On the BBC's "My Word" radio program on Sunday, the lady devised the meaning of "egregious" from its latin root "grex" = flock.
I thought that was a neat derivation ... and also detected a bit of a story.
I had heard it in the context of an "egregious mistake" ... which is a nice step away from "out from the flock" ... but ...
the meaning has changed over time.
egregious - Wiktionary
Adjective
egregious (comparative more egregious, superlative most egregious)
- Exceptional, conspicuous, outstanding, most usually in a negative fashion.<dl style="margin- 0.2em; margin-bottom: 0.5em;"><dd style="line- 1.5em; margin- 1.6em; margin-bottom: 0.1em; margin-right: ">The student has made egregious errors on the examination.</dd></dl> [quotations ▼]
- Outrageously bad.
[edit]Usage notes
The negative meaning arose in the late 16th century, probably originating in sarcasm. Before that, it meant outstanding in a good way. Webster also gives “distinguished” as an archaic form, and notes that its present form often has an unpleasant connotation (e.g., "an egregious error"). It generally precedes such epithets as “rogue,” “rascal,” "ass," “blunderer” – but may also be used for a compliment, or even on its own: “Sir, you are egregious.”
