The Casual Etymologist: Word of the Week

For those of you with a delicate constitution, or the gag reflex of a cat, you may want to avert your attention to something less pus-related than the following article. Continuing on from last week's entry (I know, it was only saturday, but technically speaking, that was last weekEND), and how much fun it was to post, I just couldn't wait to do another one. So here it is. This week's word, gleefully sourced from Chaucer's lurid and mildly disturbing tale of the Summoner, is...

Saucefleem: adj. pimpled, red swelling of the face

Is there something wrong with me that I find this interesting? Most likely. But, for those of you who share a  dorky interest in the variety and creativity of language, it doesn't get much better than this.


Saucefleem, a medieval conjugation of the words 'salt' and 'phlegm', was a redness and pimpled swelling of the face, usually coupled with a generous smattering of over-ripe 'whelkes' (known today as 'big-ass whiteheads'). And this poor son-of-a-musket had it all in rich abundance. Unlikely as it is that you'll want to read more, there is a very interesting article, along with a full breakdown of the Summoner's tale here.

Well, I've probably caused enough dry-heaving for one week, so if you're still coming back for more next week, there's something wrong with you too. AND I LIKE IT! So does this guy--->