Word To Use Today: umbrage.

I find The Word Den really a rather cheerful place, but here's a chance to walk on the dark side.

Umbrage.

It's rather a silly word, is umbrage. Someone who takes umbrage is certainly offended, but the chances are that his revenge won't go further than a little outraged gossip or the pointed closing of a door.

Or just possibly an email beginning Dear Mr Bogworthy. That sort of thing.

(I remember a neighbour once saying to me ooh, I can't wait for him to speak to me so I can ignore him. Bless.)






If that sort of umbrage isn't dark and cloak-swirly enough for you then there's always the shadier sort of umbrage, umbrage meaning, well, shade. Umbrage meant first of all the foliage of trees, but it's also come to mean shade, as cast by leaves.

Darker still? Well, in that case you can have umbrage meaning a shadow or a semblance.

The sort of thing that leans forward silently, grinning from the shadows as you pass...

Hm.

I think I'll stick with the foliage, myself.

Word To Use Today: umbrage. This word comes from the Latin word umbrāticus, realting to shade, from umbra, which means shade or shadow.