Ving, Vang, Vong

In an editorial subtitled “The Pleasures of a New Vocabulary,” Verlyn Klinkenborg beautifully describes the thrill of picking up unfamiliar words while acquiring a new skill. Who knew that “scandalize” was a sailing term? (Okay, besides sailors.) It means “to make a sail smaller,” and is an alteration of “scantelize,” which may have something to do with “scant.”