| Front | gainsay \GAYN-say\ |
|---|---|
| Back | verb To oppose or contradict. [You might have trouble figuring out "gainsay" if you're thinking of our modern "gain" plus "say." It should help to know that the "gain-" part is actually related to "against"—specifically the Old English word for "against": "gēan-." From that came Middle English "gain-," which was joined with "sayen" ("say") to form "gainsayen," the Middle English predecessor of "gainsay." So when you see "gainsay," think "say against"—that is, "deny" or "contradict."] "And there was something childlike about Griffith, too, even in his Matlock days, as a deceptively sharp 'simple country lawyer,' a big-kid boyishness that did not mask his intelligence or gainsay his authority." — From an obituary for Andy Griffith in the Post & Courier (Charleston, South Carolina), July 7, 2012 |
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