concrete personal connection to piquant, such as your friend’s spicy
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conversation”—provocative, engaging—that takes place in your
book club.z Both piquant and pique share the same French ancestor word
meaning “to prick or sting.” Thus, it’s no surprise that pique as
a verb means “to irritate or to provoke.” You might also hear the
phrase “It piqued my interest,” meaning that something aroused or
stimulated your curiosity.2I¿FLRXV DGMHFWLYH
Marked by excessive, often aggressive eagerness in offering unwanted
advice, service, or help to others; meddlesome.z Both RI¿FLRXV and RI¿FH come from the Latin RI¿FLXP, meaning
“duty, service.” According to the Online Etymology Dictionary,
when RI¿FLRXV originally came into English in the 1560s, it carried
the positive meaning of “zealous, eager to serve.” However, by
1600, RI¿FLRXV had taken on its current negative connotation of
“overzealous and meddlesome.”z We’ve all probably encountered someone who could be described
as RI¿FLRXV—the busybody who always offers unwanted advice. To
remember this word, keep in mind the connection to RI¿FH and the- ousVXI¿[ZKLFKPHDQV³IXOORI ́3HRSOHZKRDUHRI¿FLRXVFRXOG
EH³IXOORI ́WKHLUMREVDWWKHRI¿FH<RXPLJKWDOVRPDNHDSHUVRQDO
connection to the word; think of someone you know who tries to
be so helpful that he or she crosses the line to become annoying
and pushy.
Salubrious (adjective)
Conducive or favorable to health or well-being; wholesome.