UNCTUOUS. Please tap to read

Unctuous.

When I opened my special word from Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for Saturday, May 30th, 2026, I was confronted by the word UNCTUOUS, appearing in large bold type that immediately caught my attention.

I was quickly propelled down my lexicography rabbit hole to discover the exact meaning of the word, and it proved to be a real gem of an idea. Webster's Dictionary informs me that it derives from a Latin word meaning "to anoint, to smear, or to rub with an oily substance."

I immediately thought of the Last Rites of the Church, Extreme Unction, and the anointing with oils. I wondered whether the two words were related.

So, I burrowed down a short Latin rabbit hole on my investigative voyage into unctuous. I discovered that unction and unctuous both derive from the Latin word ungere, meaning to anoint or smear with oil. Unction became the act of anointing, while unctuous survived into Medieval Latin and came to mean oily or greasy, particularly when referring to food.

I googled the word and found another interesting piece of information written in the 14th century by a scholar named John Trevisa. He wrote of the olive that "the olive fruit is bright, delicious and unctuous." Here, he was referring to the high oil content of olives.

A food writer describes the sensation of eating fatty foods as "an unctuous mouthfeel." I was always advised to avoid fatty foods to keep my cholesterol down, but now I can think about these foods in a more respectful, unctuous light.

Next time you are out for a burger and chips with lots of ketchup, you can refer to that lovely unctuous taste on your palate and wait to hear what people say. The meaning of the word unctuous changed quite a bit during the 19th and 20th centuries, with the word increasingly being used to describe a person who is insincerely flattering or false.

In Irish terms, they might be described as sucking up to someone in order to curry favour, whether at work or at play. Have you ever met the person who always agrees with whatever you say? The one who is excessively polite and eager to please.

Interestingly when I looked up unctuousness in De Bhaldraithes English/Irish dictionary I get Plásántacht but when I look up Plásantacht in O Dónaills Irish/English Foclóir it gives me blandness or cajolery. Take your pick.

We have all met genuine, salt-of-the-earth people who are a joy to work and socialise with. But we also encounter the unctuous types who are a pain in the butt and whose company makes us uncomfortable. These conniving, "cute hoor" types can make life very difficult for themselves, their playmates, or their workmates. You never quite know where you stand with them. They are all smiles and agreement when speaking face to face, but tell a different story behind your back. Give me the straight-talking person who, if they have something to say, will say it directly to your face rather than the two-faced breed who speak behind your back.

There was a great saying in Kerry during my youth. You would often hear people described as decent, hardworking, and "sound." The last of these was a real badge of honour. People valued a sound person's advice. They were trusted. They were admired. They were, as the saying went, "sound as a trout." You could always rely on them in times of need. If you were sick and needed help, they were there. If the car broke down, they were there.

While I never really liked unctuous people, there was another group on the social scene who could be a bit uppity. This group is noted for name-dropping and elevating themselves into what they perceive as a superior social class, while looking down on their less fortunate neighbours. They will mention their education, wealth, the clubs they belong to, and the restaurants they frequent in order to bolster their already inflated egos. They take their image-building role in life very seriously.

I really admire those people who have worked hard, achieved success, and yet retained the common touch in their attitudes and behaviour toward others. Give me the sincere, honest, decent, sound person any day of the week ahead of the unctuous or uppity types.

I leave the final comment to a first cousin of mine in America when I asked him to proof read it for me.

Michael

"I think you did a good job on the word unctuous. To me, I dislike the attribute when it shows up in a person, and of course I tend to dislike the person as well. The word came up in a message I sent to a friend commenting about Trump and the impression his photographs made on me during his recent trip to China. More than anyone I can think of, he conveys unctuousness in its slimiest form.

Here is a copy of the message I sent to my friend:

'Please look at Trump as he greets other national leaders. Watch the body language. The head leaning forward solicitously and unctuously into the other person's airspace—no doubt to convey the impression of warmth, understanding, friendship, and closeness. In the process, my impression is of a cheap huckster trying to put something across, especially a cheap New York City huckster. Comrade Xi stands back with a smirk on his face, convinced that he has the huckster's number and that he has the upper hand.

Michael O'Callaghan, June 1st, 2026