Today’s Word of the Day is a word you almost never hear anymore. Well, except in the famous Shakespearean phrase “Beware the Ides of March.” On This Day In History, 44 BC, Julius Caesar was murdered. I wonder if it was because he didn’t know the meaning of the word “Ides?” Well, in any case, here’s a word to the wise dictator: Vocabulary matters! Actually, it matters to us all. Or at least, it should.
Ides
noun \ ˈīdz
In the ancient Roman calendar:
The 15th day of March, May, July, or October.
Or the 13th day of any other month.
For ancient Romans, days that marked the position of the moon were named. The calends was the first day of the month, or new moon. The ides was the middle of the month, or full moon. Every few years an extra month was added. This ensured that agricultural festivals and holidays remained at the appropriate time of year.
I wonder…
Where’s the Internet when you need it most?
How about it, Shakespeare?
What’s up with that?
Hmmm?