referred to a rough chamois used to polish by making minute scrapes, a meaning that was extended to the notion of irritation brought on by frustration. An alternative explanation is that the French word chagrin sorrow is a loan translation of the German word Katzenjammer a hangover. A loan translation is a type of borrowing from another language in which the elements of a foreign word, as Katzen, cats + Jammer distress, wailing, are translated to corresponding elements in another language, in this case, chat cat + grigner to grimace. If neither of these explanations works, then we are back to what most dictionaries tell us: origin unknown. (Lets not chance chagrining Susan Ardith by not recognizing her recommendation of todays Good Word.)
Posted on: Mon, 13 Oct 2014 02:48:21 +0000
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