mollycoddle

<font size="-1" face="arial, helvetica"> <p> <strong> <font color="#000066">Merriam-Webster's Word of the Day for October 17, 2023 is:</font> </strong> </p> <p> <strong>mollycoddle</strong> &#149; \MAH-lee-kah-dul\&nbsp; &#149; <em>verb</em><br /> <p>When you mollycoddle someone, you are treating that person with an excessive or absurd degree of indulgence or attention.</p> <p>// The newborn cub at the wildlife park enjoys being <em>mollycoddled</em> by its mother.</p> <p><a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mollycoddle">See the entry ></a></p> </p> <p> <strong>Examples:</strong><br /> <p>“Former Barnsley and Leeds United manager Heckingbottom has never been one to <em>mollycoddle</em> players and he says it is up to the individuals concerned to ensure they are getting the fitness work they need if his attention is dragged elsewhere.” — Stuart Rayner, <em>Yorkshire Post</em> (England), 17 Jan. 2023</p> </p> <p> <strong>Did you know?</strong><br /> <p>Coddling eggs is delicate business. You need to cook them slowly and gently, keeping the water just below boiling. Given how carefully you need to treat the eggs, it's not surprising that some believe the cooking sense of <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/coddle"><em>coddle</em></a> led to the sense meaning “to treat with excessive care or kindness.” Another source is possible though: the “pamper” <em>coddle</em> may be linked to <em>caudle</em>, a curative drink of yore made usually of warm ale or wine mixed with bread or gruel, eggs, sugar, and spices. Regardless, <em>mollycoddle</em> was formed by combining the “pamper” sense of <em>coddle</em> with <em>Molly</em>, a nickname for Mary. In its earliest known uses in the mid-1800s, <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/mollycoddle"><em>mollycoddle</em></a> was a noun, a disparaging and now-dated synonym of our modern <a href="https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wimp"><em>wimp</em></a>. But in short ti