Mumpsimus

Mumpsimus is a noun that refers to someone who sticks to old erroneous ways. Our word of the day is derived from a tale of a medieval priest who persistently used the word ‘mumpsimus’ instead of ‘sumpsimus’ in prayer, despite frequent corrections from his superior. The priest replied that he’d been saying it the wrong way for so long that it had become a tradition. Here’s an example of mumpsimus in use: Call me a mumpsimus if you want, but I prefer to use my old high school ball when bowling even though I know it’s too light to get the job done. I’ve been using it so long now that I simply can’t kick the habit — despite the ways it brings my game down.