Finesse - Word of the Day

[Merriam-Webster]( WORD OF THE DAY [February 23, 2017](#none) finesse [Audio pronunciation]( verb | fuh-NESS Definition 1 : to make a [finesse]( in playing cards : to play (a card) in a finesse 2 a : to bring about, direct, or manage by adroit maneuvering b : [evade](, [skirt]( Scroll down for more about finesse WORD GAMES AND QUIZZES: WEEKLY CHALLENGE [Merriam-Webster's New Words Quiz]( Test your knowledge of our newest words. [PLAY NOW]( Nailed this quiz? We have plenty more to try! [TAKE ME THERE [>]]( Plus: [SEE WHAT LOOKUPS ARE TRENDING NOW! [>]]( Did You Know? [Finesse]( was a noun for more than 300 years before it became a verb. In the 15th century the noun finesse was used to refer to refinement or delicacy of workmanship, structure, or texture. During the 16th century, it developed the "skillful handling of a situation" meaning most common today. The first use of the verb finesse, however, was not as a corollary of one of these meanings. Instead, its meaning had to do with cards: if you finesse in a game like bridge or whist, you withhold your highest card or trump in the hope that a lower card will take the trick because the only opposing higher card is in the hand of an opponent who has already played. The other verb meanings of finesse developed soon after this one. Examples of FINESSE "No author can finesse wry, homespun humor better than Fannie Flagg …, whose main claim to literary fame remains the award-winning 'Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistlestop Cafe.'" — Allen Pierleoni, The Sacramento (California) Bee, 20 Jan. 2017 "My base in Johannesburg was the superb Saxon Hotel…. Outside that cocoon of safety a guide was essential. Mine showed a marked reluctance to venture into the badlands of the city centre…. But he finessed the security barriers to take me around Parktown, which more than made up for it." — Clive Aslet, The Daily Telegraph (London), 21 Jan. 2017 Name That Antonym Unscramble the letters to create an antonym of finesse: MEFUBL. [VIEW THE ANSWER [>]]( ASK THE EDITOR Is it 'I Could Care Less' or 'I Couldn't Care Less'? If you don't care about something, do you say "I couldn't care less" or "I could care less"? Editor Kory Stamper weighs in. [WATCH OUR VIDEO NOW [>]]( MORE WORD FUN: [WORD GAMES [>]]( [TRENDING NOW [>]]( [WORDS AT PLAY [>]]( FOLLOW US: [Facebook]( [Twitter]( [YouTube]( [Instagram]( [Pinterest]( SHARE: [Facebook][Facebook]( [Twitter][Twitter]( [View this email in a web browser]( You are receiving this email because you opted in to receive the Merriam-Webster Word of the Day. [Unsubscribe from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day]( [Manage your subscription settings]( Merriam-Webster, Inc. 47 Federal Street P.O. Box 281 Springfield, MA 01102 [www.merriam-webster.com](