The word for today is…

quirk (noun):

1a: an abrupt twist or curve
b: a peculiar trait : idiosyncrasy
c: accident, vagary
2: a groove separating a bead or other molding from adjoining members

Source : Merriam -Webster

Etymology : No one knows whence quirk came, but the twists and turns of its meanings cross the centuries. The oldest known use of quirk dates to the mid-1500s, and referred to a clever verbal dodge of the kind one might use to turn the tables on someone in an argument or debate. It didn’t take long for quirk’s meaning to expand to cover all kinds of twisty, turn-y things, from witty retorts and curlicue flourishes made with ink on paper to the vagaries or twists of fate. The sense of quirk meaning “a peculiarity of action or behavior” refers to a twist of sorts as well, insofar as our quirks often flip others’ expectations of us, perhaps even causing them to quirk their eyebrows now and again. In a surprising twist, quirk began to be used as a verb meaning “to curve or twist” in the late 1800s.

If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends and, especially, your children

David is a retired surgeon originally from London who came to New Zealand twenty-seven years ago after being delayed in Singapore for thirteen years on leaving the UK. He was coerced into studying Latin...