Hotspur

Hotspur is a noun that refers to a rash, hotheaded person. The origin of our word of the day comes from the horseback riding times of 15th century England. A spur is a small spiked device used to urge a rider’s horse forward. At times this device would heat up after a long day of use. Soon the term hot spur came to refer to a person with a hot temper. James has such a reputation as a hotspur that everyone at the office was afraid to tell him the weekly softball game had been canceled. He later complained when he was the only one who showed up at the ballpark, but I say it serves him right for being such a hothead.