Altruist (n.) One who selflessly devotes themselves to the welfare of others, generally as a moral principle.

Other forms: altruism (n.), altruistic (adj.)

Etymology: “Altruism”—in word if not deed—is of recent invention: it was coined, along with “sociology” and “positivism“, by the 19th century philosopher Auguste Comte, who used the word to describe his conception of the essential moral obligation of mankind. Comte derived the word from the Italian altrui, meaning “toward others”—this root is also the source of such words as “alter”, “alternate”, and “altercation“.

Undermine (v.) To sap or weaken, often gradually, imperceptibly, and/or fundamentally.

Other forms: underminer (n.)

Etymology: A classic of the Anglo-Saxon “Take two words and smack ‘em together backwards” school of etymology, “to undermine” originally meant “to mine under”—i.e., to dig a tunnel beneath the wall of an enemy castle, so as to weaken its foundation and attack from below.

Notes: This being a rather underhanded tactic, the word still frequently connotes deceit, although it can also be relatively neutral: Although still fond of his theory, the paleontologist admitted that the new fossil evidence appeared to undermine it. However, an “underminer” is almost always an insidious character, as can be seen in sources ranging from 16th century moral philosophy: “The whole broode of..secret vnderminers, hipocrits, and double dealers” (Baldwin, 1564) to comic monologuist Mike Albo’s insufferable frenemy.

Scandal (n.) A disgraceful or outrageous incident, particularly one that is public knowledge.

Other forms: scandalous (adj.), scandalize (v.),

Related words: scandalmonger (n.)

Etymology: “Scandal” comes from the Greek skandalon: a snare, tree stump, or other trap which causes the unwary to stumble and fall. This more literal meaning is alluded to when we speak of someone being “felled” or “taken down” by a scandal.

-gate (suffix) An alleged scandal involving illegal acts committed by government officials.

Notes: In 1972, a group of Richard Nixon’s operatives broke into the Democratic National Committee headquarters, at that time located in Washington D.C.’s Watergate Hotel. The discovery of this burglary led to what became known as the Watergate scandal, a scandal that ultimately made Nixon the first president to resign from office. Ever since then, pretty much any major (or not-so-major) American political scandal gets tagged with a “-gate”.

Vindicate (v.) To clear from blame or suspicion; to prove worthwhile or correct despite the doubts of others.

Other forms: vindication (n.), vindicator (n.)

Related words: vindictive (adj.), vendetta (n.)

Etymology: All these words come from the root vindic-, which means “to set free, to avenge”. However, their tone is quite different: while “vindication” is generally associated with truth and justice, “vindictive” and “vendetta” imply bitterness and a thirst for vengeance.

Grim (adj.) Uninviting in appearance, dismal, gloomy.

Other meanings: Fierce, especially in the face of forbidding odds (as in “grim determination.”)

Notes: There doesn’t seem to be a direct etymological connection between “grim” and either “grime” or “grimace“, but it’s not hard to make a mnemonic connection: for instance, a building that’s covered in grime probably looks pretty grim, which might cause you to grimace—especially if it was your job to clean it.

Flippant (adj.) Disrespectfully casual or humorous, especially in regards to a serious situation; smart-assed.

Other forms: flippancy (n.), flip (adj.)

Notes: “Flippant” originally meant light-heartedly talkative, but in a generally positive way—a flippant person was someone who’d be fun to chat with at a party. Around 1800, though, its negative connotations of “shallow” and “unserious” began to take over.

N.b. The title is a reference to pundit Michael Kinsley’s quotable quote: “A gaffe is when a politician tells the truth.”

Acme (n.) The highest peak; the point of perfection in the development of something.

Synonyms: apex, pinnacle, zenith, summit

Etymology: The Greek root ak- means “sharp” or “pointy”—a positive or negative thing, depending on the metaphorical context. For instance, to possess “acuity” or “acumen” is to have a sharp mind, which is a plus; on the other hand, to be “acrimonious“, “acrid“, “acid“, or “acerbic” is to have a sharp tongue, which is generally considered a minus. (“Acrid” and “acid” can also mean to have a sharp smell or taste, usually in an unpleasant way.) And then there’s “acne“, which originated as a misreading of “acme” and is a type of peak, albeit one infrequently associated with perfection.

Notes: Due to its position in the alphabet and implication of superiority, “Acme” became an enormously popular business name during the heyday of Yellow Pages. In fact, it became such a cliché that it’s now in the slightly paradoxical position of being more often used ironically as a name for a particularly incompetent or grandiose fictional company than sincerely as a name for an actual business.