Word of the Day

: June 9, 2011

uncouth

adjective un-KOOTH

What It Means

1 : strange or clumsy in shape or appearance : outlandish

2 : lacking in polish and grace : rugged

3 : awkward and uncultivated in appearance, manner, or behavior : rude

uncouth in Context

Stacy realized it would be uncouth to show up to the party without a gift, so she picked up a bottle of wine on the way.

"For starters, Buckingham Palace isn't a great place to be fussy about food -- the hosts have gone to a lot of trouble to prepare dinner and it would be uncouth not to sample everything that's served…." -- From an article by Jessica Allen and Patricia Treble in Maclean's, May 2, 2011

Did You Know?

"Uncouth" comes from the Old English word "uncŪth," which joins the prefix "un-" with "cŪth," meaning "familiar" or "known." How did a word that meant "unfamiliar" come to mean "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude"? Some examples from literature illustrate that the transition happened quite naturally. In Captain Singleton, Daniel Defoe refers to "a strange noise more uncouth than any they had ever heard." In William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, Orlando tells Adam, "If this uncouth forest yield anything savage, I will either be food for it or bring it for food to thee." In Washington Irving’s The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Ichabod Crane fears "to look over his shoulder, lest he should behold some uncouth being tramping close behind him!" So, that which is unfamiliar is often perceived as strange, wild, or unpleasant. Meanings such as "outlandish," "rugged," or "rude" naturally follow.