Word To Use Today: poltroon.

Poltroon is one of the best words you can say in any language.

Go on, try it.

See?

A poltroon is of course an obvious coward, and poltroons are to be found all over the place, littering the world with their poltroonery.

Hm, poltroonery might be an even better word to say than poltroon.

In any case, poltroon is not only a lovely, but a very safe word to use, too. Well it is as long as the person you're talking to really is one, anyway.

If not...

...er...

...run?

Word To Use today: poltroon. This brilliant word is from the Old French poultron, and before that from the Old Italian poltrone, a lazy good-for-nothing, from poltro, which means bed.

Though on the other hand it might be from the Italian poltro meaning unbroken colt, from pullus, which is the Latin for a young animal.

I like the bed derivation best.